12-Day Honeymoon Safari & Zanzibar
The complete northern circuit and a proper beach stay: five parks over seven days, a bush flight straight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar, and four nights by the Indian Ocean.
About this safari
The complete northern circuit and a proper beach stay: five parks over seven days, a bush flight straight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar, and four nights by the Indian Ocean.
This 12 days private safari starts in Arusha and takes you to Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, Three nights in the Serengeti, Fly direct from a Serengeti airstrip to Zanzibar, Stone Town, a spice farm and an ocean day, A whole free day at your beach resort. Your own vehicle and guide set the pace, and every stay and transfer is confirmed around your dates.
Safari snapshot
A quick look at the route, day by day.
| Day | Place | Highlights | Hotel options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive at Kilimanjaro | Arrival · guide briefing · rest in Arusha | Mid-range: Forest Hill Hotel · Luxury: Gran Meliá Arusha, or similar |
| Day 2 | Tarangire National Park | Elephant herds · baobabs · Tarangire River game drive | Mid-range: Sangaiwe Tented Lodge · Luxury: Nimali Tarangire, or similar |
| Day 3 | Lake Manyara and up to the highlands | Groundwater forest · elephants and baboons · lakeshore birds | Mid-range: Marera Valley Lodge · Luxury: Acacia Farm Lodge, or similar |
| Day 4 | Ngorongoro Crater | Crater floor game drive · black rhino · Lerai forest | Mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · Luxury: The Highlands Ngorongoro, or similar |
| Day 5 | Into the Serengeti | Full-day game drives · lions and leopards · migration in season | Mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar |
| Day 6 | A full day in the Serengeti | Full-day game drives · lions and leopards · migration in season | Mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar |
| Day 7 | Serengeti sunrise and balloon option | Full-day game drives · lions and leopards · migration in season | Mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar |
| Day 8 | Fly from the Serengeti to Zanzibar | Full-day game drives · lions and leopards · migration in season | Beach resort on Zanzibar |
| Day 9 | Stone Town and a spice farm | Old Fort · markets · Forodhani waterfront | Beach resort on Zanzibar |
| Day 10 | An Indian Ocean day | Beach time · optional snorkelling or dhow trip | Beach resort on Zanzibar |
| Day 11 | A free day at the beach | Beach time · optional snorkelling or dhow trip | Beach resort on Zanzibar |
| Day 12 | Departure | Beach time · optional snorkelling or dhow trip | Departure |
Ways to customise this trip
- Add a night in the bush, a cultural visit or a balloon flight
- Upgrade your stays or finish with beach time in Zanzibar
Route
Day by day
Here is how the days run. We can adjust the route around your dates and the pace you want.
1Day 1Arrive at KilimanjaroMid-range: Forest Hill Hotel · Luxury: Gran Meliá Arusha, or similar / Dinner
Airport welcome and transfer to Arusha. A quiet first evening to recover and meet your guide. Your guide or driver meets you and handles the transfer to your hotel in Arusha, where the rest of the day is yours to recover from the journey, change money or walk to a local café. The evening is spent at your mid-range: Forest Hill Hotel · Luxury: Gran Meliá Arusha, or similar: a hot shower, sundowners as the light fades, and dinner while you compare the day's sightings. Dinner is included today.
- Main stop
- Arusha
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Forest Hill Hotel · Luxury: Gran Meliá Arusha, or similar
- Meals
- Dinner
2Day 2Tarangire National ParkMid-range: Sangaiwe Tented Lodge · Luxury: Nimali Tarangire, or similar / Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Elephant herds, baobabs and the Tarangire River on your first full game drive, ending with an African sunset. Tarangire is elephant country: families of twenty or more move between the baobabs and the Tarangire River, especially from June to October when the river is the only reliable water for miles. Your guide follows the riverbanks for lions resting in the shade, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and buffalo, and stops for the birdlife — more than 500 species, including the yellow-collared lovebird found almost nowhere else. A packed lunch is eaten out in the park, often within sight of grazing herds. You return to your mid-range: Sangaiwe Tented Lodge · Luxury: Nimali Tarangire, or similar as the sun drops, with time to rest before dinner. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today.
- Main stop
- Tarangire
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Sangaiwe Tented Lodge · Luxury: Nimali Tarangire, or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3Day 3Lake Manyara and up to the highlandsMid-range: Marera Valley Lodge · Luxury: Acacia Farm Lodge, or similar / Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A different kind of park: groundwater forest, baboons, hippos and lakeshore birdlife below the Rift Valley wall. Continue to a peaceful lodge in the Karatu highlands. Small but varied, Manyara packs forest, acacia woodland, hot springs and a shallow soda lake into one game drive. It is a good park for birds — over 400 species — and for elephants moving through the forest. Lunch is a picnic in the park, usually at a viewpoint or under a big tree, so no time is lost driving back to camp. In the late afternoon you check in at your mid-range: Marera Valley Lodge · Luxury: Acacia Farm Lodge, or similar, with time to freshen up before dinner and a briefing from your guide about tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today.
