Manyara in changing light
Groundwater forest, flamingo-flecked water and the chance of tree-climbing lions give this compact park a wonderfully layered first wildlife chapter.
Private ready-to-book journey
10-Day Zanzibar & Serengeti Safari
Arusha · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Zanzibar
A ten-day Tanzania story that begins with the wild's most celebrated stages and settles into the soft, salt-air ease of Zanzibar.
10 days
9 nights
Overview
From the roar of the plains to the hush of the Indian Ocean.
Some journeys are made for contrast. This one moves from the cool green slopes around Arusha through Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the long Serengeti horizon, then changes tempo completely beside Zanzibar's white sand and luminous water.
Your private guide keeps the safari chapters unhurried and beautifully connected. When the Serengeti has said what it came to say, a flight across Tanzania carries you to Nungwi, where days can be as active or as still as you wish.
05
Distinct chapters, gracefully linked
09
Nights from the bush to the beach
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Private guide, vehicle and seamless flight
Highlights
The wild, then the water, at exactly the right pace.
This is not a safari with a beach extension added at the end. It is one journey with two beautifully different rhythms: close wildlife days, then time to breathe beside the Indian Ocean.
A Crater floor full of possibility
Descend into Ngorongoro's ancient caldera for the Big Five, open grassland and a picnic among one of Africa's most concentrated wildlife worlds.
Serengeti, with time to stay awhile
Two full days on the plains let every drive follow the light, the season and your guide's intuition rather than a fixed checklist.
Zanzibar, held lightly
Nungwi offers white sand, clear water, spice-scented evenings and the quiet freedom to make each day as full or as restful as you prefer.
Day by day
A route with room
to become a story.
Follow the journey below. The map will keep pace with each chapter, while the small details stay deliberately open to the rhythm of the wild.
Day 01
Arusha
Arrive gently beneath Mount Meru
At Kilimanjaro International Airport, your Excellent Guides host is waiting to welcome you and bring you through the soft slopes around Mount Meru to Arusha. There is nothing to accomplish today except arriving well: check in, rest and let anticipation collect around dinner. Tanzania's safari capital sits close to the northern parks, yet its coffee gardens, restaurants and market life make a graceful first chapter of its own.
Day 02
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara, bright with birdsong
After breakfast, the road leads to Lake Manyara, where the Rift Valley escarpment, groundwater forest and soda lake create a small but richly textured wilderness. Search the branches for the park's famed tree-climbing lions, then pause for a picnic with the lake and its flamingo light nearby. By afternoon, the day becomes quieter again as you climb into the Ngorongoro highlands for dinner and a well-earned rest.
Day 03
Ngorongoro to Central Serengeti
The Crater, then the endless plains
Descend into Ngorongoro Crater, often called Africa's Garden of Eden, where grassland, lake and forest gather within one extraordinary volcanic bowl. This is among the finest places to look for the Big Five, including the rare black rhinoceros, while lions, buffalo, hippos and birdlife change the scene at every turn. After a picnic on the Crater floor, continue toward the Serengeti, where the horizon opens and your camp welcomes you in time for the evening glow.
Day 04
Central Serengeti
The Serengeti, first in morning light
A full day in the Serengeti begins with breakfast and an unhurried departure into the plains. The Seronera Valley is the classic safari scene: acacia silhouettes, resident big cats and wildlife that seems to appear wherever the eye settles. With a picnic lunch along the way, the day has room to follow a pride of lions, wait with cheetah or simply let the immense scale of the landscape do its work.
Day 05
Central Serengeti
Another day for the plains to surprise
A second full Serengeti day lets the wilderness become familiar in the best sense. Explore another corner of the park, linger with a leopard in the trees or follow the seasonal energy of the Great Migration when the herds are near. The Serengeti is not one landscape but many: the classic central savannah, the wooded Western Corridor and the remote northern reaches toward the Mara. Your guide reads the day and chooses the chapter worth staying with.
Day 06
Nungwi, Zanzibar
From savannah to sea
After a final breakfast among the Serengeti plains, enjoy a short en-route game drive to Seronera Airstrip and fly east to Zanzibar. Your island host meets you on arrival and brings you north to Nungwi. Check in, feel the pace shift and let the sea breeze do the rest. The contrast is part of the pleasure: after the great sweep of the bush, the Indian Ocean offers its own expansive kind of calm.
Day 07
Nungwi, Zanzibar
Zanzibar, held lightly
Wake to breakfast in a quieter rhythm. The day belongs to you: a long swim, a book in the shade, a snorkelling trip or simply the pleasure of doing very little with the ocean in view. Lunch can be wherever the mood takes you, and as afternoon fades, Nungwi's horizon becomes the setting for a slow cocktail and a sunset worth lingering over.
Day 08
Nungwi, Zanzibar
A day shaped by water and sky
Choose how close you would like to be to the water today. Swim in the warm Indian Ocean, snorkel or dive into clear blue depths, or let the beach remain your entire itinerary. Zanzibar rewards unplanned moments too: a quiet stretch of sand, a passing dhow, the small rituals of returning to the shade just when the heat asks you to slow down.
Day 09
Nungwi, Zanzibar
The island after dark
Spend the day entirely at leisure, then let the evening open another Zanzibar chapter. Browse local streets, meet island hosts or follow the scent of spices toward the food markets, where the easy warmth of the coast continues long after sunset. It is a final island night with no need to rush it, only time to enjoy the contrast between the Serengeti's silence and Zanzibar's gentle, sociable energy.
