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Overview of Serengeti and Zanzibar
Six nights on safari through Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, then five on Zanzibar: Stone Town, reef snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll and the red colobus of Jozani.
- Length
- 12 days
- Countries
- Tanzania
- Pace
- Unhurried
- From
- USD 6,780
Best for safari first, then reef and beach time. Prices are per person sharing a twin or double room and are confirmed on enquiry.
Highlights
- Ngorongoro Crater floor and two days in the Serengeti
- Dhow trip to snorkel Mnemba Atoll
- Stone Town walk and a working spice farm
- Zanzibar red colobus in Jozani Forest
- Four nights by the sea after the safari
Where this one goes
7 stops over 12 days, in travel order.
Day 1
Kilimanjaro (JRO), Arusha
Land and repack for the flights ahead
Days 2 to 3
Tarangire National Park
Elephant herds along the river
Days 3 to 4
Ngorongoro Crater
First vehicles down the descent road
Days 4 to 7
Serengeti
Two full days on the plains
Days 7 to 8
Stone Town, Zanzibar
Market lanes and a working spice farm
Days 8 to 12
North-east coast
Mnemba Atoll, the reef and Jozani Forest
Day 12
Zanzibar (ZNZ)
Depart from the island
When to travel
The windows below are for the countries this journey crosses. Tell us the month you are thinking of and we will say what it means for this route.
- Jun to OctBest
- Dry season and the Mara River crossings. The headline window.
- Jan to MarStrong
- Calving in the southern Serengeti and predators working the herds.
- Apr to MayGreen
- Long rains. Some mobile camps move or close, rates fall hard.
- Nov to DecMixed
- Short rains and the herds moving south through the Seronera.
What you are likely to see
Listed because this route goes where these animals are, and on which day. None of it is a promise of a sighting, and anyone who gives you a percentage is guessing.
Elephant
Tarangire National Park, day 2
Black rhino
Ngorongoro Crater floor, day 4
Lion
Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, days 4 to 6
Leopard and cheetah
Seronera valley, days 5 and 6
Wildebeest
Serengeti, days 5 and 6
Crossings in the north July to September, calving near Ndutu in February
Red colobus
Jozani Forest, day 11
Sea turtle and reef fish
Mnemba Atoll, days 9 and 10
Day by day
Day 1
Land at Kilimanjaro, transfer to Arusha
Meet at JRO and drive about an hour to Arusha. Evening briefing on the route, and a chance to repack for the flights ahead.
OvernightArusha. Hotel, breakfast.
Day 2
Tarangire National Park
Drive 2 hours to Tarangire for baobab country and large elephant herds along the river. A full day of game drives with a picnic lunch.
OvernightTarangire National Park. Lodge, full board.
Day 3
Tarangire to the Ngorongoro rim
About 3 hours via Mto wa Mbu and Karatu to the crater rim. Spend the evening at the rim viewpoint, with an early night for tomorrow's descent.
OvernightNgorongoro rim. Lodge, full board.
Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater, then the Serengeti
Down the descent road at first light for lion, black rhino and hippo on the 260 sq km crater floor. Then Olduvai Gorge and about 4 hours of driving to the Serengeti.
OvernightSerengeti. Lodge or tented camp, full board.
Days 5 to 6
The Serengeti plains
Two full days of game drives around the Seronera River, where leopard, lion and cheetah are most reliable. Where the herds are depends on the month, with Mara River crossings in the north from July to September and calving near Ndutu in February.
OvernightSerengeti. 2 nights, Lodge or tented camp, full board.
Day 7
Fly to Zanzibar
A morning game drive, then scheduled flights from the Serengeti via Arusha to Zanzibar. A transfer takes you into Stone Town for the night.
OvernightStone Town, Zanzibar. Hotel, breakfast.
Day 8
Stone Town and the spice farms
Walk Stone Town's lanes, the Old Fort and the Darajani market with a local guide, then tour a spice farm outside town. In the afternoon, drive about 1.5 hours to the beach lodge on the north-east coast.
OvernightNorth-east coast, Zanzibar. Beach hotel, breakfast and dinner.
Days 9 to 10
Mnemba Atoll and the reef
A dhow trip out to Mnemba Atoll for snorkelling over the reef, where green turtles are often seen. The second day is yours: the beach, a spa session, or a sunset dhow.
OvernightNorth-east coast, Zanzibar. 2 nights, Beach hotel, breakfast and dinner.
Day 11
Jozani Forest
Morning at Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, where the Zanzibar red colobus come close on the forest floor. The afternoon is open before a last dinner by the water.
OvernightNorth-east coast, Zanzibar. Beach hotel, breakfast and dinner.
Day 12
Depart Zanzibar
Transfer to Zanzibar airport (ZNZ), about 1 hour from the north-east coast. Your onward flight can leave from here, so you skip the return to Kilimanjaro.
Safari first, then reef and beach time, over 12 days at a unhurried pace.
Where you stay
11 nights, in travel order. Prices are per person sharing a twin or double room.
| Nights | Where | Type | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha | Hotel | Breakfast |
| 1 | Tarangire National Park | Lodge | Full board |
| 1 | Ngorongoro rim | Lodge | Full board |
| 3 | Serengeti | Lodge or tented camp | Full board |
| 1 | Stone Town, Zanzibar | Hotel | Breakfast |
| 4 | North-east coast, Zanzibar | Beach hotel | Breakfast and dinner |
Photographs from Serengeti and Zanzibar
Included
- Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire park and conservation fees, including the crater service fee
- Private 4x4 with pop-top roof and driver-guide on the mainland
- Scheduled flights from the Serengeti to Arusha and on to Zanzibar
- Dhow trip to Mnemba Atoll with snorkelling gear
- Stone Town walking tour and spice farm visit
- Eleven nights in lodges, camps and a beach hotel, sharing a twin or double room
- Full board on safari, breakfast and dinner at the beach hotel
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Airport transfers at Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ)
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa
- Travel insurance, including medical evacuation cover
- Tips for guides, boat crews and staff
- Drinks other than bottled water
- Optional balloon safari
- Lunches at the beach hotel and Zanzibar dive courses
Questions
- Why does the safari come before the beach?
- Because the order only works one way. A short flight from the Serengeti via Arusha puts you on Zanzibar the day you leave the bush, which turns a hard-driving safari into a trip people come home rested from. Reversed, the beach is the warm-up for the alarm clock.
- How do I get home from Zanzibar?
- From Zanzibar airport, which is about an hour from the north-east coast. Your onward flight leaves from there, so you skip the return to Kilimanjaro entirely.
- What is included on the island?
- The Stone Town walking tour, a spice farm visit, the dhow trip to Mnemba Atoll with snorkelling gear, eleven nights in total, and breakfast and dinner at the beach hotel. Lunches at the beach hotel and any dive courses are not included.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- June to October lines up the Tanzanian dry season, the Mara River crossings from July to September and good Zanzibar weather. December to February works too, with calving near Ndutu in February and sea temperatures of 26 to 29 C.
- Is twelve days too long for one trip?
- It is the pace most people want and few book. Five days on the mainland covers Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, and the rest is the coast, which is where the trip stops being a schedule.
Enquire about this journey
Tell us your dates and who is coming. We confirm the route, what is still open for those dates and the price per person.
Other journeys
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From USD 6,780 per person sharing a twin or double room. The lead-in price is confirmed on enquiry.