11-Day Wildlife Safari plus Zanzibar Beach Vacation

Karibu Tanzania! On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, or any other arrival point, your safari driver guide will be waiting to greet you and settle you into the vehicle for the comfortable road transfer to your lodge in Arusha.

Once you have had time to unwind after the journey, our safari coordinators will brief you on the days ahead. Stroll through the peaceful lodge gardens and, if the sky is clear, catch a glimpse of the rugged peaks of Mount Meru before a hearty dinner and your first night in Tanzania.

After breakfast at around 08:00 you set off to explore Tarangire National Park, covering some 2,850 km² south-west of Arusha. It is famous for superb game viewing in the dry season, when animals from every corner of the park gather along the Tarangire River – the park's main source of water at that time. Rising in the Kondoa highlands of Dodoma region in central Tanzania, the river winds for about 120 km through the park before emptying into Lake Burunge.

Watch the wildlife roaming freely in its natural environment – elephants beneath the baobabs, martial eagles and secretary birds hunting the grasslands – and enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush.

A short afternoon game drive then takes you on to your lodge in the small, dusty town of Karatu for dinner and the night.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your safari guide drives you to the great Serengeti National Park, stopping on the way at Olduvai Gorge, the cradle of mankind, and the Shifting Sands – a large black volcanic dune, magnetic in nature, that creeps across the plains. You also call in at a Maasai boma to say hello to the local Maasai.

Then the golden, sun-baked plains roll out before you: a land that runs on forever, famous for the great wildebeest migration, the 'born movers' always in search of fresh grazing and good breeding grounds. This is a stage for drama – spotted hyenas, Nile crocodiles along the rivers and African painted dogs on the hunt, while jackals and vultures wait for their chance.

After a picnic lunch and a short, thrilling game drive you arrive at your camp in the central Serengeti for dinner and a tranquil night in the bush.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your guide takes you deep into the Serengeti, renowned for its peaceful atmosphere and its many outstanding areas for wildlife viewing. Depending on the season, you may find yourself surrounded by the great herds of wildebeest and zebra, which at the height of the migration gather to attempt the crossing of the 395 km Mara River.

The river is famous for its gigantic Nile crocodiles, which lie silent and unseen beneath the water, waiting patiently to strike after their long dormant spell. Knowing what awaits them, the wildebeest and zebras still plunge in – a nerve-racking spectacle of drowning, escape and predation. Ruthless hunters such as African painted dogs and spotted hyenas pick off the weak, old and sick.

The Serengeti is home to the Big Five and to the famous 'ugly five' as well. Savour every moment of this first of two full days in the park, with a picnic lunch and dinner and the night at your camp.

Another full day in the Serengeti lets you explore new sectors of this vast park, following your guide's knowledge of where the herds and predators are moving. The plains wear a green carpet in the rains and a golden one in the dry season, and each brings its own rewards.

Spend time watching lions resting in the shade of acacias, leopards draped along branches and elephants and buffalo moving between waterholes, alongside the wildebeest and zebra that make the Serengeti the world's greatest wildlife spectacle. Hyenas, vultures and marabou storks complete the cast of the 'ugly five'.

Enjoy a picnic lunch out on the plains before returning to your camp for dinner around the fire and a night beneath the stars.

After breakfast at around 08:00 you leave the central Serengeti with a game drive en route to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, then descend 610 m into the world's most celebrated volcanic caldera – the largest intact and unflooded crater on earth – to explore its 260 km² floor.

The crater walls are draped in volcanic rock and its salty lake teems with birdlife. All of the Big Five live here – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhino – and your guide will search out great tuskers, dark-maned lions, herds of buffalo and wildebeest, groups of hippos, zebras and gazelles. Listen for the deep booming call of the ostrich, the world's largest, fastest-running and strongest flightless bird.

After a picnic lunch you drive on to your lodge in the small, dusty town of Karatu for dinner and the night.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your safari guide drives you to Mto wa Mbu – 'mosquito creek' – a vibrant village where you dive deep into local culture, mingling with the residents and joining in their daily activities: cooking local dishes, herding cattle and visiting the farms.

Take a bicycle ride towards Lake Manyara National Park, savour local food and drinks, learn a few words of the local language and listen to traditional stories and myths.

In the afternoon you continue to your lodge in Arusha for dinner and the night.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your safari driver guide transfers you to Arusha Airport for your flight to Zanzibar. On arrival at Zanzibar International Airport a member of the Gip-Adventure team welcomes you to the island and transfers you comfortably by road to your hotel.

Your hotel lies in the heart of romantic Stone Town, cooled by the breezes of the Spice Islands, with sweeping views across the waterfront and direct access to the beach. Relax and enjoy dinner and the night at the hotel.

After breakfast at around 08:00 you spend a full day exploring Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lose yourself in its mysterious narrow alleys, have henna painted on your hands or shop for colourful kangas.

Visits to historic sites such as the former slave market and the House of Wonders bring the island's layered past to life. Return to your hotel for dinner and the night.

After breakfast at around 08:00 you set out for a day among some of Zanzibar's less-visited but history-rich sites: Changuu (Prison) Island, Chapwani (Grave) Island, Maruhubi Palace and Mtoni Palace.

Lunch is served on one of the islands before you return to your hotel in Stone Town for dinner and the night.

After a leisurely breakfast the morning is entirely yours. Laze away the hours on the palm-lined sandy beach or relax at the hotel, perhaps with a swim or a stroll along the waterfront, and enjoy a final lunch by the Indian Ocean.

In the afternoon your driver guide transfers you comfortably by road to Zanzibar International Airport for your international flight home (transfer timing depends on your flight schedule). We wish you a safe journey, full of lasting memories of the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Spice Islands.