Ultimate Tanzania & Zanzibar experience

Arusha

Tag 1: Welcome to Tanzania!

Welcome to Tanzania!

After landing at Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha, a Tansafari Tours representative will greet you at the airport and then drop you off at your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival in Tanzania, you can decide if you would like to receive a short safari briefing with your guide on the same day or the next morning.

The rest of the day is free for you to spend at your leisure. Enjoy the hotel and relax, with the the next day awaiting you with lots of exciting activities.

Arusha - Kilimanjaro

Tag 2: Turbulent Tanzanian Lifestyle

In the morning, head to the local market. There are few things as exciting as walking through a street market in a Tanzanian city. This is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to get a first-hand experience in how the natives actually live and do business. Mingle with the locals, see indigenous and rare products, foods, and haggling tactics you cannot see anywhere else.

After this, transfer from Arusha to Moshi. On the way, enjoy the vast landscape as well as the African Culture.

After arriving, hike through the acacia woodland towards a view observation point where you can enjoy a wonderful sunset. A local Maasai guide will lead you along the trail, searching for animals like giraffes, warthogs, and zebras. At the view point, drink wine and enjoy an incredible sunset.

Following this, walk back to your lodge for a delicious evening meal.

Kilimanjaro

Tag 3: Adventurous Kilimanjaro Mountain Hike

Start your day by driving to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park.

From there, your guide will take you up to a high altitude, where you start your full-day hiking tour, which will take about 3-4 hours. Follow the trail in the savannah of tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. As you ascend through the lush, rolling hills and cross several streams, you will reach the Shira Ridge before dropping down with a gentle walk to Shira 1 Camp. Here, catch a glimpse of Kibo across the Shira Plateau, which is, with an altitude of 3600 meters, on of the highest plateaus on earth.

After enjoying the stunning landscape, make your way back to the car.

Arusha National Park - Arusha

Tag 4: The Hidden Gem of Tanzania: Arusha National Park

Start your day off by transferring from Moshi to Arusha. On the way, enjoy the beautiful African landscape.

Arusha National Park is the second smallest national park in Tanzania, but it has great sites to see. It lies in a uniquely beautiful setting between two of the highest mountains in Africa - Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro.

In good weather, there is a wonderful view of the peaks from a plateau. Deep in the jungle, you will find year-round green vegetation and diverse fauna. While giraffes stretch their necks through the trees, babboons, buffaloes, or elephants may block your way. 

The Fig Tree Arch is an impressive natural wonder because you can drive through the hole of the tree trunk. You can continue exploring the area around the Momella Lakes, which is home to around 400 species of birds, including pelicans, herons, and flamingos. 

Arusha

Tag 5: Cultural Activities in Arusha

Today, you will be in close contact with the locals and the culture of Tanzania at Tengeru Cultural Project.

Enjoy a coffee farm tour and gain an insight into coffee production. After a short hike over Tengeru's coffee and fruit plantations, you will be shown how coffee is made. Roasting, grinding, sieving, packing - of course, you can lend a hand at any point and then finally taste the coffee you made yourself. Meanwhile, you will be accompanied by your guide and the friendly locals of the Tengeru Cultural Project.

After a typical African lunch, head to Lake Duluti for a guided canoe tour in wooden boats, where you will see many different species of birds and amphibious animals.

Your guide will then take you back to your hotel.

Tarangire National Park

Tag 6: Beautiful Tarangire National Park

In the morning, drive to Tarangire National Park. On the way there, you will pass through several small villages where locals sell their goods in small markets or by the roadside. 

By the afternoon, you will arrive in the Tarangire National Park, which has the highest concentration of wildlife after the Serengeti. During the dry season, the Tarangire River is a magnet for thirsty wildlife. Whether it's wildebeests, zebras, lions, elephants, impalas, buffaloes, giraffes, or gazelles, the Tarangire National Park is not only home to migratory herds and various predators, but also hundreds of impressive bird species. It's worth keeping your eyes open for the little things too.

The Tarangire National Park is also known for its spectacular baobabs (monkey-bread trees), as well as for its breathtaking views of the Maasai steppe and mountains to the south.

