Highlights
- Spot Big Five safari animals on game drives in Tarangire and Serengeti
- Immerse yourself in local culture with a visit to the farming village of Mto Wa Mbu
- Tour the famous Ngorongoro Crater and spot rare black rhinos
- Snorkel, swim, and soak up the sun from Zanzibar's pristine white sands
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Arusha, Visit the Shanga Foundation Handicrafts Project | Arusha |
| Day 2 | Transfer to Tarangire National Park, Afternoon Game Drive | Tarangire National Park |
| Day 3 | Mto Wa Mbu Cultural Visit, Transfer to Ngorongoro | Ngorongoro |
| Day 4 | Full-Day Ngorongoro Safari with Picnic Lunch | Ngorongoro |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Serengeti National Park, Afternoon Game Drive | Serengeti National Park |
| Days 6-7 | Serengeti Safari Activities | Serengeti National Park |
| Days 8-9 | Fly to Zanzibar, Free Time & Beach Activities | Zanzibar Beach |
| Day 10 | Zanzibar Spice Tour, Fly to Kilimanjaro, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Arusha, Visit the Shanga Foundation Handicrafts Project
Welcome to Tanzania! This East African nation is the stuff of legend, home to famous national parks like Serengeti and natural wonders like Mount Kilimanjaro. Besides the exotic animals and beautiful landscapes, this country is also a leading coffee producer, famous for its robusta and arabica beans.
You can taste these prized beans right away when you arrive in Arusha. This northern city is located in the middle of coffee country, at the foot of the 14,980-foot (4,566 m) Meru volcano. After checking into your hotel, you'll transfer to a former coffee plantation to visit a heartwarming community-works project. The Shanga Foundation empowers people with disabilities by providing training and employment opportunities in the creation of handcrafted items.
Over three hours, you'll meet the artisans and see them at work. These talented individuals create various products, from Swahili beaded jewelry to woven textiles, blown glass, and paper crafts. The tour isn't only an opportunity to witness the creation of these beautiful items but also to understand the skill and artistry involved. In addition to observing, you can participate in interactive sessions to learn weaving techniques and other skills. Feel free to pick up some souvenirs at the on-site shop—each purchase directly supports the artisans and the foundation's work.
Day 2: Transfer to Tarangire National Park, Afternoon Game Drive
The adventure begins! Meet your driver after breakfast and hit the road on a two-hour ride south to Tarangire National Park. This 1,000-square-mile (2,600 sq km) protected area may only be the sixth largest national park in the country, but there's no shortage of incredible wildlife here. It's one of Tanzania's finest birding destinations, with almost 500 avian species on record. Plus, during the migratory season, there are incredible numbers of plains game like wildebeests, antelope, and zebras.
You'll arrive around midday to check into your accommodation: the Tarangire Safari Lodge, where you can relax on your veranda or take a dip in the pool. After a bite to eat, head out on your first safari in Tanzania. Elephants are the main attraction here, with up to 3,000 roaming the park from June to November. Other common animals include giraffes, the Thompson's gazelle, greater and lesser kudus, elands, leopards, and cheetahs. At the end of the afternoon, you'll return to the lodge.
Day 3: Mto Wa Mbu Cultural Visit, Transfer to Ngorongoro
Say goodbye to Tarangire as you meet your driver early and transfer about an hour north to Mto Wa Mbu. This farming community of around 18,000 people is unique in that it's one of the only places where all of Tanzania's 120 Indigenous tribes live side by side.
Stop here for a three-hour visit to meet some residents—notably members of the Mbugwe, Iraqw, Gorowa, Irangi, Chagga, and Maasai tribes. The tour offers a different cultural immersion depending on the activities going on in the village that day. Examples include visiting the homes of working families who produce everything from homemade banana beer to palm oil. You can also visit Papyrus Lake to meet the Rangi people, who are famous for their handmade baskets and mats. Or tour the rice farms of local tribespeople who still make traditional bows and arrows for hunting.
After the cultural exchange, get back in the car for the short drive north to the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the largest intact volcano calderas in the world. Known as "Africa's Eden," its steep walls enclose an ecosystem teeming with animals. As for humans, Ngorongoro is inhabited by the Maasai people, seminomadic pastoralists who have coexisted with wildlife for centuries. Upon arrival, you'll check into the Escarpment Luxury Lodge Manyara, a beautiful lodge perched at the edge of the Great Rift Valley with spectacular views over Lake Manyara below.