- Main stop
- Lake Manyara
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Marera Valley Lodge · Luxury: Acacia Farm Lodge, or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4Day 4Ngorongoro CraterMid-range: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · Luxury: The Highlands Ngorongoro, or similar / Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Five to six hours on the crater floor looking for lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo and black rhino, with a picnic lunch, then a night on the crater rim. You descend 600 metres down the crater wall to the floor of Ngorongoro, a 260 km² caldera that holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Over the morning you look for lions, spotted hyenas, buffalo, zebra, elephant bulls and the rare black rhino, with flamingos on Lake Magadi and hippos at the Ngoitoktok spring. Your guide picks a shady spot for a picnic lunch in the field, keeping the whole middle of the day for wildlife. The evening is spent at your mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · Luxury: The Highlands Ngorongoro, or similar: a hot shower, sundowners as the light fades, and dinner while you compare the day's sightings. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today.
- Main stop
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · Luxury: The Highlands Ngorongoro, or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
5Day 5Into the SerengetiMid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar / Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Three to four hours across the highlands and onto the endless plains, game driving all the way to camp. Game drives in the Serengeti have an easy rhythm: out at first light when predators are most active, back to the vehicle's shade for a picnic, and a long afternoon drive as the light turns golden. Your guide is in radio contact with other guides and knows where the herds have moved. An optional sunrise balloon flight over the Serengeti can be booked for this morning (extra cost). You return to your mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar as the sun drops, with time to rest before dinner. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today.
- Main stop
- Serengeti
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
6Day 6A full day in the SerengetiMid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar / Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
No transfers: big cats, elephants and the herds, with lunch out in the bush and time back at camp when you want it. The Serengeti covers almost 15,000 km² of grassland, woodland and kopjes. Over the day your guide follows the wildlife rather than a fixed route — where the migration herds are depends on the month, but lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and giraffe live here all year. In the late afternoon you check in at your mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar, with time to freshen up before dinner and a briefing from your guide about tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today.
- Main stop
- Serengeti
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
7Day 7Serengeti sunrise and balloon optionMid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar / Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A third Serengeti day — follow the migration in season, or start with a sunrise balloon flight and champagne breakfast. With another day in the same area, your guide can explore sections you haven't seen yet, return at first light to a promising sighting, or wait patiently where the animals are gathering. The evening is spent at your mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar: a hot shower, sundowners as the light fades, and dinner while you compare the day's sightings. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today.
- Main stop
- Serengeti
- Accommodation
- Mid-range: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8Day 8Fly from the Serengeti to ZanzibarBeach resort on Zanzibar / Breakfast
A short final drive to the airstrip and a bush flight of two to three hours to Zanzibar, swapping the plains for turquoise water. Transfer to your beach resort for your first ocean sunset. You return to your beach resort on Zanzibar as the sun drops, with time to rest before dinner. Breakfast is included today.
- Main stop
- Zanzibar
- Accommodation
- Beach resort on Zanzibar
- Meals
- Breakfast
9Day 9Stone Town and a spice farmBeach resort on Zanzibar / Breakfast
A guided walk through Stone Town's lanes and markets, then a spice farm visit with tastings of fruit and spices. Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a maze of narrow lanes, carved wooden doors and old merchant houses, best explored on foot: the Old Fort, the former slave market site, Darajani market and the Forodhani waterfront, where food stalls open at sunset. Ask us to add a guided walk or a spice farm tour to smell and taste cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. The night is spent at your beach resort on Zanzibar, with dinner by the sea if you wish. Breakfast is included today.
- Main stop
- Zanzibar
- Accommodation
- Beach resort on Zanzibar
- Meals
- Breakfast
10Day 10An Indian Ocean dayBeach resort on Zanzibar / Breakfast
Snorkelling, a dhow sail and a sandbank picnic — or simply the beach and the pool. End a slow beach day on a traditional dhow, sailing along the coast at sunset with drinks on board — one of the island's classic evenings. Another easy evening at your beach resort on Zanzibar — a swim at sunset, then dinner. Breakfast is included today.
- Main stop
- Zanzibar
- Accommodation
- Beach resort on Zanzibar
- Meals
- Breakfast
11Day 11A free day at the beachBeach resort on Zanzibar / Breakfast
Nothing planned. Sleep in, book a spa treatment, or ask us to arrange a private candlelit dinner on the sand. Zanzibar is the time to slow down: white sand, warm Indian Ocean water and long lunches by the sea. Swim, rest, or ask us to arrange snorkelling, a dhow sunset cruise, a spice tour or a walk in Stone Town. Dinner and the night are at your beach resort on Zanzibar. Breakfast is included today.
