Urban Jay Exclusive: Luxury
12days provides the complete Tanzania experience, combining the legendary wildlife circuits of the northern mainland with the romance and beauty of the Zanzibar Archipelago in a seamless journey designed equally for adventure and relaxation. The safari component visits Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti's central plains, and the extraordinary Ngorongoro Crater before a flight connection delivers you to Stone Town, where the history, culture, and cuisine of the Swahili coast await. Five nights on Zanzibar allow a thorough experience of the island's principal attractions: the UNESCO-listed old town, the spice farms of the interior, the Indian Ocean's marine life, and the pristine beaches of the northern coast. This itinerary is crafted specifically for couples and is regularly chosen as a honeymoon journey.
Day 1
Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and Arusha Welcome
Your guide meets you on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfers you to a serene lodge in Arusha for a welcome evening of comfort and anticipation. The atmosphere of the safari gateway city, with Mount Meru rising over the rooftops and the smell of Arabica coffee in the market air, signals the beginning of a journey through one of the world's great wildlife destinations.
Dinner
Day 2
Tarangire National Park Elephant Country
The morning drive south from Arusha enters a landscape of Maasai pastoralism and thornscrub that opens gradually into the remarkable woodland of Tarangire National Park. The baobab trees here are among the largest living organisms in East Africa, their vast trunks and leafless winter branches framing game drives of extraordinary visual richness. The Tarangire River, gathering the herds that converge on it from across the dry season range, provides a natural theatre for elephant watching on a scale rarely equalled elsewhere in Africa.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 3
Lake Manyara National Park and Transfer toward Serengeti
Lake Manyara is a jewel of the northern Tanzania circuit, compressing an extraordinary diversity of habitats and species into a narrow strip of land between the Rift Valley wall and the alkaline lake. Tree-climbing lions in the fig canopy, the pink shimmer of flamingo flocks on the lake surface, groundwater forest alive with vervet monkeys and hornbills, and hippo pools fed by the springs at the base of the escarpment all contribute to a game drive that surprises even experienced safari travellers with its variety.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 4
Entry to Serengeti via Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Afternoon Drive
The approach to the Serengeti through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area highlands is one of East Africa's great drives, combining dramatic scenery with the possibility of encountering Maasai herders and wildlife alike on the open plateau. Entering the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate as the plains stretch ahead in every direction, the scale of the ecosystem becomes viscerally apparent. An afternoon game drive begins immediately, working toward the Seronera Valley where the first lion sightings and predator encounters of the Serengeti experience typically begin.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 5
Full Day Serengeti Central Circuit
A complete day in the central Serengeti with no fixed agenda beyond following your guide's expertise toward the best wildlife activity. The Seronera River system runs through the heart of the central circuit, providing permanent water that concentrates wildlife year-round and creates the conditions for extended predator activity. Whether this day delivers a lion kill, a cheetah hunt, a leopard in a fever tree, or simply the overwhelming experience of standing in the middle of a vast migration herd, it will be remembered long after the return home.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 6
Ngorongoro Crater Full Descent and Overnight on the Rim
The Ngorongoro Crater represents the culmination of the mainland safari experience. A full day on the crater floor covers the open grassland of the interior, the soda lake where flamingos gather, the Lerai Forest where elephant families move through the acacia woodland, and the hippo pools that form the focal point of midday predator activity. The overnight lodge perched on the crater rim provides extraordinary views across the caldera interior as the light changes through the afternoon and evening.
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 7
Flight to Zanzibar and Stone Town Arrival
After a final crater-rim breakfast, the transfer to the airport connects you with a scheduled flight to Zanzibar. The short journey from the African interior to the Indian Ocean island is one of travel's great transitions, and the first sight of Zanzibar's turquoise lagoons from the air signals a complete change of pace and atmosphere. Your Stone Town hotel meets you at the airport and transfers you to your accommodation in the historic centre, from where an evening walk to the Forodhani waterfront market provides the perfect first encounter with the island.
Spice Tree by Turaco
Dinner
Day 8
Stone Town Heritage Tour and Zanzibar Spice Farm
A comprehensive guided tour of Stone Town brings the history of the Swahili coast to life through the architecture, stories, and cultural layering of this remarkable city. The narrow alleyways connect house-museums, courtyard gardens, the carved doorways of former merchant palaces, and the site of the old slave market, all of which are interpreted with knowledge and sensitivity by your local guide. The afternoon spice farm visit in the Zanzibar interior provides a sensory counterpoint to the urban morning, exploring the plantation that made these islands famous across the medieval trading world.
Spice Tree by Turaco
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 9
Prison Island Excursion and Beach Hotel Transfer
A traditional dhow carries you across the turquoise channel to Lloyd Mathews Island, where Aldabra giant tortoises of remarkable age move placidly through the island vegetation. The combination of snorkelling, swimming, and a beach picnic on Nakupenda sandbar makes this one of the most enjoyable days of the entire journey, and the late afternoon transfer to the north coast beach hotel marks the beginning of the final relaxed phase of the holiday.
Nungwi Beach Resort
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 10
North Coast Ocean and Beach Leisure
The northern coast of Zanzibar at this latitude is calm, clear, and warm throughout the year. The reef directly offshore from the beach hotel supports a diverse coral ecosystem accessible to snorkellers from the beach at any state of the tide, while the hotel's activity desk arranges dhow excursions, deep-sea fishing, and diving trips for those who wish to explore further. The evening light over the Indian Ocean at Nungwi is among the most beautiful in the archipelago.
Nungwi Beach Resort
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 11
Zanzibar Second Ocean Leisure Day
A second full day of complete beach and ocean freedom. Optional arrangements through the hotel can include a sunrise dhow fishing trip with traditional fishermen, a guided snorkelling expedition to the outer reef, a bicycle tour of the northern tip of the island, or simply another day in perfect idleness on one of the finest beaches in the Indian Ocean basin.
Nungwi Beach Resort
Breakfast,Dinner
Day 12
Final Breakfast and Departure from Zanzibar Airport
After a peaceful final breakfast overlooking the ocean, your representatives arrange the transfer to Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for the departure flight. This last morning is an opportunity to collect any final souvenirs in the local market, take a last swim in the Indian Ocean, and begin the gradual process of returning from a journey that most travellers find difficult to leave behind.
Breakfast
Safari Pricing Guide
Prices are per person depending on group size.
| Group Size | Price Per Person (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1 Person (Solo Traveler) | $5,740 |
| 2 People (Per Person) | $4,100 |
| 4 People (Per Person) | $3,772 |
| 5 People (Per Person) | $3,608 |
| 6+ People (Per Person) | $3,444 |
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
