Tanzania & Zanzibar
The Serengeti Calls
Tanzania holds the Serengeti — 30,000 square kilometers of open grassland, host to the largest terrestrial mammal migration on earth. Combined with the crater world of the Ngorongoro Caldera and the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania offers the most complete and awe-inspiring safari experience in Africa.
The Northern Circuit — Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara — can be done by fly-camping and private tented lodge in a way that feels entirely different from a group tour. After the safari, Zanzibar provides the perfect contrast: Stone Town's Arab-Indian-Swahili architecture, white-sand beaches, and the aromatic spice farms that gave the island its historical name. The combination of Serengeti and Zanzibar is one of the finest two-week journeys in the world.
Weather by Open-Meteo. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Tanzania and Zanzibar: Plains, Crater and Spice Coast
9 nights
Best time to travel: Tanzania offers something in nearly every season. The drier months are often favored for the northern circuit, while Zanzibar is gentle for much of the year. We tailor timing to your wishes.
- Day 1
Arrival at Kilimanjaro
You arrive under a vast sky. A private transfer brings you to a calm lodge in the foothills, with coffee country all around.
- Day 2
Lake and Hillside
The day is slow. Walk through farmland, meet the people who tend it, and let the hills settle your pulse.
- Day 3
To the Crater Highlands
The road climbs through cool, green country. You settle into a remote lodge on the rim, where the view falls away into mist and light.
- Day 4
Down into the Crater
With your own guide and vehicle, descend into the great caldera. It is a world held within walls. A picnic lunch is taken with the whole bowl before you.
- Day 5
Toward the Serengeti
The land flattens and widens. Horizons stretch further than seem possible. You reach a private camp set apart from the busier tracks.
- Day 6
The Endless Plains
Two full days of unhurried exploration begin here. Stay out at first light, rest through midday, and return when the shadows lengthen. A bush dinner glows beneath the stars.
- Day 7
A Balloon or a Walk
At dawn, drift above the plains by balloon, or step out on foot with a guide. Either way, the Serengeti reveals itself slowly.
- Day 8
Flight to Zanzibar
You fly east to the Indian Ocean. Salt air replaces dust. Your beachfront villa waits beside warm, turquoise water.
- Day 9
Stone Town and Spice
Wander the lanes of Stone Town with a local historian. Carved doors, coral walls and the scent of cloves lead you through centuries of trade.
- Day 10
Last Light on the Sea
Slip out on a traditional dhow at sunset. The sail catches the wind, and the day closes without hurry. Tomorrow you depart, but not entirely.
- Camps and lodges chosen because our team has stayed there and trusts the people who run them.
- One seamless journey, from highland crater to island shore, handled end to end.
- A dedicated journey specialist available to you throughout, at any hour.
A sample only. Every Explorify journey is designed from a blank page around you.
Tell Us Your DreamSerengeti National Park
National ParkThe greatest wildlife sanctuary on earth, the Serengeti supports the largest terrestrial mammal migration in nature — 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, and 500,000 gazelle moving in a continuous circle through the ecosystem. Beyond the migration, the permanent wildlife — over 3,000 lions, the world's densest leopard population, and enormous elephant and buffalo herds — make this extraordinary at any time of year.
Ngorongoro Crater
UNESCO Heritage SiteThe world's largest intact volcanic caldera, Ngorongoro is a self-contained ecosystem of 260 square kilometers with an extraordinary permanent wildlife population that cannot leave the 600-meter-high walls. The crater floor holds around 30,000 large animals including the densest population of lions in Africa, black rhinos, elephants, hippos, and flamingoes on the crater lake — all visible in a single day's game drive.
Stone Town, Zanzibar
UNESCO Heritage SiteThe ancient capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate, Stone Town is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, Arab townhouses with carved wooden doors, mosques, the old fort, and the former slave market — a living archive of the Indian Ocean's centuries of trade. The town's cuisine, a fusion of Swahili, Arab, Indian, and African flavours, is some of the best in East Africa.
Tarangire National Park
National ParkNamed for the Tarangire River that cuts through its heart and acts as a magnet for wildlife during the dry season, this park is famous for enormous concentrations of elephants — sometimes 300 in a single herd — and for its extraordinary ancient baobab trees, some over 1,000 years old. The park also has one of Tanzania's highest concentrations of lions and is exceptional for birding.
Mount Kilimanjaro
MountainAfrica's highest peak at 5,895 meters and the world's highest free-standing mountain, Kilimanjaro rises from equatorial savanna through rainforest, moorland, and alpine desert to its glaciated summit. The Lemosho and Rongai routes are the most rewarding approaches, taking seven to eight days and passing through every vegetation zone on earth in a single ascent.
Selous Game Reserve (Nyerere NP)
UNESCO Heritage SiteAfrica's largest protected ecosystem at 50,000 square kilometers — larger than Switzerland — the Selous supports the greatest concentration of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and wild dogs on earth. Boat safaris on the Rufiji River, walking safaris through fever-tree forest, and fly-camping on flood plains offer a level of wilderness immersion impossible in the more-visited northern parks.
Design Your Tanzania & Zanzibar Journey
Your dedicated Africa specialist will build your itinerary from scratch — from the first conversation to the last day.
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Tanzania & Zanzibar: your questions, answered
When is the best time to visit Tanzania & Zanzibar?
The best time to visit Tanzania & Zanzibar is July to September for the Great Migration; June to October overall. Explorify times every itinerary to the season, so your specialist will confirm the ideal weeks for what you most want to experience.
How many days do I need in Tanzania & Zanzibar?
Plan for 10–16 days. Because every Explorify journey is designed from scratch, the exact length is shaped around your pace and interests.
What are the highlights of Tanzania & Zanzibar?
Hot air balloon over the Serengeti plains at dawn. Ngorongoro Crater descent for Big Five in one day. Zanzibar Stone Town UNESCO heritage walk. Private beach villa on Zanzibar's east coast. Top places include Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Stone Town, Zanzibar and Tarangire National Park.
How much does a private journey to Tanzania & Zanzibar cost?
Private Explorify journeys to Tanzania & Zanzibar start from $9,000 per person. The final figure depends on the season, where you stay and how you travel, and your specialist designs the journey to the level you choose.
How does Explorify plan a trip to Tanzania & Zanzibar?
A dedicated Africa specialist who has visited Tanzania & Zanzibar builds your itinerary from a blank page, handles flights, transfers and logistics end-to-end, and stays available 24/7 while you travel. There are no group departures, shared vehicles or off-the-shelf packages.
Plan Your Tanzania & Zanzibar Journey
Tell us about your dream trip and your dedicated Tanzania & Zanzibar specialist will respond within 24 hours.