13 Days Unforgettable Safari & Beach Holiday

Your extraordinary Tanzanian adventure begins the moment you land at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Our driver will be waiting to greet you on arrival and transfer you smoothly to the Kibo Palace Hotel in Arusha — a perfect base in the safari capital of Africa. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a hot lunch at the hotel before taking a leisurely stroll through the vibrant city streets, soaking up the sights and sounds of Arusha.

Return to the hotel in the early evening for a welcome dinner and a good night's rest. Tomorrow, the wild begins in earnest.

After a hearty breakfast, your expert Wildflip guide collects you for the drive to Tarangire National Park. The park runs along the life-giving Tarangire River and is characterised by rolling low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor, dense Acacia woodland, and the extraordinary spectacle of giant African Baobab trees — some of the oldest living organisms on Earth.

The park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa, making for an utterly spectacular game drive. Both the river and the swamp areas act as a powerful magnet for wildlife during Tanzania's dry season, drawing enormous concentrations of animals from across the region. Keep a close eye out for three rare species unique to this area: the Greater Kudu, the Fringed-eared Oryx, and the endemic Ashy Starling. Lions, cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras and an extraordinary diversity of bird life complete this spectacular introduction to Tanzania's wildlife.

After breakfast, embark on the drive to the legendary Serengeti National Park — arguably the most famous wildlife sanctuary on Earth. The journey itself is spectacular, winding through the Ngorongoro highlands before the landscape opens up into the seemingly endless golden plains.

Enjoy a picnic lunch en route before the afternoon game drive begins in earnest. The Serengeti pulses with immense herds of herbivores — wildebeest, gazelles and zebras — followed closely by their predators on the great annual migration to permanent water holes. This is a timeless spectacle unequalled anywhere in the world. As the sun dips towards the horizon, the Serengeti reveals its most magical hour — the golden light casting long shadows across the plains as lions, leopards and cheetahs begin to stir.

A full day in the Serengeti — the ultimate privilege for any wildlife enthusiast. Rise early, as the first light of dawn brings the Serengeti alive in ways that simply cannot be replicated later in the day. Your expert guide will choose the finest spotting locations based on the season and the latest wildlife reports, ensuring every hour in the park is filled with extraordinary encounters.

Position yourself in the middle of the migration — sometimes surrounded by thousands of wildebeest, sometimes engulfed by zebra, which travel in close companionship. Spend time at the Hippo Pool, watching these majestic animals laze in the cool water alongside equally untroubled crocodiles, then move out across the open plains to witness a large pride of lions at rest or on the hunt.

Your second full day in the Serengeti takes you deeper into its endlessly rewarding landscape. Journey from the open plains to the kopjes — ancient volcanic rocky outcrops that provide shelter and vantage points for leopards, cheetahs, and smaller predators — offering panoramic views across the vast Serengeti grasslands.

This is where the finest game viewing of your journey unfolds: elephants, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, lion, the elusive leopard, the fast-moving cheetah, and a breathtaking diversity of bird life — from the elegant secretary bird to the flightless ostrich. For an unforgettable perspective, consider an optional sunrise balloon safari drifting silently over the plains. This day is the very heart of your Tanzania safari.

Today the safari adventure pivots south towards one of the true wonders of the natural world — the Ngorongoro Conservation Area — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and formerly listed among the Seven Wonders of the World. The drive takes approximately 6 hours across 180 km of spectacular highland scenery, with a picnic lunch enjoyed en route.

In the afternoon, you will drive up to the Ngorongoro Crater rim — pausing at the viewpoint for your first breathtaking glimpse into one of the largest intact volcanic calderas on Earth. The crater floor, spread across 260 square kilometres, is home to a permanent population of over 30,000 animals — one of the most remarkable concentrations of wildlife anywhere in Africa — and is one of only a handful of places on the continent where you stand a genuine chance of encountering the Big Five in a single day.

This is one of the most iconic days in wildlife travel. After breakfast, your guide will escort you down the steep 600-metre descent into the Ngorongoro Crater floor — an experience that never loses its sense of theatre, no matter how many times it is made. You enter a completely self-contained world: a vast, ancient caldera that functions as a natural enclosure, keeping an extraordinary density of wildlife within its walls year-round.

The crater supports an astonishing cast of characters: vast herds of wildebeest and zebra graze the open grasslands; buffalo, eland, and warthog roam the plains; hippos wallow contentedly in the Mandusi Swamp; giant African elephants browse at the forest edge; and the critically endangered black rhino — Tanzania's most coveted wildlife sighting — can sometimes be observed in the distance. The predator population is equally spectacular: lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard. Enjoy a memorable crater floor picnic lunch surrounded by wildlife on all sides before a final afternoon sweep of the crater.

