Lemala's Tarangire and northern Serengeti with a Zanzibar beach finale.
A classic Tanzanian bush-to-beach, built almost entirely on the warm, well-run Lemala camps. Begin with a night among the coffee estates at Arusha to shake off the long-haul flight, then fly to Lemala Mpingo Ridge, perched above the baobab-studded valley of Tarangire and its great elephant herds. Move north to the Serengeti's wild Lamai country near the Mara River — prime Great Migration and river-crossing territory in season — before trading the plains for the Indian Ocean. Finish barefoot at Kilindi on Zanzibar's north coast. A Lemala long-stay saving applies across the safari, and honeymooners can user the 50% Lemala honeymoon offer.
1 night
The gateway to Tanzania's northern safari circuit. Most journeys begin and end at Kilimanjaro International, an hour from the town of Arusha, where a meet-and-greet and a connecting light-aircraft flight carry you on to the Serengeti, Grumeti or the Ngorongoro highlands. A comfortable lodge among the coffee estates makes an easy first or last night to shake off the long-haul flights before the bush.
3 nights
Tanzania's underrated giant — a dry-season magnet where the Tarangire River draws some of the densest elephant concentrations in Africa across a landscape of ancient, swollen baobabs and golden grass. Quieter than the Serengeti and Ngorongoro to its north, it is richest from June to October, when the herds pack in and the predators follow. An easy first safari stop from Arusha, reached by light aircraft to the Kuro airstrip.
4 nights
The Lamai Triangle in the far north of the Serengeti, where the Mara River bends through acacia and open plain against the Kenyan border. This is Great Migration country at its most dramatic — from roughly July to October the wildebeest herds mass here for the heart-stopping Mara River crossings — yet it stays wild and uncrowded, with resident plains game and big cats the rest of the year. Camps run from Singita's off-grid Mara River to Nomad's classic Lamai and Kogatende tented camps.
4 nights
Zanzibar — the legendary spice island off the Tanzanian coast and the main island of the archipelago (properly, Unguja). Its heart is Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage warren of coral-rag alleys, carved doors, Swahili-Omani palaces and spice-market bustle layered with a thousand years of Indian Ocean trade. Beyond it the coast opens into some of the finest beaches in Africa: powder-white sand and shifting turquoise shallows, dhows under lateen sail, and a reef made for diving and snorkelling — the north (Nungwi, Kendwa) kept swimmable at all tides, the quieter east and northeast (Matemwe, Michamvi) ranged by tidal flats and traditional seaweed farms. Spice-farm tours, the red colobus of Jozani Forest, and fresh-off-the-dhow seafood round out a classic bush-to-beach finish to a northern Tanzania safari. Reached by a short flight to Zanzibar (ZNZ).
Visa — required. US passport holders need a visa, available on arrival or as an e-visa in advance. Volunteer work isn’t permitted on a tourist visa, and you should carry a round-trip ticket and be ready to show proof of sufficient funds for your stay.
Mandatory travel insurance. Tanzania now requires every visitor to buy the government’s local travel insurance to enter — it was Zanzibar-only, but now applies nationwide. This is in addition to your own travel insurance; purchase it online before you go.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 1 blank page per entry stamp.
Vaccinations. A yellow-fever certificate is required if you’re arriving from a country where yellow fever is a risk. This applies to travel from Kenya if you have your passport stamped.
Currency. Up to US$10,000 may be brought in or taken out.
Good to know. Single-use plastic bags are banned nationwide — pack toiletries in a small, clear reusable zip-lock. Dress is conservative in public, especially on Zanzibar; keep beachwear to the resorts. And it’s illegal to photograph military sites, government buildings, bridges, airports, or police.
U.S. Embassy, Dar es Salaam: tz.usembassy.gov
Guidance for US passport holders — if you travel on another passport, please confirm the requirements for your nationality.
Every departure runs a similar route with all-in pricing. Prices vary by season.
Inclusions: Safari lodge and camp rates are inclusive of all meals, drinks, and most activities — including game drives — but exclude top-shelf drinks and premium activities like helicopter excursions. City and beach stays follow each property's own board basis, shown on the lodge.
Medical evacuation: Emergency medical evacuation cover (Flying Doctors / AMREF) to Nairobi is included. This is minimal, evacuation-only cover — we strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance for medical treatment, trip cancellation, and repatriation beyond evacuation.
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