Northern Tanzania packs some of Africa's best game viewing into a single road circuit. After a night in Arusha, your driver-guide takes you to Tarangire for its elephant herds and baobabs, then across the highlands to the Serengeti's open plains, and finally down into Ngorongoro Crater, where black rhino, lion and huge herds share one volcanic bowl. You travel in a 4x4 with a pop-up roof, so everyone gets a clear view.
Then fly to Zanzibar for seven nights on the east coast, where the sea is warm, the sand is white and the reef sits just offshore. Stone Town's alleys, spice farms and dhow trips are an easy day out. It is a long-haul trip that rewards the effort: five nights of serious safari, followed by a full week to rest.
5 stops · 12 nights
Safari gateway, coffee country
Elephants, baobabs, river views
Big cats, plains, the migration
Crater floor game drive, rhino
East coast beach, reef, Stone Town
Priced with these hotels or similar. Want a different hotel? Your Travel Designer will re-price it for you.
Arusha sits on the slopes of Mount Meru and is the starting point for northern Tanzania's safari circuit. A night here lets you rest after the flight before meeting your guide.
Tarangire is known for its big elephant herds, ancient baobab trees and the Tarangire River, which draws wildlife through the dry season. It is quieter than the Serengeti and a good first taste of safari.
The central Serengeti around Seronera has resident lion, leopard and cheetah all year, and the Great Migration passes through on its annual loop. Two nights give you a full day of game drives on the plains.
Ngorongoro is a huge collapsed volcano with a crater floor about 20 kilometres across. Its permanent water supports lion, buffalo, flamingo and one of Tanzania's few populations of black rhino.
Zanzibar's east coast has long white beaches, a reef just offshore and tides that change the view through the day. Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is about an hour away for markets, spice tours and dhow trips at sunset.
Guide prices per person, two sharing, with flights from London.
Prices checked October 2026. Prices change daily; your Travel Designer confirms today's live price before you book. Business class and regional airports on request.
Best time to go: Late June to October is dry, with excellent game viewing and the Great Migration usually in the northern Serengeti. January and February are also good, with calving in the southern Serengeti. Avoid April and May, the long rains on both the mainland and Zanzibar.
A suggested plan. Change anything.
Your overnight flight from London, via a hub such as Amsterdam or Doha, lands at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Transfer to your lodge in Arusha, about an hour away.
Meet your driver-guide and drive to Tarangire for an afternoon game drive among the elephants and baobabs.
Cross the Ngorongoro highlands to the Serengeti, game driving as you go. Spend the next day on the plains looking for lion, leopard and cheetah, and the migration herds when they are nearby.
A last morning drive in the Serengeti, then on to the crater rim for the evening view.
Descend early into Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive, then drive to the airstrip and fly to Zanzibar. Transfer to your beach hotel on the east coast.
Swim and snorkel off the reef, take a dhow trip, or spend a day in Stone Town with a spice farm tour on the way.
Transfer to Zanzibar airport for your flight home to the UK via a connecting hub.
Small scheduled planes fly from the airstrips at Lake Manyara and Arusha to Zanzibar in about 1h 30m to 2h, sometimes with a stop. Luggage limits are lower on these flights, usually 15–20kg in soft bags.
Yes. British passport holders need a visa, which you can apply for online as an e-visa before you travel. Zanzibar also requires visitors to buy its own inbound travel insurance.
The herds are usually in the southern Serengeti for calving from January to March and in the north, near the Mara River, from about July to October. We can adjust the lodges to follow them.
Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar are malaria-risk areas. Speak to your GP or a travel clinic about antimalarials and vaccinations well before you go.
Change the hotels, the nights or the order, or add a third stop. A Travel Designer replies within a few hours.
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