10-Day Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar Holiday

Overview

Tour highlights

• Olduvai Gorge museum on the way to the Serengeti
• Two nights at a Serengeti tented camp
• Morning game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
• Same-day flight from the safari to Zanzibar
• Beach days on Zanzibar’s northeast coast

1. Day 1 Touchdown and a Night in Arusha Stay Upscale hotel in ArushaMeals Dinner

   Land at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your driver is waiting with your name on a board. The transfer to Arusha takes under an hour, past banana farms and roadside markets, with Mount Meru ahead on clear days. Check in and rest in the hotel gardens after the long flight. Use the evening to repack for the road: a soft bag is the easiest kind to fit in a safari vehicle. Dinner is at the hotel.

2. Day 2 Olduvai Gorge and Into the Serengeti Stay Tented camp in the SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Leave Arusha early for a long but varied day on the road. The route climbs through the Ngorongoro highlands, then drops to the dry plains below. Stop at Olduvai Gorge, where a small museum explains the fossils and stone tools found in its layers, and, if you wish, visit a nearby Maasai village. Enter the Serengeti in the afternoon and game drive to your tented camp, arriving in time for a hot shower and dinner.

3. Day 3 A Whole Day for Game Viewing Stay Tented camp in the SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   With no move to make today, every hour can go to wildlife. Head out at sunrise, when lions and cheetahs are most active, and cover as much ground as you like. Your guide will check the kopjes, the rivers and the areas where the herds are grazing at this time of year. Take a picnic lunch to stay out all day, or come back to camp to rest and go out again in the late afternoon.

4. Day 4 Serengeti Morning, Ngorongoro Evening Stay Lodge or tented camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rimMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Use the cool early hours for a last half-day game drive in the Serengeti. Then drive southeast toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, watching for wildlife as you leave the park. The road climbs onto the highlands, and the air cools quickly. Your overnight is on the crater rim, where on a clear day you look down into the caldera roughly 600 m (2,000 ft) below. Bring a fleece for the evening.

5. Day 5 Crater Game Drive and Flight to Zanzibar Stay Upscale beach resort on Zanzibar’s northeast coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater after an early breakfast for a game drive of about six hours. Look for black rhino, lions, hyenas, buffalo and the flamingos that gather at the soda lake. After lunch, you can stop at a Maasai village on the way out. Then transfer for the one-hour flight to Zanzibar, where a driver takes you to your beach resort in time for dinner.

6. Day 6 Slowing Down on the Northeast Coast Stay Upscale beach resort on Zanzibar’s northeast coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   After four busy days, the pace drops. The northeast coast faces the sunrise, and its long white beaches have a wide tide that draws the water far out in the morning and brings it back later in the day. Walk the flats at low tide and look for starfish in the shallow pools, then swim when the sea returns. Lunch and dinner are at the resort, so there is nothing to organize.

7. Day 7 Spice Farm or Stone Town (Optional) Stay Upscale beach resort on Zanzibar’s northeast coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   If you want a change from the beach, today suits an excursion. A spice farm tour lets you taste cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla straight from the plant and learn why Zanzibar earned the name Spice Island. Alternatively, spend the day in Stone Town, the old quarter of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with an optional boat ride to Prison Island and its giant tortoises. These trips are optional extras.

8. Day 8 Snorkeling, Diving or Sea Kayaking Stay Upscale beach resort on Zanzibar’s northeast coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   The reef off the northeast coast is close enough for half-day trips. Snorkelers can join a boat to a nearby reef or to Mnemba Atoll, and certified divers can book with a local dive center. If you prefer to stay near the surface, a sea kayak or a short sail on a traditional dhow is a quieter way to enjoy the coast. Afternoons are free for the pool, a book and a long swim at high tide.

9. Day 9 Last Full Day on the Sand Stay Upscale beach resort on Zanzibar’s northeast coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Spend your last full day exactly as you like. Many travelers keep it simple: a late breakfast, a walk along the sand, a final swim and a cold drink as the light fades. If you have not done so yet, there is still time for a short outing, such as a village walk, or a massage if your resort offers one. Enjoy a final dinner by the sea and the sound of the Indian Ocean on your last evening.

10. Day 10 Check-Out and Flight Home Meals Breakfast

    Enjoy breakfast and a last swim. Check-out is around midday, but your bags can be stored if your flight leaves later, so you can stay on the beach until it is time to go. A private transfer takes you to Zanzibar’s international airport, and our team is available around the clock if anything about your flight changes. Safari njema, Swahili for “have a good journey,” and safe travels.

Questions about this safari