Wiki Student Summit 2024/Travel

16-18 July 2024, Arusha and Online
Beyond Borders: Collaborating for Positive Impact.

East African Participants

Anyone arriving in Tanzania with passports issued by any member state of the East Africa territory should prepare to have the following items on hand:

A valid passport. It must not be older than ten years and should be valid for at least three more months, recommended six months, beyond its intended departure date from Tanzania.
Blank passport pages. Your passport must have at least two blank pages for the entry stamp.
Evidence on the purpose of entry. While not required for all non-visa holders, attendees should carry documentation explaining that they will be attending Wiki Student Summit. Wiki Students Summit attendees can request invitation letters from the Open Space Tanzania by emailing wss@openspacetanzania.org with the subject line “WSS Invitation Letter Request”.
Proof of sufficient financial means. Documentation that proves you have enough financial means to visit Tanzania. You may be required to Provide a printed bank statement (have it at hand just in case). You can also provide proof of employment or sponsorship, which Open Space Tanzania will provide to scholarship recipients.
Proof of return flight. Print out your travel itinerary to show when you will be departing.

Non East African Participants

Anyone arriving in Tanzania with passports from outside the East Africa territory should prepare to have the following items on hand:

A valid passport. It must not be older than ten years and should be valid for at least three more months, recommended six months, beyond its intended departure date from Tanzania.
Blank passport pages. Your passport must have at least two blank pages for the entry stamp.
A valid Tanzanian Ordinary Visa. You must carry your Tanzanian visa with you when you travel through Tanzania. Usually, your visa is affixed to your passport, so those two go hand in hand. (More information on applying for visas can be found on a separate page).
Evidence on the purpose of entry. While not required for all non-visa holders, attendees should carry documentation explaining that they will be attending Wiki Student Summit. Wiki Students Summit attendees can request invitation letters from the Open Space Tanzania by emailing wss@openspacetanzania.org with the subject line “WSS Invitation Letter Request”.
Proof of sufficient financial means. Documentation that proves you have enough financial means to visit Tanzania. You may be required to Provide a printed bank statement (have it at hand just in case). You can also provide proof of employment or sponsorship, which Open Space Tanzania will provide to scholarship recipients.
Proof of return flight. Print out your travel itinerary to show when you will be departing.

Coming to Arusha

The recommended ways to get to Arusha is to travel by Bus, Private car, plane or train.

Plane travel

Arusha is served by Arusha Airport (ARK / HTAR). It is located about 14.5km from Arusha town. The route from airport to the city is operated by public transport buses which can be found after exiting the airport and taxis which are available inside the airport.

You might also want to book a flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO / HTKJ) located 60KMs from Arusha town and then come to Arusha by private car or public transport. Coming from Kilimanjaro International Airport would take 1-1:30 hours. Both trips require a one transfer.

Public bus travel

There's a decent number of public buses crossing Arusha that connect Arusha directly. More routes are possible with transfers.

The Arusha train station is located ...km from the Wiki Student Summit 2024 venue.

Accommodation

Only scholarship recipients and Wikimedia Foundation staff will have their accommodations arranged by the organizers. All other participants should find an accommodation option on their own. We have prepared a list of links where you can find a place to stay that will suit you needs:

Hotels on HotelMap.com
Booking.com
Airbnb.com

Please pay attention to the dates and number of guests. We've preselected July ...... and one adult guest.

Accommodation suggestions

Here we have listed some accommodation options, that are not distant from the Summit venue, you may want to choose from. If you feel you'd like to book another hotel, feel free to. This table is meant to be a helpful reference only.

Accommodation near the venue
Hotel Name	Type	Address	Postal Code	Phone number	Website
This table will be updated shortly...

Traveler's Cheat sheet

Tanzania
Timezone	UTC+3
Currency	Tanzanian Shilling (TZS / Tsh) USD 1 = TZS 2568.47 (as of 28 March, Currency converter)
Driving side	right
Phone country code	+255
Dominant religion	Christianity
Electricity	230V / 50Hz Plug type D & G
Emergency contact	POLICE. 112. AMBULANCE. 114. FIRE. 118
Main mobile carriers	Vodacom, Airtel, Tigo, TTCL
Ride hailing	Bolt

Money

Cashless payments are very popular in Arusha. You can pay by card at almost all places—be it small Hotels or supermarkets. If you want to exchange money after coming to Tanzania, there are money exchange points at the airports as well as in the city center.

The most common foreign currencies accepted are: Euro (EUR), British pound (GBP) and US dollar (USD). Usually you may also find others in the currency exchange offices, especially the European ones.

Climate

In Arusha, Tanzania, the climate in July is generally cool and dry. Temperatures typically range from around 18°C to 25°C (64.4°F to 77°F). It's the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere, so you can expect clear skies and minimal rainfall during this time. It's a great time to visit if you prefer milder temperatures and want to explore the stunning landscapes and wildlife of the region.

However, we advice participants to carry along there cold costumes to keep them warm during the evening hours.