This 13-day Tanzania safari takes you from the lush forests of Arusha National Park to the open plains of the Serengeti, before ending on the coast of Zanzibar. Designed as a complete Tanzania safari and Zanzibar holiday, your trip includes guided game drives, an unforgettable Arusha National Park walking safari, and time following the Great Migration through Serengeti National Park.

Throughout your trip, you’ll travel with experienced guides and park rangers, stay in carefully selected luxury lodges and tented camps, and enjoy all meals included during your safari. Along the way, you will spend time with Maasai communities, explore the landscape on foot and by vehicle, and finish your journey on a protected island known for its vibrant coral reefs and conservation efforts.

You can also tailor this Tanzania safari to suit your travel style, with flexibility in duration, accommodations, and experiences along the way.

This Tanzania safari is designed with respect for wildlife and local communities. As you travel, your guides follow responsible practices that help protect these environments, while your visit supports conservation and local livelihoods.

Day 1 – Arrival in Tanzania | Kilimanjaro Airport to Arusha National Park

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your guide will greet you and transfer you toward Arusha National Park, one of the most scenic and diverse parks in northern Tanzania. You’ll know your Tanzania safari has begun as soon as you get a glimpse of Mount Meru rising above forests and open grassland during the drive.

Your home for the night is Hatari Lodge, a historic property located inside the park and famous as the filming location of the 1962 movie Hatari! starring John Wayne. The lodge features rustic design with artistic touches inspired by the region’s landscape and wildlife.

After settling in, enjoy your first relaxed game drive through Arusha National Park. This Tanzania national park is known for its diverse habitats, from forests and lakes to open plains where giraffes, zebras, buffalo, and many bird species thrive.

In the evening, gather on the lodge’s viewing platform for drinks by the fire as the sun sets behind Mount Meru. Wildlife often wanders nearby, making for a perfect introduction to your Tanzania holiday.

Accommodation: Hatari Lodge
Meals included: Dinner

Day 2 – Arusha National Park Walking Safari and Canoe Safari

Today offers a different perspective to yesterday’s activities, with experiences that bring you closer to the landscape.

Start the morning with a peaceful canoe safari on Momella Lake. Gliding quietly across the water, you may see flamingos feeding along the shoreline while hippos rest in the shallows. The views toward Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro are especially striking in the early light.

After the canoe safari, continue with a game drive through the park’s varied terrain and landscapes.

In the afternoon, take part in an Arusha National Park walking safari, guided by an experienced ranger. You’ll follow a scenic trail through forest and grassland to a hidden waterfall. Along the way, it is common to see giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and Cape buffalo moving through the plains.

This is one of the few parts of your Tanzania safari where you experience the landscape on foot. You’ll notice details that are often missed from a vehicle: tracks in the soil, birds overhead, and the sounds of the bush.

Return to Hatari Lodge for dinner and a relaxed evening.

Accommodation: Hatari Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3 – Arusha National Park to West Kilimanjaro

After breakfast, depart Arusha National Park and travel across Maasai lands toward the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Along the way, you’ll enjoy a scenic picnic with views stretching across the plains.

By afternoon you will arrive at Shu’mata Camp, located high on a hill in the West Kilimanjaro region. The name Shu’mata means “Above the Clouds” in the Maasai language—and the setting lives up to the name.

The camp consists of elegant canvas tents inspired by classic safari camps, arranged around a central living area with wide views of Maasailand and the snow-covered summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Shu’mata was created with conservation at its core, operating carefully within this fragile ecosystem. The lodge’s management team partners with Maasai communities to support a sustainable balance between migrating wildlife and local agricultural needs.

During your stay here, activities may include game drives, walking safaris, and visits with local Maasai communities.

Accommodation: Shu’mata Camp
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4 – West Kilimanjaro Wildlife and Maasai Culture

Spend a full day exploring the landscapes around Shu’mata Camp.

Today, you can choose to take a full-day game drive into the wider Amboseli ecosystem, known for its elephants and dramatic views of Mount Kilimanjaro, or set out on a longer walking safari led by experienced Maasai guides.

As you walk through the bush with Maasai trackers, you will learn how to read the landscape around you. Your guides will show you animal tracks, identify plants used in traditional medicine, and share stories about the deep relationship between Maasai culture and the wildlife that moves through this region.

Return to camp in the evening to watch the light fade over the plains while Kilimanjaro glows pink in the distance.

Accommodation: Shu’mata Camp
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5 – Flight to Serengeti National Park

After breakfast, you will transfer to the airstrip for a bush flight to Serengeti National Park, flying over the Ngorongoro Highlands before landing in the Central Serengeti.

Serengeti National Park, known for its wide open plains and remarkable concentration of wildlife, is often the highlight for many visitors on safari in Tanzania.

Your home for the next two nights is Nyumbani Camp, an intimate tented camp located east of the Seronera Valley. From here, you will have easy access to some of the most active wildlife areas in the park.

