Formerly a Game Reserve since 1951, Mkomazi was upgraded to a ‘National Park’ status in 2008. It is located 6km from the Same town, covering an area of 3,245 square km. The name ‘Mkomazi’ is a combination of two words from the Pare ethnic language; “Mko and Mazi”. “Mko” means a traditional tiny wooden spoon used by the Pare people for eating and “Mazi” means water. This implies that water in the Park is hardly enough to fill up the wooden spoon.
By Road: Mkomazi is located in north-eastern Tanzania 120km from Moshi, 155km from Kilimanjaro International Airport, 200km from Arusha, and 500km from Dar es Salaam via the Same town.
By Air: Several companies arrange charter flights to Mkomazi.
Game drives – This activity is conducted from 0630 – 1830 HRS, no additional fee for this activity. Four-wheel (4X4) drive vehicles are recommended.
Short walking safari: Dindira trail (4km) which takes about 3hrs
Hiking: Mbula Hill Trail (5km) which takes about 4 hours to ascend and descend. The best time to conduct the activity is early morning and late afternoon. Booking through mkomazi@tanzaniaparks.go.tz is mandatory.
Additional fees apart from conservation fees:
Category | Short walking/ hiking fees | Ranger service fee/group | |
Adult | Child (>12 yrs) | ||
Non EAC Citizens/ Tz Expatriates | US $ 20 | US $ 10 | US $ 20 |
EAC Citizens | TZS 5,000 | TZS 2,500 | TZS 5,000 |
(Refer to walking safari guidelines.)
There are more than 450 bird species including those that are hardly seen elsewhere such as Friedmann’s Lark, the Violet Wood-hoopoe, Somalia Long-Billed Crombec, and Shelley’s Starling. Also, the park hosts Eurasian migrant birds such as the European Roller. The best sites for bird watching are Zange, Dindira, Mbula, Babus, Norbanda, Ngurunga and Maore.
Category | Special campsite fee | Public campsite fee | ||
Adult | Child | Adult | Child | |
Non EAC Citizens/ Tz Expatriates | US $ 50 | US $ 10 | US $ 30 | US $ 5 |
EAC Citizens (TZS) | 10,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 2,500 |
Additional fees apart from conservation fees
Filming fee: US $250 charged per person/day and covers conservation, camping and filming fees. This is applicable to all nationalities.
Refer Filming guidelines
– Diversity of Fauna and Flora, the only protected area in Tanzania with a large and visible population of Gerenuk.
– Magnificent view of landscapes including Kilimanjaro, Eastern Arc Mountains (Pare and Usambara), associated Hills and Acacia, and Commiphora Woodland.
– Endangered species of animals particularly Black Rhino and Wild dogs