Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Bus Station (e.g. via Nairobi) to your accommodation.

Day 2: Arusha – Arusha National Park

Today your Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Tour starts and you will go on your first real game drive. After a leisurely breakfast you will start with your guide in a specialized 4×4 safari car and start your drive to Arusha National Park! Arusha Park is known for its abundance of tropical birds. With over four hundred different species in this relatively small park, you can easily spot them as you drive through the tropical rainforest! Often the lakes of the park are filled with thousands and thousands of flamingos, including the rare Greater Flamingo. The park also has some beautiful craters, waterfalls, mountains and grassy areas. The park is known as the home of the Colobus monkey, which you can recognize by its long tail. The name comes from its blunt thumb: Colobus is from the Greek colobos, which means stump. It is a rare monkey and therefore one of the reasons to visit the park.

A ranger will accompany you “full time” on your optional walking safari through this forest park. The ranger is an employee of the National Park Authority and carries a rifle over his shoulder in case you unexpectedly encounter buffalo, leopard or elephant. Of course the ranger does not shoot immediately, only if there is a real danger. You will find that it is a very special feeling to really enjoy the wildlife up close without the protective sheet metal of the safari vehicle: Giraffes walk past you on their stilts, you hear elephants trumpeting, in a clearing you see a troop of baboons. During the hike you will partly walk through dense mountain rainforest on the east side of the Meru volcano massif. In between you will have a picnic. You walk up the mountain for a few kilometres, the ascent takes about two to three hours and leads first through a green meadow and then through light acacia forests. From a certain height, the mountainous area follows, passing through dense, shady mountain rainforest. Here mosses, orchids, ferns and epiphytes dominate the landscape. Buffalos, bushbucks, elephants and Harvey Duckers love this terrain. The duiker belong with half a meter shoulder height to the smallest antelope species. The fur of these animals is mahogany brown, the horns are very short. In Dutch, the Duiker antelope are called “Duiker”, which means “diver”, a name that describes their behaviour during flight: At the slightest disturbance, the head is immediately submerged deep down in the dense undergrowth. Wild flowers, especially the extremely pretty fireball lilies, are a real feast for the eyes in between. After your hiking/deerstalking tour you will go to your accommodation and a well-deserved dinner.

Day 3: Arusha National Park – Tarangire National Park

You leave Arusha after breakfast and drive about 1-2 hours to Tarangire National Park, 80 km away. On the way you will pass lively Masai villages and the wide plains for which East Africa is so famous. The Tarangire National Park is very large, all in all 2600 square kilometers. There are extensive gently undulating plains here, including two large pans in the south that turn into swamps depending on the season. After Serengeti, Ruaha and Mikumi, the Tarangire is the fourth largest park in Tanzania. It is named after the Tarangire River, which rises in the mountains south of the park. This river winds its way from the extreme south through numerous rocky hilly landscapes, which are between 1000 and 1675 meters high, almost to the northernmost tip of the game reserve. Here it turns westwards in a swerve and flows into Lake Burungi, which has no outflow and is located in the north-east of the park. There is water in the river all year round, very important for the local flora and fauna.

Once you reach Tarangire Park, you will begin your game drive through a hilly grass savannah landscape dominated by the imposing baobab trees (Adansonia digitata), which grow in abundance here. They are also known as Baobab trees. A picnic area overlooking the Tarangire River is a nice option for a lunch break. As you drive through the park you will also have the opportunity to see elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and a variety of antelopes. If you are lucky you may even see endangered animals such as the African wild dog. In the late afternoon or evening you will drive to your chosen accommodation.

Day 4: Tarangire National Park – Manyara National Park

Today we proceed to Lake Manyara National Park; the protected area lies picturesquely as a narrow strip of shore between the western slope of the approximately 800-metre-high rift valley steep face and the soda-rich Lake Manyara. Although the park is not particularly large, it offers a great variety of landscapes: the rocky Rift Valley escarpment, the groundwater forest, the acacia tree savannah, the open grass savannah, the lake shore, the numerous swamps and the lake itself. Lake Manyara National Park is one of the greenest and most exotic game reserves in the country. The biomass of animals that inhabit the park is enormous: the grass savannah is home to wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala and Thomson’s gazelles. In the acacia groves bushbucks with their ivory-coloured spiral horns together with the small dikdiks stalk gracefully over the water-soaked ground. In the bush land you can find the massive and unpredictable buffalos again. The vegetation along the rivers is often a gallery forest, where dump palms and wild date palms grow. The trees provide the wild animals with plenty of shade and food. The tree-climbing lions are a well-known landmark of the park, these powerful predators pose on acacia trees and want to be photographed. Ornithologists will love Lake Manyara with its great variety of birds.

