The Serengeti Safari in Tanzania is an amazing vacation package mixing safari and beach holidays. You will visit Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti Natioanl Parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you can spot wild animals and enjoy the flora. Then, the vacation continues to white Zanzibar beaches where you can relax and unwind until the last day.
SAFARI IN SHORT
- The trip will last 14 days
- Professional guide and 4x4 jeep
- Destinations: Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar
- Activities: game drives and natural walks
- Lunch: pic-nic inside the parks
- Breakfast and Dinner: at the Lodge
- Type: classic private safari
- Tour operator based in Arusha
Day 1 - Welcome to Tanzania and transfer to Arusha city
Our safari guide will be waiting for you at the airport and we proceed driving to Arusha city, known as the safari capital. If you have time you can experience a town tour, otherwise you can relax at the lodge.
Day 2 - Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, we will depart to Tarangire National Park where the adventure will start with our first game drive. The name “Tarangire” is the combination of the Tara River and "Ngiri," the Swahili word meaning "warthog". The park is famous for huge herds of elephants, African pythons, and mastodontic baobab trees. We will have a picnic lunch inside Tarangire National Park while dinner and an overnight stay will be at the lodge.
Day 3 - Lake Manyara National Park
The safari proceeds to Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive. Lake Manyara is one of the most stunning Tanzanian Parks with different environments in a relatively small area. The Lake Manyara National Park is one of the Tanzanian parks with the highest biodiversity. In an area of only 330 kilometers (of which 230 kilometers are occupied by the lake), there are five different ecosystems. The park is inhabited by over 380 types of birds and a big number of animal species, including elephants, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, leopards, lions, baboons, hippos, antelopes, warthogs, and so many others. We will have a picnic lunch while dinner and overnight stay will be at the lodge.
Optional Activity: Mto wa Mbu village visit.
Optional Activity: Treetop Walkway.
Optional Activity: Night Game Drive in Lake Manyara National Park.
Day 4 - Serengeti National Park
Today we will reach the Serengeti National Park crossing Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you can take marvelous photos and have a picnic lunch. Once we reach the park entrance, you will have time to climb to the viewpoint near Naabi Gate where you can have a panoramic view of the plain and take marvelous photos. The game drive opportunities will continue in the Serengeti until we reach the lodge or the tented camp for dinner. The Serengeti National Park is the most famous in Tanzania and well known all over the world. It is renowned for its boundless lowlands, the migration of the wildebeests, the pride of lions and the other raiders, such as hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, jackals and crocodiles. The name “Serengeti” means “Endless Plain,” which is evident based on its environment.
Optional Activity: Maasai Boma visit
Optional Activity: Olduvai Gorge visit
Day 5 - Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, we will spend a full day witnessing the wild fauna in Serengeti National Park with a picnic lunch or hot lunch at the lodge. This park is one of the more aspired destinations in the world for its lowlands and the huge presence of wild animals, typical of the sub-Saharan savannah. There will be dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.
Optional Activity: Sunrise Balloon Safari in Serengeti.
Day 6 - Ngorongoro Crater
We will explore the Ngorongoro Crater and the surrounding area. This is one of the most evocative landscapes in the world where we can spot the dormant volcano and the nature that surrounds it. In the park, it will be possible to see the "Big Five:" elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards and rhinos. However, you should pay attention to the 30,000 animals and a great variety of birds in that area.
Day 7 - Transfer to Zanzibar
After breakfast, we proceed to Arusha Airport. On the way, we can stop for shopping or walk around in the local village. You can catch a domestic flight to Zanzibar and a private transfer to your beach resort.
Optional Activity: Iraqw Boma visit.
Day 8 to Day 14 - Zanzibar
Relax and unwind on Zanzibar Beach. Besides the sea and the beaches, you can opt to visit Stone Town, the spice plantations, snorkel, dive, and canoe.
