4x4 Land Cruiser with rooftop tent
Best for: camping safaris for couples and small families
ModelsHardtop · GX · TX
TyresMud-terrain
RoofRooftop tent
- From Arusha → the Serengeti
- From rooftop tent → crater sunrise
- From airport → open road
- From Kilimanjaro → Zanzibar
- From Tanzania → gorilla country
Self Drive Tanzania 4x4 car rental from $60 a day
Self Drive Tanzania is a 4x4 car rental company in Arusha for self-drive safaris: safari-ready Land Cruisers and RAV4s with unlimited mileage, rooftop tents and camping gear, picked up in Arusha, Moshi, at Kilimanjaro Airport, in Dar es Salaam or on Zanzibar.
Our fleet
Choose Your 4x4
Prices are per vehicle per day, with unlimited mileage. Every car can be booked with a rooftop tent, camping gear or a driver-guide.
Extended Safari Land Cruiser
Best for: groups and guided game drives
Seats8
GearboxManual
FuelLong-range tanks
Nissan Patrol
Best for: families who prefer an automatic
Seats4
GearboxAutomatic
FuelSingle 90-litre tank
How you travel
One Tanzania. Three Ways to Drive.
The parks are open to independent travellers. Choose how much you want to do yourself: drive, follow a route, or bring a local guide along.
Pillar I
Self-Drive Car Rental
Why it works
Pick up a safari-ready Land Cruiser or RAV4 and drive the parks at your own pace, from $60 a day with unlimited mileage.
Pillar II
Self-Drive Road Trips
Why it works
Follow a day-by-day route through the Northern Circuit, the south or across East Africa, with campsites or lodges booked.
Pillar III
Safaris With a Driver-Guide
Why it works
Prefer not to drive? Every vehicle can come with an experienced local driver-guide who knows the parks.
The self-drive guide
How 4x4 Car Rental in Tanzania Works
What you can rent, where you can drive and how we help plan the route. Choose the type of road trip, the location and the length that suit you; your journey starts here.
- Rent a 4x4 from $60 a day
- One-way rentals across East Africa
- Where to drive in Tanzania
- Add gorillas and chimpanzees
- A route drafted for you
- Can you self-drive in the national parks?
- Driving in Tanzania: what to expect
- Do I need an International Driving Permit?
- Camping with a rooftop tent
- Best time for a self-drive safari
- Is a self-drive in Tanzania safe?
- Airport pick-up and transfers
- Before you go
Rent a 4x4 from $60 a day
Self Drive Tanzania rents safari-ready 4x4s to independent travellers from our office in Arusha. The Toyota RAV4 starts at $60 a day; Land Cruisers and the Nissan Patrol start at $110, all with unlimited mileage.
- Pick up at the airport or your hotel in Arusha, Moshi, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar
- Add a rooftop tent, camping gear or a driver-guide
- Daily, short and monthly rentals: the longer you rent, the lower the daily rate
One-way rentals across East Africa
Start in Tanzania and finish in another country. We arrange one-way rentals from Arusha to Nairobi, Kampala and Kigali, and from Kilimanjaro to Dar es Salaam, with a COMESA yellow card for the border crossings.
Where to drive in Tanzania
Tanzania’s national parks and game reserves are open to self-drivers. The classic first route is the Northern Circuit from Arusha:
- Serengeti National Park: the wildebeest migration
- Ngorongoro Crater: wildlife on the crater floor
- Lake Manyara: the tree-climbing lions
- Tarangire: elephants and baobabs
- Arusha National Park: Mount Meru and waterfalls, close to town
Further afield: chimpanzees at Gombe Stream, and the wild south and west in Ruaha and Katavi.
Add gorillas and chimpanzees
Combine your Tanzania road trip with gorilla trekking in Bwindi or Mgahinga in Uganda, or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest. We draft multi-country routes around Lake Victoria.
