01
Day 01
Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
Met at the airport and driven to Arusha. Dinner and a full night before the early start.
- StayHotel in Arusha or Moshi
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this safari
Do the safari first and the beach second. Nobody has ever regretted that order, and a great many people have regretted the other one.
A safari is early mornings and long days, and it is much easier to do in the first week of a honeymoon than the second. The coast then does what it is for: sleep, swim, eat, and no alarm at all.
The safari half of this route is deliberately unhurried — two nights in each place, a full day in the Serengeti, and the crater without a transfer on either side. The Zanzibar half is four nights, which is the point at which the island stops feeling like a stopover.
Private vehicle throughout, so the day belongs to the two of you. Sundowners, a bush breakfast or a private dinner can be arranged at most camps — tell us and we will set it up quietly rather than with a banner.
Tour length10 days / 9 nights
Start / endArusha → Zanzibar
PlacesTarangire, Serengeti, Karatu, Ngorongoro Crater
AccommodationHotel, lodge, lodge or permanent tented camp, beach hotel
Meal planFull board; Bed and breakfast
Vehicle4×4 with pop-up roof
Tour typePrivate, on your dates
Group sizeTo confirm
02 · The price
What the price covers — and what it doesn't
Included 7 items
- Park and conservation-area entry fees for every park listed in the route
- Government taxes and concession fees that apply to those parks
- A 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof, fuel and an English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation on the basis shown for each night
- Meals as marked on each day
- Drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- Transfers between Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha town and your first night
Not included 6 items
- International flights, and internal flights unless a day says otherwise
- Tanzania visa, passport costs and travel insurance
- Tips for your guide, cook and camp or lodge staff
- Drinks, laundry and other personal spending
- Optional extras — balloon flights, night drives, spa treatments, private vehicle upgrades
- Anything not listed as included
03 · At a glance
Itinerary highlights
- Day 1Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
- Day 2Tarangire
- Day 3Into the Serengeti
- Day 4A full Serengeti day
- Day 5Serengeti to the crater highlands
- Day 6The Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 7Fly to Zanzibar
- Day 8Zanzibar
- Day 9Zanzibar, or Stone Town
- Day 10Departure
04 · Prices
Prices and what moves them
Every quote is written for the dates and the number of people travelling, because park fees, season and vehicle sharing move the figure more than anything else. We itemise it: park fees, accommodation, vehicle, meals.
Mid-range
Luxury
Mid-range
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Luxury
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Children. Child rates depend on age, the camps and how rooms are shared. Child policy to confirm
05 · The route
The route, day by day
02
Day 02
Tarangire
Two hours on tarmac and a full day in the park — elephants along the river, baobabs, and a picnic lunch in the shade. Up to the highlands in the late afternoon.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Into the Serengeti
West across the conservation area, past the crater viewpoint and Olduvai, then down onto the plains and an afternoon drive in the central Serengeti.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
A full Serengeti day
Dawn drive, the hot hours off, and out again at four. Optionally a balloon flight at sunrise, which ends with breakfast laid out on the plains.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
Serengeti to the crater highlands
A last morning in the park, then the drive east and up to the rim.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
The Ngorongoro Crater
The early descent and the full six hours on the floor, then back to the rim with the afternoon free.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
Fly to Zanzibar
Down to the airstrip or to Arusha, then the flight to Zanzibar. You are usually on the beach by mid-afternoon, which after six days of dawn starts is exactly right.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
08
Day 08
Zanzibar
Nothing scheduled. The north coast has the calmest swimming and the least tide effect; a dhow at sunset is the one thing worth putting in the diary.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
09
Day 09
Zanzibar, or Stone Town
Another free day, or a half-day in Stone Town — the spice market, the old fort and the seafront — before dinner back at the coast.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
10
Day 10
Departure
A last swim, then the transfer to Zanzibar airport for the flight home or the connection to Dar es Salaam.
- StayNone — the trip ends today
06 · Camps
Where you stay
Each night gives the kind of place and the area. The property itself is chosen for your month and your budget, and named in your quote.
Night 1
Hotel in Arusha or Moshi
Bed and breakfast.
Nights 2, 5 & 6
Lodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
Full board.
Nights 3–4
Lodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
Full board.
Nights 7–9
Beach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
Bed and breakfast.
07 · Add-ons
Optional add-ons
Not in the standard price. Arranged on request and priced in your quote.
Serengeti · sunrise
Hot-air balloon flight
An hour over the plains at first light, followed by breakfast in the bush.
Before the beach
A safari first
The parks of the north are a short flight from the coast. Safari first, beach after.
On the route
Cultural visit
Time with a community near the route, arranged with people who welcome visitors.
Before the safari
An extra night in Arusha
Useful after a long-haul flight, so the first day does not start tired.
08 · The ground
Where this safari takes you
The big question
Where are the herds in your month?
The migration is somewhere in the Serengeti ecosystem all year. Pick a month to see where the herds usually are — rainfall moves their timing by weeks. For a route built around them, see the 7-day migration safari.
Calving, southern plainsRiver crossings, northern SerengetiHerds on the move
This monthWhere the herds are
09 · Season
Best time to take this safari
Jun – Oct
The dry season
Short grass and animals close to water. The busiest months, and the clearest game viewing.
Late Jan – Mar
Calving on the southern plains
The herds are on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, with predators to match.
Apr · May · Nov
The green season
Rain, long grass and far fewer vehicles — and some camps close for the long rains.
10 · Flights
Flights
Arrive
Kilimanjaro International Airport
The international airport for Arusha and the northern parks. The transfer to your first night is included.
Depart
Zanzibar
The trip ends on the coast. International flights leave from Zanzibar, or connect through Dar es Salaam.
11 · Extras
Budget for these extras
Not in the package price, and worth planning for before you travel.
Most visitors need a Tanzania visa. What applies to your passport, and how to apply, is on our visas and vaccinations page.
Take a policy that covers medical evacuation from remote areas. More on our travel insurance page.
Tipping is customary but yours to decide. Our tipping guide sets out what is usual for guides, cooks and camp staff.
Water is provided in the vehicle. Other drinks at camps and lodges, laundry and souvenirs are paid locally.
12 · Why us
Why book this with us
01
Every route is a draft
Add a night, cut a day, finish on the coast. Most trips we run started as one of these and then moved.
02
Every quote itemised
Park fees, accommodation, vehicle and meals, line by line, for your dates and group.
03
Private, on your dates
Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide.
04
Planned from Arusha
Ask on WhatsApp and you reach the people who plan the trip.
13 · Reviews
Reviews
Guest reviews for this route will appear here. To confirm
14 · Questions
Asked about this trip
The north (Nungwi, Kendwa) swims well at all tides and has the sunsets. The east (Paje, Jambiani) is quieter and wider at low tide but the water walks out a long way. The south-east is the quietest of the three.
For most honeymooners, yes, once. It launches before dawn, flies for about an hour and ends with breakfast on the plains. It is the single most expensive hour of the trip.
At most camps and lodges, yes, with notice. Ask us rather than at check-in and we will arrange it in advance.
June to October for dry safari weather and good coast conditions; December to February is hot and clear. Long rains in April and May are the one window we would steer you away from for a beach finish.
