Tanzania itinerary, day by day

The Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater by 4x4, then the beaches of Zanzibar: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 7, 10 or 14 days📍 4 stops☀️ Best time: June to October and January to February

Serengeti · Photo Ákos Helgert / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Tanzania in 7 days

3 stops · 16 things to do · 4x4 + flight

1Serengeti

Days 1-3

Nearly 15,000 km² of grass plains, crossed every year by the Great Migration: well over a million wildebeest, with zebras and gazelles following the rains.

🎟️ Worth booking

Full-day 4x4 safariFull day · from €150
Dawn to dusk on the plains with a guide, following the herds and the big cats that follow them.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Hot-air balloon at dawnMorning · from €450
An hour drifting low over the savannah at sunrise, with breakfast in the bush when you land.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Great Migration (in season) · The Big Five · Sunset over the savannah · The waterholes

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Serengeti Kifaru Tented Lodge (€90 a night) · Mid-range: Serengeti Serena Lodge (€280 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Serengeti (€750 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Into Wild Africa Luxury Safari Lodge Serengeti ★ 4.9 · 130 reviews
SUEÑOS DE AFRICA LUXURY CAMP ★ 4.8 · 214 reviews
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti ★ 4.7 · 716 reviews
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge ★ 4.6 · 765 reviews

Photo Mr Sketch / Pexels

🚙 4x4 · 3h · 145 km

2Ngorongoro Crater

Day 4

The caldera of a collapsed volcano, about 19 km across and 600 m deep. Its floor holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, black rhino included.

🎟️ Worth booking

A 4x4 day in the craterFull day · from €160
Down the crater wall at first light for a day on the floor, among lions, buffalo, elephants and the black rhino that is so hard to see elsewhere.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The view from the crater rim · The wildlife of the crater floor · Maasai villages (seen from the road)

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Octagon Lodge (€70 a night) · Mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena (€290 a night) · Luxury: The Manor at Ngorongoro (€700 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Cafe Arusha ↗ ★ 4.9 · 412 reviews
Restaurant Stone Village & The Dream Garden ↗ ★ 4.9 · 329 reviews
Foresight Eco-Lodge & Safari ↗ ★ 4.8 · 165 reviews
Gibb's Farm ↗ ★ 4.7 · 242 reviews

Photo Brett Bennett / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 1h30 · to the ocean

3Zanzibar

Days 5-7

The spice island. Stone Town, UNESCO-listed since 2000, and white beaches on the Indian Ocean where dhows still sail.

🎟️ Worth booking

Stone Town and a spice tourHalf day · from €35
The lanes and carved doors of the old town, then a farm where cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon grow.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Snorkelling at MnembaFull day · from €55
A boat out to the reef around Mnemba atoll, off the north-east coast, where dolphins and turtles are often seen.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Nungwi and Paje beaches · Stone Town · Sunset over the Indian Ocean · The lagoons at high tide

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Princess Salme Inn (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Zanzibar White Sand (€220 a night) · Luxury: Baraza Resort (€550 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Restaurant Stone Village & The Dream Garden ↗ ★ 4.9 · 329 reviews
BARAKANA Restaurant Nungwi Zanzibar ↗ ★ 4.9 · 269 reviews
The Restaurant @ The Bali Resort Zanzibar ↗ ★ 4.9 · 154 reviews
Hello Capitano Zanzibar ↗ ★ 4.8 · 2125 reviews
Fish Market Local Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.8 · 1431 reviews · €

Photo Keegan Checks / Pexels

Tanzania in 10 days

4 stops · 21 things to do · 4x4 + flight

1Arusha and Kilimanjaro

Days 1-2

Arusha is the starting town of the northern safari circuit. To the east rises Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 m the highest mountain in Africa, clearest in the early morning.

🎟️ Worth booking

A day in Arusha National ParkFull day · from €75
Giraffes, colobus monkeys and the flamingos of the Momella lakes below Mount Meru. A gentle start before the big parks.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The view of Kilimanjaro · The markets of Arusha · The coffee farms on the slopes · Waterfalls in the forest

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Arusha Backpackers (€20 a night) · Mid-range: Gran Melia Arusha (€150 a night) · Luxury: Arusha Coffee Lodge (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Cafe Arusha ↗ ★ 4.9 · 412 reviews
Eat Me ↗ ★ 4.8 · 132 reviews
Five Chutneys ↗ ★ 4.7 · 618 reviews · €€
MATTEO ITALIAN RESTAURANT ARUSHA ↗ ★ 4.6 · 123 reviews
The Peaks Lounge ↗ ★ 4.6 · 113 reviews

Photo Wladimir Kuhne / Pexels

🚙 4x4 · 6h · 320 km

2Serengeti

Days 3-5

Nearly 15,000 km² of grass plains, crossed every year by the Great Migration: well over a million wildebeest, with zebras and gazelles following the rains.

