9-Nights Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar - Land Journey from $9,990

Tauck World Discovery: Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar

Day 1 Arusha, Tanzania
Arrive Tanzania

Tour begins: 12:00 PM, Kahawa House.A transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Kahawa House, is included. Welcome to Tanzania and the start of your African safari. Although most flights land at Kilimanjaro International Airport after the sun has set, thoughts of Ernest Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro will come to mind as you journey the short distance from the airport to your hotel.

Meals: D

Day 2 Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
Depart Arusha today for Tarangire National Park, where you'll have a game drive prior to arrival at your lodge, Tarangire Kuro Treetops Lodge, which is nestled deep within the heart of the National Park. The Lodge is strategically located atop an elevated Kopje hill, overlooking the Tarangire River and the Silale valley leading to the Silale swamp in the west - which is famous for being visited by different wildlife throughout the year due to the availability of water. We invite you to join us for a welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: B, L, D

Day 3 Tarangire National Park
Game drives in Tarangire National Park

Spend the day exploring Tarangire National Park, renowned for its vast elephant herds and iconic baobab trees. Morning and afternoon game drives take you through diverse landscapes, from open savannas to lush riverbanks teeming with wildlife. Spot zebras, giraffes, lions, and perhaps a rare glimpse of leopards. The Tarangire River attracts animals year-round, offering incredible opportunities for photography and observation. Return to your lodge mid-afternoon for time to spend as you please.

Meals: B, L, D

Day 4 Karatu, Tanzania
A Maasai village & Ngorongoro Crater

Enjoy an early morning game drive in Tarangire National Park as you make your way to prehistoric Ngorongoro Crater for a two-night stay. En route, stop at a traditional Maasai tribal village where you will see what life is like in a boma. Accompany a local guide for a medicine walk in the bush, learning about the natural cures from the vegetation you'll see, and visit a local primary school. After lunch in the bush, continue to your Ngorongoro safari lodge, built to blend into the rim of the crater. Well equipped with modern-day comforts, your accommodations feature private stone balconies that open up to the crater floor below.

Meals: B, L, D

Day 5 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Visit Oldupai Gorge en route to the Serengeti

Drive to Oldupai Gorge this morning where archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered fossilized remains of some of the earliest humans ever recorded - 1.8 million years old. Visit the museum and enjoy a private lecture by a resident expert about the site, before setting off over the unpaved roads that take you across the plains and grasslands of the always-fascinating Serengeti National Park. You'll have many opportunities for wildlife viewing en route to your safari lodge in the Central Serengeti; its authentic décor was inspired by Maasai tribal dwellings. Dinner is at leisure; learn about local cultural traditions during a performance at the lodge this evening.

Meals: B, L, D

Day 6 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Serenity on game drives in the Serengeti

A morning game drive on the Serengeti plains may yield sightings of wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinoceros, hippos, buffalo, jackals, and gazelles. This is also one of the best places on the African Continent to see prides of lions. Return to the lodge for lunch, then enjoy an afternoon at leisure that's followed by briefing on tomorrow's ballooning before dinner at the lodge.

Meals: B, L, D

Day 7 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Ballooning over the Serengeti & game viewing

Lift off on an exciting hot air balloon flight* as dawn breaks over the vast Serengeti grasslands; from aloft, observe wildlife in the first light of day, an African safari thrill - and enjoy another thrill upon your return where a champagne breakfast in the bush waits for you. Spot more wildlife as you travel to the Serengeti's remote Western Corridor, known for huge masses of migrating game animals thundering across the terrain; animals you might see on an afternoon game drive across the treeless plains of the Serengeti include wildebeest, lion, buffalo, cheetah, warthogs, giraffes and zebra. Join us for a sundowner this evening and say farewell to Tanzania.

Meals: B, L, D

Day 8 Stone Town, Zanzibar
To Zanzibar & a Stone Town tour

Rise early for your final Serengeti game drive this morning, then fly late this morning to intriguing Zanzibar, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean that was once a wealthy trading center for spices. Upon arrival, set off with your local guide on a walking and driving tour of Stone Town, in the main port of Zanzibar City. Your home for the next two nights is a fabulous hotel overlooking the turquoise sea and white sand beaches.

Meals: B, L

Day 9 Stone Town, Zanzibar
Cruise aboard a dhow on an Indian Ocean "safari" in Zanzibar

Traditional Arabian sailboats called dhows have plied the Indian Ocean waters of the Swahili Coast for millennia, trading and fishing from one island port to the next. Sail out to sea from Stone Town aboard a traditional dhow for an "Indian Ocean safari" off the coast of Zanzibar this morning, as the captain and crew help you spot dolphins frolicking in the ocean blue; cast anchor on a sandy beach for swimming and perhaps some snorkeling near beautiful coral reefs. After returning to shore, the afternoon is yours to check out more of fascinating Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on your own. Join us this evening for a farewell reception followed by a farewell dinner at your seaside hotel.

Meals: B, L, D

Day 10 Stone Town, Zanzibar
Spice tour & Journey Home

Tour ends: Zanzibar. If you wish, join our local guides for a "spice tour" of Stone Town this morning, or just enjoy some time at leisure before checking out of your hotel. Allow 3½ hours for flight check-in. Note: International flights out should be booked after 5:00 PM.

Meals: B