Two week Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari and Zanzibar beach holiday designed specifically for families.
Your first week is spent on safari in Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP and the vast plains of the Serengeti with a private 4WD and driver-guide. Safari Camps with large family tents and swimming pools mean you can enjoy your time back at camp as well as out on drives. After your safari head to Zanzibar for a pristine Indian Ocean beach experience.
Tailor-made Classic 2 weeks
'From Price' is the average price per person for ground arrangements for two people sharing.
Flights are typically an additional $1,101 per person economy class from London
'From Price' is the average price per person for ground arrangements for a family of four (two adults + two children under 12).
Flights are typically an additional $1,101 per person economy class from London
Our holidays are rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
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This two week Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari and Zanzibar beach holiday has been designed specifically for families. Your first week is spent on safari in Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP and the vast plains of the Serengeti with a private 4WD and driver-guide. Safari Lodges with large family tents and swimming pools mean you can enjoy your time back at camp as well as out on drives. After your safari you'll head to Zanzibar for a pristine Indian Ocean beach experience.
After your international flight, a relaxed day in a county lodge outside Arusha is usually just the ticket with some light sightseeing and some time spent relaxing around the pool. Having a private guide and safari vehicle means you can manage the pace and timings of activities to your own tastes. Your guide will stay with you on your safari from Arusha through the Ngorongoro Highlands and on to the Serengeti.
In the Ngorongoro Highlands, the Ngorongoro Farm House is nestled in a 500 acre coffee plantation with far-ranging views and plenty of opportunities to interact with the Masai and Irawq communities. Activities here include exploring the plantation, bush walks and trips to nearby Lake Manyara National Park and the breathtaking Ngorongoro crater. Lake Manyara National Park is a small but beautiful park with excellent bird life, flamingos, elephants and playful gangs of monkeys and baboons. Ngorongoro Crater is a natural, fertile enclosure with a dense concentration of wildlife and superb game viewing. Whilst it can get busy, a game drive here amidst the stunning scenery and incredible wildlife concentrations is second to none.
From the Ngorongoro Highlands we drive to the plains of the Serengeti. These vast grazing grounds undoubtedly offer one of the finest safari experiences in all of Africa with significant populations of predators. You'll stay in a traditional safari camp amidst the wildlife and wilderness, heading out for morning and afternoon game drives and enjoying the magnificent views and stunning swimming pool between game drives. Of course it wouldn't be a safari without the occasional bush breakfast and sun downer.
After your safari, to save on travel time, we have included a small aircraft flight back from the Serengeti to Kilimanjaro Airport and on to Zanzibar. Zanzibar boasts a wonderful array of beach accommodation options, from down to earth barefoot beach shacks to all singing and dancing resorts. We've chosen Breezes Beach Resort, a great choice for families with superb facilities and a great beach. It is somewhere you can relax to your heart's content, throw yourself into the watersports and enjoy a morning game of tennis. If you prefer, we can recommend some lovely remote low key resorts or more upmarket villas and private houses.
DAY 1: Arrive and transfer to Arusha
Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and Transfer from the airport to Arusha Town. Accommodation: Arumeru River Lodge Breakfast Included
DAY 2: Lake Manyara National Park & Bush Walks
Throughout your safari you will have a Private 4x4 Safari Vehicle with professional English Speaking Driver/Guide.
In the morning start with picnic-lunch to Lake Manyara National Park with the Manyara Lake on its east and the Manyara Escarpment to its west. Enjoy the day with Game Drives. In the afternoon drive up the Rift Valley and enjoy a guided Nature Walk along the Rim with great views onto Lake Manyara below.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House - All meals included.
DAY 3: Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast drive to the Entrance Gate of Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descent into the Crater. Ngorongoro Crater offers a large variety of animals due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Due to the concentration of wildlife, there are good chances of seeing some of the big five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo). Return to your lodge for a private dinner.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House - All meals included.
DAY 4: Drive to Serengeti. Afternoon Game Drive
After breakfast transfer by road to Serengeti. Arrive for Lunch. In the afternoon enjoy a game drive in Serengeti National Park. Kubu Kubu Tented Camp is located in central Serengeti. The Seronera River provides a constant water source for resident and visiting wildlife including a huge variety of colourful birds. Lush riverine forest along its banks offers important cover for the elusive leopard. The Seronera Valley, is an ideal habitat for lions, leopards and cheetah as there is an abundance of prey amongst the countless gazelles which graze on the plains. Towards the north, the landscape is more undulated and the open plains are substituted by open woodland. Here giraffe, impala and elephant roam. In the western part of the Serengeti are the extensive "black cotton" plains which are difficult to pass during the rainy season. Here you will find the Musabi, Ndabaka and Handajega and the Grumeti rivers with their famous giant crocodiles and forests which are home to rare species such as the black and white colobos monkey as well as a myriad of birds.
