12-Day Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar
A private 12-day trip: seven nights on safari in your own 4x4, with four of them in the Serengeti, then a short flight to Zanzibar for four nights by the Indian Ocean.
The Long Safari and a Proper Beach Break
Our 10-day safari-and-beach trips give the safari five nights. This one gives it seven: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, a full morning in the Ngorongoro Crater and four nights in the Serengeti, two on the central plains and two where the herds usually are in your month. Only then do you fly to Zanzibar, so the beach feels like a reward rather than a rush.
On Zanzibar you stay at a mid-range beach hotel on the north or east coast, with time to swim, snorkel or visit Stone Town if you wish. Lodges and the beach hotel are named when we confirm availability for your dates.
Prefer a shorter trip? See the 10-Day Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar →
Highlights
- Seven nights on safari in a private vehicle with a pop-up roof
- Four nights in the Serengeti, central plains and seasonal area
- A full morning in the Ngorongoro Crater and game drives in Tarangire and Lake Manyara
- A scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar
- Four nights in a mid-range Zanzibar beach hotel with breakfast and dinner
What to bring
- Light, neutral-coloured clothes and a warm layer for the highlands
- Swimwear, reef-safe sun cream and sandals for Zanzibar
- A soft bag: light aircraft allow about 15 kg per person
- Binoculars and a camera with a zoom
- Your passport
Read our guides: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Great Migration month by month
Route Map
- By road
- By air
- Day of the trip
- Arusha
Lines show the order of travel, not the exact roads.
We collect you from your hotel in Arusha in the morning. About two hours later you begin a game drive in Tarangire among elephant herds and baobab trees, with a picnic lunch, before checking in at your lodge.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge in or near Tarangire
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
A short drive to Lake Manyara for a game drive through its groundwater forest and along the lake shore, where flamingos and pelicans gather when the water is right. In the late afternoon you climb the escarpment to Karatu.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge in Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
An early start to descend into the crater for up to about six hours of game driving among buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and lions, with a picnic lunch by a hippo pool. Afternoon at leisure back at the lodge.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge in Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You cross the highlands and drive down onto the Serengeti plains, with a game drive on the way to your camp in the central Serengeti.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A full day around the Seronera River valley and the kopjes, looking for lions, leopards and cheetahs. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, impalas, wildebeest and hippos are common. Lions are seen often and leopards more rarely. Wild animals move freely, so no sighting can be guaranteed.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You move to a camp in the part of the Serengeti where the wildebeest and zebra herds usually are in your month. Your guide follows the latest news on their position.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the Serengeti (location depends on the season)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Another full day of game drives where the herds are, with a picnic lunch on the plains. The herds follow the rain, so their exact position cannot be promised.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the Serengeti (location depends on the season)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After an early game drive your guide takes you to the nearest airstrip for a scheduled light-aircraft flight to Zanzibar, usually with a stop on the way. We meet you at Zanzibar airport and drive you to your beach hotel.
Light aircraft usually allow about 15 kg of luggage per person, in a soft bag. Flights can be delayed by the weather or by air traffic; if that happens, we adjust the day.
Overnight: Mid-range beach hotel on Zanzibar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Three free days on the island. Swim and relax on the beach, or ask us to arrange a Stone Town walk, a spice farm visit or a snorkelling trip (at extra cost).
Overnight: Mid-range beach hotel on Zanzibar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast we drive you to Zanzibar airport for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
Price Per Person — Private Trip
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $6,570 |
| 2 People | $5,135 |
| 3 People | $4,655 |
| 4 People | $4,415 |
| 5 People | $4,270 |
| 6 People | $4,175 |
Price per person in US dollars, by the number of people travelling together, sharing rooms. Solo travellers: the price for 1 person assumes the same room rates; a single room supplement may apply (ask us). Groups of more than 6: price on request.
Optional extra: a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the central Serengeti, about an hour in the air, followed by a bush breakfast. About 599 US dollars per person for flights in 2026 and about 660 US dollars from 1 January 2027. Children from 7 years. Ask us to add it when you book.
Trip Notes
- Start: your hotel in Arusha · End: Zanzibar airport
- Private safari: your group only, on the dates you choose
- Mid-range lodges, tented camps and beach hotel, named when we confirm availability
- Seasonal camp location for nights 6 and 7
- Prices may change if park fees or flight fares change
Includes
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and a professional driver-guide
- All park entry fees and the Ngorongoro Crater vehicle fee
- 7 nights in mid-range lodges and tented camps with all meals on safari
- Scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar
- 4 nights in a mid-range Zanzibar beach hotel with breakfast and dinner
- Airport transfers on Zanzibar
- Drinking water in the safari vehicle
Excludes
- International flights and visa fees
- Accommodation in Arusha before the safari
- Travel insurance
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Zanzibar's compulsory inbound travel insurance (44 US dollars per person)
- Tips for your guide and hotel staff
- Drinks other than drinking water
- Optional Zanzibar excursions and the hot-air balloon flight
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
Questions Travellers Ask
How is this different from your 10-day safari and Zanzibar trips?
It has two more nights on safari: seven instead of five, with four nights in the Serengeti and a separate day for Lake Manyara. The beach part is the same length, four nights.
Why fly from the Serengeti instead of driving back?
Flying saves a long drive back to Arusha and a second flight. You leave the Serengeti after a morning game drive and arrive on Zanzibar the same day.
Do I need to pay Zanzibar's insurance as well?
Zanzibar has its own compulsory inbound travel insurance for visitors, separate from the mainland's. Both are paid by each traveller and are not included in our price.
Can I choose a different beach on Zanzibar?
Yes. The north has beaches you can swim from at most tides; the east coast is quieter, with bigger tides. Tell us what you like and we suggest a hotel.
When is the best time for this trip?
June to October and late December to February are dry on safari and on Zanzibar. April and May are the wettest months, and some beach hotels close.
