Short Trip
- Safari: 3-4 safari days
- Zanzibar: 3 beach nights
- Best for: Tight calendars and high-impact first trips
- Tradeoff: Less room for park-to-park variety.
Tanzania & Zanzibar
Safari and Zanzibar Beach Holidays
Plan a private Tanzania safari and beach holiday with one seamless itinerary. We build custom itineraries combining wildlife and coast for couples, families, and first-time travelers.
- Private 4x4 safari with a dedicated driver-guide
- Handpicked safari lodges and Zanzibar beach stays
- Tailored itinerary and quote within 12 hours
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CURATED ITINERARIES
Tanzania Safari and Beach Itineraries for 2026
Pick a starting point and adapt it to your dates, budget band, and comfort level. Every trip is private and adjustable.
Most Popular
Best Value
Family
Honeymoon
Beach Focus
How Many Days for Safari vs Beach
8-10 total nights is the sweet spot for a safari and beach holiday. This gives enough safari depth without turning your beach stay into a rushed add-on.
Best Balance
Most Popular
- Safari: 4-5 safari days
- Zanzibar: 4-5 beach nights
- Best for: Balanced wildlife time and real beach downtime
- Tradeoff: Needs disciplined transfer planning.
Two-Week Feel
- Safari: 6-7 safari days
- Zanzibar: 5-6 beach nights
- Best for: Relaxed pacing and slower travel days
- Tradeoff: Higher total budget due to added nights.
If your trip is under 8 nights: keep at least three full safari days, then shorten beach nights first. Cutting safari too far creates long transfer days with limited game-drive value.
Best Safari Routes to Combine With Zanzibar Beach
Northern Circuit is the easiest route for first-timers, while fly-in options save significant transfer time if your budget allows.
Recommended
Northern Circuit
For first-time travelers, pair Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, and optional Serengeti before flying to Zanzibar.
Strong wildlife density with efficient routing for first visits
Fewer lodge moves than fragmented park combinations
Easy to scale from short to longer private itineraries
Short Safari Route
When total nights are tight, focus on one or two parks and protect full game-drive blocks.
Lower transfer burden and fewer check-ins
Delivers a high-quality first safari
You skip deeper Serengeti time to keep pace comfortable
Fly-In Safari Option
Pay for internal flights when you want more wildlife time and fewer road hours.
Best for premium pacing and limited annual leave
Useful for honeymoon and comfort-focused itineraries
Pairs well with a drive-in, fly-out structure to reduce fatigue
Planning around the Great Migration? Explore our Serengeti safaris
Choosing the Right Beach Area
Choose beach location by swimming conditions, atmosphere, and transfer time from your arrival point, not by photos alone.
Quiet / Romantic
Lower-key beach stretches with slower evenings
Good fit for honeymoon pacing and privacy
Prioritize smaller resorts and shorter activity lists
Best Swimming
Choose areas known for easier tide windows
Check seaweed season and reef timing by month
Ask for beach transfer times before finalizing a resort
Best for Families
Calmer water and flexible meal setup matter most
Keep safari pacing moderate before beach days
Pick properties with room layouts that suit children
Lively / Restaurants
More dining options and social atmosphere nearby
Useful if you want activity beyond the resort
Expect more movement and less privacy than quiet zones
Add 1 Night in Stone Town or Skip It?
Add one Stone Town night if you want cultural context, a smoother flight schedule, or a short urban stop before beach time. Skip it when your priority is maximum beach recovery and minimal hotel switching.
What a Real Travel Day Looks Like
Transfers are the deciding factor in itinerary quality. When combining safari and beach, at least one inter-island or domestic transfer takes a half day once check-in, road legs, and handover time are included.
Safari First, Then Beach
The default sequence for most travelers. Game drives come first, beach recovery at the end.
Works well when safari starts from northern Tanzania
Beach nights become a natural decompression block
Helps avoid ending with long overland transfers
Beach First, Then Safari
Best when flight timings or fixed events put beach days first.
Works for fixed inbound flight schedules
Keep at least one buffer window before safari starts
Best when internal flights are confirmed early
Flight Anchor
Arusha is the planning anchor for northern circuit safari connections.
Transfer Rule
Avoid stacking a long road leg and airport transfer into one tight same-day chain.
Fatigue Reducer
A drive-in, fly-out structure delivers better pacing than full round-trip road routing.
Common Planning Mistakes
Trying to combine long road transfers with same-day domestic flights
Underestimating transfer windows between airstrips, airports, and hotels
Overloading short itineraries with too many park moves
Choosing beach location before checking actual transfer time impact
What Does a Safari and Beach Holiday Cost in 2026?
Prices vary mainly by lodge tier, season, and internal flight usage. Use these as planning bands, then refine with your exact dates and route preferences.