Further Services
- Hot Air Baloon Safari in Serengeti
- Night Game Drive Safari in Manyara Park
- Visit Maasai Boma Village
- Bycicle trip in the wild
- Immersive walking tour in the forest
- Walking tour to Lake Duluti
- Horseback riding
Accommodations
Accommodation in Tanzania divided into two categories, which are, lodges and camps ranging from budget, midrange, semi-luxury and luxury categories. These accommodation properties can be divided further to the lodges, located within and the other located outside protected areas. If you think you have enough budget we recommend an overnight inside protected areas however if the budget is low then we recommend overnight outside protected areas. In addition, if you are interested in camping, still this option is possible however; the bathroom and shower are on a shared basis. Depending on the client’s request and budget, we will advise the best accommodations that will meet and even exceed customer satisfaction.
Prices
The cost for the family safari depends on the package the customer wants especially with accommodation. The family can choose whether they want a luxury safari that has a high price or a mid-range safari which has a low price.
For the safari vehicle and private safari guide, the prices are fixed unless if the family has many people as this will lower the price down compared to the family with few people.
Park entrance fee is always constant depending on the park the family will be wanting to do the safari. For Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park, the entrance fee is 60 USD per person while for Serengeti National Park is 83 USD per person and for Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance fee is 71 USD per person. Child entrance fee is different depending on the age of a child.
The family can spend their money depending on the type of accommodation they want to use during the safari. The family will have to spend much on accommodation luxury because these are lodges and camps that are located at beautiful and amazing locations with a nice view also they have very good services that are reasonable to their price. But if the family has a low budget, can book with the mid-range lodges, camps, or tents and will also enjoy the safari and game drives as well.
Where to go in Tanzania on Your Family Safari
Tanzania with major four circuits of Tourism; Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Circuits all are good for family safaris. But, from our experience, we strongly recommend Northern Circuit due to plenty availability of accommodations that can fit your family. If you are traveling with children, we strongly recommend mid-range and luxury accommodations especially with swimming pools and playing rooms for children. Budget and camping accommodations might not be good for children due to the low-quality services provided. We don’t recommend camping because toilets and showers are shared and this is not good for children's health. The Northern Circuit is a famous and loved circuit by many tourists because it has the best parks in Tanzania such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Kilimanjaro, and Arusha parks.
Furthermore, if you are planning a family safari especially with children to Tanzania, we advise you to consider the season and research the weather conditions for Tanzania. Rain season months here is from late December to mid-May and is not a good time to travel with children because sometimes car can get stuck in the muddy. Stacking in the middle of the bush might be a challenging situation to handle children especially if it will take some hours to be rescued. From June to mid-November is the dry season here and this is the best season we can recommend you to travel with your family. Also remember to come prepared with adequate clothing, here we provide a link for you read about what you should bring
Family Game Drives
Game drives in most of the popular parks like Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti are appealing exceptional. You will spot varieties of animals and good scenery in the parks. In addition to that, there are areas that offer cultural activities such as Lake Eyasi, Mto wa Mbu and Maasai village found in Ngorongoro.
Travel to Zanzibar with Your Family
It’s with no doubt that, Zanzibar is the best place in the world for beach relaxation. A Zanzibar vacation is simply fantastic for families. It’s safe, and there are plenty of activities for kids to do. Once you arrive, the transfers are quick and easy, just a few minutes to your hotel in Stone town or at most an hour and a half to the furthest beach resorts. There are many resorts and hotels there that cater specifically to families with kids. You will meet charming staff, family rooms, private bungalows, and villas, and even specially supervised children’s activities so you can lie undisturbed on the beach. Here we list a few activities you can do with your family there; Stone Town tour and stock up on souvenirs, visit a spice plantation, meet a giant tortoise at Prison Island, spot dolphins on a traditional dhow, visit the Rock Restaurant, spot red colobus monkeys at Jozani Forest, go seaweed farming with local women. There are plenty of family activities there just we mentioned a few above. At Savannah Explorers Explorers, we have a special price for family tours in Zanzibar, just contact us for an unforgettable family safari experience.
Safari with Kids
Tanzania safari with kids is a perfect and life-changing experience for the family. Kids can have time to learn about different cultures, activities concerning wildlife while enjoying the safari far from home. Kids will have time to play depending on how they are feeling and games available at the places they will be visiting. These kinds of safari are the ways to introduce children of different ages to wildlife in its natural environment.
For a family safari that includes kids, we prefer a short safari that can be specifically designed for kids by including activities like junior ranger activities, fish, butterfly, and insect catch and release. These kids’ activities can be done while parents are enjoying some rest.
