01
Day 01
Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
Airport pickup and the drive into Arusha.
- StayHotel in Arusha or Moshi
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this trip
Two weeks lets you see two entirely different Tanzanias. The north is the famous one. The south is bigger, wetter, emptier, and has boats.
The route runs north first — Tarangire, the Serengeti, the crater — and then flies south to Nyerere National Park, where the Rufiji River system means game viewing from a boat as well as a vehicle, and where you will share sightings with almost nobody.
It finishes on Zanzibar, which is a short hop from the southern parks rather than a long one from the north. Three internal flights in fourteen days keeps the driving sane.
Tour length14 days / 13 nights
Start / endArusha → Zanzibar
PlacesTarangire, Serengeti, Karatu, Ngorongoro Crater
AccommodationHotel, lodge, lodge or permanent tented camp, 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 4Serengeti
- Day 5Serengeti
- Day 6To the crater highlands
- Day 7The Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 8Fly south to Nyerere
- Day 9Nyerere by boat and vehicle
- Day 10Nyerere, and a walk
- Day 11Fly to Zanzibar
- Day 12Zanzibar
- Day 13Zanzibar
- Day 14Departure
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 full day among the elephants and baobabs, then up to the highlands.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Into the Serengeti
The westward leg across the conservation area, then an afternoon drive on the plains.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
Serengeti
A full day in the central park — cats, kopjes and, in season, the herds.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
Serengeti
A second full day, planned around where the animals actually are.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
To the crater highlands
A morning drive out of the park and the drive east to the rim.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
The Ngorongoro Crater
Six hours on the crater floor from the early descent, then back to the rim.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
08
Day 08
Fly south to Nyerere
Down to Arusha and a flight south — usually via Dar es Salaam — to an airstrip in Nyerere National Park. An afternoon game drive on arrival.
- StayTented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
- MealsFull board
09
Day 09
Nyerere by boat and vehicle
A boat safari on the Rufiji in the morning — hippo, crocodile, fish eagles and elephants coming down to drink — and a game drive in the afternoon.
- StayTented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
- MealsFull board
10
Day 10
Nyerere, and a walk
A guided walking safari at dawn, which is permitted here in a way it is not in the northern parks, then a long afternoon drive through the lake system.
- StayTented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
- MealsFull board
11
Day 11
Fly to Zanzibar
A morning flight to the coast, and the transfer to your beach hotel.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
12
Day 12
Zanzibar
Free.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
13
Day 13
Zanzibar
Free — or Stone Town, Jozani forest, or the reef.
- StayBeach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
- MealsBed and breakfast
14
Day 14
Departure
A last swim and the transfer to Zanzibar 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, 6 & 7
Lodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
Full board.
Nights 3–5
Lodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
Full board.
Nights 8–10
Tented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
Full board.
Nights 11–13
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 trip
An extra night in Arusha
Useful after a long-haul flight, so the first day does not start tired.
08 · The ground
Where this trip 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 trip
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
If you have fourteen days, yes. Boat safaris, walking, wild dog and a fraction of the vehicles. If you have ten, stay north and do it properly.
Yes. Ruaha is drier, more rugged and has the bigger elephant and lion populations; Nyerere has the water. Both are quiet.
Light aircraft on scheduled circuits, generally reliable, occasionally delayed by weather. We build the connections with margin and never book a same-day international connection off the last flight.
June to October suits the whole route. The southern parks are hard work in the long rains, when some camps close entirely.
