12 Days | Open-roof safaris, seaside strolls and Africa’s ‘Spice Island’
Admire the sweeping landscapes of Tanzania – full of incredible wildlife and fascinating cultures – on this 12-day adventure. From the pristine beaches of Zanzibar across the lush slopes of the Usambara Mountains and through the savannas of Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, discover a land where elephants roam, lions hunt and communities embrace the land. This is the heart of Africa – a land for the true explorer. When will you go in search of the Big Five?
Trip overview
- Start
- Zanzibar, Africa
- Finish
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Theme
- Overland, Wildlife
- Destinations
- Kenya, Tanzania
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Basix
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 22
- Trip code
- YXOQC
- Wander around Stone Town’s bustling bazaars and fragrant spice markets and opt to embark on a guided tour of the spice plantations.
- Explore the Serengeti – a wildlife arena like no other – and look for lions, leopards, elephants and giraffes in this iconic park with your local crew.
- Learn to prepare a Swahili dish, crafting and learning about village life in Mto wa Mbu.
- Take a mind-blowing safari across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater in an open-roof 4WD vehicle for a chance to see endangered black rhinoceros.
- Embark on a hike through the Usambara Mountains to the Irente viewpoint, then stop at a farm on the way back for a picnic lunch.
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, the East African Wildlife Society. Donations help them protect endangered wildlife, support conservation and promote sustainable management of natural resources in East Africa.
- This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent, occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of the Big Five. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
- Camping in the Serengeti National Park with no barriers between you and the animals is amazing, but it's important to heed the safety advice of your leader. You will be briefed as a group on arrival.
- At Usambara Mountains, you'll hike to the beautiful Irente viewpoint. It's not overly strenuous, but a reasonable level of fitness is required.
- As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.
- Some passengers on this trip will have been travelling together prior to the start of your trip. To see what you're missing out on check out our Vic Falls to Kenya trip – search trip code YXOWC on the Intrepid website for more information and to book.
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2025 - 31 December 2025
Itinerary
Inclusions
11 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners
Overland vehicle, 4x4 Safari Vehicle, Ferry, Minibus
Hotel (1 night), Bungalow (2 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights), Camping (with facilities) (6 nights)
- Irente - Lushoto hike
- Irente - Local lunch
- Ngorongoro Forest - Elephant Cave Trek
- Karatu - Home-Cooked Dinner
- Karatu - Coffee Farm Tour
- Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
- Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari
- Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner
- Stone Town Tour - Dharajani Market, Joseph's Cathederal, Palace Museum, Forodhani Food Market - USD20
- Zanzibar - Prison Island Tour - USD25
- Stone Town - Handicraft & Music Urban Adventure - USD50
- Zanzibar - Spice tour - USD25
- Zanzibar - Snorkelling - USD50
- Zanzibar - Dhow Trip - USD35
- Stone Town - Culinary Urban Adventure - USD29
- Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD800
- Nairobi - Nairobi by Night Urban Adventure - USD76
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. This trip starts with a welcome meeting at 2pm on Day 1 in Stone Town. This trip ends on Day 12, and you are free to leave at any time.
3. An optional sunrise balloon ride in the Serengeti National Park is possible on this itinerary. Please see the itinerary above for full details of this activity. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited, and we recommend you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to book this optional activity.
4. This trip is a combination of YXON and YXOQ of our most popular itineraries. As such the makeup of your group and your leader may change on Day 4.
5. The Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have a few more passengers than the maximum group size of 22 as we have a crossover of trips starting and finishing in Zanzibar.
6. This trip finishes upon arrival at our finish point hotel in Nairobi on Day 12. Please do not book any flights until after 8 pm this evening.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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