This 21-day Tanzania Zanzibar Grand Holiday Tour offers three weeks of wildlife adventure, beach holiday, and relaxation. It is perfect for travelers who want to experience Tanzania once and visit all the major highlights in both the northern and southern circuits.
Tanzania Zanzibar Grand Holiday Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Arusha
- Day 2: Relaxation day in Arusha
- Day 3: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park and Karatu
- Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater exploration and transfer to Serengeti National Park
- Day 5: Full day in Serengeti National Park
- Day 6: Transfer to Karatu village
- Day 7: Transfer to Tarangire National Park via Mto wa Mbu village
- Day 8: Game drive in Tarangire National Park
- Day 9: Travel to Dodoma
- Day 10: Rest day in Dodoma
- Day 11: Transfer to Ruaha National Park
- Day 12: Full day game viewing in Ruaha National Park
- Day 13: Transfer to Mikumi National Park
- Day 14: Game drives in Mikumi National Park
- Day 15: Transfer to Selous Game Reserve
- Day 16: Game drive and boat safari in Selous Game Reserve
- Days 17–20: Flight and beach holiday in Zanzibar Island
- Day 21: Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Arusha
Your driver or guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel or lodge in Arusha for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Relaxation Day in Arusha
Take the day to rest after your flight. Use this time to relax, refresh, and do some last-minute shopping for items you may need for the safari ahead. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel or lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park and Karatu
After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Lake Manyara National Park, one of Tanzania’s best parks for spotting elephants and the famous tree-climbing lions. The park also has giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, baboons, and many bird species. After the game drive, continue to Karatu for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater Exploration and Transfer to Serengeti
After breakfast, drive to Ngorongoro Crater for a full game drive. This natural wonder is home to around 30,000 animals, including the Big Five—lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos. Other animals include wildebeests, zebras, hyenas, warthogs, and cheetahs. Enjoy a picnic lunch at a scenic viewpoint before heading to Serengeti National Park for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Full Day in Serengeti National Park
Spend the entire day exploring Serengeti National Park, one of Africa’s top wildlife destinations. The park is famous for its large number of predators such as lions, leopards, and cheetahs, as well as elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, wildebeests, and hippos. If you visit between July and October, you may witness the Great Wildebeest Migration. Return to your camp or lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Karatu Village
Enjoy a sunrise game drive in Serengeti when predators are most active. Watch the wildlife as the sun rises before returning to your lodge for breakfast. Later, check out and drive to Karatu with more game viewing on the way. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 7: Transfer to Tarangire National Park via Mto wa Mbu Village
After breakfast, travel to Tarangire National Park. Stop at Mto wa Mbu village for a cultural tour. You can explore by bike or on foot, meet local people, and visit a traditional Maasai boma. Later, continue to Tarangire for dinner and overnight stay at your camp or lodge.
Day 8: Game Drive in Tarangire National Park
Spend the full day exploring Tarangire National Park. The park is famous for its large elephant herds, baobab trees, and Tarangire River, which attracts many animals during the dry season. You might see elephants, lions, zebras, and many bird species. Enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park before returning to your lodge in the evening.
Day 9: Travel to Dodoma
After breakfast, check out and drive to Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania. Enjoy a final game drive as you leave the park. Have lunch along the way. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel in Dodoma.
Day 10: Rest Day in Dodoma
Spend this day relaxing at your hotel. Enjoy the available facilities such as the swimming pool, gym, or spa. You can also go shopping for any items you might need for the next part of your safari. Dinner and overnight stay in Dodoma.
Day 11: Transfer to Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, drive to Ruaha National Park, Tanzania’s second largest protected area. The park covers over 20,000 square kilometers and is named after the Great Ruaha River, which attracts many animals during the dry season. Look out for elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, and over 450 bird species. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge or camp.
Day 12: Full Day in Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, head out for a full day game drive with a packed lunch. Visit the Ruaha River area to watch animals such as elephants, lions, hippos, kudus, and giraffes. In the evening, return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 13: Transfer to Mikumi National Park
After breakfast, enjoy another short game drive as you leave Ruaha and travel to Mikumi National Park, Tanzania’s fourth largest park. It is located between the Uluguru and Lumango Mountains. Look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, wildebeests, and over 400 bird species. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge or camp.
Day 14: Game Drives in Mikumi National Park
Spend the day exploring Mikumi’s open grasslands and Mkata Plains, known for large herds of grazers like zebras and wildebeests. Expect to see predators such as lions and hyenas. The park is also excellent for bird-watching. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 15: Transfer to Selous Game Reserve
After breakfast, drive to Selous Game Reserve, one of Africa’s largest protected areas. The park covers about 50,000 square kilometers and is home to a huge number of animals. After lunch, go for an afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight stay at your camp or lodge.
Day 16: Game Drive and Boat Safari in Selous Game Reserve
Enjoy a half-day game drive in the morning and a boat safari in the afternoon on the Rufiji River. During the game drive, you may see giraffes, elephants, zebras, hippos, wildebeests, and possibly the endangered African wild dog. On the boat safari, look for crocodiles, hippos, and water birds. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Days 17–20: Flight and Beach Holiday in Zanzibar Island
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Zanzibar. Upon arrival, you will be taken to your beach resort. Spend the next four days relaxing or exploring the island. You can enjoy beach walks, swimming, and excursions such as Stone Town tours, Spice tours, Dolphin tours, or Dhow cruises. Dinner and overnight stay at your resort.
Day 21: Departure
After breakfast, enjoy a few hours of relaxation or shopping for souvenirs before your driver transfers you to the airport for your flight to Dar es Salaam to connect with your international flight home.
