Why Visit Serengeti & Zanzibar ?
A Tanzania safari and beach holiday pairs four to five days of wildlife viewing with three or four days on Zanzibar, usually over 10 to 12 days.
Group tours generally start in Nairobi or Arusha and finish on the coast, while private trips begin in Arusha, the gateway to the Serengeti. Prices start at USD 2,200 per person, including most meals, game drives, transport and national park fees.
The parks: Most routes cover the Serengeti, 14,750km² of open plain where the wildebeest migration move through, and the Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcano whose floor holds around 25,000 animals including black rhino. Some itineraries also include Tarangire, where elephant herds gather under the baobabs in the dry months, and Lake Manyara with its flamingos and tree-climbing lions.
Zanzibar: Stone Town’s alleys and carved doors are worth a morning, and a spice farm visit is easy to add if it appeals. After that the island does what islands do. Most travellers spend three or four days on the northern beaches, swimming, snorkelling or doing nothing much at all.
The route: Overland group tours drive from the Serengeti to Dar es Salaam and cross to Stone Town by ferry. On private and tailor-made trips your safari starts and ends in Arusha, and you fly to Zanzibar in about 90 minutes, roughly a day and a half saved.
Put these two destinations together and what most people treat as two separate holidays becomes one.
10 Day Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Zanzibar Lodge Tour
10 Day Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Zanzibar Overland Tour
13 Day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure Tour
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Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Travel FAQs
What is a safari and beach holiday?
A safari and beach holiday combines a wildlife safari with a stay on the coast, usually in one booking.
In East Africa the usual pairing is northern Tanzania with Zanzibar: game drives in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, then an island roughly 250km off the same coastline.
How many days do you need for a Tanzania safari and Zanzibar?
Ten days is the practical minimum, and 12 is more comfortable.
A northern Tanzania safari needs four to five days to cover the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti without spending all of it in transit. Zanzibar needs three to four to be worth the journey. Add a travel day between the two and you land on 10 to 14 days.
When is the best time to visit Tanzania and Zanzibar?
June to October is the most reliable window for both halves of the trip.
The parks are dry, wildlife gathers at water, and Zanzibar sits in its cooler dry season. January and February are the second window: calving season on the southern Serengeti plains, hot and clear on the coast. April and May are the long rains — the parks are green and quiet and rates drop, but expect wet afternoons and some rough roads. November brings short rains, which rarely disrupt a trip for long.
How much does a Tanzania safari and Zanzibar trip cost?
Our group tours start at around USD 2,200 per person for camping and USD 2,880 with lodges, and private trips for couples starting from USD 3,100 per person. The more people in the group the less the tour costs.
That covers park fees, accommodation, transport, the ferry and most meals. It doesn’t cover international flights, your visa, insurance, drinks or tips. The single biggest cost you can’t avoid is park fees — the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are among the most expensive protected areas in Africa, which is why a cheap northern Tanzania safari usually means less time inside the parks.
Do I need a separate visa for Zanzibar?
No. Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so your Tanzanian tourist visa covers it.
Most nationalities get a single-entry tourist visa on arrival or through the online portal before travelling. Two things catch people out: Zanzibar requires inbound travellers to hold mandatory travel insurance purchased through its official portal, and Tanzania asks for a yellow fever certificate if you’re arriving from a country where it’s present — which includes Kenya, where several of these tours start. Check both before you book flights.
Camping or lodge tour — which should I choose for my beach and safari group tour?
The camping tours use two-person tents with mattresses, and you’ll help with camp chores — it’s sociable and suits travellers who don’t mind an early start. The lodge version puts you in 3 star lodges with en-suite bathrooms for most nights and permanent safari tents for the rest. Same route, same parks, same guides. On Zanzibar both versions stay in hotels.
Group tour or private — what's the difference?
Group tours run to a fixed date and route with up to 20–22 travellers; private tours run on your chosen dates with only your party.
Group works well if you want the cost shared and don’t mind the schedule.
Private is worth it if you’re travelling with family, or want to tailor make the itinerary to suit your preferred route. Private safaris depart daily and are quoted per group, so four travellers pay noticeably less per person than two.
Do these tours visit the Ngorongoro Crater as well?
Yes — every tour on this page includes a game drive on the crater floor.
The crater is a 260km² caldera holding around 25,000 large animals year-round, including black rhino. It’s the one part of a northern Tanzania route nobody should skip, and the entry fee is included in your tour price.
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