🎟️ Worth booking

Full-day 4x4 safariFull day · from €150
Dawn to dusk on the plains with a guide, following the herds and the big cats that follow them.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Hot-air balloon at dawnMorning · from €450
An hour drifting low over the savannah at sunrise, with breakfast in the bush when you land.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Great Migration (in season) · The Big Five · Sunset over the savannah · The waterholes

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Mr Sketch / Pexels

🚙 4x4 · 3h · 145 km

3Ngorongoro Crater

Day 6

The caldera of a collapsed volcano, about 19 km across and 600 m deep. Its floor holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, black rhino included.

🎟️ Worth booking

A 4x4 day in the craterFull day · from €160
Down the crater wall at first light for a day on the floor, among lions, buffalo, elephants and the black rhino that is so hard to see elsewhere.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The view from the crater rim · The wildlife of the crater floor · Maasai villages (seen from the road)

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Octagon Lodge (€70 a night) · Mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena (€290 a night) · Luxury: The Manor at Ngorongoro (€700 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Brett Bennett / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 1h30 · to the ocean

4Zanzibar

Days 7-10

The spice island. Stone Town, UNESCO-listed since 2000, and white beaches on the Indian Ocean where dhows still sail.

🎟️ Worth booking

Stone Town and a spice tourHalf day · from €35
The lanes and carved doors of the old town, then a farm where cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon grow.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Snorkelling at MnembaFull day · from €55
A boat out to the reef around Mnemba atoll, off the north-east coast, where dolphins and turtles are often seen.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Nungwi and Paje beaches · Stone Town · Sunset over the Indian Ocean · The lagoons at high tide

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Princess Salme Inn (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Zanzibar White Sand (€220 a night) · Luxury: Baraza Resort (€550 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Keegan Checks / Pexels

Tanzania in 14 days

4 stops · 21 things to do · 4x4 + flight

1Arusha and Kilimanjaro

Days 1-2

Arusha is the starting town of the northern safari circuit. To the east rises Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 m the highest mountain in Africa, clearest in the early morning.

🎟️ Worth booking

A day in Arusha National ParkFull day · from €75
Giraffes, colobus monkeys and the flamingos of the Momella lakes below Mount Meru. A gentle start before the big parks.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The view of Kilimanjaro · The markets of Arusha · The coffee farms on the slopes · Waterfalls in the forest

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Arusha Backpackers (€20 a night) · Mid-range: Gran Melia Arusha (€150 a night) · Luxury: Arusha Coffee Lodge (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Wladimir Kuhne / Pexels

🚙 4x4 · 6h · 320 km

2Serengeti

Days 3-6

Nearly 15,000 km² of grass plains, crossed every year by the Great Migration: well over a million wildebeest, with zebras and gazelles following the rains.

🎟️ Worth booking

Full-day 4x4 safariFull day · from €150
Dawn to dusk on the plains with a guide, following the herds and the big cats that follow them.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Hot-air balloon at dawnMorning · from €450
An hour drifting low over the savannah at sunrise, with breakfast in the bush when you land.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Great Migration (in season) · The Big Five · Sunset over the savannah · The waterholes

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Mr Sketch / Pexels

🚙 4x4 · 3h · 145 km

3Ngorongoro Crater

Days 7-8

The caldera of a collapsed volcano, about 19 km across and 600 m deep. Its floor holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, black rhino included.

🎟️ Worth booking

A 4x4 day in the craterFull day · from €160
Down the crater wall at first light for a day on the floor, among lions, buffalo, elephants and the black rhino that is so hard to see elsewhere.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The view from the crater rim · The wildlife of the crater floor · Maasai villages (seen from the road)

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Octagon Lodge (€70 a night) · Mid-range: Ngorongoro Serena (€290 a night) · Luxury: The Manor at Ngorongoro (€700 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Brett Bennett / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 1h30 · to the ocean

4Zanzibar

Days 9-14

The spice island. Stone Town, UNESCO-listed since 2000, and white beaches on the Indian Ocean where dhows still sail.

🎟️ Worth booking

Stone Town and a spice tourHalf day · from €35
The lanes and carved doors of the old town, then a farm where cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon grow.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Snorkelling at MnembaFull day · from €55
A boat out to the reef around Mnemba atoll, off the north-east coast, where dolphins and turtles are often seen.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Nungwi and Paje beaches · Stone Town · Sunset over the Indian Ocean · The lagoons at high tide

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Princess Salme Inn (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Zanzibar White Sand (€220 a night) · Luxury: Baraza Resort (€550 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Keegan Checks / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Ugali: a stiff maize porridge, the base of most meals, eaten with the fingers.
Nyama choma: grilled meat, usually goat or beef, shared at the table.
Swahili cooking in Zanzibar: coconut curries, octopus and spices from the island farms.
Mishkaki: marinated skewers grilled at street stalls.
Spiced chai and fresh fruit juices.

⚠️ What to avoid

Booking a safari with an unlicensed operator, or ignoring the rangers' instructions in the parks.
Travelling without malaria prophylaxis, or drinking tap water.
Paying before agreeing the price: settle it first, and bargain with a smile.
Beachwear in Stone Town and the villages of Zanzibar: cover up away from the beach.
Packing plastic bags: they have been banned since 2019 and can be taken from you on arrival.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Tanzania guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Tanzania, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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