01
Day 01
Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
Met at the airport and driven the hour into Arusha.
- StayHotel in Arusha or Moshi
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this safari
Twelve days is enough to do the north properly and still have a real week at the coast. It is the trip most people wish they had booked.
Nothing is rushed. Two nights in Tarangire, three in the Serengeti, two in the highlands with a full crater day, and then four on Zanzibar with nothing in the diary.
The extra nights buy flexibility more than mileage: if the herds are somewhere unexpected, or the light is extraordinary, or you simply want to sit with a leopard for two hours, there is room to do it.
Tour length12 days / 11 nights
Start / endArusha → Zanzibar
PlacesTarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Karatu
AccommodationHotel, lodge or tented camp, 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 3Tarangire, in depth
- Day 4Lake Manyara, then the highlands
- Day 5Into the Serengeti
- Day 6Serengeti
- Day 7Serengeti, further out
- Day 8Serengeti to the crater highlands
- Day 9The Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 10Fly to Zanzibar
- Day 11Zanzibar
- Day 12Departure
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
A short drive and a full day in the park, sleeping close to it rather than driving on.
- StayLodge or tented camp near Tarangire
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Tarangire, in depth
A second day: the southern swamps hold enormous elephant herds in the dry months and almost nobody drives that far.
- StayLodge or tented camp near Tarangire
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
Lake Manyara, then the highlands
Groundwater forest, baboons, hippo pools and the soda lake in the morning; the climb to Karatu in the afternoon.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
Into the Serengeti
The long westward leg with the crater viewpoint and Olduvai Gorge on the way, then game driving from Naabi Hill into the central Serengeti.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
Serengeti
A full day around Seronera: lion prides, leopard in the riverine trees, cheetah on the open ground.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
Serengeti, further out
A full day pushing into a different sector with a picnic lunch — the western corridor, the northern woodlands or the southern plains, depending on the month.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
08
Day 08
Serengeti to the crater highlands
A dawn drive, a slow exit east, and the rim by mid-afternoon.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
09
Day 09
The Ngorongoro Crater
The full six hours on the floor from the early descent, then back up with the evening free.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
10
Day 10
Fly to Zanzibar
Down to Arusha and the flight to the coast, arriving in time for a swim.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
11
Day 11
Zanzibar
Free — reef, dhow, Stone Town or the hammock.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
12
Day 12
Departure
A last morning at the coast and the transfer to the airport.
- 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 2–3
Lodge or tented camp near Tarangire
Full board.
Nights 4, 8 & 9
Lodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
Full board.
Nights 5–7
Lodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
Full board.
Nights 10–11
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
No. It is the size of a small country and the sectors are completely different from each other.
Yes — the 14-day route does exactly that, adding Ruaha or Nyerere instead of, or as well as, the coast.
Flying Serengeti to Arusha on day ten saves half a day. Some people also fly into the Serengeti and drive back, so the long leg happens once rather than twice.
It works all year. If you want both the herds and dry coast weather, aim for late June to October.
