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A lantern-lit lodge terrace with red chairs overlooking green bush

Tanzania safari

12-Day Luxury Safari & All-Inclusive Zanzibar

Duration12 days
Per person$3,419 – $7,198
Places visited
  1. Arusha
  2. Tarangire
  3. Olduvai Gorge
  4. Serengeti
  5. Ngorongoro
  6. Lake Manyara
  7. Zanzibar

Overview

Half safari, half beach, with comfort at every stop. For six days you travel the classic northern route with a private guide, sleeping in luxury lodges and tented camps chosen for their setting as much as their service. Then you fly to Zanzibar and let an all-inclusive resort on the east coast take over the planning.

The safari opens with a full day among the elephants and baobabs of Tarangire. You cross the Ngorongoro highlands to the Serengeti, stopping at Olduvai Gorge on the way, and spend two nights on the plains. A night on the crater rim sets up a six-hour game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, followed by an afternoon in a Maasai village.

On day seven you fly from Arusha to the island, where five nights of swimming, reef trips and long lunches wait. Tanzania Tourism Safaris arranges the domestic flight, park fees and every transfer, and local drinks come with your meals. The trip can start on any day, subject to availability, and runs for as few as two guests.

Tour highlights

  • Luxury lodges and tented camps on every safari night
  • Two nights on the Serengeti plains
  • Six-hour game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
  • Olduvai Gorge museum and a Maasai village visit
  • Five all-inclusive nights on Zanzibar’s east coast

Day by day

  1. Day 1 Welcome at Kilimanjaro Airport Stay Luxury hotel in ArushaMeals Dinner

    Your private guide meets you in the arrivals hall at Kilimanjaro International Airport. The drive to Arusha is about 50 km (around 50 minutes), through farmland with Mount Meru rising ahead when the clouds lift. Check in to a five-star hotel on the edge of town, take a swim or a walk in the gardens, and sleep off the flight. Your guide will run through the plan for the coming days before you settle in for dinner.

  2. Day 2 Elephant Country in Tarangire Stay Luxury lodge in the Lake Manyara and Karatu areaMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Leave Arusha after breakfast for Tarangire National Park, about two hours away. The whole day is yours for game viewing. Elephants gather in large numbers along the Tarangire River, and the park’s giant baobabs make a striking backdrop. Watch for buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and smaller antelope such as bushbuck, plus herons and other waterbirds near the river. In the late afternoon, continue to a luxury lodge in the hills near Lake Manyara.

  3. Day 3 Olduvai Gorge on the Road West Stay Luxury tented camp or lodge in the SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Today’s route crosses the Ngorongoro highlands and drops onto the short-grass plains. Stop at Olduvai Gorge, where a museum displays fossils and stone tools of early human ancestors found in the gorge walls. A visit to a Maasai village nearby can be added. Enter the Serengeti in the afternoon and game drive the last stretch to your camp, watching for gazelle, topi and hartebeest along the way.

  4. Day 4 The Serengeti from Dawn to Dusk Stay Luxury tented camp or lodge in the SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    A full day in a park that covers roughly 14,760 km² (about 5,700 sq mi) of open plains, woodland and river valleys. The Serengeti is known for its big cats, so your guide will spend the early hours looking for lions, cheetahs and leopards, then follow the grazing herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo. Choose a hot lunch back at camp or a picnic under a shade tree, and head out again when the heat eases.

  5. Day 5 Last Serengeti Drive, Up to the Crater Rim Stay Luxury lodge or camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rimMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    An early breakfast gives you a final half day of game viewing in the Serengeti, when the light is soft and the predators are still active. Around midday you start back east, with a game drive on the way out of the park. The road then climbs into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, about two hours of driving in all. Your room tonight is on the crater rim, where evenings are cool enough for a fire.

  6. Day 6 Crater Floor and a Maasai Afternoon Stay Luxury lodge in the Lake Manyara and Karatu areaMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Drive down into the Ngorongoro Crater after breakfast for about six hours on the caldera floor. The crater is a collapsed volcano, and its grassland, swamp and soda lake hold black rhino, lions, spotted hyenas, buffalo, elephants and big herds of grazers. In the late afternoon, visit a Maasai village to see how families live and herd cattle in the highlands. Then drive about an hour to your lodge near Lake Manyara.

  7. Day 7 Rift Valley Road and the Flight to the Coast Stay All-inclusive luxury beach resort on Zanzibar’s east coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    After breakfast, drive back to Arusha along the Great Rift Valley, passing through the market village of Mto wa Mbu. You reach Arusha Airport around midday and board a late-afternoon flight of about an hour to Zanzibar. A guide meets you on arrival and drives you across the island to an all-inclusive resort on the east coast, in good time for a swim or a drink before dinner.