If you wish, you can visit the nearby market town of Mto Wa Mbu. This place with its agricultural and fresh products is a melting pot of local cultures and a paradise for souvenir hunters. The landscape of the area is green like an oasis. This change in the vegetation is due to the fact that the two rivers Kirurumu and Simba, which come from the Ngorongoro Highlands through porous lava rock layers underground, pour their water masses here at Mto wa Mbu into this otherwise barren rift valley zone. This is transformed into a particularly fertile area. There is plenty of cultivated land here, where a lot of vegetables and fruit are grown. In this market town there is a colourful life and hustle and bustle. It also has many “Dukas” here. These are shops where you can find everything from ebony carvings to colourful cloths. A speciality that should not be missed are the red bananas. You will certainly notice them immediately when you look at the fruit stands. They are shorter and thicker than conventional bananas, and they also have a fruitier taste. After the thrill and the many impressions of the day, you will go to a well-deserved dinner in your accommodation.

Day 5: Manyara National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After an early morning refreshment you will drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, also known as the 8th wonder of the world. The tarred road takes you higher and higher up to the Ngorongoro crater rim. The road climbs steeply in serpentines through a noticeably cool, fairytale mountain forest on the outer slopes of the crater. After a few kilometres you will reach the Loduare Park gate, the entrance to the Conservation Area. After completing the entrance formalities, the journey continues uphill through ever denser jungle with bearded lichens and ferns. The tension rises, as it is not far to the edge of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater. After a short ride the highest point and the first viewpoint is reached at a height of 2286 meters. From the edge of the crater to the crater floor it is about 650 meters altitude. If you look down, you can see savannah areas, swamps, rivers, forests, small hills and the soda lake, which is called Lake Magadi here. With the help of binoculars you can see herds of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and gazelles walking on the crater floor. Afterwards you will descend into the crater and start a spectacular game drive in the crater floor.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to over 120 species of mammals, including the legendary Big Five. The crater area is home to around 20,000 large mammals – buffalo, zebra, antelope, elephant… There are over 100 lions and more than 400 spotted hyenas. It is one of the most popular safari destinations in the world and one of the few places in the world where the black rhino can be seen. The Ngorongoro Crater is not a crater in the true sense of the word. Geomorphologically it is a caldera, which means that after its last eruption its crater cone collapsed in the middle after the lava flowed out and formed this enormous crater bowl. It is the sixth largest caldera on the mainland of the earth. In the late afternoon or evening your guide will take you back to your accommodation.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Serengeti National Park

Today you can look forward to the highlight of your trip – a Safari in the legendary Serengeti National Park. Many of the most famous nature films and documentations were shot in this world famous national park. The word Serengeti comes from the Maasai language and literally means “endless plains”. Many predators roam these vast plains; over four thousand lions, 225 cheetahs, thousands of leopards, 3500 hyenas and hundreds of wild dogs. After breakfast, continue along the western crater road until the trail leads you downhill directly into the Serengeti. On your left is the “Malanja Depression”, where the Maasai lead and graze large herds of cattle for watering. Behind it you will see the 3107m high extinct volcanic mountain Lemagrut. After another 20 km there is a steep cliff on the left side. Huge rocks have rolled down the mountain here. Now you have reached the plateau, the wonderland of the Serengeti. The landscape is flat and there are only a few trees: a sea of grass, so to speak, as far as the eye can see.

According to your wishes you will drive to your chosen accommodation in the South Serengeti for a short refreshment. In the afternoon you will go on a game drive with your guide. Alternatively, you can enjoy the rest of the day and let your cook or lodge staff pamper you.

Day 7: Serengeti National Park

Today you get up before sunrise and continue your Serengeti Safari with an early morning game drive. As the sun begins to illuminate the savannah, you will have the best opportunity to see predators in action as they take advantage of the low light and cooler temperatures to seek an early meal. It is an ideal time to see lions, leopards and cheetahs in action as well as the movements of wildebeest, zebra and other herbivores. Alternatively you can book a hot air balloon safari at sunrise followed by a champagne breakfast.

After your unforgettable morning, return to your lodge for a late breakfast and refreshment before heading back out onto the road with a picnic. Your driver will choose the best possible route based on the season and the type of animals you wish to see. This way you can make your day as enjoyable as possible to observe the diverse wildlife of the Serengeti. Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to observe the great animal migration. Details about this “Great Migration” can be found in our dedicated article. After an exciting day in the vast savannah of the Serengeti you will return to your accommodation in the evening.

Day 8: Serengeti National Park – Arusha

After breakfast you leave the Serengeti for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The drive takes you back through the Serengeti along a beautiful route and offers the opportunity to see some animals you may have missed earlier – wildebeests and zebras in huge groups, large and graceful giraffes, leaping antelopes and gazelles, the mighty African elephant or the elegant predators. After you have left the gates of the reserve behind you, you drive back to Arusha for about 2 to 3 hours. On your way home you will have the opportunity to stop at some of the numerous “dukas” (small shops) and to buy some souvenirs for home.

