Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar Beach

Welcome to Tanzania! On the first day, our driver guide will pick you up from the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer you to the hotel in Arusha, about 1 hour by car. Check-in and take a good rest.

Useful Information for You:
1. Tanzania Visa: Most visitors need to apply for Ordinary Visas when entering Tanzania (50 USD), while American visitors can only enter via Multiple-entry Visas (100 USD). E-Visa online application is suggested 1-2 weeks prior to departure, or hold a passport of more than 6-month validity to apply for the Visa on Arrival. By the way, prepare enough cash for it though credit cards are usually acceptable.
2. Currency & Tipping: The Tanzania Shilling (Tsh) is the official currency. US dollars (USD) issued after 2013 are also widely used. However, as it is much cheaper to pay in local shilling, and there are only banks and ATMs at Zanzibar’s airport and Stone Town, we suggest you exchange enough Tsh in cash. Tsh 26,000 (USD 10) per person per day is about right if you want to show your gratitude to the safari driver and guide. 
Accommodation: Arusha Serena Hotel (4 stars)

After breakfast, we will take the picnic lunch box and drive 2 hours to Lake Manyara National Park and enjoy exciting game drives after arriving. Lake Manyara is a well-known gem at the bottom of the Rift Valley, which attracts over 400 recorded species of birds, especially the pink flamingos. It is also home to an astonishing variety of animals including vast herds of elephants, hippos, giraffes, and the famous tree-climbing lions which can hardly be seen in other places. At the end of the safari, we will go to the lodge for dinner. If you want some special experiences, you can take part in the night safari organized by the lodge on your own. The staff will drive you to seek nocturnal animals such as bush cats and cheetahs.

★ Our Tanzania Safari Strengths:
1. 4WD Vehicle: The fully closed body of the safari car can bring you a shelter experience， protecting you from dust and the scorching sun. In addition, its sliding windows and hatch-top can offer you an advantageous position to ensure the best view during the safari.
2. Well-designed Itinerary: This tour covers most popular national parks and reserves in Tanzania, which means you can see as many animals as possible and admire different landscapes. After the 7-day game drives, you will spend 3 days in Zanzibar where you can relax from the fatigue of safaris and meet a different Africa at the seaside.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (4 stars)

Today, we will leave Lake Manyara and drive west along the Rife Valley for 200 km (124 mi) and 6 hours to Serengeti National Park. On the way, you could meet diverse tribal people, and pass the African Galleria which has many workshops and galleries. You can see paintings, sculptures of animals, and African tribal art here. We can take a short visit if you are interested. After arriving at Serengeti, we will check into the lodge and enjoy a pleasant dinner.

★ Great Migration: Witness the Death and Birth of Wildebeest Herd
The annual migration of millions of wildebeests is one of the most impressive natural wonders in the world. Starting in October, millions of wildebeests make their way from Masai Mara, successively crackle across plains in Ngorongoro Crater, then to southern and northwestern Serengeti, and finally return to Masai Mara in July, accompanied by zebras and antelopes following the rain. From December to April, the migration army arrives and lingers around Central Serengeti. If you schedule your trip during this period, you will have a chance to see the black columns of the braying wildebeests moving on the endless savanna. If lucky, you may also witness the thrilling battle between lions and wildebeests. Another awe-inspiring scene worth seeing is the birth of wildebeest calves through January, February, and March. You may witness the whole process of those little lives from birth to toddling. Several days later, calves will migrate with their parents to new grassland. To protect their kids from hunting, adult wildebeests usually gather together and surround these new lives.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge (4 stars)

Today, you will spend the whole day exploring the park. Serengeti means “endless plains” in the Masai language. Covering 1.5 million hectares of savannah, it feeds huge herds of herbivores which in turn bring a big feast to predators including a great number of lions, spotted hyenas, and leopards. As the main water resource in Central Serengeti, the Seronera River is one of the most important strongholds for hunters, as prey usually gather along the river bank to drink water. During the morning and afternoon game drives, our experienced guide will help you find the best spots to view the wildlife.

Safari Tips:
1. When driving, it may be very dusty on savannas, so we recommend you wear masks.
2. Since you need to spend most of your time in the car and the roads are usually uneven, it is advised to prepare some Dramamine in case of carsickness. Besides, you can take a headrest to help you relieve fatigue on long journeys.
3. For your safety, please avoid leaning out of the window or groveling on the top of the car. In addition, it is better not to hail loudly or wave arms to animals when they come close.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge (4 stars)

In the morning, our driver guide will continue to lead you to enjoy a safari in Serengeti. After lunch, we will drive for 3.5 hours through Lodware Gate to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Featuring diverse landscapes such as pastures, woodlands, lakes, and volcanoes, it is not only a haven for wildlife but also home to Masai people. We will take an authentic cultural trip to visit an indigenous Masai tribe, where you can learn about their ways of life and enjoy dancing and their native melodies. On the way, you may encounter Masai people in red Shukas, a wrap made of traditional fabric, herding on the grassland with a long whip. They always use the lively sound of the whip to move cattle, sheep, and goats.

