Tanzania 7-Day Itinerary 2026

Arusha → Ngorongoro Crater → Serengeti (2 days) → Lake Manyara → Zanzibar (2 days)

Morning

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Transfer to Arusha town (1 hour, $40-60 taxi or arrange with your safari operator). Arusha sits at 1,400 metres in the shadow of Mount Meru and is the safari capital of northern Tanzania. Settle into your hotel and enjoy the cool highland air.

Afternoon

Visit the Cultural Heritage Centre, a sprawling complex of Tanzanian art, Maasai jewellery, Tingatinga paintings and gemstones (free entry, great shopping). If you have time, take a coffee plantation tour (from $30) at Arusha Coffee Lodge or Shanga Foundation — Tanzania produces some of East Africa's finest arabica. For wildlife, Arusha National Park (entry $53.10) is just 25 minutes away with giraffes, buffalo, colobus monkeys and Mount Meru views.

Evening

Dinner at Blue Heron or Fifi's for well-prepared Tanzanian cuisine. Try nyama choma (grilled meat) with ugali and kachumbari (TSh 15,000-30,000). For something international, The Arusha Hotel has a good buffet.

Stay: Arusha — Budget: Arusha Backpackers Hotel (from $25) | Mid: Mount Meru Hotel (from $100) | Luxury: Arusha Coffee Lodge (from $400)

Morning

Depart Arusha at dawn for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (3.5 hours). Descend 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcanic caldera 20 km wide containing approximately 25,000 large animals in a natural enclosure. The crater floor is one of the few places in Tanzania where you can see the critically endangered black rhino — around 30 remain here. Lions, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, jackals and flamingos are almost guaranteed.

Afternoon

Continue the crater game drive to Lake Magadi, the shallow alkaline lake on the crater floor where flamingos congregate. Watch hippos wallowing in the Ngoitokitok Springs. The crater walls create their own weather system — clouds drift across the rim while the floor stays clear. You must exit the crater by 6 PM (park rules).

Evening

Stay on the crater rim. The lodges here offer some of the most dramatic views in Africa — looking down 600 metres to the crater floor from your room. Temperatures drop to 10-15°C at night so bring a warm layer.

Stay: Ngorongoro — Budget: Simba Campsite (from $30 camping) | Mid: Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge (from $200) | Luxury: andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (from $1,500)

Morning

Drive from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti (3-4 hours) through the Ngorongoro highlands and down into the short-grass plains. The landscape changes from highland forest to golden savannah — the Maasai word siringit means “the place where the land moves on forever”. Enter through Naabi Hill gate and begin game driving immediately.

Afternoon

Explore the Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti, the area with the highest year-round concentration of predators in Africa. The rocky kopjes (granite outcrops) are favourite resting spots for lions and leopards. The Serengeti has over 3,000 lions, 1,000 leopards and 300 cheetahs. The afternoon drive often produces memorable big cat encounters.

Evening

Settle into your camp or lodge. Many offer bush dinners or campfire experiences. The Serengeti night sky is unforgettable — zero light pollution, millions of stars, and the sounds of hyenas and lions in the darkness.

Stay: Serengeti — Budget: Serengeti Heritage Camp (from $150 full board) | Mid: Serengeti Serena Lodge (from $350) | Luxury: Four Seasons Serengeti (from $1,800)

Dawn

Optional hot-air balloon safari over the Serengeti (from $600 per person). Float silently above herds of wildebeest, zebra and giraffe as the sun rises over the plains. Afterwards, toast with champagne and enjoy a bush breakfast cooked on the savannah. This is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences.

Morning

Extended morning game drive. Your guide will head to areas based on current wildlife movements. During the Great Migration (December-March in the southern Serengeti, June-October in the north), up to 2 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebras thunder across the landscape. Visit the Retima Hippo Pool where dozens of hippos crowd together.

Afternoon

Afternoon drive focusing on predator activity. As the heat of the day wanes, lions begin to stir, leopards emerge from tree branches, and cheetahs position themselves for evening hunts. The golden Serengeti light in the last hour before sunset creates the iconic African safari photographs.

Evening

Final dinner in the Serengeti. If staying at a mobile camp during migration season, the sounds of wildebeest surrounding the camp are extraordinary. Pack for the morning departure.

Morning

Drive from the Serengeti back through Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara National Park (5-6 hours with stops). Manyara is a compact gem hemmed between the Great Rift Valley escarpment and the alkaline lake. Enter through the groundwater forest — enormous mahogany and fig trees draped with vines creating a cathedral-like canopy.