Day 4: Full-Day Ngorongoro Safari with Picnic Lunch
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
It's time for a full-day safari in Ngorongoro. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, this region teems with bull elephants, buffalo, rhinos, wildebeests, and the highest concentration of lions on the continent. You'll find plenty of rhinos (including the critically endangered black rhino) in the park, as anti-poaching protocols mean they abound in this area.
You'll spend the entire day here, racing across the plains in a 4WD vehicle in search of the most exotic specimens. Lunch will be a picnic affair under the azure African sky. After some more game viewing, you'll return to your safari lodge at the end of the afternoon, where you can enjoy a sundowner, dip in the pool, or both!
Day 5: Transfer to Serengeti National Park, Afternoon Game Drive
Continue on the safari route this morning as you embark on the two-hour ride north from Ngorongoro toward the border with Kenya and your destination, the Serengeti National Park. In the Maasai language, the name Serengeti means "endless plains," and this protected area's 5,700 square miles (14,763 sq km) deliver on that promise. This legendary park is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere reserve that supports the world's largest concentration of plains game. This includes famous Big Five animals like lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and black rhinos.
You'll arrive at the park's southern border in time for a picnic lunch. After eating, you'll check into the Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp, right on the savanna. Take the rest of the day to discover the park on an afternoon game drive, after which you'll return to camp in time for dinner.
Days 6-7: Serengeti Safari Activities
Spend the next couple of days living every wildlife enthusiast's dream as you embark on safaris across the dazzling Serengeti. You'll enjoy morning and afternoon game drives to witness exotic animals in one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth. Besides being a great place to spot the Big Five, the Serengeti hosts the annual Great Migration. From June to November, this "greatest wildlife show on earth" sees more than a million wildebeest, plus hundreds of thousands of zebras and Thomson's gazelles, undertake the long trek to new grazing grounds.
You'll start early, as mornings are the best time to see the animals at their most active. You'll likely see grazing giraffes, zebras, and perhaps even lions as they hunt wildebeests and gazelles during this time. Other animals you're likely to spot include elephants and buffalo, with leopards and rhinos being a less common sight. You can choose to have lunch on the road or back at camp, after which you'll continue the game drive into the afternoon.
Days 8-9: Fly to Zanzibar, Free Time & Beach Activities
Enjoy one last breakfast on the savanna before meeting your driver and transferring to the airport. There, you'll catch a 1.5-hour flight east to Zanzibar. It's not hyperbole to say that this pristine archipelago is one of Africa's most incredible island destinations. It's famous for the powdery white sands of its beaches and the shimmering turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Upon arrival, you'll transfer to your beach resort and have the next two days free to experience Zanzibar's highlights. Feel free to arrange any tours you want with the front desk or head out on your own. The town of Nungwi has a party atmosphere and no shortage of beach clubs, or you can head south to the more isolated and tranquil Michamvi Kae. Other fun activities include cycling around the island, caving, yoga sessions on the beach, taking a Swahili cooking class, surfing, and many others.
Scuba diving is another memorable experience. The clear waters and coral reefs around Zanzibar abound with rays, turtles, puffers, clownfish, and even whale sharks. You may even get lucky and swim alongside a pod of dolphins. You can also hop in a kayak and take a leisurely paddle along the white beaches. This region is great for deep-sea fishing, and you can reel in trophies such as yellowfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, barracuda, and marlin. There's also the option for a sunset cruise.
Day 10: Zanzibar Spice Tour, Fly to Kilimanjaro, Depart
Though the trip is drawing to a close, there's time for one last adventure—and it's a tasty one! Zanzibar has a long history of spice production dating to the 16th century when it was a trading post between Arabia and India. The island built massive wealth in the 19th century as a major producer of cloves (harvested by enslaved people) and today retains its nickname "Spice Island."
On a morning tour of a country spice farm, you'll sample cloves and other aromatics like cinnamon and nutmeg. You'll also learn about the traditional uses of these spices, which are found in everything from incense to perfume. Then, sit down to a farm-fresh lunch featuring the island's abundant local produce.
Afterward, it will be time to bid farewell to Zanzibar and Tanzania. Your driver will take you to the airport, where you'll board a plane to Kilimanjaro Airport and catch your connecting flight home or on to the next adventure. Safe travels!
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