A route drafted for you
Tell us your dates and what you want to see. We draft a tailor-made, day-by-day itinerary with campsites or lodges, for a self-drive or for a luxury safari with a driver-guide.
Can you self-drive in the national parks?
Yes. Independent travellers can drive their own 4x4 into Tanzania’s national parks, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara. You pay park fees for the vehicle and for each traveller.
Driving in Tanzania: what to expect
Tanzania drives on the left. The main roads between Arusha, Kilimanjaro, the northern parks and Dar es Salaam are tarmac, with speed bumps through towns and villages. Inside the parks the roads are gravel and dirt, and they change with the seasons.
Driving guide for first-timers · Fuel stops on the way to the Serengeti · Why to avoid driving at night
Do I need an International Driving Permit?
You can drive on an international permit or the licence from your own country. Bring your licence and passport when you collect the car.
Camping with a rooftop tent
Rent a Land Cruiser with a rooftop tent, add a camping gear set from $25, and sleep at public campsites inside the parks. Campsite fees are paid together with your park fees.
Rooftop tent rental · Camping in Tanzania · Campsites and lodges by area
Best time for a self-drive safari
The dry months are the easiest time to drive the parks; in the rains some park tracks turn muddy and slow. Early in the year the wildebeest herds calve on the southern plains of the Serengeti.
Is a self-drive in Tanzania safe?
Most travellers drive without problems. Plan your days so you arrive before dark, take your time through villages and call or WhatsApp our office if anything goes wrong on the road.
Airport pick-up and transfers
Collect your car at Kilimanjaro Airport, in Arusha or in Dar es Salaam, or book a transfer with a driver to your hotel.
Before you go
Our most-read guides for first-time self-drivers:
New for 2026
Crossing Borders With a Rental Car in East Africa
Drive from Tanzania into Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda: the COMESA yellow card, border posts, permits and what to carry.
Plan a one-way trip from Arusha to Nairobi, Kampala or KigaliRead the Guide
Our tools
Everything you need to plan the road trip.
Fleet & Prices
Compare every 4x4 side by side: seats, gearbox, fuel range and daily price, with rooftop tents and camping gear as extras.
Compare the FleetSelf-Drive Trips
99 day-by-day routes, from a three-day park hop to a full East Africa overland, filtered by length, style and country.
Find Your RoutePark Fees & Permits
What each park charges, the gates to use and how to pay entry, concession and camping fees on a self-drive.
Read the GuideWhere to Stay
Public campsites, tented camps and lodges used on our own trips, sorted by area from Arusha to the Serengeti.
Find a Place to SleepWhy rent with us
Simple, all-in car hire
One daily price per vehicle, unlimited mileage, and a team in Arusha to call when you are on the road.
$60Per day for our Toyota RAV4Land Cruisers and the Nissan Patrol from $110
UnlimitedMileage on every rentalPlus third-party insurance and a vehicle briefing
4Pick-up townsArusha, Moshi, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, at the airport or your hotel
4Countries you can driveTanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda with a COMESA yellow card
Reviews
What Travellers Say on Tripadvisor
The latest reviews from our Tripadvisor page, loaded live: new reviews appear here automatically.
Beautiful self-drive through Tanzania made with a 4×4 of Self Drive Tanzania including camping gear. We have not had any problems with the car and the contact went very well. They helped us with everything at all times.
Amazing experience! We had a seven days safari in Tanzania, saw the big 5 and much more animals from very close. Edson our guide and driver was extremely helpful and full of good ideas and advice.
Very good experience with this company, which provided us a capable and reliable car, much needed for the tough and dusty tracks of the Serengeti. Our contact was dedicated and available at all times.
Luxury Safari Tanzania
Rather Be Driven? Watch Our Luxury Safaris
Not every trip has to be a self-drive. Our sister company plans guided luxury safaris with private driver-guides, fine lodges and fly-in options.