For a good safari with kids, a family has to choose or book the lodge that will provide kids’ activities. This can be done by tour operators who are aware of the accommodation providers who provide this kind of service.
Traveling here with children under 6 years
Tanzania is best destination in Africa for family safaris. It’s very easy to find here the best accommodations especially with swimming pools to fit children under 6 years. Let you and your family come to Tanzania to experience wildlife, history, people, culture and beach holidays in Zanzibar. Tanzania is safe for children under 6 years considering that Malaria is not common especially in the northern circuit. We should alert you that sometimes it’s possible to get Malaria, and for this reason we advise you to carry Malaria pills and Mosquito Repellents. We go extra mile to protect you and your family especially by making sure that all accommodations we are suggesting offer mosquito nets and sprays inside the room. If you are travelling with children under 6 years, then we don’t recommend safaris that take long drive due to rough and bumpy roads here.
Furthermore, safari with Serengeti usually involve long drive hence we recommend you fly in and out. It’s also possible to drive and our safari driver will be driving slowly. At Savannah Explorers, we usually provide baby seats inside the car to make them comfortable. All in all, if you want your children to enjoy more safari in Tanzania, we recommend you choose national parks that are near to each other in order to avoid long drive. Those national parks are Arusha Np, Tarangire, Manyara and Ngorongoro. We recommend you choose Ngorongoro Marera Mountain View Lodge https://mareraviewlodge.com/ located next to Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Karatu Village. This lodge has best environment for children especially good swimming pool and special children playing room.
Frequently Answer Question About Family Safari
We list the common questions about the family safari in Tanzania. If you have other questions or need more information you can contact our office.
When should we travel for our family safari?
We prefer the family to travel during the low season. This helps them to avoid crowds and have an affordable budget.
How old should my kids be to go on safari?
Children's ages are not the limit for them to go for the safari unless if the family has booked with the accommodation provider that has an age limit for kids.
How much does a family safari cost?
Cost of the family safari depends on different factors like the budget of the family, season, and type of accommodation they will use.
Is it dangerous to take kids on safari?
Travel with kids is not dangerous at all especially if you have booked with the right camps and right guides. Tour operators always prepare a nice and good itinerary that has a safe and good route for the family to have a safe and enjoyable safari.
If one gets sick while on safari, how will he or she be treated or get a doctor?
There are AMREF Flying Doctors who are always there to help in case any member of the family needs medical care while on safari.
Which vaccines should the family get before a safari?
For both adults and children do not need to take vaccines but can come with insect repellants especially mosquitos.
Apart from game drives, what other activities can a family do?
To do or get activities other than game drive for the family depends on the lodge or camp that the family has booked. This is because accommodation sectors provide different activities like walking safari and children games.
Does Zanzibar have safari?
For relaxation at the beach after the safari, Zanzibar is the better place for a family to visit while in Tanzania due to its magnificent beaches. Also, accommodation in Zanzibar is well organized and suits a family safari to enjoy relaxation and other beach activities including kid’s activities. Children will always want to go to the beach to play with white sand while adults can relax or go swimming or diving in the ocean. Activities like stone town and spice tour can be a memorable tour for the family to this romantic and beautiful island.
Due to the distance between Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, we recommend the family to start with a safari on the mainland to visit National parks and enjoy the wildlife then after the safari they will take a domestic flight to Zanzibar for relaxation, recovering and resting after the safari.
Also, safari to Zanzibar is cheaper than the safari to the mainland as it does not include parks entrance fees.
Is Tanzania good for families?
Tanzania is a wonderful tourist destination among countries in Africa henceforth ideal for family safari. It offers fantastic experience in both flora and fauna, cultural activities including Maasai, datoga. hadzabe tribes. In addition, after being into adventure clients may proceed with beach relaxation and other activities that found there.
Is a Tanzania family safari safe for children?
Tanzania is fantastic for family safaris. Children of all ages are welcome in Tanzania however, we normally recommend children from 6 years age and above. This is because safari in the national parks involve using the bumpy roads and sometimes a lot of dust so at least children from 6 years will endure those kind of adventures.