Budget
$350-$500
per person / day planning range
Camping or value lodges, road-based routing, limited internal flights.
Mid-Range
$500-$850
per person / day planning range
Private lodges and beach hotels with balanced comfort and transfer flow.
Luxury
$900-$1,800+
per person / day planning range
Premium camps/resorts, stronger flight usage, and higher seasonal pricing.
What Drives the Price
Park fees are fixed
Government fees do not change with accommodation tier.
Accommodation level
Lodge and resort category is the largest variable.
Private vehicle and guide
Private-only safari setup adds flexibility and cost compared with join groups.
Internal flights vs driving
Flights increase price and improve pacing by reducing road hours.
Zanzibar board basis
Meal plan and resort category shift total package cost materially.
When to Visit Tanzania and Zanzibar
There is no single perfect month. Match your travel window to your priorities: easier logistics, seasonal wildlife focus, or better-value pricing.
Dry Season
June to October
Who it suits: Best for consistent wildlife viewing and straightforward road logistics.
Tradeoff: Peak travel demand and higher rates in many properties.
Calving Window
January to February
Who it suits: Strong safari focus for travelers prioritizing seasonal herd behavior.
Tradeoff: Route design is critical, and premium inventory tightens quickly.
Green Season
March to May
Who it suits: Best-value pricing and greener landscapes with lower visitor density.
Tradeoff: Weather variability affects transfer timing and day structure.
Choose Your Travel Style
Start with your safari comfort band, then match the Zanzibar stay style to the pace you want after game drives.
Safari Style
Camping
Maximize game-drive days on a tighter budget. Best if you’re comfortable with simpler infrastructure.
Mid-Range
Private comfort without premium pricing. Strong default for first safari-and-beach trips.
Luxury
Smoother pacing with upgraded logistics. Pairs well with internal flights and longer beach stays.
Zanzibar Stay Style
Boutique Half-Board
Flexibility for off-property meals and outings. Great for couples and mixed activity days.
All-Inclusive
Predictable spend, minimal planning. Well-suited for families and longer beach stays.
Villa-Style
Maximum privacy and space. Ideal for groups, multi-generational trips, or milestones.
Plan Your Safari and Beach Holiday
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What Travellers Say
Genuine reviews from our guests and partner operators.
“A GREAT SAFARI EXPERIENCE¡¡😍😍”
My family and I took part in a nine-day safari in Kenya and Tanzania, and it was truly an amazing experience. I've seen all of the Big Five in the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Every day is a new experience, with beautiful scenery and amazing food. Lights on Africa arranged everything beautifully for us. The entire trip was unforgettable and memorable.
Review for Lights on Africa Destinations & Safaris
“Strongly recommend for safari at the top”
So first of all Calvin is kindness itself. He speaks French very well.
In addition, he is an excellent driver and knows all animals. He answers all our questions. And we asked him...
He is patient and thanks to him we have seen all the animals we hoped to see.
He prepared us two excellent meals and breakfast and so hearty with a lot of know-how.
He also took care of booking us the hotel in Karatu a little wonder. An oasis of peace surrounded by lush nature with an excellent dinner.
And surprised on the cake he took us to a typical Massai village where the villagers offered us a most beautiful dance and a visit to their village. A delight.
I can only advise this guide.
Review for Afrima Luxury Travel
“Thank you! 5/5 and more”
Lemali Safari Tours organized a 5-day amazing adventure for us that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
A professional approach is what sets the guys apart.
We visited Tarangire National Park, Lake Natron, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Our guide Dismas is the best. His knowledge is immense, and he is always smiling and helpful.
We are glad that it was with him that we took this journey.
Trustworthy.
Once again, thank you!
Review for Lemali Tours and Safari
“Excellent Safari with Get Together Adventures!”
We had an incredible journey with Get Together Adventures in Tanzania, based in Arusha. The trip was perfectly organized, with excellent lodges and breathtaking safaris in several stunning national parks.
Our professional safari guide Emmanuel (and owner of Get Together Adventures) was truly the best guide we could have hoped for — incredibly knowledgeable about wildlife, animal behavior, and great knowledge birdlife! On top of that, he was extremely service-oriented, a pleasure to travel with, great safari car and always at the right place at exactly the right time.
In short: if you're planning a safari holiday in Tanzania, including a beach extension on Zanzibar, Get Together Adventures is the company to go with!
Thanks again Emmanuel & Savilinyi for this increadible experience with your company!!
Warm regards,
Manita & Robert
🐘🦓🦛🦒🦏
Review for Get Together Adventures
“Love these guys!”
Where to start…. Oh yeah CARLOS!!!!!!! This man is a Gem, he was our driver the entire time we needed one. He picked us up at the airport and took us on a 3hr drive to our hotel in Karatu! Along some rough roads in the pitch black night. We made sure to have tea with him and get to know him, and just lovely guy. He took us 2hrs to the start of our 1st safari as well! He also took us back to our airport hotel, giving us a little tour as well went along!