Day 9: Arusha – Zanzibar (Unguja)

After you have completed the mainland part of your 14 Days Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Tour, you will now start your transfer to the semi-autonomous part of the Republic of Zanzibar (no additional visa is required). After breakfast you will be picked up by our driver and transferred to Arusha (or Kilimanjaro int’l) airport. After a 60 to 90 minutes flight you will reach the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport on Zanzibar (Unguja). In the arrival hall a driver will pick you up again. Now you will be driven to the actual capital of the island, which is very rich in history. Soon you will reach your stylish hotel in the heart of Stone Town, as the old Arabic city centre is called. It is not far to the Forodhani Garden or the harbour. On this side of the island the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean. The memories of the fairy tales of 1001 Nights are awakened here.

Day 10: Zanzibar Stone Town Tour

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel after breakfast at your preferred time and you will start your Zanzibar Stone Town tour. The World Heritage Site Stone Town is part of the capital of the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago. It is the cultural heart of the main Unguja Island and the old quarter of Zanzibar City on the west shore. The city got its name from the many large multi-storey stone buildings that form the landscape of the old part of the city. These buildings are actually not made of stone, but of mortar and coral. Although the corals were a good and easily available building material, they can easily be damaged. The guide will tell you about the slave history of the island and you will see the place where the unfortunates were auctioned. The next stop is the National Museum of Zanzibar, also called Peace Memorial Museum. The museum has an extensive collection of the natural history and artifacts of the island. Then walk to the Forondhani Gardens, where you can see the former British Consulate, the place where explorers like Dr Livingston and Stanley came before starting their legendary safaris. Then explore the Old Fort, which is only a few metres away, and the highest building in Zanzibar, the House of Wonders, built by the Sultan as a ceremonial and administrative building. During a refreshing walk through the narrow streets we explore the old houses, most of which are more than 150 years old. We will round off our trip with a visit to Dr. Livingston House. In the evening you will return to your accommodation in Zanzibar City.

Day 11: Zanzibar Spice Tour

You will be picked up from your accommodation by your guide and drive into the interior of the island. First you will pass by the house of Dr. Livingstone. From there the famous African explorer prepared his last expedition to Central Africa in 1866. About 3 km outside the city you will reach the first destination of your trip, the ruins of Sultan Baghash’s Maruhubi Palace. Here he had housed his harem, about one hundred women who lived in this palace together with their eunuchs (who acted as servants and guards).

Now we continue with the actual spice tour: The driver, who is also the guide, will put you in contact with the local farmers, who will lead you to their orchards and spice gardens with their friendly and welcoming manner. You can try out the delicacies on display, chew on various spices and eat freshly picked fruit: lychee, the shaggy rambutan, the mangosteen (which tastes like strawberry), the tasty stinky fruit (dorian) and the giant jackfruit, which grows directly from the trunk of the jackfruit tree. A teenager nimbly climbs up a coconut palm and presents you with an unripe coconut, which is called “Dafu” here. With a bushwhack, the top piece of the nut is cut off and you can take the opened coconut to your mouth like a round drinking vessel and enjoy a cool, vitamin and nutrient-rich drink. After many more encounters with different spices your guide will drive you to your chosen beach hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 12: Zanzibar Beach Hotel

Rest and relaxation by the sea, a day at leisure in your preferred accommodation.

Day 13: Zanzibar Jozani Forest Excursion

After breakfast your guide will drive you to Jozani Forest. This is a protected forest area and the only jungle area left in Zanzibar; apparently a few hundred years ago, all of Zanzibar was covered by a huge groundwater forest. Although the forest today only covers 10 square kilometres, it consists of many different habitats including swamp forest, evergreen thickets, mangroves, salt-tolerant grassland etc. and is therefore home to many different species of animals and plants.

The Jozani Forest consists mainly of three different areas that you will visit today: a mangrove forest, a mahogany ground water forest and a forest that is home to the famous red colobus monkeys, a Guereza species that only occurs in Zanzibar. Once you arrive at the Jozani Reserve by car, you will first visit the first area of this nature reserve, usually the part with the Colobus monkeys. After the Colobus forest area you will go to the mangrove swamp. Through this swamp area a saltwater river winds its way, which comes from the sea about 3 km away. The government has built a wooden footbridge on which you can now explore a part of this mangrove forest. From this footbridge you can watch tens of thousands of small fiddler crabs, which have dug their living caves into the marshy ground, where they retreat in the shadow of the mangrove trees in case of danger. After you have visited the last part of the reserve, the impressive mahogany forest, you return to your beach hotel.

Day 14: Zanzibar Beach Hotel

Rest and relaxation by the sea, a day at leisure in your preferred accommodation.

Day 15: Zanzibar Beach Hotel

Rest and relaxation by the sea, a day at leisure in your preferred accommodation.

Day 16: Holiday End Zanzibar

After breakfast, you will say goodbye to the beach and the majestic indean ocean and our driver will take you to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (Zanzibar int’l) for your flight home.