1-Day Safari · mid-range
Tanzanite Experience – A Half-Day Gem Tour in Arusha
Price on request
Learn how tanzanite, found only in northern Tanzania, is mined, graded, cut and polished, with a museum visit and a cutting demonstration in Arusha.
Tanzanite is found in only one place on Earth: the Merelani hills, between Arusha and Mount Kilimanjaro. This half-day tour in Arusha tells its story, from the geology that made it to the miners who bring it to the surface.
You visit a tanzanite museum with displays on mining, grading and the stone's history, then watch skilled cutters shape and polish rough crystals into gems.
It fits easily into a free afternoon in Arusha, before or after a safari or a Kilimanjaro climb.
- Duration
- About 3 to 4 hours
- Start and finish
- Your hotel in Arusha
- Includes
- Tanzanite museum and a cutting demonstration
- Shopping
- Optional, with no pressure to buy
- Difficulty
- Easy, mostly indoors
- Good for
- Rest days, families and anyone interested in gems
Highlights
- The tanzanite story: How a stone found in only one place was discovered and named.
- Mining and grading: How miners work and how colour and clarity set a stone's value.
- Cutting and polishing: Watch rough crystals become finished gems.
- Easy to fit in: A half-day in Arusha, before or after your trip.
Best months to travel: Jan · Feb · Mar · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Day-by-Day Itinerary
- 1
Pickup
From your hotel to the museum
Your guide collects you from your hotel in Arusha at the agreed time, morning or afternoon, and explains the plan on the short drive into town.
- 2
About 1 hour
The tanzanite museum
A guided visit to a museum that tells the story of tanzanite: how it formed, how it was discovered in the late 1960s, how it is mined in the Merelani hills and how stones are graded by colour, clarity and size.
- 3
About 1 hour
A cutting and polishing demonstration
You watch a cutter shape and polish rough stones, and see how the angle of each facet brings out the stone's blue and violet colours. There is time for questions.
- 4
Optional
A licensed dealer, then back to your hotel
If you'd like, you can visit a licensed dealer to see finished stones and jewellery. There is no pressure to buy. Your guide then drives you back to your hotel.
What's included in the price
- Transport: Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arusha.
- Guide: An English-speaking guide.
- Entry: The museum visit and the cutting demonstration.
- Water: Bottled drinking water.
What's not included
- Gemstones or jewellery you choose to buy.
- Meals and drinks.
- Tips for your guide.
- Travel insurance.
If you decide to buy a stone
There is never any obligation to buy on our tours. If you do, buy from a licensed dealer and take your time: compare stones in daylight, ask about treatment and ask for a written receipt.
- Paperwork: Keep the receipt, any certificate and the export or tax paperwork the dealer provides. You may be asked for them when you leave Tanzania.
- Street sellers: Don't buy from people offering stones on the street or outside the mining area. Fake and glass stones are common.
- Rules: Rules on selling and exporting gemstones are set by Tanzania's Ministry of Minerals and can change, so a licensed dealer should explain what applies to you.
Book a gem tour
Tell us your date, the number of people, where you're staying and whether you'd like to combine the tour with a safari or a climb. We confirm the plan, the pickup time and the price in writing before you pay.
- WhatsApp: +255 785 938 860
- Email: info@trusttourstz.com
- Website: trusttourstz.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Ask Ombeni directly on WhatsApp.
Read before you go
Free, no-fluff guides from the people who run the trips.
Tanzania Safari: The Complete Guide
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Plan your Tanzanite Experience, Arusha with Ombeni
Price on request. Tell us your date and group size and we'll quote you directly.
Price on request