Serengeti to Zanzibar Overland Safari & Participation Camping
9 days, Arusha to Stone Town
Itinerary Notes
Please note this is a camping level trip which means you will be camping most nights with some basic hotel/hostel stays to start and end the tour. Campsite facilities in Africa are generally good, but can be basic in certain places. Despite the challenge that a few days “roughing it” may pose to some, the experience of being that close to nature, camping under the African stars, and seeing incredible wildlife at your tent door-step is not just gratifying, but ultimately an experience of a lifetime.
When arranging your transportation, such as flights, please take into consideration the below time restrictions for joining and departing from your group. With these times, we have taken into account travel time to/from the airport in the given destination and required time for check-in or baggage collection/immigration.
Itinerary
Day 1Arusha
Arrive at any time.
Tonight after a brief welcome meeting, choose to get to know your group members with an optional group dinner at a nearby local restaurant in Arusha
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Comfort Eland Hotel (or similar)
Day 2Arusha/Serengeti National Park
Prepare for a wildlife safari experience in one of the most famous national parks in Africa; the Serengeti. Travel from Arusha and begin a 3-day, 2-night excursion with a safari drive through the park.
The Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater portion of the trip will make use of specialized 4x4 7-seater safari vehicles, with experienced safari driver/guides, who will ensure wonderful wildlife encounters. The safari vehicles each have sliding windows and a large pop-up roof, perfect for viewing animals and scenery. The group will split up among several vehicles and your CEO will spend time in each vehicle over the next three days.
Serengeti National Park Safari
This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.
7-Seat 4x4 Safari Vehicle
Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.
Accommodation
Seronera Campsite (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 3Serengeti National Park/Ngorongoro
Head out on a final morning safari in the Serengeti before continuing on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, famous for its magnificent wildlife viewing opportunities. Set up camp in the late afternoon near the crater rim and simply soak in this beautiful setting.
Please note: if you have pre-booked the Serengeti Balloon Safari, today's the day for this activity! The CEO will give the final confirmation, as it is subject to change. You will miss the included morning wildlife safari drive with the group, but you will have a much better view from above! If you have not yet pre-booked, add it to your checkout page, or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Due to the high-altitude location of our camp, temperatures can drop at night. We recommend bringing extra layers to wear during the evening and following morning.
Serengeti National Park Safari
This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.
7-Seat 4x4 Safari Vehicle
Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
Serengeti Balloon Safari
Spirited aloft in a hot-air balloon, view the wildlife and terrain of the Serengeti that only the birds see. Enjoy a champagne breakfast and keep that shutter-finger good and limber—you’ll be using it plenty over the course of your hour in the air.
Accommodation
Simba Campsite (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4Ngorongoro/Arusha
Adventure down to the crater floor for a final safari experience in an area surrounded by the high walls. Exit the crater in the late morning and drive in the 4x4 safari vehicles back to Arusha. Stop along the way at Mto wa Mbu for a cultural walk and experience daily life in this rural town. Then, sit down for a traditional lunch with members from the local community.
7-Seat 4x4 Safari Vehicle
Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.
Ngorongoro Crater Wildlife Safari Drive
Set the alarm and prepare for an early start to see the wonders of the Ngorongoro Crater. Masai herdsmen appear in the morning mist. Our driver/guide takes us down into the crater and drives us to all the best spots to view wildlife. Watch for zebra, gazelles, buffalo, and warthogs. The swamp and forest are home to hippos, rhinos, elephants, baboons, and monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled and camera ready to capture a pride of lions or a lone leopard walking along the savanna.
Your G for Good Moment: Mto wa Mbu Community Visit and Lunch
Take part in a cultural walk to learn about life in this East African town. Mto wa Mbu has attracted some 18,000 residents from 120 different tribes. During the two-hour tour, visit the community's local market, go right to the farmer's fields, see how huts are constructed, and meet artisans in their shops.
Afterwards, sit down with our new friends and enjoy a traditional lunch of meat and plantains.