- Main stop
- Zanzibar
- Accommodation
- Beach resort on Zanzibar
- Meals
- Breakfast
12Day 12DepartureBreakfast
Breakfast, a last swim and the transfer to Zanzibar airport for your flight home. After the early starts of safari, the island's beaches are a welcome change of pace. The day is free to enjoy the ocean, with optional excursions available from your hotel. Depending on your flight time there may be a last swim or a walk through Stone Town before the transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. Ask us if you would like a late check-out or a day room.
- Main stop
- Zanzibar
- Meals
- Breakfast
Accommodation
Where you stay on this trip. We can move the comfort level up or down when we plan your dates.
Day 1Gran Meliá ArushaLuxury / Arusha CityView accommodation Day 2Sangaiwe Tented LodgeMid-range / Tarangire National ParkView accommodation Day 3Marera Valley LodgeMid-range / KaratuView accommodation 
Day 4Mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · Luxury: The Highlands Ngorongoro, or similarDays 5, 6, 7Kubu Kubu Tented LodgeLuxury / Central SerengetiView accommodation 
Days 8, 9, 10, 11Beach resort on ZanzibarTour rates
Your price depends on your dates, group size and the stays you choose. We confirm it in writing once we have checked availability.
Prices are per person and assume shared rooms. Season, park fees, group size, flights and lodge availability all affect the final quote.
Get my exact quoteWhat’s included
Included
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Park entrance and conservation fees for the itinerary
- Accommodation as listed, or similar
- Meals as listed and bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Airport or hotel transfers at the start and end
- Flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar
- Zanzibar transfers and the Stone Town and spice farm tour
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guides and lodge staff
- Drinks at lodges and personal expenses
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
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Read guideFrequently asked questions
Can this 12 days itinerary be changed?
Yes. We can review your dates, daily pace, room preferences and interests, then build a specific proposal. Changes to flights, activities or park nights may affect cost and availability.
Which accommodation will I stay in?
Your proposal will name the properties and room categories for each night. Any stays shown here are planning options and remain subject to availability; alternative properties are agreed before confirmation.
What wildlife will we see?
On this route, look out for — Serengeti: wildebeest, lion, leopard; Ngorongoro Crater: black rhino, lion, spotted hyena; Tarangire: elephant, lion, yellow-collared lovebird; Lake Manyara: olive baboon, blue monkey, elephant. Sightings depend on the season and the animals themselves, so particular species, migration movements and river crossings can't be guaranteed.
Can I change the route and accommodation?
Yes. The published routes are starting points. Tell us your dates, interests and preferred comfort level so we can adjust nights, transfers and activities before quoting.
What determines the final price?
The travel season, number of travellers sharing a vehicle, park fees, room arrangements, lodge availability and domestic flights all affect cost. Your written proposal will identify inclusions and optional extras.
Can the safari finish in Zanzibar?
A mainland safari can connect with Zanzibar by a separately arranged domestic flight. Leave enough time for the transfer and confirm baggage allowances before booking flights.
When is the best time to do this safari?
For the places on this route — Serengeti: Year-round; calving Jan–Mar, river crossings Jul–Oct. Ngorongoro Crater: Year-round; driest June to October. Tarangire: June to October for the elephant herds. Lake Manyara: June to October for game; November to March for birds. Zanzibar: June–October and December–February. Tell us your month and we will set the route and camps to match.
How many days do I need?
Two or three days suit Tarangire and Ngorongoro. Four to six days let you add the Serengeti without rushing, and seven or more give time for extra parks, a cultural visit or the coast. Fewer long drives usually means a better trip.
Is the safari private?
Our tailor-made safaris are private: your own vehicle and guide, and a daily pace set around your group. Shared departures can sometimes be arranged for solo travellers — ask us and we’ll explain the options.
What vehicle will we travel in?
Game drives are in a 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for viewing and photography. Your proposal confirms the vehicle and seating for your group size.
Is a safari suitable for children?
Yes, with the right planning. We keep drives shorter, choose family-friendly rooms and build in rest time. Some camps and activities have minimum ages, so please share each child’s age when you enquire.
Can you cater for dietary needs?
Most lodges and camps can prepare vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other meals with notice. Tell us about allergies or requirements when you enquire and we’ll pass them to every property on your route.
Do I need vaccinations or malaria tablets?
Requirements depend on your nationality and recent travel, and a yellow fever certificate may be needed if you arrive from certain countries. Malaria precautions are generally advised. Please check with a travel health clinic before you go.
What should I budget for tips?
Tipping is not compulsory but is customary for guides and lodge staff. We include current guidance with your proposal so you can plan for it in advance.
Will there be Wi-Fi and charging?
Many lodges and camps offer charging points and some Wi-Fi, but the connection can be slow or limited to main areas in remote parks. A spare power bank is useful on game drives.
How far in advance should I book?
For July to October and the holiday season, three to nine months ahead gives the best choice of camps. Shorter notice is often possible — send us your dates and we’ll check availability.
A few details.
A good beginning.
Tell us who is coming and what you would love to find here. We’ll send back a route you can read, question and make your own.
- Planned around your dates and interests
- Midrange or luxury, at your pace
- A personal conversation with our local team