Combine Tanzania Safari with Zanzibar Beaches in 12 Days
Overview
Ceraa Eyes Safari, a Tanzanian operator based locally, organises this 12 day Tanzania safari. An experienced local guide travels with you, and we shape every detail together with you.
Why choose our 12 Days Tanzania safari
Every 12 day Tanzania safari we operate is tailor-made, so dates, accommodation and pace can all be adjusted. Our local team also looks after you from arrival to departure. Ahead of your trip, you can read about the area on the official Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) website. For more inspiration, browse our other Arusha tours.
Enjoy the ultimate Tanzania safari and Zanzibar holiday on this 12 day Tanzania safari, which pairs famous Northern Circuit wildlife areas with a restful escape on the Indian Ocean. You begin with private game drives in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park, getting close to lions, elephants, zebras, flamingos and more.
You also meet the Maasai community and learn about their authentic cultural traditions, before relaxing on Zanzibar’s white sandy beaches, exploring historic Stone Town and visiting fragrant spice plantations. Thanks to carefully chosen midrange lodges and tented camps, professional guides and a well-paced itinerary, the trip works for families, couples and wildlife lovers looking for an authentic safari combined with a beach stay.
Itinerary
Your professional safari guide greets you as you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and takes you on a private transfer to Greenside Hotel. Once you have checked in, you may rest after travelling or explore Arusha's cultural and artistic heritage. Later that evening your guide presents a thorough safari briefing on logistics, safety and the animals you are likely to meet, which formally begins your 12 day Tanzania safari.
Accommodation: Greenside Hotel
Meals: Dinner
After breakfast you drive to Tarangire Park Guide: Elephants, Baobabs and Game Drives, known for its big elephant herds, ancient baobab trees and rich biodiversity. A long game drive follows along the Tarangire River, where animals gather throughout the year. Lions, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and plenty of birds are commonly seen as well. It makes a rewarding second day of your 12 day Tanzania safari.
Accommodation: Jungle Pearl Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast you travel to the world-famous Serengeti National Park. On arrival you go straight into an afternoon game drive over the endless plains, which are home to lions, cheetahs, elephants, wildebeest and zebras. The sheer amount of wildlife defines this part of your 12 day Tanzania safari, and the photography is superb too.
Accommodation: Serengeti Sound of Silence
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
You start with an early game drive, when predators are most active, and watch life on the Serengeti plains unfold as animals travel between open savannah and water. After a rest at midday, a late-afternoon drive follows, focused on rivers and waterholes. This full day in the park is the heart of your 12 day Tanzania safari.
Accommodation: Serengeti Sound of Silence
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
You may begin with an optional early-morning hot air balloon safari for an aerial view of the Serengeti, followed by a champagne bush breakfast. Game viewing continues afterwards, before you set off for Ngorongoro and stop at Olduvai Gorge for a glimpse of early human origins. This stage of your 12 day Tanzania safari blends wildlife, archaeology and striking scenery.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full-day game drive in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Big Five also live, the rare black rhino among them. After a picnic lunch on the crater floor you visit a Maasai village to see traditional ways of life, dances and crafts. Culture and wildlife meet on this day of your 12 day Tanzania safari.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Breakfast is followed by the drive to Lake Manyara National Park, known for tree-climbing lions, flamingos and lush groundwater forest. A guided game drive through its varied habitats comes next, and you return to Arusha in the afternoon. That completes the safari portion of your 12 day Tanzania safari.
Accommodation: Greenside Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Once breakfast at Greenside Hotel is finished, you transfer to Arusha Airport and board a flight to Discover Zanzibar Island: Beaches, History and Culture, Tanzania’s tropical paradise. Your guide greets you on landing and drives you to your beachfront lodge.
You can then unwind on white sandy beaches and enjoy the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Spend the afternoon strolling the coast, swimming or just relaxing. It is the ideal retreat after a safari and an easy shift from wildlife viewing to island leisure.
Accommodation: My Blue Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast you transfer to Nungwi Village, the jewel of Zanzibar’s north, famous for pristine white beaches, turquoise water and colourful marine life. While you are there you can wander through the village, watch craftsmen build traditional dhows or simply relax on the shore.
You can also swim, snorkel or sunbathe while enjoying views of the Indian Ocean. Tonight you stay at Nungwi Beach Lodge, where comfortable rooms open directly onto the beach.
Accommodation: My blue hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
When you have finished breakfast at your Nungwi lodge, a boat carries you to Mnemba Atoll, Zanzibar's finest spot for snorkelling and diving. On the way over, watch the turquoise sea for dolphins.
At the atoll you can swim among coral reefs, tropical fish and sea turtles, or simply lie back on the pristine beaches. A boat later takes you back to your beachfront lodge for the night, ending a day rich in marine life.
Accommodation: Marumaru Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
When breakfast is over, you visit a Zanzibar spice plantation, where you discover, smell and taste exotic spices including cloves, cinnamon and vanilla, and sample fragrant dishes cooked with fresh spices.
Next you move on to historic Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to stroll its narrow alleys, take in the Arab architecture and browse the lively local markets. In the evening you stroll to Forodhani Gardens for Zanzibar’s lively street food and tasty local dishes, giving the day a truly authentic flavour of island life.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Marumaru lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Once breakfast at Marumaru lodge is over, there is time for a last walk on the beach or some quiet relaxation by the ocean. After checking out you transfer to Zanzibarar Airport for departure, bringing your 12-day Tanzania safari and Zanzibar adventure to a close. You return home carrying lasting memories of private game drives, Maasai visits, fragrant spice dishes and tropical island days.
Included & Excluded
- Every domestic airport transfer
- 4x4 safari vehicle transport with a professional guide.
- All accommodation listed in the itinerary
- Meals as specified: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Private game drives
- Cultural activities, among them a Maasai village visit, Stone Town tour and spice plantation visit.
- Activities: snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll, watching dolphins and trips out on the Indian Ocean.
- Government taxes, plus all conservation and park charges.
- Professional safari guide and driver who speak English.
- International flights to and from Tanzania.
- Tanzania and Zanzibar visa fees.
- Travel insurance.
- Personal spending, tips and gratuities.
- Optional extras that are not part of the itinerary (such as a hot air balloon safari, unless stated).
- Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks (unless served with meals).
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