Accommodation: Kubu Kubu Tented Camp - All meals included.
DAY 5: Serengeti
Game drives typically last 2-3 hours and take place in the morning and late afternoon. For guests who prefer longer game drives, picnics can also be organised.
Accommodation: Kubu Kubu Tented Camp - All meals included.
DAY 6: Serengeti
Another day of game drives in the Serengeti
Accommodation: Kubu Kubu Tented Camp - All meals included.
DAY 7: Fly Serengeti - Kiliminajaro - Zanzibar
Flight: Schedule flight Serengeti – Kilimanjaro Int Airport - Zanzibar
Transfer: Zanzibar Airport to Resort
Accommodation: Breezes Beach Club - Breakfast and dinner included.
DAY 7 - 13: Zanzibar
Accommodation: Breezes Beach Club - Breakfast and dinner included.
DAY 14: Depart
Transfer to Zanzibar Airport.
Guide price is based on recommended accommodations. Alternative accommodations and upgrades are available. Please get in touch for alternatives and upgrade options.
Due to the variability in flight costs, our prices are quoted excluding international flights. We usually arrange flights for most of our clients travelling to Tanzania and have good rates, but if you prefer to book your own or use air miles, we are happy to book ground arrangements and domestic flights for you.
There are no direct flights from the UK or US to Tanzania. Direct flights are available with KLM direct from Amsterdam, Turkish direct from Istanbul, Qatar from Doha, Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai. We usually find KLM and Turkish best for North American clients with just one stop in Amsterdam / Istanbul and an overall flight time approaching 22 hours.
Kenya Airways via Nairobi is another good option with direct flights from London Heathrow into Nairobi and a short hop onto Tanzania.Qatar is an excellent option if you are combining a safari with Zanzibar as it has direct flights to/from Kilimanjaro Internatonal Airport and Zanzibar Airport, meaning you can do the outbound and return flight with just one stop to many International destinations.
January, February, July, August, September and October are the dryest months, with the Christmas / New Year period and July / August period representing peak season in Tanzania, expect flight costs to be substantially higher and we advise booking in advance for the best choice of lodges.
We usually avoid the long rains that run through March, April and May. The typical pattern during this period are tropical downpours in the afternoon / evening that usually clear in the mornings. If this is the only time you can travel then it is usually possible to get a dry spell between 10am and 2pm for getting out on safari and of course rates tend to be lower.
The short rains bring some rain during November and early December, but the rains are much lighter and much less of an impediment.
Although this itinerary has been designed specifically for families. The parameters which make it work for families mean it will work just as well for those without children in tow.
Our first key consideration is that too much driving between locations can be a bit of a drag. So instead of stopping everywhere on the Northern Circuit, we focus on two key locations, the Ngorongoro Highlands (as a base for the Crater and Lake Manyara) and the Serengeti. We make it a one way safari so you don't have to drive all the way back too and therefore include flights back from the Serengeti.
Our second consideration is that as a family it is a huge benefit to have a private safari vehicle and guide. That way you can do as long or as short game drives as you wish and focus your drives on the wildlife you are interested in.
Our final consideration has been to choose accommodation that offers a genuine safari experience and a relaxing comfortable base between activities without blowing the budget. Don't get us wrong, these places are pretty special, it is just that you could easily spend 3 times as much on top end safari camps. We feel these strike just the right balance (depending on your budget of course!).
As with the vast majority of our safaris, it is important to note that the camps and lodges are not usually fenced and being situated in the wild are open to the wildlife. Whilst animals tend to stay away from camps, and staff are well trained in deterring them, these are not the places to let your children run free. It is imperative you keep an eye on them at all times.
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth office check www.gov.uk/travelaware
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Trip was great and all the arrangements were excellent so thank you for all the help!
Drivers and transfers were all good - on time and very good service on each trip.
Accommodation was lovely - Douar Samra was amazing (weather could have been better but lovely regardless). Riad in Marrakesh was also great!
All in all a great trip and we loved the variety of the mountains, Marrakesh and the coast.
Thanks you once again!
Hardeep S reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 15 April 2024
I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.
Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.
El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.
Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.
So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last
Juhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024
Thank you, we had an absolute wonderful time, and everything was well-planned and as described. Carla was crying on the day of our departure from Ants Nest, she didn’t want to go home and for it all to end, and when I asked how much longer she would want to stay, she responded “four weeks”
Lars B reviewing Best of South Africa for Families on 01 March 2024
Our itineraries are carefully designed by our experienced travel designers based on years of experience and customer feedback. For a custom itinerary tailored to you, please enquire giving as much detail as possible on your brief.