Tanzania Safari Tours – From Wild Plains to Indian Ocean Shores

Arusha, The Gateway to Your Tanzanian Safari Adventure

Arusha is the bustling safari capital situated in the shadow of Mount Meru and boast breathtaking views of Kilimanjaro on clear days. Surrounded by rolling hills and coffee plantations, Arusha is the ideal spot to rest and refresh before heading into the wild. Explore the nearby Arusha National Park or immerse yourself in Maasai culture before your safari journey truly begins. We always recommend spending at least a day or two here to relax and acclimatise while the call of the wild waits patiently for you.

Spend your first moments here on a working coffee estate, where the air is rich with the scent of freshly roasted beans. Sip a cup as you gaze out over the lush hills, letting the hum of life in Tanzania ease you into your adventure. For those who feel curious, the bustling craft markets offer colourful fabrics, intricate beadwork, and friendly chatter with local artisans. Or take a guided walk through the coffee plantations, learning about the process that transforms raw beans into your morning brew.

Tarangire National Park – Elephant Herds & Maasai Walking Safaris

Leaving Arusha behind, you journey into the quiet beauty of Tarangire National Park, where giant baobabs punctuate the horizon and dust devils dance across open plains. This lesser known destination is where Tanzania reveals her softer side, which is a quieter, more intimate, yet brimming with life.

In Tarangire, vast herds of elephants roam freely, their dusty forms silhouetted against the setting sun as they make their way to the river. Lions sprawl beneath acacia trees, and birdlife flutters in vibrant colour wherever you look. The dry season transforms the park into a wildlife oasis as animals gather around the river’s life giving waters.

What makes Tarangire especially magical though are the opportunities to leave the vehicle behind. Here, you can walk alongside a Maasai guide, each step a lesson in the land’s ancient secrets. You’ll learn to read the tracks in the dust, recognise medicinal plants, and hear stories passed down through generations. Few experiences bring you closer to the true spirit of Africa than walking its paths with those who call it home.

Ngorongoro Crater, Africa’s Lost World

Your journey leads to one of the most iconic natural wonders in Africa and that is the Ngorongoro Crater! Standing at the rim, the sight takes your breath away. A vast, ancient caldera stretches out before you, a collapsed volcano sheltering a self contained world teeming with life.

As you descend the steep walls of the crater at dawn, the mist rises like smoke, revealing a landscape bathed in soft morning light. Here, life flourishes in abundance. Lions prowl through the long grasses, herds of buffalo move steadily across the plains, and if luck is on your side you may also catch sight of a critically endangered black rhino, standing solitary against the horizon.

Flamingos wade through soda lakes, hyenas skulk in the shadows and elephants graze by the marshlands, all of which is framed by towering crater walls that rise around you. The Ngorongoro Crater is sometimes called Africa’s Garden of Eden, and as your guide shares stories of the land, it’s easy to see why.

Serengeti National Park, The Endless Plains of Africa

Then comes the Serengeti, a name that stirs the imagination. The vastness of these golden plains is hard to comprehend until you see them stretching endlessly to the horizon, where acacia trees stand like solitary sentinels beneath endless skies.

This is where Africa’s most famous drama plays out, which is the Great Migration. Depending on the season, you’ll find yourself tracking enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra as they brave crocodile infested rivers or give birth on the southern plains. Yet the Serengeti offers so much more than the migration. Lions lounge lazily in the heat of the day, cheetahs scan the grasslands from termite mounds, and leopard tails flick lazily from the branches of acacia trees.

Perhaps the most magical moment is rising silently above it all in a hot air balloon at dawn. As the sky turns gold, your balloon drifts gently over the savannah, the wildlife below seemingly frozen in time as the sun begins to climb. A champagne breakfast on the plains awaits you after, the perfect start to a day in the wild.

Zanzibar, From Spice Markets to Turquoise Shores

After days spent immersed in Tanzania’s wilderness, there’s no better contrast than the white sands and warm waters of Zanzibar. A short flight whisks you from the plains of the Serengeti to this island jewel in the Indian Ocean.

Your time in Zanzibar can begin in Stone Town, where narrow alleys wind past intricately carved doorways and the scent of cloves and cinnamon drifts from bustling spice markets. This UNESCO World Heritage Site tells stories of Swahili traders, sultans and explorers whilst the fusion of African, Arab and European cultures is everywhere you turn.

Then retreat to the coast with palm fringed beaches where the only footprints are your own, and warm waves lapping at sun bleached shores. Snorkel coral reefs teeming with life, sail a traditional dhow as the sun dips towards the horizon, or simply relax with nothing but the sound of the ocean for company. Whether you’re ending your safari in barefoot luxury or beginning your adventure with a taste of the Swahili coast, Zanzibar is the perfect complement to your Tanzanian journey.

Sample Itinerary for a Classic Tanzania Safari

Days 1–2: Arusha - Arrival & Coffee Plantations

Arrive via Kilimanjaro Airport and relax on a coffee estate near Arusha. Enjoy plantation tours, local crafts, and views of Mount Meru.

Days 3–4: Tarangire National Park - Elephants & Maasai Walks

Explore Tarangire’s baobab-dotted landscapes, famous elephant herds, and Maasai-guided walking safaris. Enjoy sundowners while watching wildlife gather at the Tarangire River.

Days 5–6: Ngorongoro Crater for a chance to see the Big Five & Crater Views

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for Big Five sightings. Stay at crater rim lodges with panoramic views and memorable sunrise breakfasts.

Days 7–9: Serengeti National Park - Great Migration & Hot Air Ballooning

Witness the Great Migration and predator action on Serengeti’s endless plains. Experience dawn hot air balloon flights and evenings around a bushfire.

Optional Extension: Zanzibar – Stone Town Culture & Beach Escape

Go to Zanzibar for spice tours, coral reef snorkelling, dhow sailing, and beachside relaxation after your safari adventure. Explore historic Stone Town.