Tarangire National Park

Tag 7: Majestic Baobabs and herds of Elephants

On your second day in the Tarangire National Park, you will have another chance to see many different species. Whether elephants, migratory gnu and zebra herds, or dangerous predators, you are guaranteed to see unique animals! The Tarangire National Park is also the only place in Tanzania where dry-land antelopes such as oryx and gerenuk are regularly spotted. Maybe you will be lucky enough to meet thes rare animals.

Lake Manyara National Park

Tag 8: Tree climbing lions in Lake Manyara National Park

Today, you'll explore the Lake Manyara National Park at the foot of the great moat wall of the Rift Valley. For a large part of the year, the reserve is a swampy and rainforest-like green oasis. Lake Manyara lies at a height of 950 meters and occupies 2/3 of the park. Depending on the season, it is populated by thousands of shimmering pink flamingos. The avifauna in the park includes about 400 species, including pelicans, many species of egrets, vultures, osprey, and more!

You will have a wonderful view of the lake while enjoying a picnic. You'll continue past small rivers and lakes, where big hippo families frolic in pools. With a little luck, your guide will find tree-climbing lions settling on the horizontal branches of umbrella acaia trees.

Karatu - Lake Eyasi

Tag 9: Life of local tribes: Hadzabe and Datoga

On this day, one of the most impressive experiences of our cultural program will await you.

Although hunting is forbidden in the Serengeti, as is living there, the government make an exception for the approximately 300-400 Hadzabe people, as they are one of the last tribes in Africa who still maintain a Stone Age way of life. Traditionally, the Hadzabe use stone tools to hunt animals and collect various berries, fruits, leaves, roots, and honey. Another unique element is the Hadzabe language, whihc consists of clicking sounds. There is no better way to get a glimpse into the life of the indigenous people than the Hadzabe. Enjoy your time with them fully!

After lunch, head to the Datoga tribe, who are semi-nomadic people and ensure their survival mainly through cattle, livestock, and farming beans and corns. Visit their dwellings and experince the culture first-hand.

Empakaai Crater - Karatu

Tag 10: Hike to the beautiful Empakaai Crater

In the Highlands area of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area (NCA), there are some great opportunities for breaking up a vehicle-based safari and stretching the legs. The stunning, but relatively unnknown Empakaai Crater lies northeast of the Nogorongoro Crater.

From the moment you arrive at Empakaai, you will be treated to splendid views of the Empakaai Crater as well as a glimpse of Oldoinyou Lengai, Tanzania's most active volcano. Then, accompanied by an NCA park ranger, begin the descent into the crater through a forest. Down on the crater floor, there are many birds around the lake, and the chance tosee flamingos as well as some big game like buffalo, hyena, and elephants. 

After, get in touch with local children by visiting a school. Smiling faces will greet you when you enter the school. Inside, you will be introduced to a teacher and the children. 

Ngorongoro Crater

Tag 11: Ngorongoro Crater

A full-day safari in the largest volcanic crater in the world promises unique experiences!

The Ngorongoro caldera is not only populated by more than 360 bird species, but also up to 25,000 large mammals! The crater also has the highest predator density in Africa. Elephants hide in the thickets of the jungle on the crater walls, while zebras, wildebeests, antelopes, and buffaloes frolic in the unique landscape on the crater floor. The grasslands are criss-crossed by lakes, swamps, rivers, forests, and mountains - all in all a paradise for wildlife.

The Ngorongoro Crater is also the place you are most likely to see all the Big Five - elephant, black rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. 

Olduvai Gorge - Serengeti National Park

Tag 12: The cradle of humanity - Olduvai Gorge and a visit to a Maasai tribe

Follow in the footsteps of the first people in the Olduvai Gorge, known as the "cradle of humanity". The breathtaking scenery around the gorge lies between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti and is part of the African Great Rift Valley. Water erosion exposed the 50-kilometer-long and up to 100-meter-deep gorge as well as numerous prehistoric finds. 

Next, your guide will drive you to a Maasai village off the beaten track where you can learn more about the rituals and ways of life of these people. Experience a ceremony in which young men will dance and try to jump as high as possible on the spot to prove their strength.