Watch the Luxury Safari Tanzania videos: big-five game drives across the plains of the Serengeti National Park and eye-to-eye encounters with silverback mountain gorillas. We can draft you a tailor-made luxury Tanzania safari itinerary, day by day, with everything arranged for you.
Or mix both styles: drive the Tanzanian parks yourself, then add gorilla trekking in Bwindi or Mgahinga and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale. One-way rentals take you on to Kenya or Uganda.
Our partner network
Sister companies and partners we work with across East Africa.
Where to stay
Lodges, Tented Camps & Campsites
Sleep at public campsites with your rooftop tent, in tented camps or in lodges: every place listed is used on our own trips.
Arusha, Moshi & Kilimanjaro10 lodges & hotels
Where most self-drive trips start and end. Stay a night after your flight, collect the car in the morning and you are…
Where to stay →
Tarangire3 lodges & hotels3 tented camps
Lodges and tented camps on the ridges above the Tarangire River, plus camps just outside the park boundary.
Where to stay →
Lake Manyara & Mto wa Mbu4 lodges & hotels
Mto wa Mbu village sits at the gate of Lake Manyara and is a handy stop between Tarangire and the crater highlands.
Where to stay →
Karatu & Ngorongoro6 lodges & hotels1 campsites
Sleep on the crater rim for an early descent, or in Karatu town below for more choice and lower prices.
Where to stay →
Serengeti & Ndutu6 lodges & hotels11 tented camps7 campsites
From public campsites to luxury tented camps. Choose the area by season: Ndutu and the south for calving, the centre…
Where to stay →
Lake Natron & Lake Eyasi1 lodges & hotels3 tented camps
Remote lakes off the main circuit: Ol Doinyo Lengai and flamingos at Natron, Hadzabe and Datoga cultures at Eyasi.
Where to stay →Blog
From the Road
Guides, places and news from our team in Arusha.
Driving Rules in Tanzania: Speed Limits, Police Checks and Fines
Driving in Tanzania is easier than many visitors expect. The main routes of the northern circuit are tarmac, signposts are in English, and…
Best Time for a Self-Drive Safari in Tanzania, Month by Month
Tanzania's parks are open all year, and every month has a reason to go. For a self-drive the question is not only where the animals are…
Driving Distances and Times in Tanzania
The most common mistake on a first self-drive in Tanzania is planning with the times a navigation app gives you. On the tarmac between…
Tanzania Safari Guide
Welcome Self Drive kenya Section for Safari guide to Kenya , Uganda and Tanzania for the best safari planning experience in the wilderness…
Road Trip Essentials for Travelling around Tanzania
Taking a long drive around Tanzania is a Dream Come True for all travelers looking to enjoy Wildlife Safaris in Tanzania while on Self…
Is individual travel with family safe in Tanzania
A Tanzania safari is a delight for all ages, and as such is an ideal family holiday. The excitement of the adventure is truly shared…
Questions
Self-Drive Tanzania, Answered
Can you self-drive in Tanzania’s national parks?
Yes. You can drive yourself into the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the other parks with a rental 4x4. You pay park fees for the vehicle and each traveller. Read which parks allow self-drive.
How much does car hire in Tanzania cost?
Our Toyota RAV4 starts from $60 per day and our Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrol from $110 per day, with unlimited mileage. The TXL Land Cruiser is from $120. Rooftop tents, camping gear and a driver-guide are extras. See the fleet and prices.
Where can I pick up the car?
We hand over in Arusha, Moshi, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, at the airport or your hotel. One-way drop-offs in another town or in Kenya, Uganda or Rwanda can be arranged.
Can I take the rental car to Kenya, Uganda or Rwanda?
Yes, on request. We arrange the COMESA yellow card insurance for travel beyond Tanzania. Read our guide to crossing borders with a rental car.
Do I need an International Driving Permit?
You can drive on an international permit or the licence from your own country. Read do I need an IDP for the details.
Can I rent a car with a driver instead?
Yes. Every vehicle in our fleet can be booked with an experienced driver-guide. Car hire with a driver.