Routes · Africa

Cairo to Tanzania: Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar

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

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

Tanzania's northern circuit and the island of Zanzibar make one of Africa's most varied trips. This plan spends ten nights in the country, starting at the foot of Kilimanjaro. From Cairo you'll connect through Addis Ababa, Nairobi or a Gulf hub.

Moshi is a small town below Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. A day walking to a waterfall or visiting a coffee farm on its lower slopes helps you recover from the flight.

The drive west to the Serengeti crosses the Ngorongoro highlands. Three nights in the Serengeti give you time for long game drives on the plains, where big cats follow the herds. On the way back, a night on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater lets you descend to its floor at dawn.

From Kilimanjaro airport, fly to Zanzibar. Stone Town is a maze of coral-stone houses with carved doors, markets and Swahili food. Then spend two days on the beaches of the east or north coast.

June to October is the dry season on the mainland, and the long rains on Zanzibar fall in April and May. UNESCO lists Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Stone Town.

Pacing: the northern circuit involves long drives on rough roads, so a guide-driver with a 4x4 is standard. Pack light in a soft bag, as light aircraft to Zanzibar and safari vehicles have limited space.

On Zanzibar, Stone Town is busiest in the morning around the markets and quieter in the late afternoon. Choose an east-coast beach for calm lagoons at high tide, or the north for swimming at any tide.

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