Later, drive to the Serengeti. On the way, take a break at Naabi Hill Gate, the entry point to the Serengeti, where you can climb the lookout point before continuing your journey.

Serengeti National Park

Tag 13: Beautiful landscape with unique animals

Start your photo safari today in the most famous wildlife reserve in the world - the Serengeti. In addition to the vast grassland, granite rocks known as "Kopjes" often rise up, and other natural spectacles await you in the oldest national park in Tanzania.

More than 1.5 million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of Thompson gazelles, 200,000 zebras, elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and many other species live there. Depending on the season, your guide will choose the area where you are most likely to observe the migratory herds.

Serengeti National Park

Tag 14: Game viewing at the endless plan of Serengeti

Today, you will once more be in the Serengeti in search of wonderful animals. Your guide will show you things that you wouldn't notice on your own. Of course, the elephant, lion, cheetah, and the shy leopard are once more the focus of the search. Neverthelss, see warthogs, hyenas, zebras, buffalo, and proud giraffes. On the riverbanks, you will find crocodiles and hippos. Rivers like the Frumeti and the Mara River are obstacles for the thousands of wildebeest and zebra during the animal migration.

Serengeti National Park

Tag 15: Seek wildlife in Serengeti

Today, explore another part of Serengeti National Park, which has an area of about 147,000 km.

Your guide will discover some of the many predators and herbivores. Snap photos of animals as well as the different landscapes. For example, the Seronera Plateau, known as the "heart of Serengeti", is dotted with flat-topped acacia trees. Look at the termite mounds, which are often used by cheetahs during migration as viewing points to spot the prey.

In general, the open savannah grassland is an ideal hunting territory for lions, cheetah, and leopards. 

Zanzibar

Tag 16: On to Zanzibar!

Fly to Zanzibar with a stopover in Arusha. The view from the top of the Serengeti and the impressive approach to Zanzibar will stay with you as wonderful memories.

At Zanzibar airport, a local guide will greet you and take you to your hotel.

You can expect a wonderful and relaxing stay on the snow-white beaches of the Spice Island of Zanzibar.

Zanzibar

Tag 17: Welcome to a tropical paradise!

Today, take time to rest and relax in your Zanzibar beach hotel.

Take a swim in the sea, have a walk on the beach or relax on the sunbed under the palm trees. If you choose to, book a dolphin tour or snorkel tour, or a guided mudflat hike to a nearby reef. You also have the option to go kitesurfing, diving, or sailing.

Zanzibar

Tag 18: Spices - and where to find them

Have you ever wondered where the spices come from in the supermarket? Today, you will be enchanted by countless smells and tastes during a tour of the plantations of the Spice Island of Zanzibar.

A local guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and drive you to the plantations. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla are just a few of the spices that you will see during the tour.

Watch the plantation workers climbing the palm trees to harvest coconuts. You will be able to drink fresh coconut water from them later. After the tour, you will have the opportunity to buy a host of spices.

Zanzibar

Tag 19: Ancient Stone Town

Today, visit the historic town of Stone Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

In the 19th century, Zanzibar had the world's largest slave market. At various other points in the city, a local guide will explain the cruellest chapter in Zanzibar's history: the slave trade.

Later, visit the largest market in Zanzibar. Everything you need is for sale from fish to meat and fruit, as well as household items. Stroll through the narrow, shady streets, past small shops, bazaars, and souvenir shops. As you walk past magnificent houses, you will feel transported back to the time of the sultans and caliphs. 

Other Stone Town attractions include the house of "Tippu Tip", who was the richest slave dealer in East Africa in the 19th century. 

Zanzibar

Tag 20: Day to relax at the beaches of Zanzibar

Take the day to rest at your beach hotel in Zanzibar.

It's entirely up to you whether you want to spend the day at the hotel or book one of the many offered tours.

Zanzibar

Tag 21: Goodbye to Tanzania!

After an eventful holiday in Tanzania, it's now time to say goodbye, unfortunately. You will be driven to the airport where you will start your journey home.

We hope you thoroughly enjoyed your stay in Tanzania. It was a pleasure for us to be by your side. Come back soon!