Tanzania Safari Itinerary This Summer (?)

Hi there, I’ve reached out to a few agencies for a week-long family safari next summer before heading to Zanzibar.

So far, the itinerary looks like this: Day 1: Late arrival at JRO and overnight in Arusha Day 2: Drive to Tarangire, park visit, and overnight in Tarangire Day 3: Tarangire, drive to and overnight in Karatu Day 4: Ngorongoro and overnight in Ngorongoro Day 5: Drive to Serengeti and safari in Seronera Day 6: Serengeti and overnight near Lobo Day 7: Serengeti and overnight in Seronera Day 8: Flight from Seronera to Zanzibar

On paper, it covers "everything," but maybe there’s a bit too much time lost on the road... Any alternatives?

To simplify (and cut costs), I was thinking: Day 1: Late arrival at JRO and overnight in Arusha Day 2: Arusha National Park with a walking safari and meeting the Maasai (?) Day 3: Drive to Tarangire, park visit, and overnight in Tarangire Day 4: Full day in Tarangire Day 5: Tarangire, drive to and overnight in Karatu Day 6: Ngorongoro and overnight in Ngorongoro Day 7: Morning in Manyara or Natron and drive to JRO Day 8: Flight to Zanzibar

Your thoughts and recommendations are welcome... Thanks

Hey Manu,

Back in 2016, we did a route somewhat similar to your first suggestion (though we didn’t stay overnight in Tarangire—maybe that was a mistake—and we didn’t go to Serengeti but to the southern part around Ndutu, which meant a mandatory drive back to catch our flight).

If you're interested, you can check out the travel journal I put together at the time 😉

Hi Manu,

You already asked about this trip last October. I replied to you then. I won’t rewrite what I already said, which is still relevant. https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10791382#10791382

You’re trying to do too much in a week with long distances.

In your "Plan 1," you’ll spend more time on the roads, traveling between places, than actually in the reserves observing animals. !! If you want to see a lot of wildlife, you need to spend a lot of time in one chosen reserve and explore its "corners"... You could spend the whole trip in different parts of the Serengeti. (With maybe a day at Manyara on the way there.)

For me, Ngorongoro was the only (major) disappointment in 7 safari trips to Tanzania.... Lake Natron would take you way out of your way.

In the second plan, you mention meeting the Maasai. Did you know this community practices female genital mutilation (FGM) on girls as young as 6–8 years old? Everyone has their own values, but personally, I refuse to visit people who practice this abomination.

Don’t forget that all Tanzanian airlines are on the Civil Aviation blacklist!! There’s a post about this in the forum.

I don’t claim to have the absolute truth. What I’m writing is just my personal opinion.

Best regards,

Puma2A

"Do a FEW (reserves), but do them WELL!!"

...

Thanks Muriel, What a lovely travel journal—it’s really inspiring! We’ll share our story (and maybe add a day or two...)

As Philippe Noiret said: "Travel is short. Let’s try to do it first class."

Hi there,

In 2022, I did your itinerary, minus the Serengeti, which seemed too far for us. That made for 3 full days of safari. With the ages of our kids at the time (8 and 12), we found it was enough, since there are quite a few downtimes during a safari, and it can get a bit long. I absolutely recommend spending a night inside a park. The early morning departure from the Tarangire camp was magical 🙂

Thanks for your input!

We’ll stick with itinerary #1 but add a rest day upon arrival with a walking tour in Arusha National Park. It’ll be a good way to ease into things. We’ll spend 1 night in Tarangire and 3 nights in the Serengeti (plus 2 nights near Ngorongoro). And since we’re flying out of the Serengeti, we won’t have to do the return trip...

Hi,

Honestly, spending just one night at Tarangire isn’t worth it. In my personal opinion, it’s the most beautiful reserve in northern Tanzania. It deserves (a lot) more time. Going to Tarangire means taking a detour from the rest of your itinerary. It’d be better to spend that time exploring the Serengeti more thoroughly, especially its central and northern zones.

Cheers,

Puma2A

...

With the current setup, we have: - 1.5 days in Tarangire - 1 day in Ngorongoro (6 hours on site) - 2.5 days in Serengeti

From the lodge in Arusha to the lodge in Karatu, it's a 3-hour drive (for 160 km). Adding Tarangire means an extra 2 hours of round-trip driving (for 120 km of paved road).

It’s not a "steep" price to pay for discovering Tarangire.

In the current setup, we have: - 1.5 days in Tarangire It’s not "expensive" for discovering Tarangire.

I’ll admit I don’t quite get the meaning of "not expensive"... , ,, Oh well.

For me, having done this kind of trip twice before—starting from Arusha and its traffic jams—you’ll get half a day of safari, one night, and another half day of safari before heading to Ngorongoro. And that’s way too little—at least for my personal taste—to really enjoy Tarangire’s charms. (Reminder: the entry fee per person is for 24 hours, and now, with the computerized system in Tanzania, if you’re even a minute over, you have to pay for another 24 hours...) Better to spend that time in the Serengeti, which, from south to north, also deserves more than 2.5 days of safari....!!

Have a great trip and happy discoveries. If you’re a fan of wild nature, do LESS, but do it WELL!

Puma2a

Hi there,

I got back last Thursday from my first trip to Tanzania (10-day safari), which I booked after seeing an ad on another travelers' forum.

Two disappointments for me: - Manyara Park, where rising water levels—like in some Kenyan lakes—leave only a small area to explore. - Ngorongoro: vehicles everywhere, herbivores, lions from a distance (100 m), and a rhino at 300 meters. The easiest option? Stop at the viewpoint on the road to the Serengeti to see the caldera from above and call it a day... Best,

Hello!

Thanks for sharing your itinerary—it sounds like an amazing safari adventure! You're right, long drives can be tiring, so your simplified plan is a great idea. By focusing on the main parks like Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti, you’ll see plenty of wildlife without spending too much time on the road.

After your safari, Zanzibar is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the stunning beaches, spice farms, and the unique culture of Stone Town. If you'd like, I can give you tips on quiet beaches, boutique accommodations, and authentic experiences to make your stay unforgettable.

Don’t hesitate to ask any questions about Zanzibar—I’d be happy to help you plan the most enjoyable part of your trip!

Best regards, Aisha