Entering the settlements, you will be attracted by their huts. Built with a mixture of mud, cow dung, and branches, their houses look low from the outside. You can visit their interior if the hosts permit. The Masai people used to encircle their houses with acacia thorns to protect their families and livestock from beasts, but it didn’t work well. Lions always sneak into the cattle enclosure through the fences and eat livestock. For revenge, the Masai people may kill the beasts, which caused the death of humans and lions. Later, with the help of conservationists, they planted trees and built barbed wire in place of acacia fences, which thoroughly separated living quarters from animals’ territory. As a result, they just stop hunting lions and live in harmony with them. At dusk, we will check in at the safari lodge where you can have dinner and enjoy the stunning sunset.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (4 stars)

After breakfast, our driver guide will lead you to visit the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the filming locations of Out of Africa. As a result of a massive volcano exploding and collapsing 2 or 3 million years ago, it is the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. With 600 meters deep, its volcanic walls isolate the crater from the outside world, forming a natural enclosure for more than 25,000 wildlife, including the famous African Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos. It is the best place to see the endangered black rhinos because the crater is not as vast as Serengeti. Our experienced guide will drive you to spot them at a short distance. It is better to keep quiet, as rhinos are so timid that the slightest movement may scare them away. In contrast, zebras here are bolder, and can leisurely graze even if the car is parked next to them. After lunch, we will drive about 5 hours to Tarangire National Park situated 178 km (109 mi) away from the crater.
► Tips:
1. Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road at national parks in Tanzania, so most of the time you can only admire animals, especially black rhinos from afar, so we suggest you prepare telephoto lenses or a telescope.
2. Generally, for your safety, it is not allowed to get off during the safari. However, the driver guide will drop you off at some designated photo spots for wildlife photography, most of which are located in safe and open spaces.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tarangire Sopa Lodge (5 stars)

After breakfast, we will have an exciting game drive at Tarangire National Park, home to more than 400 kinds of birds and a great number of elephants which can be easily seen everywhere. It is also known for the towering baobab trees whose massive bottle-shaped trunks can restore water during the rainy season and become one of the important water resources for animals in the dry season. You may see elephants, elands, and other animals scratch and chew the bark to gain water under the tree. During the game drive, these unique trees with lush branches resembling roots will give you a feeling of being in the freak world in the movie. If interested, you can explore their big tree holes and take pictures. The safari will end in the evening and we will drive for around 3 hours to Arusha and check in at the local hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Arusha Serena Hotel (4 stars)

After breakfast, we will send you to Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport for a flight to Zanzibar Island. The flight duration is about 1-1.5 hours. Our representative at Zanzibar will pick you up from the airport, and then we will directly start exploring from Stone Town. After a 15-minute drive, you will arrive at this UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can see many mosques, Muslims in white robes, and unique buildings integrated with Arab, Persian, and Indian elements.

We will first pay a visit to the Old Slave Market, one of the last slave markets built in 1873 before slavery was abolished. There is a Christ Church Cathedral on its old site now and where the altar stands was the whipping post in the past. Near the church, you will see a Slave Trade Exhibition and you can see some sculptures of slaves who are tethered by chains standing in the pit. Stepping into the exhibition hall, you will find many display boards showing the dark period of the slave trade. Then, we will walk through the narrow alleys lined by old architecture and reach the Arab Fort (Old Fort). It is a late 17th-century fort constructed on the top of an even older Portuguese church. Now, it serves as the cultural center, and the Zanzibar International Film Festival is held here every year.

★ Closely Interact with Giant Tortoises on Prison Island
In the afternoon, we will take a 30-minute boat ride to Prison Island which is also called Turtle Island, because it breeds more than 200 Aldabra giant tortoises. Prepare yourself to be wowed by these huge guys. They are almost 1 meter long and look like moving rocks from afar. You can touch their hard shells and take pictures with them. But to protect these giant tortoises, please avoid sitting on their body or feeding them with your own food.

In the evening, we will drive to the hotel in north Zanzibar where you will spend the next two days.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Z Hotel, Zanzibar - sea view room (4 stars)

The following two days are free for you. Enjoy your leisure time on the shining white beach, be caressed by the gentle sea breeze, and take a sun bath.

 Free Time Suggestion: Take a Boat to Watch Dolphins
The ship will sail to the area where dolphins are always active. You can swim with these smart creatures or admire the inspiring scene when a pod of them jump out of the water. You can consult the staff at the hotel or the diving store on Nungwi public beach nearby for relative service. It may cost 20 USD for boat sharing with 6-8 people and 70 USD for chartering. We recommend you make a bargain if you decide to choose the private boat hailing guests at the seaside as they always charge more.
1. 8:00-10:00 is the best time to watch dolphins when they are always the most active. It is advised to book the service one day in advance as the departure time is early.
2. Sailing on cloudy or windy days is very dangerous and not recommended.
3. For your safety, please be cautious when jumping into the water as there may be many boats and tourists rushing to follow dolphins.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Z Hotel, Zanzibar - sea view room (4 stars)

Today is your last day in Zanzibar, take your time to spend the whole day relaxing on Nungwi Beach. You can swim, snorkel, or dive to find luminous fish in coral reefs. Please feel free to contact us if you need additional tour services. We could manage more sightseeing activities such as the Spice Tour and Jozani Forest Tour according to your preference.

 Recommended Restaurant: Badolina Secret Garden Restaurant
Just like its name, the restaurant is hidden in a garden with lush vegetation and is only a 10-minute walk from your hotel. It mainly serves caught-of-the-day tuna. You can try the Zanzibar Vibes which is made of fish cubes with curry and fresh coriander and is always served with rice. It may cost 20 USD per person. USD, Euro, and Tsh are all accepted, but you can only pay in cash. The restaurant operates from 11:00 to 22:30, and we recommend you make a reservation or you may need to wait during the chowtime.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Z Hotel, Zanzibar - sea view room (4 stars)

After breakfast, our representative will drive you to Zanzibar Airport and our service of Tanzania private safari tours is about to end here. Then, you could take a flight to Dar-es-Salaam or Arusha to connect to your homebound flight. If you want to linger longer in Zanzibar, we can help you book the hotel. If you want to explore Kenya or Madagascar, please feel free to contact us for details. Thanks for booking the tour. Wish you all the best!

Meals: Breakfast