Urban Jay Exclusive: Luxury
Eleven days creates an elegant fusion of Tanzania's finest mainland safari circuits with the incomparable beauty of the Zanzibar Archipelago, offering the complete East African holiday experience within a single seamlessly managed journey. The first six days cover the classical northern Tanzania safari route from Tarangire through Lake Manyara and the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater, offering a thorough introduction to the megafauna of the East African savannah. From day seven, the experience transforms completely as a short flight carries you to the spice island of Zanzibar, where UNESCO-listed Stone Town and the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean provide a perfect counterpoint to the safari experience. This itinerary is particularly well-suited to couples and honeymooners seeking both adventure and romance within a single holiday.
Day 1
Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and Transfer to Arusha
Your guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfers you north to your lodge in Arusha, the vibrant gateway city to Tanzania's northern circuit. The first evening is designed for rest and anticipation: settle into comfortable surroundings, enjoy a well-prepared welcome dinner, and prepare mentally for the landscape transformations that await in the days ahead.
Dinner
Day 2
Tarangire National Park Game Drive
An early morning departure carries you south and west into the Maasai heartland, entering Tarangire National Park through the northern gate as the morning light spreads golden across the baobab-studded landscape. The Tarangire River, which remains the only reliable water source in the region during the dry months, draws elephant families in their dozens to its banks throughout the day. A full day of game driving covers the river corridor and the open savannah beyond, yielding sightings of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and an exceptional diversity of birds that makes Tarangire one of the finest birding parks in East Africa.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 3
Lake Manyara National Park and Transfer to Serengeti via Ngorongoro
Lake Manyara National Park provides a compact and richly varied morning game drive before the journey continues toward the Serengeti. The park's famous tree-climbing lions, a behavioural trait documented here for over a century, are the signature attraction, while the alkaline lake itself hosts enormous congregations of lesser and greater flamingo in the shallows. The afternoon drive through the Ngorongoro highlands and across the short-grass plains toward the Serengeti provides some of the most dramatic scenery of the entire circuit.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 4
Serengeti National Park Central Circuit Game Drives
A full day in the central Serengeti covers the Seronera Valley and the kopje country to the north and south, following your guide's knowledge of recent predator movements and sightings. The Seronera Valley is among the most consistently productive wildlife viewing areas in the world, supporting resident populations of lion, leopard, and cheetah alongside the constant background movement of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle. Dawn and dusk are particularly rewarding hours, when the predators are most active and the quality of light for photography is at its finest.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 5
Full Day Serengeti Game Drives
A second complete day in the Serengeti allows for deeper exploration of the ecosystem beyond the Seronera area, moving into the western corridor where the Grumeti River crossings occur or south toward the Ndutu plains depending on the season and migration position. Your guide maintains contact with the park ranger network to position the vehicle in the locations most likely to yield exceptional sightings, whether that is a pride of lions feeding on a fresh kill at the Seronera hippo pool or a cheetah mother teaching her cubs to hunt on the open plain.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 6
Ngorongoro Crater Full Day Descent
The descent into the Ngorongoro Crater at dawn is a ceremony of anticipation: the vehicle drops through the forested rim, the world of the crater floor reveals itself in layers of morning mist, and the game drive begins in an enclosed world of extraordinary wildlife density. Black rhinoceros, found in the crater at a density unmatched anywhere outside South Africa, are among the most sought-after sightings, while the lion population of the crater is among the most studied on earth. A picnic lunch on the crater floor surrounded by grazing animals completes an extraordinary day.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 7
Flight to Zanzibar and Arrival Stone Town Evening Walk
A morning transfer to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport connects you with a scheduled flight to Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, a journey of approximately one hour that delivers you from the African savannah to the Indian Ocean island in the time it takes to finish a cup of tea. Your Stone Town hotel representative meets you at the airport and transfers you to your accommodation in the UNESCO-listed historic quarter. An evening stroll through the medieval alleyways of the old town reveals carved doorways, the calls of the evening prayer from neighbourhood mosques, and the lively atmosphere of the Forodhani Gardens waterfront market.
Spice Tree by Turaco
Dinner
Day 8
Stone Town Heritage Walk and Spice Farm Excursion
A morning guided walk through the historic streets and courtyards of Stone Town reveals the layered history of the East African coast in its architecture and atmosphere. Your guide navigates the maze of narrow alleyways connecting merchant houses, mosques, and the restored buildings of the old slave market, now the site of the Anglican cathedral and a sobering memorial to the Indian Ocean trade. After lunch, the excursion continues to Kizimbani Village, where a working spice plantation demonstrates the extraordinary diversity of aromatics: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, turmeric, and dozens of herbs and medicinal plants are shown, smelled, and tasted in an immersive sensory experience.
Spice Tree by Turaco
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 9
Prison Island Dhow Excursion and Transfer to Beach Hotel
A traditional Swahili outrigger vessel carries you from the Stone Town waterfront across the channel to Lloyd Mathews Island, the colonial-era quarantine station now home to a remarkable colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, some over a century old. Swimming, snorkelling over coral gardens, and a beach picnic lunch on Nakupenda sandbar complete the morning before the afternoon transfer north to the beach hotel, where the Indian Ocean stretches uninterrupted to the horizon.
Nungwi Beach Resort
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 10
Zanzibar North Coast Beach and Ocean Leisure Day
An entirely unstructured day of beach and ocean leisure. The turquoise waters are calm, warm, and clear, with snorkelling directly accessible from the beach over a living coral reef. Water sports including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and glass-bottom boat trips are available through the resort activity desk. The evening light over the ocean at this latitude is among the most beautiful in the world.
Nungwi Beach Resort
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 11
Final Morning and Departure from Zanzibar Airport
A relaxed final breakfast at the ocean-facing dining terrace is followed by checkout and the transfer to Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your departure flight. The journey home carries with it the accumulated impressions of eleven extraordinary days: the elephant herds of Tarangire, the crater floor of Ngorongoro, and the turquoise ocean of the Spice Island.
Breakfast
Safari Pricing Guide
Prices are per person depending on group size.
| Group Size | Price Per Person (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1 Person (Solo Traveler) | $5,320 |
| 2 People (Per Person) | $3,800 |
| 4 People (Per Person) | $3,496 |
| 5 People (Per Person) | $3,344 |
| 6+ People (Per Person) | $3,192 |
Included
- Airport pickup and drop-off transfers
- Transport in a customised 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- All national park and reserve entrance fees
- All accommodation as detailed in the itinerary
- Full board meals as specified per day
- Services of a professional English-speaking driver guide
- Drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- All applicable government taxes and levies
- Emergency evacuation insurance cover
Excluded
- International airfares
- Visa fees and travel documentation
- Comprehensive personal travel insurance
- Gratuities for guide and camp staff
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks at properties
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
- Any costs arising from illness, injury, or force majeure
