[Luxury Option]: Book luxury brand hotels within various attractions on your own. These hotels provide safari vehicles, guided tours, and airport transfer services. Travel between different sites by small plane, as most attractions have nearby airstrips.
[Typical Option for Most Travelers]: You can either book through a domestic travel agency or directly with a local tour operator.
A domestic travel agency acts as an intermediary, coordinating with local African operators on your behalf. Once your itinerary is confirmed, you’ll need to arrange your own flight to Africa, where the local operator will have a driver waiting to pick you up at the airport.
Your tour fee will include a service charge for the domestic agency, covering its profit margin. If you’re busy and don’t mind paying for convenience, using a domestic travel agency can be a good option.
For a more flexible, economical experience with less of an information gap, find a local operator yourself.
Customized safari tours are now well-developed products. After planning your general itinerary, you can search for local operators on websites like safaribooking or safarigo, which provide company reviews and details about their services. You can filter operators with top ratings (5 stars) or follow recommendations shared on social media.
Once you’ve identified some potential options, visit the operators’ websites through links on safaribooking. The websites usually list contact emails (avoid asking for quotes directly on safaribooking, as it charges operators a service fee). Write up your itinerary and requirements, and send inquiry emails to multiple operators.
Keep in mind that quotes can vary significantly. An operator may give one client a reasonable rate while offering another a much higher price. It’s important to collect multiple quotes to compare and find the best deal.
Travel Timing
The African savanna has two main seasons: the dry season (peak season: June to early October, with possible river crossings and almost no mosquitoes) and the wet season (off-peak: heavy rains in April-May, light rains in November-December). Hotel prices, especially for luxury safari lodges, vary significantly between these seasons, as do park fees. In the wet season (though some visitors report no rain), vehicles are more likely to get stuck, and mosquitoes are more prevalent.
Another good time to visit is calving season (January to March), which offers a unique opportunity to see newborn animals.
Transportation to and from the savanna
This is rarely mentioned, but I recommend driving into the savanna and flying out. This way, you avoid backtracking, reduce fatigue, and minimize dust exposure. However, flights from the Serengeti are more expensive than from Arusha, with prices ranging from $150 to $400 per person. Flights from northern airstrips are the most expensive, while flights from the central region are slightly cheaper.
Itinerary Recommendations
Overview of Key Attractions (Based on the Dry Season)
- Tarangire: Known for large elephant herds and iconic baobab trees. Although I didn’t visit, friends reported spotting leopards and lions there.
- Ngorongoro Crater: A massive volcanic caldera with diverse landscapes. It’s a good prelude to the Serengeti, offering a chance to spot various animals. It’s the only place among the Big Five where you are likely to see rhinos.
- Central Serengeti: This region is ideal for leopard sightings, with plenty of lions as well, including cubs and scenes of lions feeding. We also saw both cheetahs and leopards here. The grasslands are relatively yellow, with fewer trees, making it easier to spot wildlife. There are numerous antelope species as well. I recommend staying at least two nights in this area.
- Northern Serengeti: The main attraction in the north during the dry season is the river crossings. Leopard sightings are rare here, as the dense tree cover provides excellent hiding places. River crossings can happen daily due to the sheer number of wildebeests—once a group gathers, they will cross. Peak crossing time is usually during the summer, but in 2024, the wildebeests returned to the Serengeti from the Maasai Mara earlier than usual due to heavier rains in the north. Aside from the crossings, you’ll encounter plenty of zebras and giraffes. If river crossings aren’t a priority, one night in the northern Serengeti is sufficient.
There are also Lake Manyara and Lake Natron, which you can consider based on the time of your visit and reviews from other travelers. For our trip, we focused primarily on the highlights of the Serengeti.
Tanzania also offers the beautiful island of Zanzibar. As an island in the Indian Ocean, it boasts stunning jelly-blue waters and white sandy beaches. This was one of the reasons we chose a safari in Tanzania—ending a dusty safari adventure with a few relaxing days on a tropical island is a perfect way to unwind.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Entrance Fee: $70.8 per person per day (even if passing through the next day, you must buy a new ticket).
- Crater Entry: $295 per vehicle for 6 hours.
- Vehicle Fee: Approximately $16 per vehicle per day.
- Driver Fee: Approximately $5 per driver.
If you stay overnight in the conservation area, you save on the next day’s transit fee but incur an overnight fee, which is roughly the same amount.
Serengeti
- Entrance Fee:
- Peak Season: $82.6 per person per day.
- Off-Season: $70.8 per person per day.
- Concession Fee (Overnight in Park Lodges):
- Peak Season: $70.8 per person per night.
- Off-Season: $59 per person per night.
- Vehicle Fee: Approximately $16 per vehicle per day.
- Driver Fee: Approximately $2 per driver.
Recommended Routes for Different Seasons
Dry Season (Peak Season):
Many common routes start and end in Arusha, but for the dry season, this means circling the entire savanna, resulting in long, tiring drives with little to see along the way, accompanied by dust clouds. This leaves less time for actual safari activities in the Serengeti. For shorter trips, such as 6 days and 5 nights, the journey can be especially exhausting.
The roads are extremely bumpy, particularly between Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, with heavy dust even penetrating N95 masks. Although rain in 2024 has slightly improved the road conditions between central and northern Serengeti, the ride remains rough.
Therefore, it is recommended to drive into the park and fly out, avoiding backtracking. This is especially useful if you plan to relax in Zanzibar afterward.
If you are concerned about flying on domestic planes (which some travelers worry about, though most find it the easiest option), you can still opt to drive back to Arusha—but be prepared for a tiring journey.
I also recommend visiting Ngorongoro early in the itinerary, as it serves as a “starter” according to guides. After exploring the Serengeti, Ngorongoro may feel underwhelming, except for the chance to spot rhinos.
Suggested Route:
- Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha or Karatu (Note: Karatu is a 3-4 hour drive from the airport but less than an hour from Ngorongoro, making it convenient to avoid crowds in the morning)
- Optional: Tarangire (depending on your schedule and interest)
- Ngorongoro – Central Serengeti – Northern Serengeti
- Fly from Kogatende (Northern Serengeti Airport) to Zanzibar or Arusha Airport
Cost Considerations:
Flying from the northern Serengeti to Zanzibar is $300-400 per person more expensive than flying from Arusha. It’s best to book early through your local operator, especially during peak season. If you wish to save on costs, consider staying at more affordable lodges, as some high-end hotels offer poor value for the price. However, not backtracking allows for a more relaxed safari experience.
Calving Season / Rainy Season:
During this period, animals are more concentrated in the southern and central Serengeti.
Suggested Route:
- Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha or Karatu (3-4 hours from the airport, but less than an hour from Ngorongoro for an early start)
- Optional: Tarangire (depending on schedule and interest)
- Ngorongoro – Southern Serengeti – Central Serengeti
- Fly from Seronera (Central Serengeti Airport) to Zanzibar
Cost Considerations:
Flights from Seronera are more frequent than those from the northern airstrips and cost $150-230 more per person than flights from Arusha. There are more time slot options, and the flight to Zanzibar takes about 1.5 hours. You can also book flights directly through travel agency websites. Choosing this route eliminates the need for the bumpy drive back to Arusha from central Serengeti.
