Overview
Known for its wild animals – elephants, big cats, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and more – Tanzania offers the opportunity to experience some of the last remaining true wilderness in the world. Our local safari guides are a fount of knowledge and will lead you on a journey covering local wildlife, culture, and conservation issues. By the end of your trip, you’ll know many of the elephants by name. Travel by four-wheel drive to places like Tarangire National Park, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the eighth wonder of the world, and experience a day of traditional hunting and gathering with the Hadzabe Bushmen, a nomadic tribe. You will enjoy trying to learn the names of plants and animals in their click language. For the last portion of the trip, immerse yourself in some of the best beaches in the world laden with culture and history. Spanning thousands of years, Zanzibar has been home to a myriad of cultural influences from around the Indian Ocean. Experience UNESCO World Heritage Stonetown, snorkel with underwater wildlife, and see the Red Colobus monkey – found nowhere else in the world.
Sample Itinerary
Expand All FieldsDay 1: Welcome to Tanzania! Meet your group and settle into your accommodations.
Our guides will meet you at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), and bring you to your hotel in Arusha for a night of rest before the safaris begin.
Day 2: Search for lions, leopards, elephants, and more in Serengeti National Park.
After a short flight to the Serengeti, spend two days on the Serengeti Plains, searching out big prides of lions, leopards, migrating wildebeest herds, giant elephants, and zebras. Relax on your deck outside luxurious tented accommodations to view the beauty of the African plains.
Day 3: Enjoy another day of game drives as you search for some of the world's most fascinating creatures.
Enjoy your second day of game drives in the world-famous Serengeti National Park. Take in spectacular views as you travel through the park in comfortable open-air safari jeeps. If you are into photography, you will take hundreds of photos on this day alone.
Day 4: Explore the Ndutu Area.
The Ndutu Region forms part of the northern section of Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stretches to the unfenced southern reaches of the Serengeti National Park, a meeting point between these two incredible wilderness areas. This section of the park is made up of rolling grasslands peppered with alkaline lakes that attract flocks of flamingos, as well as acacia woodlands.
Day 5: Embark on a full-day game drive to see gathered herds.
After breakfast, you will enjoy a full-day game drive in the Ndutu Area exploring a great range of various habitats such as swamps, woodland, soda lakes, and the world-famous Serengeti short grass plains. The prime game viewing spot in the Ndutu Region is around Lake Ndutu, where enormous herds congregate between December and March to graze and calve. The forests and granite kopjes around Lake Ndutu are also home to lots of game outside of the migration months. Return to the lodge for a hot lunch and have an afternoon section of game drive until evening.
Day 6: Spot the rare black rhino and explore the wonder of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the eighth wonder of the world, Ngorongoro Crater, for an afternoon of game viewing. This unique “fish bowl” of nature is home to four resident prides of lions and your best chance of seeing a rare black rhino in the wild.
Day 7: Hike to a spectacular waterfall and see elephant caves.
Hike to the Endoro waterfall in the Ngorongoro Northern Highland Forest Reserve. Along the way, check out cave-like structures created by elephants digging up the earth to ingest the mineral-rich soil. Elephants migrate to this place from up to 500 miles away. In the afternoon, visit a traditional Iraqw home and learn about the tribe's unique culture from one of their elders.
Day 8: Explore cultural excursions near Lake Eyasi.
Visit the Hadzabe (Bushmen), who are Tanzania's last hunter-gatherers, and learn about their ways of life and practice shooting a bow and arrow. After eating breakfast in the bush, you’ll rest at the lodge before visiting a Datoga tribe. This tribe is known for their excellent metalworking skills as they make items out of iron such as weapons, jewelry, and tools.
Day 9: Travel to the village of Karatu and learn about Tanzania's culture and unique tribal system.
In Karatu, visit Kilimatembo Secondary School where you’ll have a chance to learn about Tanzania's education system and interact with the students. After lunch, visit a curio shop before continuing to the Mto Wa Mbo area for a cultural tour.
Day 10: Search for elephants, birds, and more in Tarangire National Park.
Make the morning drive to Tarangire National Park. View the incredible landscapes, animals, especially elephants, as well as spectacular birds, and giant baobab trees. You will see hundreds of elephants here — up close!
Day 11: Welcome to Zanzibar!
Transfer to the Kilimanjaro Airport and fly to the island of Zanzibar. Relax on the beach outside your resort and enjoy a delicious dinner overlooking the blue waters.
Day 12: Tour Changuu Island and explore Stone Town.
Travel by boat to the pristine island of Changuu. You'll see giant land tortoises and enjoy time for swimming and snorkeling in the blue waters. Changuu (also known as Prison Island locally) has a fascinating history as a yellow fever quarantine station and is well known as a refuge for Aladabra tortoises. In the evening, explore UNESCO World Heritage Stone Town which reflects its diverse historical influences from Swahili culture and Arab, Persian, Indian, and European architecture.
Day 13: Take a walking tour of the "Isle of Spices" followed by a relaxing afternoon at a beach.
Begin the day with breakfast amidst serene views of the Indian Ocean's endless horizon. Enjoy a walking tour and experience the “Isle of Spices." This great trading center has been known around the world for spices and timber. After lunch, travel north to Nungwi or Kendwa Beach and explore the idyllic white sand beaches.
Day 14: Snorkel among turtles, schools of colorful fish, and bottlenose dolphins.
Spend the day on the water exploring the Menai Bay Conservation area in a traditional wooden dhow. Snorkel among the protected reefs to spot clownfish, green turtles, and starfish. Watch bottlenose and humpback dolphins play off the shore with a chance to swim with these creatures before returning to the hotel.
Day 15: Final shopping excursion before saying farewell to your tripmates.
After a morning of souvenir hunting, transfer to the airport to fly back home or onto your next adventure.
What to Expect
TERRAIN/ROUTE: Tanzania has an incredible variety of ecosystems, ranging from desert plain to fertile rain forest to snow capped mountains. Land outside major cities is largely undeveloped and thus we’ll travel on some bumpy and dusty roads, and hike on some uneven terrain that will involve moderate elevation changes. Zanzibar has an incredible variety of ecosystems, including coastal coral reefs, mangroves, beaches, and dunes and interior tropical rain forests.
Read more »Frequently Asked Questions:
Where do we meet?
Standard Meeting Places and Times
Start: Kilimanjaro International Airport at 8:00 PM (local time)
End: Dar es Salaam at 4:00 PM (local time)
Transportation
This trip begins at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where Wilderness Inquiry will meet you around 8 PM, or whenever your flight arrives. You will be driven around in a WI van/jeep throughout the trip and then returned to the Kilimanjaro International Airport in the early evening on the last day. At the Kilimanjaro International Airport, there are daily flights from various European cities, South Africa, and sometimes New York. The most popular flights arrive in the evening. We plan to meet outside baggage claim and leave once everyone has made it through. This is usually around 8 PM but rest assured we won't leave without you even if you have a later arrival. Custom pickups outside this meeting time can also be arranged. Detailed meeting place instructions will be sent to you when you are confirmed for the trip.
Do you have a single supplement for Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Adventure?
You can elect to guarantee a single room for the duration of the trip for $1675 during the registration process.