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7 Days Serengeti & Zanzibar Beach

7 Days Serengeti & Zanzibar Beach

3 nights among the Serengeti's resident lions and leopards, then three more on Zanzibar's warm, tide-independent north coast, savannah and shoreline in a single week.

7 DaysDuration TanzaniaCountries PrivateGroup type
Overview Highlights Daily itinerary Accommodation Inclusions
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Overview

7-day Tanzania Serengeti and Zanzibar Island Safari

There are trips that ask you to choose between a safari and a beach holiday, and then there are trips built specifically so you never have to. This one spends its first half among the Serengeti’s granite kopjes and resident big cats, the landscape that gave the word “safari” its meaning, then trades all of it in a single afternoon flight for Zanzibar’s warm, turquoise water and a pace that asks nothing more of you than deciding which beach chair to sit in.

The two halves are deliberately different rather than blended into some compromise in between. Seronera, central Serengeti’s most reliable sector, holds lion and leopard in numbers that rival anywhere on the continent, in any month. Zanzibar’s north coast, unlike the island’s eastern shore, keeps its water swimmable regardless of the tide, so the beach half of this trip never has to work around a schedule the way the safari half sometimes does. Stone Town’s spice markets and centuries of Swahili, Omani and colonial history sit close enough for an easy day trip, adding a genuinely different kind of morning to a week already covering considerable ground.

At a glance

  • Duration7 Days
  • CountriesTanzania
  • Group typePrivate

Activities

A few additions past travellers have asked for on this route

A photography-focused game drive with a specialist guide in the Serengeti
A guided Stone Town and spice farm tour
A boat trip to Prison Island to see the resident giant tortoises
A sunset dhow cruise off Zanzibar's coast
Moments to note

Standout moments

The parts of this particular route past travellers mention most

I

Central Serengeti's Resident Lion and Leopard

Seronera's prides have been studied continuously since the 1960s, and sightings here hold up in any month, migration or no migration.

II

Granite Kopjes and the Landscape That Named Safari

Ancient rock islands rising out of grass that runs to every horizon, the scenery every other safari destination is quietly measured against.

III

Savannah to Shoreline in a Single Afternoon

A short flight trades the Serengeti's plains for Zanzibar's turquoise water, one of the most dramatic changes of scenery a single trip can offer.

IV

A Beach That Stays Swimmable at Any Tide

Zanzibar's north coast keeps its deep water year round, unlike the island's east coast, where the sea recedes dramatically twice a day.

V

Stone Town's Spice Markets and Centuries of History

A UNESCO World Heritage old town built on centuries of Swahili, Omani and colonial trade, an easy day trip from the beach.

VI

Giant Tortoises on Prison Island, Some Nearly Two Centuries Old

A short boat ride to an island sanctuary home to Aldabra giant tortoises, among the oldest living animals a traveller can meet in person.

Day by day

How the days break down

A starting shape: pace, order and length of each stage are all adjustable.

Day
01
Serengeti
Arusha → Serengeti, by air

Fly to the Serengeti, Arriving in Time for an Afternoon Game Drive Around Seronera

A light aircraft lifts off from Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport and, within the hour, sets down on one of the Serengeti's own dirt airstrips, the Ngorongoro highlands falling away below before the plains open out in every direction. It is a striking way to begin a trip that will, in a few days' time, end on the opposite side of the country entirely.
A vehicle meets the airstrip for the transfer to camp, and after a light lunch, the afternoon is given to a first game drive through Seronera, central Serengeti's most reliable sector for resident lion and leopard year round. A first sighting often comes within the first hour. Dinner and the night are spent under a sky with very little competing light to dim it.

Where you rest

A tented camp beside the Seronera River · Three nights here, in the park's most reliable game-viewing sector.

Day
02-03
Serengeti
Two full days exploring the Serengeti

Two Full Days Among Seronera's Resident Big Cats

Two days settles you properly into Seronera's rhythm rather than rushing through it, morning drives while the light is soft and resident lion prides are typically most active, threading between the granite kopjes that give this landscape its most recognisable feature, ancient rock rising out of grass that runs unbroken to every horizon. Depending on the season, this stretch of park may also intersect with the wildebeest migration, worth asking your specialist what the herds are doing on your specific dates.
Afternoons follow the Seronera River's riverine forest, the specific habitat that makes this one of the most reliable places in Africa to find leopard resting in the trees along its banks. Both evenings close with dinner at camp, unhurried, with two full days behind you and nothing left to prove about this half of the trip before Zanzibar takes over tomorrow.

Where you rest

A tented camp beside the Seronera River · Second and third nights at the same camp.

Day
04
Zanzibar Island
Serengeti → Zanzibar, by air

Fly to Zanzibar, Trading the Savannah for the Indian Ocean

The flight east is one of the more striking transitions a single trip can offer, open grassland giving way below to farmland, then forest, then the sudden, unmistakable turquoise of the Indian Ocean as the plane descends into Zanzibar. Some routings connect through Arusha or Dar es Salaam along the way, others run more directly, either way the whole journey rarely takes more than a few hours door to door.
A transfer meets the airport for the short drive to the north coast, where the afternoon is left open, a first swim, a walk along sand that stays firm and the water swimmable regardless of what the tide is doing, or simply the chair on the veranda that a week in a safari vehicle has earned. Dinner the first night sets the tone for three days with genuinely nothing on the schedule unless you choose to add it.

Where you rest

A beachfront hotel on Zanzibar's north coast · Three nights here, on a stretch of coast that keeps its water swimmable at any tide.