Today's drive takes you to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives in one of Tanzania's most dramatically beautiful wildlife areas. The park is dominated by a vast but shallow soda lake — covering two-thirds of the park's area — nestled at the foot of the Great Rift Valley's western escarpment. This dramatic setting creates one of Africa's most photogenic safari landscapes.

The park's extraordinarily varied habitats attract a remarkable diversity of wildlife. Lake Manyara hosts one of Africa's largest concentrations of elephants, and the alkaline lake shores are home to the world-famous flamingo spectacle — thousands of these elegant pink birds wading in unison. While scanning the lake for birds, keep a careful eye on the acacia trees above — this is one of the only places on Earth where you can witness the remarkable phenomenon of tree-climbing lions, uniquely adapted to rest high in the branches away from the heat and insects below. The striking cliffs of the Rift Valley escarpment provide a dramatic backdrop to every moment spent here.

After breakfast, today offers a deeply rewarding cultural encounter in Mto Wa Mbu — one of Tanzania's most vibrant and diverse farming villages, located between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro. Home to around 18,000 people representing dozens of Tanzania's ethnic groups, this is a side of Tanzania that the typical tourist rarely sees — and all the more precious for it.

Your guide — likely a member of the community itself — will lead you through the village banana plantation, where over 30 different varieties of banana are cultivated, with fascinating explanations of their many uses from food to building materials and traditional crafts. Visit a local bar and try mbege — the traditional banana and millet beer brewed by the Chagga tribe and shared communally from a single cup passed around the group. The tour culminates at the bustling local market, where colourful stalls overflow with fresh fruit, vegetables, spices, and local produce, all explained by your knowledgeable guide. After this cultural immersion, transfer back to Arusha for your final night before the Zanzibar flight.

After a final safari breakfast, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your domestic flight to Zanzibar. As the plane descends, prepare yourself — the breathtaking clarity of Zanzibar's turquoise waters truly lives up to its legendary reputation. Our driver will be waiting at Zanzibar International Airport to transfer you to your hotel in Jambiani, one of the most remote and unspoiled beaches on the island's southeast coast.

Jambiani is wonderfully unhurried — a quiet, calm beach village with pristine white sands and an authentic local character far from the crowds. There is an optional Historical Stone Town Tour available, guiding you through centuries of Swahili, Arab, and colonial history. Visit iconic landmarks including the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum, Dr Livingstone's House, and the Arab Fort. Explore the labyrinthine streets, vibrant markets, ornate mosques, and intricately hand-carved wooden doors. In the evening, tantalise your taste buds at the legendary Forodhani Garden Food Market — fresh seafood, local dishes, and tropical flavours await.

For those who can resist the irresistible temptation of a morning lie-in, there is an optional spice tour available — a fragrant journey through Zanzibar's legendary spice plantations, where cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemongrass grow in rich tropical abundance. Often called the Spice Island, Zanzibar's spice heritage tells a centuries-old story of trade, culture, and flavour.

After midday, make your way to Kendwa on Zanzibar's northwestern tip — widely considered the island's most beautiful stretch of coastline. Kendwa's beaches feature extraordinary golden sand meeting shimmering turquoise waters that reflect the clear tropical skies, with white sea foam that playfully tickles your toes. The calm, crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming, and the laid-back beach atmosphere is the ideal counterpoint to the energy of the safari. After this idyllic afternoon, return to Jambiani for dinner and overnight.

Begin the morning with an optional boat excursion to Prison Island (also known as Changuu Island or Tortoise Island) — a fascinating slice of Zanzibar history now famous for its population of giant Aldabra tortoises, some of which are over 100 years old. Wander among these gentle giants and learn about the island's intriguing history as a former quarantine station and slave holding facility.

Return to the hotel and spend the rest of this glorious day exactly as you please. Jambiani beach offers a wonderful range of water sports and activities: snorkelling the vibrant coral reef, beach volleyball, traditional dhow boat trips, scuba diving, and kite surfing when conditions permit. Or simply sink into a sunlounger with an exotic cocktail, let the rhythm of the Indian Ocean wash over you, and allow the memories of thirteen extraordinary days to settle in your heart. This is your well-earned paradise moment.

After a final delicious breakfast at the resort — your last taste of Tanzanian hospitality — our driver will provide comfortable transportation to Zanzibar International Airport in good time for your onward flight. Depending on your departure time, there may be a few final moments to wander the beach or take one last swim in those extraordinary turquoise waters.

As you board your flight, your camera will be full and your heart even fuller. Thirteen unforgettable days — four extraordinary national parks, the greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth, the world's most celebrated volcanic caldera, a vibrant cultural village, and three days of Zanzibar paradise — await you in your memories for a lifetime. It has been an honour to be your host in Tanzania. Kwa heri na safari njema! — Farewell and safe travels!