How many days do you need for a Tanzania safari?

It is the first question almost everyone asks us, and the honest answer is: fewer days than most people think, but more than one. Tanzania’s northern parks sit close together, so a well-planned short safari can be excellent. Each extra night, though, buys you something real — more relaxed mornings, less time in the vehicle and a better chance of the sightings people dream about.

Here is how the common trip lengths compare, based on the thousands of itineraries our planners have built.

Three days: a strong first taste

Three days is enough for Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater. Tarangire is famous for its elephants and ancient baobab trees; the crater is a volcanic bowl full of lions, buffalo, zebra, hippos and — with patience — black rhino. You will be back in Arusha by the third afternoon.

It is a good choice before a Kilimanjaro climb, after a business trip or as a short break before the beach. What you miss is the Serengeti: it is seven to eight hours by road from Arusha, so it does not fit comfortably into three days unless you fly.

Five days: adding the Serengeti

With five days you can include one or two nights in the central Serengeti, around the Seronera valley, where big cats are seen all year. The driving days are longer — the road from the crater to the Serengeti is bumpy and dusty — but each one ends somewhere special.

A typical five-day route is Tarangire, two nights in the Serengeti, then the crater on the way back to Arusha.

Seven days: time to breathe

Seven days is where a safari starts to feel relaxed rather than busy. You can spend three nights in the Serengeti and follow the Great Migration to wherever the herds are that month — the southern plains in February, the western corridor in June, the Mara River in August. You still have time for Tarangire and the crater, and perhaps a walking safari or a hot-air balloon flight.

Ten days or more: safari and beach

Ten days lets you combine six or seven days on safari with three or four nights in Zanzibar. After early starts and dusty roads, a few days on a white beach are the perfect way to end the trip. A short flight from the Serengeti or Arusha gets you there in time for a sunset swim.

Our advice

• Stay at least two nights in the Serengeti if you go there — one night means most of your time is spent driving in and out.
• Avoid more than two long driving days in a row, especially with children.
• If time is short, a light-aircraft flight between the Serengeti and Arusha or Zanzibar saves a whole day.
• Travel in June, July, January or February for the easiest game viewing; April and May are green, quiet and cheaper.

Still not sure?

Open Plan My Trip, choose your dates and the places you want to see, and it will show a day-by-day plan and a clear price estimate for any length you choose. You can also send us a message on WhatsApp — a planner will answer within one working day.