10 Day Bush and Beach Safari

Overview

Experience the crowning jewels of Tanzania on a tour designed for travelers seeking adventure. This 10-day journey begins with an overnight stay in Arusha before heading to ever-changing landscapes where you can expect to be amazed by the diverse wildlife, including elephants, impalas, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffes, and lions.

This great value-for-money 10-day tour encompasses the best of both worlds: a safari in the renowned national parks of Tanzania and a beautiful, white, palm-fringed beach vacation in Zanzibar.

After an exciting safari experience in the African bush, it is time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation as you embrace the beach lifestyle and Zanzibarian way of life. Over the next three days, you can look forward to enjoying one of the finest swimming beaches in Africa, exploring cultural attractions, engaging in a wide selection of watersports, and staying at the stunning Melia Zanzibar Hotel.

Solo travelers, couples, and families are sure to enjoy this extraordinary safari and tropical beach getaway.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, we’ll drive you to your accommodation in Arusha, the Mount Meru Hotel, where you can relax in your room, offering an oasis of tranquility.

The property offers uninterrupted views of Mount Meru, the second-highest mountain in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro, and has pristine landscaped private gardens overlooking the Golf Club. The Mount Meru Hotel is well-located to all the tourist attractions nearby, including the historical Arusha Clock Tower, the German Boma, and the Maasai Market Curios and Crafts.

Day 2: Lake Manyara Exploration

Wake up to coffee and breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, you will head to Lake Manyara National Park for your first game viewing of this safari.

Lake Manyara National Park offers breathtaking views and a large variety of habitats, including acacia woodlands, water forests, baobab-strewn cliffs, algae-streaked hot springs, swamps, and the lake itself. Thanks to this diversity, the small park supports a large number of animal species and incredible birdlife. Lake Manyara National Park hosts the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world, and the lions here are renowned for their tree-climbing habit.

In the late afternoon, you will proceed to your lodge at Eileen’s Trees Inn, arriving in time for dinner. Eileen’s Trees Inn is owned and managed by Tanzanians with extensive experience in the safari and hospitality business. Their mission is to provide safari visitors with comfortable accommodation and an enjoyable stay.

Day 3: Travel to the Serengeti National Park

After breakfast, you will proceed with packed lunches to the Serengeti National Park, arguably the world’s most famous wildlife reserve. Enjoy game viewing en route.

Once you have entered the Serengeti, you will spend the rest of the day game viewing, heading to your lodge and arriving before nightfall at Serengeti Katikati Tented Camp.

Day 4: Serengeti National Park Safari

After a delightful breakfast, you will embark on a full day of game viewing in Central Serengeti, enjoying a picnic lunch en route.

The Central Serengeti, also known as the Seronera region, boasts a network of river valleys that ensure year-round water supplies and keep the region incredibly rich in wildlife. Lush riverine forest along the Seronera River’s banks offers important cover for the elusive leopard. You might even have the chance to witness the Great Migration, with hundreds of thousands of wildebeests, zebras, and Thompson gazelles. No matter where the Great Migration is when you visit, you will always see spectacular wildlife here!

In the late afternoon, proceed to your lodge, arriving just in time to sip a sundowner and review the day's highlights at Serengeti Katikati Tented Camp.

Day 5: Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After breakfast at daybreak, you will start on your outward journey from the Serengeti back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, leaving behind the beautiful Seronera Valley. As predators are livelier in the cooler hours of the day, you might even see them in action.

Lunch will be taken en route at a designated picnic spot. On reaching the crater’s edge, the 19 km-diameter caldera opens up before you in all its stunning glory. This World Heritage Site seasonally hosts over 25,000 animals, including a wide variety of birds, hyenas, and the "Big Five".

Your overnight accommodation is situated only a few hundred meters from the crater's rim, offering a perfect base to explore the Ngorongoro Crater and its surroundings. Enjoy dinner and your overnight stay at Rhino Lodge Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater Tour – Arusha

Today you can look forward to game drives on the Crater floor and guided walking safaris. Known for the Big Five and packs of lions, Ngorongoro promises to be a truly rewarding safari experience while offering the most breathtaking views.

Explore the forest areas inhabited by monkeys and elephants, the lake area where you may see the flamingos, and the open savannah where the lions hunt for food. If you are lucky, you might even have the chance to see the elusive black rhino!

After the exciting adventure, you will be transferred to Arusha for your stay at Mount Meru Hotel.

Day 7-9: Zanzibar

After a sumptuous breakfast, gather your belongings and bid farewell to the African bush as you transfer to Arusha airport for your scheduled flight to Zanzibar.

After an exciting safari, the idea of taking a refreshing swim in the warm turquoise waters, sinking your toes in the white sands, and basking in the beautiful sunshine is a welcoming experience.

Upon arrival at Zanzibar airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Melia Zanzibar Hotel for relaxation. Relax at the beach, and if time allows, enjoy different Zanzibar excursions.

Zanzibar is a town rich in history and culture, so travelers can look forward to unique activities which include a visit to Stone Town, spice tours, and dhow cruises. The hotel is a water sports enthusiast’s dream, with a diving and watersport center on site. Enjoy a number of non-motorized water sports, fishing trips, and beach games.

Day 10: Day of Departure

Today you may wish to take one last walk on the beach before sitting down to enjoy a hearty breakfast. You then bid farewell to the tropical island of Zanzibar and transfer by road back to Zanzibar Airport, where you will connect with your flight to Dar es Salaam.