We love putting together amazing Tanzania Safari itineraries tailored just for you. Depending on what kind of adventure you are after, there are various routes we would suggest you take, but here are our top 3 Tanzania itineraries which we absolutely love after visiting all these locations, and sending people to Tanzania for over 20 years now. There are of course, other lodge options, but these are our top combinations…
Southern Tanzania – Rustic but with a splash of luxury (perfect for a family holiday of a lifetime)
For a chilled out and off the beaten track safari, you cannot go wrong with a combination of the Selous and Ruaha. With walking safaris, night drives, boating and some seriously intimate and charming camps, we absolutely love this combination. Many think you will compromise on wildlife viewing by missing out the northern parks, but we can say from visiting recently, that this simply isn’t true! They compliment each other beautifully, as the Selous is full of giraffe, elephant and beautiful watery scenery, whilst Ruaha has huge herds of buffalo and is big cat galore, as it is home to 10% of the world’s lion population (as well as all the rest!). Southern Tanzania is also one of the last strong holds of wild dogs; the safari enthusiast’s prize sighting. For an extension of relaxing, we can think of no spot better than Ras Kutani on the mainland coast, which is in our opinion the best beach lodge in East Africa. Ran by a safari company, they really know how to look after their guests.
Here is what we would suggest:
Day 1: Flown from Dar off international flight to the Selous for overnight at Lake Manze
Day 2: Lake Manze
Day 3: Lake Manze
Day 4: Flown to Ruaha for overnight at Ikuka
Day 5: Ikuka
Day 6: Ikuka
Day 7: Ikuka
Day 8: Flown to Dar, connect for 15 minute flight to Ras Kutani. And chill.
Day 9: Ras Kutani
Day 10: Ras Kutani
Day 11: Ras Kutani
Day 12: Flown back to Dar for international flight
Northern Tanzania – Adventure without compromising on luxury
Now for the stars of the north, these are two of our absolute favourite accommodation options. Plantation Lodge is a beautiful and very well priced option in the Ngorongoro Highlands and offers a bit of permanent structure before your mobile safari in the Serengeti. Serengeti Safari Camp is our favourite mobile camp in the Serengeti and is exceptionally well placed to see the Great Migration year round as it has two camps which move 3 times throughout the year (where most only move two times). Then for the beach time, get seriously off the beaten track in Pemba Island for some world class diving and snorkelling, before heading back to Zanzibar for some luxurious relaxation and white sandy beaches.
Day 1: Driven from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha for overnight at Rivertrees
Day 2: Driven to Ngorongoro Highlands (via game drive in Lake Manyara) for overnight at Plantation
Day 3: Plantation Lodge (Game drive into the Ngorongoro Crater_
Day 4: Flown to Serengeti for overnight at Serengeti Safari Camp
Day 5: Serengeti Safari Camp
Day 6: Serengeti Safari Camp
Day 7: Serengeti Safari Camp
Day 8: Flown to Pemba Island for overnight at Fundu Lagoon
Northern & Southern Tanzania combo – Luxury for those who want to get off the beaten tourist track (without compromising on wildlife!)
So this is a pretty luxurious trip! Here, the focus is on luxury camps and lodges, but more importantly in some of the best game viewing areas of Tanzania which everyone else forgets about! Namiri Plains is set apart form any other lodges in the Serengeti and as it is set on an old cheetah conservation site, the big cats are absolutely out of this world here. They are everywhere! Then flit down to Ruaha for serious luxury in a very wild environment. With only a handful of lodges and camps in this (huge) park, and exceptional wildlife, Ruaha is probably the office’s favourite in the whole of Tanzania (and even Africa). Mnemba Island is the crème de la crème of Indian Ocean beach retreats… And is completely private. It is the ultimate destination for those who really want to get away from it all.
Day 1: Driven from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha for overnight at Rivertrees
Day 2: Flown to Serengeti for overnight at Namiri Plains
Day 3: Namiri Plains
Day 4: Namiri Plains
Day 5: Namiri Plains
Day 6: Flown to Ruaha for overnight at Jabali Ridge
Day 7: Jabali Ridge
Day 8: Jabali Ridge
Day 9: Jabali Ridge
Day 10: Flown to Mnemba Island
Day 11: Mnemba Island
Day 12: Mnemba Island
Day 13: Mnemba Island
Day 14: Flown to Dar es Salaam for onward flight.
We hope these itineraries inspire you to explore Tanzania as it really does have so much to offer.
