5-Day Lodge Safari from Zanzibar
Zanzibar Arusha Tarangire Serengeti Ngorongoro Arusha Zanzibar
From, per person$2,292
Tanzania safari
4-Day Tarangire, Crater & Serengeti Safari from Zanzibar
Overview
One extra day changes a short safari a great deal. With four days instead of three, there is time for Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, and you get two nights out on the Serengeti plains rather than a quick in-and-out visit.
The trip runs in a natural line westward. You fly from Zanzibar to Arusha at dawn and spend the first afternoon among Tarangire’s elephants and baobabs, then sleep at a mid-range lodge in the Karatu highlands. Next morning you descend into the crater before continuing to the Serengeti, where a tented camp is home for two nights. The final day starts with a sunrise drive, includes a stop at Olduvai Gorge, and ends with the flight back to the island.
Tanzania Tourism Safaris keeps the vehicle and guide private to your group. Accommodation is mid-range throughout: comfortable, with private bathrooms and good food, without the cost of the top-end camps. The last day is long, but it brings you back to Zanzibar having seen three of the north’s best-known parks.
Tour highlights
- Three famous parks in four days
- Two nights in a Serengeti tented camp
- Picnic lunch on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Stop at Olduvai Gorge on the way out
- Mid-range lodge and camp throughout
- Return flights to Zanzibar included
Day by day
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Day 1 Dawn Flight to Arusha and Tarangire’s Elephants Stay Mid-range lodge near KaratuMeals Lunch, Dinner
Your flight leaves Zanzibar early in the morning, so the day starts in the dark. In Arusha, your guide loads the Land Cruiser and heads for Tarangire National Park, roughly two hours away. After a picnic lunch, spend the afternoon driving the river valley and the baobab country, where elephant herds can be large in the dry months. Giraffe, zebra and lion are regulars, and the birdlife is rich. Leave the park in the late afternoon for your lodge in the Karatu highlands.
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Day 2 Into the Crater, Then On to the Serengeti Stay Mid-range tented camp in the SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive up to the Ngorongoro Crater rim after breakfast and take the road down to the caldera floor. Spend the morning among buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and hyena, scanning the grass for lion and black rhino, and the soda lake for flamingos. Lunch is a picnic at the hippo pool. In the afternoon, climb out of the crater and continue west across the highlands and into the Serengeti, game viewing on the way to your tented camp.
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Day 3 A Full Day Exploring the Serengeti Stay Mid-range tented camp in the SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
With no driving between parks today, you can spend every daylight hour on the plains. Your guide decides where to go based on recent sightings and the time of year: open grassland for cheetah and gazelle, rocky kopjes where lions rest, or river valleys where leopard sometimes lie in trees. Depending on the season, the migrating wildebeest and zebra herds may be nearby. Lunch is taken out in the park, and you return to camp around sunset.
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Day 4 Sunrise Drive, Olduvai Gorge and the Flight Home Meals Breakfast, Lunch
Head out at first light for one more drive while the animals are active. Then begin the long return east, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, where excavations led by Louis and Mary Leakey uncovered some of the earliest known fossils of human ancestors. A small museum at the site explains the finds. Continue through the highlands to Arusha in time for your flight back to Zanzibar. It is a full day, so plan a quiet evening on the island.
Prices by season
Per person in US dollars. The price depends on when you travel and how many travelers share the trip.
| Season | 1 traveler | 2 travelers | 4 travelers | 6 travelers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low season 1 Mar – 31 May | $2,774 | $1,849 | $1,635 | $1,564 |
| High season 1 Nov – 20 Dec and 6 Jan – 29 Feb | $2,920 | $1,946 | $1,721 | $1,646 |
| Peak season Now 1 Jun – 31 Oct and 21 Dec – 5 Jan | $3,244 | $2,163 | $1,913 | $1,829 |
Tour price includes
- Domestic flights between Zanzibar and Arusha
- Airport meet-and-greet and private transfers
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle (up to 7 travelers)
- English-speaking local safari guide
- Park entry fees and taxes
- One night at a mid-range lodge and two nights at a mid-range tented camp
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Olduvai Gorge stop
Tour price excludes
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Souvenirs and other personal spending
Questions about this safari
How is this different from the 3-day Serengeti trip from Zanzibar?
It adds Tarangire and a second night in the Serengeti, which gives you a full day on the plains with no long transfer. The accommodation is mid-range rather than upscale, which keeps the price close despite the extra day.
What is a tented camp like?
A tented camp uses large canvas tents on raised floors, with proper beds, electric light and a private bathroom with a flush toilet and shower. Meals are served in a shared dining tent. You hear the bush at night, which many travelers enjoy most of all.
Why is the last day so long?
The Serengeti is a long road journey from Arusha, and the morning game drive and the Olduvai Gorge stop come first. You reach Arusha in the afternoon or early evening for the flight, so it is wise to keep that night free on Zanzibar.
Before you go
Where you will go
Parks on this safari
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