  8. Day 8 First Morning by the Indian Ocean Stay All-inclusive luxury beach resort on Zanzibar’s east coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    No early start today. After a week of game drives, simply enjoy the white sand, the warm water and a resort where meals and drinks are already taken care of. Find a lounger in the shade, swim when the tide is in, and get to know the coast at your own pace. If you feel restless by the afternoon, ask the resort about the activities and boat trips on offer for the days ahead.

  9. Day 9 Spices and Island Flavors Stay All-inclusive luxury beach resort on Zanzibar’s east coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Zanzibar and its neighboring islands are known as the Spice Islands, and a visit to a spice plantation is an easy half-day outing. A local guide shows you turmeric, ginger, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon growing in the field and lets you smell and taste them fresh. Back at the resort, spend the rest of the day in the pool or on the beach. Ask us to arrange the plantation visit for you.

  10. Day 10 Reef Day: Snorkel or Dive Stay All-inclusive luxury beach resort on Zanzibar’s east coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    The clear water around Zanzibar is rich in marine life, which makes snorkeling and scuba diving two of the island’s most popular activities. Join a boat trip to a nearby reef, or sail to one of the small islands offshore to swim, explore and laze on a quieter beach. Certified divers can book dives through a local dive center. Return to the resort for a late lunch and a lazy afternoon.

  11. Day 11 A Free Day to Repeat Your Favorites Stay All-inclusive luxury beach resort on Zanzibar’s east coastMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Your last full day has no plan at all. Many guests use it to repeat whatever they enjoyed most, whether that is another snorkel trip, a long walk at low tide or an afternoon with a book by the pool. It is also a good moment to sort photos from the safari while the sightings are still fresh in your mind. Finish with a relaxed farewell dinner at the resort.

  12. Day 12 Late Check-Out and Transfer to the Airport Meals Breakfast

    Have breakfast, then enjoy the resort until your transfer. Rooms are released just before noon, but your bags can stay with reception so you can keep using the pool and beach until it is time to go. Our driver collects you at reception and takes you to Zanzibar International Airport for your flight home. Our team is reachable around the clock if your flight time changes.

Prices by season

Per person in US dollars. The price depends on when you travel and how many travelers share the trip.

Season1 traveler2 travelers4 travelers6 travelers
Low season 1 Mar – 31 May $6,154 $4,103 $3,632 $3,419
High season 1 Nov – 20 Dec and 6 Jan – 29 Feb $6,478 $4,319 $3,824 $3,599
Peak season Now 1 Jun – 31 Oct and 21 Dec – 5 Jan $7,198 $4,799 $4,249 $3,999

Tour price includes

  • Domestic flight from Arusha to Zanzibar
  • Luxury hotels, lodges and tented camps throughout
  • All-inclusive meal plan at the Zanzibar beach resort
  • Breakfast daily, with lunches and dinners as listed
  • Local alcoholic and soft drinks with the listed meals
  • Park fees and government taxes
  • Game drives in a private 4×4 safari vehicle
  • English-speaking resident guide
  • Olduvai Gorge visit and Maasai village visit
  • Airport meet-and-greet and private transfers

Tour price excludes

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Visa fees
  • Souvenirs and other personal spending

Questions about this safari

How does this compare with your 10-Day Luxury Safari & Zanzibar Beach?

Both pair a luxury northern safari with Zanzibar. This one skips the Lake Manyara game drive, adds an Olduvai Gorge stop and a Maasai village visit, and gives you five nights on the beach instead of three, on an all-inclusive plan. If you want a longer rest after the safari, this is the better fit.

Which day has the longest drive?

Day 3, from the Lake Manyara area to the Serengeti, is the longest at around 229 km. The Olduvai Gorge museum breaks it up, and the last part is a game drive inside the park. Most other days involve two hours or less of plain driving between parks.

Are drinks included on Zanzibar?

Yes. The beach resort is booked on an all-inclusive plan, so meals and the drinks covered by the resort’s plan are included for all five nights. Premium brands and some à la carte extras may cost more depending on the resort, and we will tell you exactly what is covered when we confirm your booking.

Before you go

Listed in Luxury safarisCultural safaris

Where you will go

Parks on this safari

A family of elephants walking under acacia trees in Tarangire Tarangire National Park Wildebeest leaping into a river as a vulture watches from a rock Serengeti National Park Flamingos, zebras and wildebeest on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater Ngorongoro Conservation

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A giraffe walking behind a line of zebras on the open plains

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