This eight-day trip covers the northern safari circuit, then hands you three nights on Zanzibar to unwind. You'll spend an afternoon with Tarangire's elephant herds among its baobabs, two full days working the plains of the Serengeti, and a day down in the Ngorongoro Crater among dense Big Five numbers. From there, a short flight takes you from red dust to turquoise water and a change of pace.
Safari HighlightsYour guide picks you up from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives south-west to Tarangire National Park. After lunch, you'll head out for an afternoon game drive through baobab country, following the Tarangire River where the park's elephant herds tend to gather.
🏨 Overnight: Tarangire River Tented Camp (Comfort)After breakfast it's a long but scenic drive to the Serengeti, entering through the eastern gate with a game drive worked into the route. You'll reach your camp in the Seronera area in time for a sundowner as the light softens over the plains.
🏨 Overnight: Seronera Plains Tented Camp (Comfort)The full day is spent in the Seronera Valley, one of the Serengeti's more reliable areas for wildlife year-round. Look out for lion prides, leopards resting up in sausage trees, and buffalo and antelope herds along the river.
🏨 Overnight: Seronera Plains Tented Camp (Comfort)After one more morning game drive, you'll leave the Serengeti and climb through the Ngorongoro Highlands to Karatu, passing Maasai villages and coffee farms along the fertile crater rim.
🏨 Overnight: Karatu Acacia Tented Camp (Comfort)You'll descend into the Ngorongoro Crater at dawn for a morning game drive among some of the densest wildlife concentrations in Africa, then climb back out and transfer to Arusha Airport for the short flight to Zanzibar. From there it's a transfer to your beachfront hotel, timed to land you there for sunset over the Indian Ocean.
🏨 Overnight: Zanzibar Coral Beach Hotel (Comfort)A full free day on Zanzibar's east coast. Swim, snorkel, or just stay by the pool, or if you'd rather see more, join the optional Stone Town walk through its narrow alleys and old spice markets.
🏨 Overnight: Zanzibar Coral Beach Hotel (Comfort)Another day free on the beach. If you'd like an outing, there's an optional half-day spice farm tour: a walk through plantations of clove, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon with a local guide, with fresh tropical fruit to taste along the way.
🏨 Overnight: Zanzibar Coral Beach Hotel (Comfort)A relaxed final breakfast by the ocean, then a transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your onward or international flight.
✈ Transfer to Zanzibar Airport| Season | Per Person (sharing) | Group of 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Peak Season (Jul–Sep, late Dec) | $6,040 | $30,800 |
| High Season (Jun, Oct) | $5,290 | $26,980 |
| Low Season (Mar–May) | $4,411 | $22,500 |
June to October works best for the mainland leg. Dry conditions make wildlife easier to find across Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro, and Zanzibar sees warm days with lower humidity. March to May brings the lowest safari rates of the year alongside the long rains, which usually means short afternoon showers on the coast rather than washed-out days. If you don't mind a little rain, it's the best value window on the calendar.
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