Tanzania

Classic routes

• 🦁The Mara, the Serengeti & Zanzibar11 days · Maasai Mara → Arusha → Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Stone Town

🏔️ Arusha & Kilimanjaro

Where northern Tanzania trips begin: Arusha, the safari town under Mount Meru with the domestic airport for the bush flights, and Moshi, the coffee-growing town at the foot of Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain (5,895 m), climbed in six to eight days. Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) lies between them.

• ArushaThe Safari Capital at the Foot of Mount Meru1 day · best June – October, December – February
• ☕MoshiCoffee Farms and Waterfalls Under Kilimanjaro2 days · best June – October, January – March
• Mount KilimanjaroClimb to the Roof of Africa, 5,895 m7 days · best January – March, June – October

🦁 Northern Safari Circuit

The classic safari: Tarangire's elephants and baobabs, the groundwater forest of Lake Manyara, the wildlife-packed Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti's plains and big cats, with the Great Migration circling through the year and crossing the Mara River in the far north from July to October. Done in a 4x4 with a driver-guide from Arusha, or by bush flight.

• TarangireElephants and Baobabs Along the Tarangire River1 day · best June – October
• Lake ManyaraGroundwater Forest, Flamingos and the Rift Valley Wall1 day · best June – October, December – February
• Ngorongoro CraterA Collapsed Volcano Full of Wildlife1 day · best June – October, December – March
• SerengetiEndless Plains, Big Cats and the Great Migration2 days · best June – October, January – March
• 🐃Northern SerengetiThe Mara River Crossings, July to October3 days · best July – October

🛶 Southern Safari Circuit

The wild south, with a fraction of the north's vehicles: Nyerere National Park (the old Selous), with boat trips on the Rufiji River, and remote Ruaha, famous for its lions and elephants. Usually flown to from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar; best June to October, and most camps close in April and May.

• 🛶Nyerere National ParkBoat Safaris on the Rufiji, Africa's Biggest Park3 days · best June – October
• 🦁Ruaha National ParkWild, Remote and Full of Lions3 days · best June – October

🌊 Dar es Salaam & Mafia

Dar es Salaam, the largest city and the airport with the non-stop flight from Mumbai, gateway to Zanzibar by ferry and to the southern parks by bush flight; and Mafia Island, a quiet marine park 40 minutes south by air, with whale sharks from October to March.

• Dar es SalaamTanzania's Busy Port City, Gateway to Zanzibar and the South1 day · best June – October
• 🦈Mafia IslandWhale Sharks and Quiet Reefs in a Marine Park3 days · best October – March

🏝️ Zanzibar

The spice island off the coast: Stone Town's lanes, carved doors and night food market; the swim-at-any-tide beaches of Nungwi and Kendwa in the north; and the kitesurfing lagoons of Paje and Jambiani on the east coast. Reached by a 20-minute flight or a 2-hour fast ferry from Dar es Salaam, or flights from Arusha and Kilimanjaro. Every visitor buys Zanzibar's US$44 travel insurance.

• Stone TownSpice Island Lanes, Carved Doors and Sunset Street Food2 days · best June – October, December – February
• Nungwi & KendwaWhite Sand and Sunsets at Zanzibar's Northern Tip3 days · best June – October, December – March
• Paje & JambianiKitesurfing Lagoons and Seaweed Farms on the East Coast3 days · best June – October, December – February