Tanzania is straightforward to visit and more expensive than most of East Africa, because the conservation fees are high and almost everything worth seeing sits inside a protected area. Outside the parks, daily costs are low.
Visas
Most nationalities need a visa, obtainable online through the immigration e-visa portal or on arrival at the main airports. The ordinary single-entry visa costs 50 US dollars; United States citizens pay 100 for a multiple-entry visa. Applying online in advance avoids a long queue at Kilimanjaro and Julius Nyerere airports. A yellow fever certificate is required only if arriving from or transiting more than twelve hours in a country with risk of transmission, which includes Kenya and Ethiopia.
Park fees
This is where the money goes. Non-resident entry is roughly 60 to 83 US dollars per person per day depending on the park and season, plus concession fees at camps, vehicle fees, crater service fees at Ngorongoro of 300 dollars per vehicle, and 18 percent VAT on much of it. A day inside the Serengeti therefore costs several hundred dollars before accommodation. Fees run on a 24-hour clock from entry, not by calendar day.
Health
Malaria is present nationwide below about 1800 m, and the coast and Zanzibar are the highest risk. Take prophylaxis and use repellent from dusk. Recommended vaccinations are hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus, with rabies worth considering. Do not drink tap water. Altitude sickness is a real risk on Kilimanjaro and a serious one; see the route advice before booking a five-day climb.
Money
The currency is the Tanzanian shilling, but park fees, visas and most tourism services are quoted and payable in US dollars. Carry notes issued in 2009 or later, as older ones are frequently refused. ATMs are common in cities and absent in parks. Tipping is expected: around 20 to 25 US dollars per day for a safari guide from the group, and 250 to 300 for the crew on a Kilimanjaro climb.
Safety
Violent crime against visitors is uncommon; opportunistic theft in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Stone Town is not. Do not walk with a phone in hand, use taxis or apps at night and keep bags closed in markets. Homosexuality is criminalised in Tanzania and the law is enforced; visitors should be aware of the legal situation.
Getting around
Domestic flights connect the safari circuits and Zanzibar and save whole days. Long-distance buses are cheap and the standard varies enormously. Roads between the northern parks are good and worsen quickly off the main routes. Plastic bags are illegal to import and are confiscated at the border, and Zanzibar requires visitors to buy a mandatory local insurance policy and pay a nightly infrastructure levy.