12-Day Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar Beach Holiday

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport, where a Genet Expeditions representative welcomes you and drives you to your hotel in Arusha. On the way you pass farms and villages and, on clear days, see Mount Meru rising above the city — the gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. Check in and settle in after your journey.

The rest of the day is yours to rest by the pool, enjoy the gardens or simply recover from your flight. Your guide or our representative will brief you on the itinerary, departure times and what to pack, and answer any questions about the days ahead. Dinner is at your hotel or in town, depending on your confirmed plan.

After breakfast in Arusha, meet your Genet Expeditions driver-guide and drive south-west past villages, farmland and open plains to Tarangire National Park — about two to three hours. After park registration, enter a landscape of giant baobabs, acacia woodland, seasonal swamps and the Tarangire River, a vital water source for wildlife in the dry season.

Spend the day on game drives in search of elephants — Tarangire’s great speciality — along with giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes, impalas and lions. Your guide follows the day’s wildlife activity, explains the park’s ecology and birdlife, and stops for a picnic lunch at a designated site. In the late afternoon, drive on to Karatu, a green highland town of farms and rolling hills, for dinner and the night at your lodge.

After an early breakfast, drive up through the Ngorongoro highlands — forest, rolling hills and, weather permitting, a stop at a viewpoint over the crater — then west across the conservation area as the land opens into the great Serengeti grasslands. It is a long day: allow five to seven hours or more with stops and sightings, with a packed lunch on the way. Wildlife often appears well before you reach the central plains.

Continue to the Seronera area of Central Serengeti, known for year-round wildlife among open grasslands, acacia woodland, rivers and rocky kopjes — home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants and vast herds of grazers. Time permitting, enjoy an afternoon game drive. The Great Migration moves through the wider ecosystem, but where the herds are depends on the rains and the season. Arrive at your camp in time to settle in and enjoy dinner in the wilderness.

Set out after an early breakfast for a full day in Central Serengeti, when the cool morning air makes animals most active. Your guide explores open plains, acacia woodland, watercourses and kopjes in search of lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras and antelope. With a whole day here, there is time to follow promising sightings, watch behaviour unfold and photograph the Serengeti at its best — the Seronera area is famous for its resident predators.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated site in the heart of the plains. Depending on the season you may find big grazing herds, predators resting under acacias or animals gathering at water, while your guide explains predator–prey relationships and the movements of the Great Migration. Afternoon drives make the most of the softer light for photography. Return to camp for dinner and another night in the heart of the Serengeti.

A third day in the park lets you experience the Serengeti at a slower pace. After breakfast, your guide chooses fresh areas of Central Serengeti based on recent sightings, the season and your interests — open grasslands, riverine woodland and rocky kopjes. Look for lions in the shade, leopards in the trees, cheetahs scanning the plains and grazing herds on the move; every drive brings different scenery and new possibilities.

Take a picnic lunch out on the plains or return to camp for a midday rest, as your guide recommends. In the afternoon, head out again as the savannah turns gold, learning about seasonal movements, predator behaviour and the conservation work that protects this wilderness. Return to camp in the evening for dinner and a third night in the heart of the Serengeti.

Wake to the sounds of the Serengeti and set out after breakfast on a final morning game drive, when animals move through the grasslands, woodland and kopjes in the cool early light. Look for lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants and zebras, and take time for last photographs of the endless plains before heading east towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Drive back across the plains and up into the highlands, with a packed lunch on the way and short stops at viewpoints when time allows. This is a significant transfer day, so your guide balances game viewing with arriving before dark. Reach Karatu in the late afternoon, check in, relax and enjoy dinner at your lodge — ready for the Ngorongoro Crater tomorrow.

After an early breakfast, drive up through the highlands to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater for, weather permitting, a breathtaking view over the caldera, then descend about 600 metres to the crater floor. Formed when a vast volcano collapsed, the crater holds grasslands, acacia woodland, freshwater springs, marshes and a soda lake — a compact world with one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.

Spend the morning on the crater floor among herds of wildebeest and zebras, buffaloes, elephants, spotted hyenas and lions, while your guide explains the crater’s geology and ecology. It is also one of the few places in Tanzania to see the endangered black rhino, although sightings are never guaranteed. After a picnic lunch at a designated site, climb out of the crater and drive to Arusha for a night at your hotel before flying to Zanzibar tomorrow. Dinner is at your hotel or in town, depending on your confirmed meal plan.

After breakfast, transfer to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport for your scheduled flight to Zanzibar — direct or with a connection, depending on the confirmed schedule — and swap savannah and highlands for the Indian Ocean. On arrival at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, our representative meets you and drives you across the island to your beachfront resort.

Check in and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Zanzibar is all white sand, turquoise water and swaying palms — the perfect contrast to the early starts of safari. Relax by the pool, walk along the beach or, depending on your arrival time, swim in the ocean and watch the sunset. Dinner is at your resort according to your meal plan.

Wake to the sound of the ocean and enjoy breakfast before a day entirely at your own pace. Relax on the beach, swim in the warm sea or enjoy the pool and the resort’s facilities — some properties have a spa, gym or organised activities. The changing tides reveal different sides of the coastline, perfect for walks and photography.

In the afternoon, stay on the beach or book an optional excursion — snorkelling, a boat trip or another activity run by a licensed local provider, subject to weather and sea conditions. As evening falls, enjoy a leisurely dinner in the warm coastal air and another peaceful night by the sea.

Another day with no fixed plans. Spend the morning on the beach or by the pool, take a long walk along the shore or simply enjoy the warm climate and the island’s relaxed rhythm. With no excursions included in the standard itinerary, the day is entirely yours.

If you would like to explore, we can arrange a guided walk through Stone Town’s historic lanes, a spice-farm visit or a marine excursion, depending on your resort’s location, the time available and the weather. Otherwise, enjoy your resort’s facilities and end the day with dinner and another peaceful night on the coast.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and your final full day by the Indian Ocean. Relax by the pool, swim in the warm sea, walk the beach beneath the palms or book a spa treatment if your resort offers one — the day is deliberately unscheduled so you can enjoy Zanzibar at your own pace.

For a final adventure, we can arrange a snorkelling trip, a traditional dhow outing or a cultural visit, depending on your resort’s location and the weather. As the day ends, watch the ocean change colour at sunset and enjoy dinner according to your meal plan — a peaceful contrast to the wildlife-filled days of your safari.

Enjoy a last breakfast at your resort and, depending on your flight time and the hotel’s check-out policy, a final swim or walk along the beach. Check out with your belongings and travel documents ready, and meet your driver at the agreed time.

Transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport — journey times depend on your resort, with the north and south-east coasts further from the airport than Stone Town. On arrival, your twelve-day Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach holiday with Genet Expeditions comes to an end, with memories of Tarangire’s elephants, the Serengeti plains, the Ngorongoro Crater and the shores of Zanzibar.