11 DAYS TANZANIA STANDARD SAFARI & ZANZIBAR ESCAPE

You land at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and are met by your driver-guide — a quiet, confident welcome rather than a rushed handover. The transfer to Arusha is unhurried, letting the silhouettes of the hills and the first scents of East Africa sink in naturally.

Your first base is Summit Safari Lodge, a comfortable, greenery-framed lodge that feels immediately relaxing. You check in, take a breath, and let the journey arrive slowly — perhaps a drink on the terrace, a simple walk through the gardens, and an early night if your body asks for it.

Safari days are richer when you begin rested. Today is intentionally gentle. Wake when your body is ready, linger over breakfast, and let the cool Arusha air and the green surroundings at Summit Safari Lodge do their quiet work.

If you’d like a light introduction to the area, we can arrange it in a way that doesn’t crowd the day — a short town visit, a coffee stop, or a simple walk. If you’d rather do very little, the lodge itself is a perfectly good place to start listening to Africa at a slower volume.

Today the landscape begins to widen. Leaving Arusha, you head towards Tarangire National Park, where the first true safari chapter unfolds among ancient baobab trees and slow-moving elephant herds. It’s a beautiful, slightly quieter park that sets the tone without crowding you.

Game drives are flexible and unhurried, with time for a picnic and time simply to watch. By afternoon you rise into the Karatu / Manyara highlands, where the air cools and the light softens, ready for an overnight that feels both grounded and peaceful.

After breakfast, you travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the vistas grow larger and the sense of age becomes almost tangible. Gradually, forested slopes give way to the open grasslands that make the Serengeti so famous.

By afternoon you reach Safari Haven Serengeti, a camp chosen for its combination of location, atmosphere and comfort. It puts you close to the action without removing the feeling of being in the bush. Evening falls with a fire, a sky full of stars, and the distinct Serengeti quiet in the background.

Today belongs to the Serengeti. The early light is often magical, so you may start with a pre-breakfast drive, or even an optional hot air balloon safari at dawn for those who would like a once-in-a-lifetime view. Either way, the guiding philosophy is simple: give each sighting enough time to become a memory.

As the day warms, you might return to camp for a rest, then head back out in the softer afternoon light. There is no need to chase kilometres — this part of the itinerary is about letting the plains, predators and herds show themselves at their own pace.

After a final game drive or a slow breakfast in the Serengeti, you begin your journey back toward the highlands. En route, there is the option to visit Olduvai Gorge, a place that brings human history into the story of your safari — not as a lecture, but as a quiet shift in perspective.

By afternoon you reach Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp, set in the highlands close to the crater. The air is cooler, the mood more intimate, and the camp is positioned so that tomorrow’s descent feels natural, not rushed. This night is there to frame the crater experience, not to squeeze in one more drive.

In the early morning you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a natural amphitheatre where wildlife and landscape feel close at hand. Drives are focused and unhurried, allowing you to sit with sightings rather than tick them off. It is an intense, compact environment — which is why we pair it with a softer afternoon.

After your crater experience, you travel onward to the airstrip and board your flight to Zanzibar. By late afternoon or early evening you arrive on the island and continue by private transfer to Warere Beach Resort in the Nungwi area, where warm air, soft light and the sound of the sea introduce the final chapter of your journey.

Today, the schedule opens up completely. Warere Beach Resort gives you direct access to the north-coast beach, with its long views, changing light and easy access to the water. It’s a good day to sleep in, let breakfast drift into late morning, and begin to feel the contrast between savannah and sea.

You might swim, read, or simply listen to the tide. If you want to move, we keep it light: a stroll along the shore, or a simple sunset drink as the day closes. Nothing has to be done.

If you feel drawn to the water, this is an ideal day to explore the Mnemba area or similar snorkelling spots reachable from Zanzibar’s north coast. Clear water, coral gardens and unhurried boat time make the experience feel more like a quiet day out than a tour.

We keep the structure flexible so that you can return to Warere Beach Resort with enough of the day left to enjoy the pool, the beach or simply your room. Zanzibar is most rewarding when it leaves you space to follow your own rhythm.

Your last full day is deliberately open. You may simply want to enjoy the north coast at your own pace — long swims, shaded corners with a book, and light conversations over lunch. Or you might choose one more island experience: sandbanks, a light “blue safari” style outing, or a local-style boat trip.

Either way, the emphasis remains on ease. This is where the journey settles into memory: not in a rush to “finish” the trip, but in long, easy hours where nothing is urgent.

Depending on your flight time, there may be space today for a gentle look at another side of Zanzibar: a Stone Town wander for architecture and history, a spice farm visit for scent and texture, or a short forest walk if you’d like a touch of green before you leave.

When it is time, a private transfer takes you to Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ). The journey ends as it began: smoothly, with someone you know taking care of the details, and with the sense that you’ve used your time in East Africa well.