In terms of the safari, it was amazing we did the 3 day one, the 1st two days we had Augustine, who despite being a Liverpool fan was a legend! He made sure we saw as much as possible in Tarangire and Ngorongoro. Managed 4 out of the big 5! Walter took over for the last day at Manyara, and although I still loved it, he said he doesn’t enjoy that park and sadly you could tell, he did however make sure to find us lions and elephants in a very difficult area to see animals!
Rosemary in the office always kept us up to date even with slight changes in our plans and in their plans! We met her at the office and she gave my wife a huge hug which was lovely to see!
Fully recommend this company! And when we return we want Carlos to take us everywhere, especially on safari next time when he has a jeep!
Thanks guys!
Review for Mountain Warriors Tours and Safaris
“The best trip we’ve had. Exceeded all expectations!”
We have been very fortunate to have had some amazing tours in the past, but this was our best.
Throughout the whole experience, we felt genuinely looked after, Beatrice was very helpful and had lots of useful recommendations and advice whilst we were planning our tour, 7 days in total, 5 day safari with accommodation in Arusha the day before and two nights after. Wakanda definitely make you feel like this is a personalised tour, particularly through all of the team’s can-do attitude and the wonderful hospitality.
Our safari was an incredible experience. Our guide, Benedict, was superb, he is very welcoming, patient and is an incredible source of wildlife knowledge; a fantastic asset to the team.
Each day was built around what we hoped to see and do but with relevant and timely guidance from Benedict, who ensured we got the most from our tour, which we absolutely did.
We had our own combination of accommodation, including two nights at a tented lodge at Safari Haven in central Serengeti (highly recommended), and the Ngorongoro Simba Campsite before our morning game drive into the crater.
The campsite was safe, had stunning views and warm showers! Not to mention great freshly cooked meals from our chef Salim, with a nice variety of international and local cuisine throughout the tour.
We finished our trip with a city tour of Arusha with Joshua, who looked after us very well and ensured we got fair prices (and when to walk away!) in the markets.
We could not have asked for more, we will definitely come back to the beautiful wilderness of the Serengeti and without hesitation, will use Wakanda when we do.
Review for Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to common planning questions for safari and Zanzibar beach combinations.
Plan 8 to 10 total nights. This gives you enough safari depth and enough beach time to recover after transfer days.
If you have fewer nights, keep at least three full safari days and cut beach nights first. That keeps the wildlife part of the trip worth the transfer time.
Start with safari and finish in Zanzibar. This keeps game-drive focus at the start and ends with easy beach downtime.
Do Zanzibar first only when flight timing or fixed dates require it. Build a transfer buffer so safari days are not compressed.
Yes. You can fly between Zanzibar and northern safari airstrips on scheduled or charter domestic flights.
Choose flights when your goal is more game-drive time and fewer road hours. A drive-in, fly-out structure is the strongest middle ground when budget control matters.
Use a compact Northern Circuit route. It gives strong wildlife density with manageable transfer time in a short window.
Focus on one or two core parks plus Zanzibar beach nights. Do not force every major park into a short itinerary.
Plan with a range of $350 to $1,800+ per person per day, driven by lodge tier, season, and internal flights.
- Budget-focused: $350-$500 per person/day
- Mid-range private: $500-$850 per person/day
- Luxury and fly-in heavy: $900-$1,800+ per person/day
Final pricing comes from route design, seasonality, and included transfers.
Pick beach area by swimming conditions, tide behavior, atmosphere, and transfer time. This gives better results than choosing only by hotel photos.
For relaxation, choose quieter stretches with lower activity density. For swimming, confirm month-specific conditions before you lock the hotel.
Yes. Zanzibar works well for families when hotel setup and transfer pacing match your children's ages.
Prioritize family room formats, clear meal plans, and manageable travel-day length. A moderate safari pace before beach days keeps the trip comfortable.
Private packages generally include safari vehicle and guide, accommodation, park fees, and pre-arranged transfers. Zanzibar inclusions depend on board basis and resort category.
International flights, visa fees, travel insurance, and tips sit outside package pricing. Check exact inclusions line by line before confirming.
Malaria prevention is part of planning for both mainland safari and Zanzibar. Speak with a qualified travel clinic before departure.
This page is not medical advice. Use your clinician's guidance for prevention medication, repellents, and vaccination requirements.
Pack for two environments: cool safari mornings and warm beach afternoons.
- Neutral safari clothing plus one warm layer
- Closed shoes for safari and sandals for beach days
- Sun protection, insect repellent, and swimwear
- Soft luggage where small-aircraft limits apply
