13 days ยท Group
13-day group safari and Zanzibar
Thirteen days, shared with a small group, and six of them on the coast.
The long version, travelled with other people. A week across the northern parks and then six days on Zanzibar, with the cost per person coming down because the vehicle is shared. Good for solo travellers who would rather not travel alone.
- A welcome night in Arusha to meet the group
- A full day on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Three nights in the Serengeti with a flexible day
- Six days on Zanzibar: beaches, Stone Town and Jozani Forest
- A shared vehicle, which brings the price per person down
Day by day
The itinerary
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Day 1
Arrival in Arusha
Your guide meets the group at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives you to the hotel in Arusha. Over dinner she runs through the thirteen days, the practical arrangements and how the group travels together. It is also the evening everyone meets, which makes the first morning in the vehicle a good deal easier.
Overnight Arusha hotel
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Day 2
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast the group leaves for Tarangire, known for its elephant herds, its baobabs and the river that keeps wildlife close all year. The first game drive brings giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and a long list of birds. An afternoon in the park, then a lodge or tented camp for dinner.
Overnight Tarangire area lodge or camp
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Day 3
Tarangire to Lake Manyara
A drive through farmland and villages to Lake Manyara, a small park with a lot packed into it. Groundwater forest with baboons, blue monkeys and birds, open grassland with elephant and buffalo, and a lakeshore where flamingos gather. Picnic lunch, an afternoon game drive, then the lodge.
Overnight Lake Manyara or Karatu lodge
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Day 4
Lake Manyara to the Ngorongoro Crater
Up into the conservation area with highland views the whole way, then down into the crater for a full day on the floor. Lion, elephant, black rhino, buffalo and big herds of wildebeest and zebra, in an enclosed bowl that makes finding them straightforward. Picnic lunch below, then up to the rim for the sunset.
Overnight Ngorongoro rim lodge
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Day 5
Ngorongoro to the Serengeti
West through rolling highlands and Maasai country until the plains open out. An afternoon game drive brings lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe and the wildebeest and zebra herds, with the predator activity that makes the Serengeti what it is. Dinner is communal, and the stories from the day get compared.
Overnight Serengeti camp
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Day 6
A full day in the Serengeti
An early start while the predators are still working. Breakfast in the bush or back at camp, then a full day across the plains after wildebeest, zebra, lion, cheetah, leopard and elephant. Picnic lunch in the park so nobody has to drive back in, and an afternoon drive that follows whatever the morning found.
Overnight Serengeti camp
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Day 7
The Serengeti, your way
A day with choices in it. Go up in a balloon at sunrise, follow the migration if the season puts it nearby, or work the wildlife hotspots with your guide. Picnic lunch somewhere with a view, then more game driving through the afternoon before the last night on the plains.
Overnight Serengeti camp
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Day 8
Serengeti to Zanzibar
After breakfast, a transfer to the airstrip and a scenic flight to the coast, which saves two days of driving. You are met on the island and driven to the beach. The afternoon is for the water and for doing nothing, which after a week of early starts is the whole point.
Overnight Zanzibar coast
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Day 9
Zanzibar, the first proper beach day
Swim, sleep, or get out on the water for snorkelling, diving or sailing. There are spice farms inland and boats to the nearby islands if you want them. Lunch at the hotel or on a beach, and a long evening with fresh seafood. Nobody is expected anywhere at a particular time.
Overnight Zanzibar coast
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Day 10
Stone Town
A guided walk through Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of narrow lanes, carved doors, spice markets and a long trading history. Time to talk to the artisans and to buy something worth carrying home. Lunch at a local restaurant, then back to the coast for the afternoon.
Overnight Zanzibar coast
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Day 11
Jozani Forest and the island
Out to Jozani Forest for the red colobus monkeys, which live nowhere else, or to the spice plantations, or by boat to the reefs off the nearby islands. If none of that appeals, the beach is still there. A group dinner in the evening, by which point everyone knows everyone.
Overnight Zanzibar coast
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Day 12
The water, one more time
A last full day on the coast: snorkelling over the reef, a dive, a dhow under sail, or a walk to a cove nobody else has found. Lunch on a boat or a quiet stretch of sand. Sunset drinks and a final dinner on the beach to close out the trip.
Overnight Zanzibar coast
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Day 13
Zanzibar to home
A final morning on the island, a last swim and a slow breakfast, then a private transfer to Zanzibar International Airport when your flight requires it. Anything the group left in Arusha at the start can usually be sent on to reach you before departure.
Overnight Trip ends in Zanzibar
Yours, not ours
Make it yours
This is the version we start from. Here is what usually changes. Tell us which one and we will work it through with you.
- How many days Add a night in the Serengeti, or drop one and go straight for the crater.
- The camps Simple and comfortable, mid-range lodges, or canvas with a view and a bath.
- Add-ons A balloon at first light, a walking safari, an afternoon in a village.
- Pace for children Later starts, shorter drives, and a pool at the end of the day.
- Zanzibar extension Three or four nights on the coast once the last game drive is done.
Included
- Airport and lodge transfers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking woman guide
- All park entrance and conservation fees
- Full-board accommodation on safari
- Picnic lunches on game-drive days
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Government taxes and levies
- Domestic flight between the safari and Zanzibar
- Zanzibar accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for your guide and camp staff
- Optional activities such as balloon safaris
Parks on this trip
Worth adding
Optional, priced separately, and easy to slot in when we build your itinerary.
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Balloon safari over the Serengeti
An hour above the plains at dawn, then a bush breakfast where you land.
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Maasai village visit
An afternoon in a boma, with someone who can actually translate.
Questions about this kind of trip
Is Tanzania safe for a woman travelling alone?
Yes, with a licensed operator. You are with your guide from arrival to departure, lodges and camps are staffed around the clock, and we brief you on the few things worth knowing about towns and markets.
Can I request a woman guide?
Every Savanna Soul safari is led by a woman guide unless you ask otherwise. Tell us in the inquiry if you have a preference for a particular guide.
What does the single supplement cost?
It varies by lodge and by season, and it is the one figure people are most often surprised by, so we quote it as a separate line on your itinerary rather than burying it in the total.
Will I be put in a vehicle with strangers?
Not unless you ask to be. Every trip is private by default. Your vehicle holds your group and your guide, and nobody else joins it. The one exception is a group departure, which shares the cost, so if you would like us to look for one, say so and we will tell you what is running.
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