Accommodation
Comfort Eland Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 5Arusha/Dar es Salaam
Depart from Arusha early in your private vehicle towards Dar es Salaam. Enjoy the Tanzanian countryside passing by and be on the lookout for the blue waters of the Indian Ocean in the distance. The group will spend the night in this port town before transferring to the island beaches of Zanzibar.
Want to cut travel time in half and spend more time in Stone Town? Pre-book the Zanzibar Express on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour.
Zanzibar Express; transfer this morning from your Arusha hotel to the airport for a scenic flight to Zanzibar. Arrive in Stone Town and spend the afternoon exploring on your own. Enjoy an extra night in Stone Town and meet back up with the group the following day. Only breakfast included.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Zanzibar Express
Looking forward to your trip but not as much to the long journey from Arusha to Zanzibar? Upgrade this part of your tour and fly instead! You’ll cut your travel time between the two cities to a fraction and enjoy an extra night in Stone Town, where you can wait (nice and relaxed) for the rest of your group to join you. Includes all transfers, local flight, and one additional hotel night in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
Accommodation
Kipepeo Beach Village (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 6Dar es Salaam/Stone Town
Hop on the ferry in the morning to the picturesque island beaches of Zanzibar and spend the remainder of the day enjoying the sandy shores of this archipelago paradise. Set off on an orientation walk with your CEO in Stone Town.
Zanzibar is a Muslim society. Immodestly dressed women or men in shorts will get harassed and cause great offence in Stone Town. On the beach, customs are a little more relaxed, but travellers are encouraged to be respectful of the island's culture and cover up when walking around. Never try to take a photograph without asking permission.
Ferry
Get to the next spot on your route aboard a convenient and efficient ferry boat.
Free Time
Feel free to explore on your own, or join a guided tour.
Stone Town Orientation Walk
This orientation walk is just a brief introduction. If you'd like to learn more in depth information about Stone Town, we recommended going on a guided city tour.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Stone Town Walking Tour
15USD per personEnjoy a walking tour along the bustling narrow streets of Stone Town and admire the historical old buildings and homes that are part of a preservation program funded by UNESCO and the Aga Khan Foundation. Also, visit the historical site of the slave market and learn about this dark aspect of history. Continue to the local fruits and vegetable market, fish market, Tip tipu house, and National Museum.
Christ Church Cathedral & Old Slave Market
5USD per personTour the site of what was once one of East Africa's most notorious slave markets, and the Anglican cathedral that was constructed in its place.
Sultan's Palace Museum
3USD per personTour this opulent palace built by the second sultan of Zanzibar in 1883 as an extravagant Arab mansion.
Accommodation
Spice Palace Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 7Beach day in Zanzibar
Explore the heart of Zanzibar on your own. Walk the winding streets, visit the various squares, and choose to try some tasty treats from pavement vendors. The group will travel to the tropical haven of Jambiani for the next few days.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Settle into island life and explore during some free time.
Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow
Swimming
Grab your bathing suit and go for a refreshing swim.
Jozani Forest Tour
36-160USD per personKnown for the red colobus monkeys, a visit Jozani forest is a highlight when in Zanzibar. Explore the nature trails while following in the footsteps of a guide who will inform about the impressive flora and fauna surrounding you.
Accommodation
S&S Hotel Jambiani (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Beach day in Zanzibar
Spend a free day in one of the world’s great cultural crossroads. Choose to partake in a diving experience, go snorkelling, hop aboard a sailing trip, or lounge on the beach listening to the nearby lapping waves in this East African paradise.
Free Time
Do as much or as little as you'd like on this island slice of paradise.
Accommodation
S&S Hotel Jambiani (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Stone Town
Travel back to Stone Town from the other side of the island. The tour ends in the late morning upon arrival.
Morning group transfer from the beach. Depart Stone Town upon arrival in the late morning. Onward travel should be booked no earlier than 2:30pm.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.