In the afternoon, you will head out on your first Serengeti game drive. As you explore the Seronera River Valley, you will search for lions resting in the shade, cheetahs scanning the plains, leopards hidden in riverine trees, and large herds of grazers moving through the grasslands.

As the sun begins to set, you will return to camp where dinner is served under the open sky, surrounded by the sounds of the Serengeti.

Accommodation: Nyumbani Camp
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6 – Central Serengeti Game Drives

Today, you will spend a full day exploring the heart of the Serengeti.

In the morning, you’ll head out on a game drive across the open plains and around the rocky kopjes that provide shelter for many of the park’s predators. As you travel through the landscape, you will search for lions resting in the shade, cheetahs scanning the grasslands, and leopards hidden in the trees.

Later in the day, you’ll continue exploring nearby areas such as Namiri Plains and the Seronera Valley, both well known for frequent big cat sightings.

This region offers some of the best wildlife viewing, and you might even have the chance to witness hunting behavior or dramatic interactions between predators and prey.

In the evening, you will return to camp for dinner and a relaxed night around the fire.

Accommodation: Nyumbani Camp
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7 – Following the Great Migration

After breakfast, you will transfer to the airstrip for a short internal flight from Central Serengeti deeper into the park. Depending on the time of year, you will fly either to Ndutu in the southern Serengeti or to the Northern Serengeti, following the path of the Great Wildebeest Migration.

For the next two nights, you’ll stay in a mobile tented camp that moves seasonally with the migration. These camps are designed to be lightweight so they can relocate as the herds travel across the Serengeti in search of fresh grazing.

If you travel to the Northern Serengeti, you will witness one of the most dramatic wildlife events in Africa. Here, the migrating herds cross the Mara River as they move between Tanzania and Kenya. During your game drives, you may see thousands of wildebeest and zebras gathering at the riverbanks before making the dangerous crossing, sometimes with crocodiles waiting in the water.

If your journey takes you to Ndutu, you’ll arrive during the calving season on the southern plains. Huge herds spread across the grasslands, and during peak season, thousands of wildebeest calves are born each day. This abundance of newborn animals attracts predators across the plains, giving you incredible wildlife viewing opportunities as you watch the interactions between predators and the migrating herds.

Transportation: Internal flight (approximately 1 hour)
Accommodation: Mobile Migration Camp
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8 – Full Day in Ndutu or Northern Serengeti

Today, you’ll spend a full day on game drives in either the Northern Serengeti or the Ndutu region of Serengeti National Park, depending on the season of your visit.

Throughout the day, you will follow the movement of the migrating herds across the plains. Your guide will track wildlife activity and adjust the route to give you the best opportunities for sightings. You may watch thousands of wildebeest and zebras moving across the landscape, while predators such as lions, cheetahs, and hyenas remain close behind.

In the Northern Serengeti, your game drives might take you back to the Mara River where herds gather along the riverbanks before attempting their crossing.

In Ndutu, you will continue exploring the calving grounds where newborn wildebeest and zebras are scattered across the open plains.

After a full day of wildlife viewing, you’ll return to camp for dinner and a relaxed evening under the Serengeti sky.

Accommodation: Mobile Migration Camp
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Days 9–10 – Serengeti to Zanzibar | Discover Stone Town

After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar, where your Tanzania safari and Zanzibar holiday continues.

For the next two nights, you will stay in Stone Town, the historic center of Zanzibar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you explore the narrow streets, you’ll see carved wooden doors, lively markets, and old buildings that reflect centuries of trade between Africa, Arabia, India, and Europe.

You can visit historic landmarks, wander through spice markets, or simply enjoy the atmosphere of this coastal town while learning about Zanzibar’s rich cultural history.

Transportation: Flight from Serengeti to Zanzibar (approximately 2 hours)
Accommodation: Stone Town Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast

Days 11–13 – Chumbe Island Marine Conservation Experience

After your time in Stone Town, you’ll travel by boat to Chumbe Island, a privately protected nature reserve just off the coast of Zanzibar.

Here you will stay at the island’s award-winning eco-lodge, surrounded by forest, coral reefs, and quiet beaches. During your stay, you’ll learn about the island’s conservation work and the marine life protected within its waters.

You can snorkel over colourful coral reefs, walk nature trails through coastal forest, visit the historic lighthouse, or join marine experts who share their knowledge about reef protection and the island’s unique ecosystem.

Accommodation: Chumbe Island Eco-Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 13 – Departure from Zanzibar

After breakfast, you’ll take the morning boat from Chumbe Island back to the mainland. From there, you’ll transfer to Zanzibar Airport in time for your international flight home.

Your trip comes to an end after experiencing one of the most diverse Tanzania and Zanzibar holidays, from game drives and walking safaris and in the Serengeti to the historic streets of Stone Town and the protected waters of Chumbe Island.

Meals included: Breakfast