Photo: Rasheedhrasheed, CC BY-SA 4.0
Day trip
Mikumi Fly-In Day Safari from Zanzibar
Overview
Staying on Zanzibar and short on time? Mikumi National Park lies about an hour’s flight away on the mainland, which makes a full day of big-game viewing possible without giving up a single night at the beach. You leave your hotel early, land on the park’s airstrip at around 08:00 and spend the day on game drives before flying back in the afternoon.
The heart of Mikumi is the Mkata floodplain, a wide, open grassland that is easy to scan from a vehicle. Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and impala graze here, lions and leopards live in the park, and it is a good place to look for eland, the largest of Africa’s antelopes. A stop at the hippo pool and a picnic lunch break up the day, and birders can watch for lilac-breasted rollers and bateleur eagles.
The trip runs as a shared safari, so you may join other travelers in the vehicle, which keeps the price down. Tanzania Tourism Safaris arranges the hotel briefing, airport transfers, return flights, park fees and guide, so all you need to bring is a camera, a hat and sunscreen.
Tour highlights
- Morning flight from Zanzibar of about an hour
- Game drives across the open Mkata floodplain
- Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and eland
- A stop at the park’s hippo pool
- Picnic lunch inside the park
- Back on Zanzibar in the late afternoon
Day by day
-
Day 1 Morning: Fly to Mikumi and Drive the Mkata Plains Meals Lunch
A team member meets you at your hotel early for a short briefing, then takes you to Zanzibar’s airport for the 07:00 flight. You land at Mikumi’s airstrip at about 08:00, where your safari guide is waiting with a 4×4. The morning is spent on the Mkata floodplain, looking for elephants, buffalo, giraffes and the predators that follow the herds. After a visit to the hippo pool you stop for a picnic lunch, then keep exploring until the return flight, which leaves at around 15:45. A transfer takes you back to your hotel.
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 | $608 | $512 | $469 | $455 |
| High season 1 Nov – 20 Dec and 6 Jan – 29 Feb | $640 | $539 | $494 | $479 |
| Peak season Now 1 Jun – 31 Oct and 21 Dec – 5 Jan | $712 | $599 | $549 | $532 |
Tour price includes
- Hotel briefing and transfers to and from Zanzibar airport
- Return flights between Zanzibar and Mikumi
- Shared game drives in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Professional safari guide
- All park fees and service fees
- Picnic lunch, plus hot tea and coffee from a flask
- First-aid kit in the vehicle
- Government VAT (18%)
Tour price excludes
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa fees
- Souvenirs and personal items
Questions about this trip
How long is the flight from Zanzibar to Mikumi?
About an hour each way. The outbound flight leaves Zanzibar at around 07:00 and lands at Mikumi at about 08:00, and the return leaves at around 15:45. That gives you roughly seven hours in the park, most of it on game drives.
Will I share the vehicle with other travelers?
Yes. This trip runs as a shared safari, so you may be in the vehicle with other guests on the same flight. That keeps the cost per person lower. If you would rather have a vehicle to yourselves, ask us and we will quote for it.
How does Mikumi compare with a day in Nyerere?
Mikumi is open grassland, so animals are easy to spot across long distances and the flight is short. Nyerere, the former Selous, is river and lake country with more woodland and is known for African wild dogs. Both make a full day from Zanzibar; choose Mikumi for wide-open plains.
Before you go
- Best Time To Visit Tanzania
- How Much Does a Tanzania Safari Cost?
- Top Safari Packing List in Tanzania
- The Best Guides on Tanzania Visa Requirement
- Tanzania Travel Insurance
- Tanzania Travel Safety
- Tipping In Tanzania Safari
- Tanzania Safari Faqs
Listed in Day trips
You might also like
Related safaris
Serengeti Balloon Flight & Bush Breakfast
Serengeti camp Launch site Bush breakfast
From, per person$599
Kilimanjaro Day Hike to Mandara Hut
Moshi Marangu Gate Mandara Hut Maundi Crater
From, per person$341