Day 10
Zanzibar departure
A farewell in sea light
Breakfast is served one last time beside the coast before your transfer to Zanzibar Airport. The journey ends without hurry, but the memory of it tends to remain in contrasts: a lion's silhouette at dawn, the cool air above the Crater, the endless Serengeti and the first swim in Zanzibar's clear water. We hope these chapters call you back to Tanzania one day.
Where you'll stay
Hand selected for an
unmatched experience.
From the cool slopes around Arusha to a tent among the Serengeti plains and a north-coast island retreat, every stay is selected to carry the journey forward in its own way.
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Arusha retreat
Arusha Serena Hotel
A tranquil woodland retreat near Lake Duluti, chosen for a soft first landing before the wilderness begins in earnest.
Crater highlands lodge
Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Cool highland air, wide crater-country views and a restful setting before tomorrow's descent into the caldera.
Tented safari camp
Serengeti Signature Luxury Camp
A luxury tented camp in the heart of the Serengeti, with sunset-facing tents, raised decks and the plains always close at hand.
Beach resort
Nungwi Beach Resort by Turaco
A relaxed north-coast base for white sand mornings, warm water and evenings that begin with the island sunset.
What's included
The ease is built in.
The journey is designed so the practical details quietly support the experience. Before travel, we will confirm every element against your exact dates and preferred level of accommodation.
- Full-board accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the safari, plus Zanzibar accommodation on a half-board basis
- All game drives in a custom-built 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up viewing roof
- All national park entrance fees, current government taxes and levies for the safari portion
- The scheduled domestic flight from Seronera to Zanzibar and all ground transfers described in the itinerary
- A professional English-speaking safari guide, bottled drinking water and 24-hour support from the Arusha office
- Government taxes, excluding the Zanzibar Infrastructure Tax payable directly at the hotel
Not included
- International flights, Tanzania entry visa, travel and medical insurance, airport and seaport taxes
- Balloon safaris, optional excursions, snorkelling or diving trips, and ATV or bike adventures
- Hotel services outside the meal plan, including spa treatments, bar services, laundry and hotel activities
- Ferry travel to or from Zanzibar, Zanzibar Infrastructure Tax, visa fees and personal expenses
- Tips for guides, hotel staff and porters, plus meals, drinks and activities not specifically described
Testimonials
In their own words
“Your #1 safari company”My 10-day safari with Excellent Guides was by far the most exciting experience. We saw all of the Big Five, from Arusha to the Serengeti. Our guide Hassan was the best: patient and full of knowledge. I highly recommend this company.
“Priceless experience!”Organising the trip, the lodge and the trek up Kilimanjaro with Excellent Guides was a unique experience. On summit night, my guide's positive motivation and good mood carried me to the top. A mega experience. Thank you!
“Excellent indeed!”Our honeymoon safari and relaxing days in Zanzibar were so much more than we expected. Rajabu is such an experienced, warm-hearted guide. We saw all the Big Five. A memory forever engraved in our minds.
“It seems like a dream”Our guide Jerry was the main reason our safari was so successful. So knowledgeable, with such a love for nature and the animals. How close we came to the wildlife was unbelievable. Everything I dreamed it would be, and more.
“We literally saw everything”The guides were like walking encyclopedias, and they knew where to find the animals, including a cheetah stalking its prey and taking off on an epic run. I truly can't say enough about this company.
“The dream safari”Two wonderful weeks through northern Tanzania. Their professionalism and experience, the smiles always on their faces and their attention to every detail made our honeymoon unique and unforgettable.
“Professionals, great service”Everything was wonderful: the organisation, the hotels and the safari itself. Professionals all the way, excellent service. We recommend them with all our heart.
“Once in a lifetime”Our guide Cosmas was amazing. Knowledgeable about the animals, the geography and the history of the region. The customer service was out of this world. They really spoil you.
“Wow! Unforgettable”We planned the trip for six months with Dearson, who answered every question promptly and personalised the itinerary to our wishes. The hospitality at every camp was outstanding.
“What an experience”Apollo and Ross were fantastic: fun, energetic, knowledgeable and informative. They found the Big Five and took such wonderful care of us throughout our first safari.
“A trip to Eden”We loved travelling through the reserves, watching the wildlife and visiting the tribes. John was kind, deeply knowledgeable and could notice even the most hidden animals.
“Photo Safari”Our guide took us to wonderful places and made the photographic safari exceptional. He was skilled, fun and friendly, and I returned home with beautiful memories and images.
“Smoothly run and professional”Communication was excellent, the ownership was involved and our hotels and lodges were fantastic. From airport pickup to drop-off, everything ran smoothly.
“Amazing week”Our guide was attentive, punctual and remarkable at spotting animals from miles away. He became our eyes, our source of knowledge and our friend throughout the journey.
“Miraculous!”My mum and I had the most incredible time. Travelling through Tarangire and Ngorongoro felt like travelling with a friend who cared deeply about making our experience perfect.
“Four action-packed days”Excellent Guides listened carefully, made every day count and placed us in safe, knowledgeable hands. Their network and respect for the wilderness made the safari extraordinary.
“Excellent!”Communication, preparation, lodges and guiding were all excellent. We especially valued travelling with a Tanzanian-owned company whose guide went the extra mile.
“The perfect honeymoon”We could sit back and enjoy every moment. The lodges were excellent, the vehicle was well maintained and our guide's knowledge and thoughtful approach made the journey faultless.
Make it your own
Ready to pair the plains with the coast?
Share the dates you are considering and the balance you want between wildlife, stillness and island time. We will shape the camps, flights, guiding and beach days into one effortless Tanzania journey.