Afternoon

Search for Manyara's famous tree-climbing lions, which lounge in the branches of acacia trees — a behaviour seen in very few places in Africa. Spot large herds of elephants, giraffes, troops of baboons and blue monkeys. Drive along the lakeshore where thousands of flamingos form pink ribbons. The park has over 400 bird species in a relatively small area.

Evening

Stay at a lodge on the escarpment rim overlooking the lake and Rift Valley — the views are spectacular, especially at sunset. Dinner with sweeping views of the valley floor below.

Stay: Lake Manyara — Budget: Panorama Safari Campsite (from $25) | Mid: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge (from $250) | Luxury: andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge (from $1,200)

Morning

Transfer to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro Airport for a flight to Zanzibar (1-1.5 hours, from $150 on Coastal Aviation, Auric Air or Precision Air). Arrive at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport on Unguja island. Transfer to Stone Town (20 minutes).

Afternoon

Explore Stone Town, the UNESCO World Heritage old quarter with its labyrinth of narrow alleys, carved wooden doors, crumbling palaces and bustling bazaars. Visit the House of Wonders (Beit-al-Ajaib), the Sultan's Palace Museum, the Old Fort, and the Anglican Cathedral built on the site of the former slave market. Take a spice tour ($30-40) through plantations growing cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and black pepper — Zanzibar earned the name “Spice Islands” for a reason.

Evening

Head to the Forodhani Gardens night market, where locals and tourists gather at sunset to eat freshly grilled seafood, Zanzibar pizza (stuffed chapati), sugar cane juice, and local street food for just TSh 5,000-15,000. Watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean from the sea wall. Then explore the rooftop bars of Stone Town — try The Africa House Hotel or Emerson on Hurumzi for spectacular views.

Stay: Stone Town — Budget: Lost & Found Hostel (from $20) | Mid: Zanzibar Palace Hotel (from $120) | Luxury: Park Hyatt Zanzibar (from $500)

Morning

Drive 1 hour north to Nungwi Beach, one of Zanzibar's finest stretches of white sand with turquoise water. Unlike the east coast beaches, Nungwi is less affected by tides so you can swim at any time. Take a snorkelling trip to Mnemba Atoll ($40-60), a pristine coral island with dolphins, sea turtles and spectacular reef fish.

Afternoon

Relax on the beach, try a traditional dhow sailing trip, or visit the Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation pond to see rescued sea turtles (TSh 5,000). For a unique experience, swim in the clear waters of The Rock restaurant, a tiny restaurant perched on a rock in the ocean at Pingwe (east coast).

Evening

Transfer to Zanzibar Airport for your departure flight. Direct connections are available to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and some international destinations. If you have a late flight, sunset at Nungwi is one of the most beautiful in the Indian Ocean.

Prices in USD based on 2026 rates. Park fees for non-residents. Ngorongoro crater service fee ($295) included.

The best months are June to October (dry season) when game viewing is at its peak, roads are dry and Zanzibar skies are clear. January-February is also excellent with calving season in the southern Serengeti and warm, dry weather on the coast.

Avoid the long rains from March to May when some safari camps close and roads in the Serengeti can become difficult. The short rains (November-December) are usually manageable and offer lower prices.

• Safari operator: Book through a licensed Tanzanian operator for the northern circuit safari. Group joining safaris (4-6 people) cost significantly less than private. Expect $200-400/day budget to $500+/day luxury, all-inclusive.
• Park fees: Tanzania park fees are among the highest in Africa. Serengeti ($70.80/day), Ngorongoro crater ($295 vehicle fee + $70.80/person), Lake Manyara ($53.10/day). Pay by card at the gate.
• Zanzibar flight: Book Coastal Aviation or Auric Air bush flights from Serengeti airstrips directly to Zanzibar — skipping the drive back to Arusha saves a full day.
• Visa: Most nationalities need a visa ($50, available on arrival or apply online via the eVisa portal). US citizens pay $100.
• Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TSh). USD is widely accepted for safari, hotels and Zanzibar tourism. Bring clean, post-2006 USD notes.
• Tipping: Safari guide: $15-20/day, cook: $10/day, camp staff: $5-10/day. Tips are expected and important.

• Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
• Distance: ~1,200 km
• Budget from: $1,610
• Best months: Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb
• Big Five: All 5 possible