14-Day Tanzania Premium

The 14-day Tanzania safari in brief

This 14-day Tanzania safari covers the country's three great travel experiences in one trip: the northern parks, the wild south and the Zanzibar coast. You spend nine nights on safari in the north, including four in the Serengeti and two on the Ngorongoro Crater rim, three nights on the Rufiji River in Nyerere (Selous), and two nights in Zanzibar. Groups are capped at four guests, and light-aircraft flights replace the longest road transfers.

• Route: Kilimanjaro airport, Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, central Serengeti, northern Serengeti, Nyerere, Stone Town, Nungwi or Matemwe
• Nights: 1 Arusha, 1 Tarangire, 2 Ngorongoro rim, 2 central Serengeti, 2 northern Serengeti, 3 Nyerere, 1 Stone Town, 1 beach
• Travel: flights between Arusha and Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Seronera, the Serengeti and Nyerere, and Nyerere and Zanzibar; one short road leg to the crater
• Best months: June to October
• Style: private vehicles and senior guides throughout the safari, maximum four guests

Why two weeks changes the trip

Most Tanzania safaris run five to seven days. They show you the highlights but rarely let a place settle. Two weeks lets you stay long enough in each area for its patterns to emerge. By the second day in the Seronera valley you start to recognise individual lions. By the second walk in Nyerere you stop flinching at every snapped twig. By the end of the trip you have seen open plains, a volcanic crater, a river wilderness and an old trading town, and each one has had time to sink in.

The "premium" in the name is about pace and privacy more than thread counts. You get two nights on the crater rim rather than one, so the crater day is unhurried. The Serengeti gets four nights, split between the central valley and the far north. The south gets three nights at a single riverside camp, and the trip ends on the beach instead of in an airport hotel.

Who it suits

• Honeymooners and milestone travellers who want one trip that does everything. See our honeymoon safari guide.
• Photographers who need time at sightings and a private vehicle to wait in.
• Travellers who prefer flying to long drives, including older travellers who find full days on rough roads tiring.
• Couples or small families of up to four who want the vehicle to themselves.

It is not the right shape if your budget or leave is tight. The 10-Day Northern and Southern covers both halves of the safari in less time, and the 7-Day Classic covers the north.

How it compares with the 10-day safari

The 10-Day Northern and Southern follows a similar route by road in the north, with one night on the Ngorongoro side and three in the Serengeti, then three nights in Nyerere, ending in Dar es Salaam. The 14-day adds a second crater-rim night, a fourth Serengeti night in the far north, flights instead of the long northern drives, private vehicles in the south and two nights in Zanzibar. If you can spare the four extra days, they are the four that make the trip feel unhurried.

Best months and the migration

June to October is the sweet spot. Every region is dry, the southern parks are at their best, and the migration is in the north or west of the Serengeti. From July to October your two northern nights put you near the Mara River crossings; in June, when the herds are usually further west, we may move those nights to the western corridor. Our wildebeest migration guide and central vs northern Serengeti explain where to be and when.

A day on safari, north and south

In the north, the days follow the light: out before sunrise, breakfast in the bush, a midday rest at camp and a second drive until dusk. Vehicles must leave the park roads by nightfall, and night drives are not allowed inside the national parks.

In Nyerere you mix activities. Mornings might be a walk with an armed ranger or a boat on the river; afternoons a drive or a second boat trip. Our walking safari guide explains what walks are like.

Climates vary. The crater rim at about 2,300 m (7,500 ft) can be around 10°C (50°F) at dawn in June to August. The Serengeti is usually 25 to 30°C (77 to 86°F) by day. Nyerere and Zanzibar are hot, often above 30°C (86°F), with high humidity on the coast.

What you are likely to see, region by region

• Tarangire: big elephant herds along the river from June to October, baobabs, lion, and some of the best birding on the circuit.
• Ngorongoro Crater: lion, spotted hyena, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hippo and a small population of black rhino, all in one closed basin.
• Central Serengeti: resident lion prides, leopard along the Seronera River and cheetah on the plains.
• Northern Serengeti: the migration herds and the Mara River crossings from July to October, plus elephant and lion in quieter country.
• Nyerere: African wild dog, hippo and crocodile on the Rufiji, elephant, lion and an outstanding variety of water birds.
• Zanzibar: Stone Town's history and the reefs of the north coast, with snorkelling trips toward Mnemba from Matemwe.

The Zanzibar finish

Two nights on Zanzibar are enough to change pace without losing the safari's momentum. The first is in Stone Town, where a local guide walks you through the alleys, markets and carved doors in the late afternoon, and dinner is on a rooftop or by the sea. The second is on the north coast, after a spice-farm visit on the way, with a free afternoon and morning on the beach before your flight. If you want longer, add beach nights; our Zanzibar beach guide and Zanzibar trips cover the options.

Getting there and away from the US

Book an open-jaw ticket: fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and home from Zanzibar (ZNZ). Both have one-stop connections to the US through hubs such as Doha, Istanbul, Amsterdam or Addis Ababa, depending on the airport and airline. An open-jaw ticket avoids backtracking and usually costs little more than a return. We meet you at JRO on day one and see you off at Zanzibar airport on day fourteen.

Where you stay

We use premium-tier properties throughout because the pace of a two-week trip depends on sleeping well: a boutique hotel in Arusha, a tented camp inside Tarangire, a lodge on the crater rim, a central Serengeti camp, a seasonal camp in the north, a riverside camp in Nyerere, a restored heritage hotel in Stone Town and a beachfront lodge on Zanzibar's north coast. For an overview of camp styles, see safari camps in Tanzania, and for the island, where to stay in Zanzibar.

Good for older travellers and anyone who dislikes long drives

The structure of this trip suits travellers who find long days on rough roads tiring, including many over-70s and anyone with back or mobility concerns. Light-aircraft flights replace the two longest drives of a standard northern safari, the second crater night removes the usual rush between the crater and the Serengeti, and single camps in the south and the Serengeti's centre mean fewer packing days. Tell us about any mobility needs when you enquire, and we will choose rooms and vehicles to match. Our guides to safaris for travellers over 70 and accessible safaris go into more detail.

Guides and group size

You have two senior guides: one for the northern parks and one in the south, where the camp's guides and rangers lead boat and walking activities with you. Groups are capped at four so that everyone has a window and can stand under the pop-up roof at the same time.

What's included

All park and concession fees and taxes; all bush flights; private Land Cruisers throughout the safari; all meals on safari and breakfast in Zanzibar; premium-tier accommodation as listed; boat, walking and game-drive activities; and all transfers. International flights, the visa, travel insurance, lunches and dinners in Zanzibar, alcohol and tips are extra. Our Tanzania safari cost guide explains how park fees and flights shape the price of a long trip.

Safety, rules and health

• Follow your guide and ranger on game drives, boats and walks; walks start with a safety briefing.
• Stay in the vehicle except at designated sites, and keep to the tracks.
• Malaria is present in the parks and on the coast. Talk to your doctor and see our vaccinations and health guide.
• Insurance should include medical evacuation.
• Dress modestly in Stone Town, covering shoulders and knees away from the beach. Our Stone Town guide has more.
• Plastic carrier bags are banned in Tanzania, including Zanzibar.

US citizens should read our Tanzania visa guide before booking flights. For the parks themselves, see the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Nyerere destination pages. When you're ready, send us your dates.