Routes · Africa

Johannesburg to Tanzania: Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar

Johannesburg → Kilimanjaro (Moshi) → Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Zanzibar

Safari & spice island Best season (general guide): Jun–Oct

This combination of safari and beach covers the north of Tanzania and finishes on the Indian Ocean. From Johannesburg you'll fly to Kilimanjaro airport. From there the route goes overland into the Serengeti and to the Ngorongoro Crater, then flies out to Zanzibar for some time by the sea before heading home.

How to pace it: After you arrive from Johannesburg, Moshi, below Kilimanjaro, has days one and two. On day one, land at Kilimanjaro airport and settle into Moshi; on day two, visit a coffee farm or walk to a waterfall. The Serengeti follows on days three to five: drive in via the Ngorongoro highlands on day three, then spend days four and five on game drives. Day six is for a game drive on the Ngorongoro crater floor. Zanzibar takes days seven to ten: fly to Zanzibar and see Stone Town on day seven, explore the markets and Stone Town lanes on day eight, and keep days nine and ten for the beach.

Two nights in Moshi, at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, give you time to recover and organise. Coffee farm visits and waterfall walks on the lower slopes are easy half-days. The drive to the Serengeti climbs through the Ngorongoro highlands before dropping onto the plains, where three nights allow several game drives in search of lions, cheetahs, elephants and the migrating herds. On the way back, a day on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater offers a dense concentration of wildlife inside the old volcano, including a chance of black rhino. A flight to Zanzibar then swaps dust for white sand. Stone Town's markets and the east-coast beaches round off the trip.

The long rains, roughly April to May, affect both, and some lodges close. Where the migrating herds are depends on the month and on rainfall, so ask your operator where they're likely to be on your dates.

Park fees in Tanzania are paid per person per day, so check what your safari includes. Zanzibar is a mostly Muslim island, so cover up away from the beach, especially in Stone Town.

Practical notes: June to October is the main dry season on the northern safari circuit, when grass is short and animals gather near water. Zanzibar is also generally dry in these months.

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