Day
05-06
Zanzibar Island
Two full days exploring Zanzibar

Two Days Between Stone Town's History and the North Coast's

One of these two days is given to Stone Town, Zanzibar's UNESCO World Heritage old town, a walk through narrow lanes built on centuries of Swahili, Omani and colonial trade, past carved wooden doors and a spice market that still trades in the cloves and cinnamon that first made this island valuable to the wider world. A short boat crossing to Prison Island adds a genuinely different stop, a sanctuary of giant Aldabra tortoises, some estimated at close to two hundred years old, alongside clear water good for snorkelling just offshore.
The second day is left deliberately open, a beach with nothing scheduled, a swim whenever the mood strikes rather than around a tide table, or an optional sunset dhow cruise as the day closes. After a week that began with dawn game drives, this pair of days is built to ask nothing of you beyond choosing how much of it to fill.

Where you rest

A beachfront hotel on Zanzibar's north coast · Second and third nights at the same hotel.

Day
07
Home
Zanzibar → Home

A Final Morning on the Beach Before Your Flight Home

A last, unhurried morning, breakfast on the veranda, a final swim if the flight timing allows it, nothing scheduled beyond enjoying the coast one more time before the transfer to the airport.
The drive to Zanzibar's international airport is short, and depending on your onward routing, the flight home may connect through Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, or another regional hub, your specialist will confirm the specific routing once flights are booked.

What you'll likely see

Key species on this route

Based on past travellers' sightings during the Serengeti portion of this route.

· · · · · · ·
Lion
Lion
95% chance
Wildebeest
Wildebeest
90% chance
Zebra
Zebra
90% chance
Elephant
Elephant
85% chance
Buffalo
Buffalo
85% chance
Giraffe
Giraffe
80% chance
Hippo
Hippo
75% chance
Cheetah
Cheetah
70% chance
Spotted Hyena
Spotted Hyena
65% chance
Leopard
Leopard
60% chance
Eland
Eland
35% chance
Black Rhino
Black Rhino
15% chance
The details

What's included

What's included

  • Serengeti park entry fees
  • Flights between Arusha and the Serengeti, and between the Serengeti and Zanzibar
  • Private safari vehicle with pop-up roof and driver-guide in the Serengeti
  • All meals during the Serengeti portion (full board)
  • Breakfast daily in Zanzibar
  • Bottled water in the Serengeti vehicle
  • Government taxes and levies

What's not included

  • International flights to and from Tanzania
  • Visa Fees
  • Travel Insurance
  • Lunches and dinners in Zanzibar (widely available at the hotel or nearby, paid locally)
  • Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
  • Tips and gratuities for guides and hotel staff
  • Personal expenses (spa treatments, excursions booked locally, curio purchases)

Notes about this trip

  • Zanzibar accommodation is typically bed and breakfast rather than full board, unlike the Serengeti portion, worth confirming which meal plan your chosen hotel actually offers
  • Room and camp availability confirmed at time of booking, alternatives offered if your first choice is full
  • A private safari, pace and timings adjust to your preferences on the day
Responsible travel

Responsible Travel

Fees paid on the Serengeti portion of this route fund Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), and Zanzibar's own conservation areas, including its marine parks, are funded similarly through entry and activity fees, alongside heritage preservation work protecting Stone Town's UNESCO-listed old town.

I

Park Fees Fund Serengeti Conservation Directly

Entry fees paid on the Serengeti portion of this route support TANAPA ranger operations and anti-poaching patrols across the park.

II

Marine Conservation Fees Protect Zanzibar's Reefs

Activities like snorkelling and boat trips around Zanzibar typically include marine conservation area fees that fund reef and coastal protection.

III

Heritage Preservation in Stone Town

Stone Town's UNESCO World Heritage status supports ongoing preservation of its historic buildings and trading heritage.

Make it mine

This seven-day route is a starting point, not a fixed plan. Add a night to either half, swap which comes first, or add Ngorongoro Crater between the Serengeti and the flight to Zanzibar, your specialist will work from here.

With the route as a starting point, your specialist will adjust the pace, camps and add-ons until the itinerary feels like yours, not a template.

Start tailoring this safari
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Common questions

Before you enquire

This route splits three nights and three nights, enough time to properly settle into Seronera’s game viewing without rushing, and enough beach time afterward that it doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Either half can be extended if one interests you more than the other.

It depends which coast. This route is based on the north coast, around Nungwi and Kendwa, where deep water keeps the beach swimmable regardless of the tide. Zanzibar’s east coast, around Paje and Jambiani, sees the sea recede dramatically twice a day, better suited to kitesurfing than a swim-whenever-you-like stay.

It depends on the season, camp and hotel choice, and any add-on activities, so there isn’t one number that fits every trip. Tell us your dates and we’ll put together a tailored quote.

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so a single Tanzania visa covers both halves of this trip, no separate entry process required between the mainland safari and the island.

Not guaranteed, migration timing shifts year to year with the rains, but Seronera’s resident lion and leopard populations remain reliable regardless of where the herds happen to be on your specific dates.

Yes, every Serengeti itinerary on this route is built around a private vehicle and guide by default, no shared seats or fixed group schedule. The Zanzibar portion is a beach and cultural stay, arranged around your own pace rather than a vehicle-based schedule.

Ready when you are

Ask about 7 Days Serengeti & Zanzibar Beach

Tell us your dates and we'll confirm whether the timing works, then adjust the route from there.

Start planning this trip