Serengeti + Zanzibar

Ten days from the big-game plains of northern Tanzania to the white-sand beaches and carved doorways of Zanzibar. A classic safari-and-beach pairing, paced for first-timers and tailored to your dates, style and budget.

Every journey is customizable. Use our featured journeys as inspiration. We'll tailor the dates, hotels, activities, pace and budget around you.

Highlights

• A morning in Ngorongoro Crater

  Game drive on the floor of a vast volcanic caldera, home to lion, buffalo, hippo and, if you are lucky, black rhino.

• Three nights in the Serengeti

  Long game drives from a tented camp chosen to match where the herds typically are during your travel month.

• Tarangire's elephants and baobabs

  An easy first safari day among large elephant herds and ancient baobab trees.

• Stone Town at dusk

  A guided walk through Zanzibar's historic quarter, with evening street food on the waterfront.

• Unhurried Indian Ocean beach time

  Two nights on the coast for snorkeling, sailing or simply resting after safari.

Suggested day-by-day

A starting point, not a fixed schedule — we adjust every day to suit you.

1. 1
   Day 1Arrive in ArushaArusha, Tanzania+

   Your driver meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the transfer of about an hour to your lodge on the edge of Arusha. Settle in, rest after the long flight, and meet your guide for a relaxed briefing on the days ahead.

   • Private airport meet-and-greet
   • Transfer to your lodge
   • Safari briefing with your guide

   Garden lodge or coffee-farm lodge, or similar · ArushaDinner
2. 2
   Day 2Elephants of TarangireTarangire National Park+

   Drive about two hours to Tarangire, where the dry season draws large elephant herds to the Tarangire River. Spend the day on game drives among baobabs and acacia woodland, then continue up to the green, cooler highlands near Karatu.

   • Game drive in Tarangire National Park
   • Picnic or lodge lunch in the park
   • Afternoon drive to the Ngorongoro highlands

   Upscale farm lodge or similar · Karatu, Ngorongoro highlandsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3. 3
   Day 3Ngorongoro CraterNgorongoro Conservation Area+

   Set off early and descend roughly 600 meters to the crater floor, where lion, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and hippo are regularly seen; black rhino live here too but are usually spotted at a distance. Time on the crater floor is regulated, so your guide plans the route carefully before you return to the highlands for a quiet afternoon.

   • Early descent into Ngorongoro Crater
   • Half-day game drive on the crater floor
   • Picnic lunch at a designated site
   • Optional afternoon coffee-farm or village walk

   Upscale lodge on the crater rim or in the highlands, or similar · Ngorongoro highlandsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4. 4
   Day 4Across the plains to the SerengetiSerengeti National Park+

   Drive west through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with an optional stop at Olduvai Gorge, a site central to the study of human origins. Descend onto the open Serengeti plains and game drive on the way to camp, arriving in time for sundowners.

   • Scenic drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
   • Optional stop at Olduvai Gorge
   • Game drive en route to camp

   Upscale tented camp or similar · Serengeti National ParkBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
5. 5–6
   Days 5–6Serengeti game drivesSerengeti National Park+

   Two full days to explore at your own pace. The herds typically graze the southern plains from about December to March and move north from around July to October, while the central Seronera area has resident predators year-round. When the herds are far from your first camp, we may suggest splitting your stay between two camps linked by a short light-aircraft hop between airstrips.

   • Morning and afternoon game drives, or full days out with a picnic
   • Big-cat viewing along the Seronera valley or similar area
   • Optional dawn hot-air balloon flight (extra cost)
   • Sundowners on the plains

   Upscale tented camp or similar · Serengeti National ParkBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
6. 7
   Day 7Fly to ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar+

   After a final early game drive, fly from a Serengeti airstrip to Zanzibar on a scheduled light-aircraft flight, which usually connects via Arusha. You are met on arrival and taken to Stone Town, where the evening is yours for the Forodhani Gardens food stalls or a rooftop dinner.

   • Short final game drive
   • Scheduled light-aircraft flight to Zanzibar
   • Private transfer to Stone Town
   • Evening stroll along the waterfront

   Boutique heritage hotel or similar · Stone Town, ZanzibarBreakfast
7. 8
   Day 8Stone Town and the coastZanzibar+

   Join a local guide for a morning walk through Stone Town's lanes, from the Old Fort and the Darajani market to the memorial on the site of the former slave market. After lunch, transfer about an hour or so to the coast and settle into your beach hotel.

   • Guided Stone Town walking tour
   • Visit to the former slave market memorial
   • Transfer to the beach

   Upscale beach hotel or similar · Zanzibar coastBreakfast, Dinner
8. 9
   Day 9A day on the Indian OceanZanzibar coast+

   A free day to spend as you like. Snorkel over a nearby reef, sail in a traditional dhow at sunset, visit a spice farm, or simply stay put with a book and the sound of the ocean.

   • Optional snorkeling trip
   • Optional sunset dhow sail
   • Optional spice farm visit
   • Time at leisure on the beach

   Upscale beach hotel or similar · Zanzibar coastBreakfast, Dinner
9. 10
   Day 10Depart ZanzibarZanzibar+

   Enjoy a final morning by the water before your private transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your onward flight. If you leave late in the day, we can ask your hotel about a late checkout.

   • Leisurely final morning
   • Private transfer to Zanzibar airport

   Breakfast

Make it yours

A few of the ways travelers tailor this journey:

• Follow the Great Migration

  Time your Serengeti stay to the season and add a second camp in the north (typically July to October) or on the southern plains (typically December to March).

• Add a hot-air balloon flight

  Float over the Serengeti at dawn, followed by a bush breakfast. Places are limited, so mention it early.

• Fly instead of drive

  Swap the longer road transfers for light-aircraft flights between airstrips to save time and energy.

• Stretch the beach time

  Add nights on Zanzibar, or choose a quieter stretch of coast if you want seclusion rather than restaurants and nightlife.

• Make it family-friendly

  Choose family tents or connecting rooms, shorter drive days and a private vehicle so you set the pace.

Best months

1. ✓ Jan
2. ✓ Feb
3. Mar
4. Apr
5. May
6. ✓ Jun
7. ✓ Jul
8. ✓ Aug
9. ✓ Sep
10. ✓ Oct
11. Nov
12. Dec