Arusha is the principal city of northern Tanzania and the usual starting point for the northern safari circuit and Kilimanjaro climbs. It sits at about 1,400 m on the southern slopes of Mount Meru, close to the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, and its altitude gives it a temperate climate despite the equatorial latitude. The 2022 census recorded 617,631 residents. The city is the headquarters of the East African Community and hosts the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights; the Arusha Declaration, which set out Tanzania's post-independence policy, was signed here in 1967. Arusha National Park lies about 25 km to the east and Kilimanjaro International Airport roughly 50 km away, while the road west leads to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Visitors typically spend a night either side of a safari, using the time for the Cultural Heritage Centre, the central market, coffee-farm visits and day trips into Arusha National Park.
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