What You Need to Know: Our 10-day Big Five safari and Zanzibar holiday costs from US$5,315 per person for 2 travelers at mid-range level (from US$3,730 at budget level), for the June to October dry seasons of 2027 and 2028. It combines a private 5-day safari through Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, the best route in Tanzania for all of the Big Five, with the flight to Zanzibar, a night in Stone Town with a guided walk and three nights on Kendwa beach. Nine nights' accommodation, park and crater fees, the Serengeti–Zanzibar flight and all transfers are included.
Is This 10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Trip Right for You?
It is built for a first trip to Tanzania: the safari parks that give the best chance of seeing all of the Big Five in a short time, then four nights by the sea to rest. It suits couples, friends and families who want both halves of the classic Tanzania holiday in ten days, without spending more time in the vehicle than the wildlife needs.
| This trip suits you if… | Consider another trip if… |
|---|---|
| You want the Big Five and the beach in ten days | You want more safari days and no beach: our 10-day Tanzania private safari |
| You're traveling in the dry season, June to October | You'd like the luxury lodges of a honeymoon: the 14-day honeymoon safari and Zanzibar |
| You'd like a night in Stone Town as well as the beach | You want to climb Kilimanjaro too: Kilimanjaro, safari and Zanzibar in one trip |
| You're starting from Kilimanjaro or Arusha | You're already on Zanzibar: our 4-day safari from Zanzibar |
The 10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Holiday at a Glance
| Day | Plan | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, transfer to Arusha | Zondela House, or similar |
| 2 | Tarangire National Park: elephants, buffaloes and lions | Tarangire Sopa Lodge, or similar |
| 3 | Ngorongoro Crater game drive: black rhinos | Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp, or similar |
| 4 | Into the Serengeti, game driving to camp | Pori Pori Camp, or similar |
| 5 | A full day in the Serengeti: leopards and big cats | Pori Pori Camp, or similar |
| 6 | Morning game drive, flight to Zanzibar, Stone Town | Maru Maru Hotel, or similar |
| 7 | Guided Stone Town walk, transfer to Kendwa | Zuri Zanzibar, or similar |
| 8 | Beach day, optional excursion | Zuri Zanzibar, or similar |
| 9 | Beach day, optional sunset dhow cruise | Zuri Zanzibar, or similar |
| 10 | Transfer to Zanzibar airport | — |
10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Itinerary, Day by Day
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Day 1: Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport and Settle in at Zondela House in Arusha
Your driver meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives you about an hour to Zondela House in Arusha. The rest of the day is free to rest after the flight. In the evening your guide goes through the safari plan with you and checks that you have everything you need for the days ahead.
Stay: Zondela House, Arusha, or similar.
Airport pickupArushaDinner -
Day 2: Tarangire National Park: Elephant Herds, Buffaloes and Baobabs
After breakfast your private safari begins: about 2.5 hours to Tarangire National Park. In the dry season large elephant herds and buffaloes gather along the Tarangire River among giant baobab trees, and lions rest in the shade, so you can tick off three of the Big Five on the first day. A picnic lunch in the park, then an afternoon game drive to your lodge inside the park.
Stay: Tarangire Sopa Lodge, or similar, inside the park.
First game driveTarangireBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater: Black Rhinos, Lions and the Crater Floor
You drive west, up the Rift Valley escarpment and through the farmland of Karatu, into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and descend about 1,970 ft (600 m) to the crater floor. It is the best place in Tanzania to see a black rhino, with buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, lions, hyenas and hippos on the open grassland. A picnic lunch by a hippo pool, then back up to the highlands for the night.
Stay: Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp, or similar.
Crater game driveNgorongoro CraterBreakfast, picnic lunch, dinner -
Day 4: Across the Plains into the Serengeti, Game Driving to Camp
You leave the highlands and drop onto the Serengeti plains. From the park gate the drive to camp is a game drive in itself, through open grassland where lions, cheetahs, giraffes and herds of zebras and gazelles are seen in every season, arriving at your tented camp in time for the sunset.
Stay: Pori Pori Camp in the Serengeti, or similar.
Game drive all daySerengetiBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 5: A Full Day in the Serengeti Looking for Leopards and Big Cats
A whole day in the Serengeti, with the route chosen by your guide from the morning's sightings. The fifth of the Big Five, the leopard, rests in the trees along the rivers in the heat of the day, and the kopjes are favorite lookouts for lions. You can start with a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the plains (US$490 per person), then stay out from dawn to dusk with a picnic lunch.
Stay: Pori Pori Camp in the Serengeti, or similar.
Big catsSerengetiBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 6: Morning Game Drive, Then Fly from the Serengeti to Zanzibar's Stone Town
A last game drive on the way to the airstrip, then a scheduled light-aircraft flight to Zanzibar, often with a stop on the way. Your driver meets you at Zanzibar airport for the short drive to Stone Town. In the evening, walk to the Forodhani Gardens on the seafront, where the food market sets up in the evening.
Stay: Maru Maru Hotel, Stone Town, or similar.
Bush to beachSerengeti, ZanzibarBreakfast -
Day 7: A Guided Stone Town Walk, Then North to Kendwa Beach
A local guide walks you through Stone Town's old lanes for about three hours: the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the former slave market and Anglican cathedral, Darajani market and the carved wooden doors. After lunch you transfer north to Zuri Zanzibar on the Kendwa coast, where the sea is good for swimming at most tides and the sun sets over the water.
Stay: Zuri Zanzibar, Kendwa, or similar.
Stone Town tourKendwaBreakfast -
Day 8: A Slow Day on the Beach at Kendwa
Your first full beach day, with nothing to plan. Swim, walk the beach and rest under the palms. If you'd like to see more of the island, we can add a trip to Prison Island's giant tortoises, Jozani Forest's red colobus monkeys or the dolphins and sandbanks at US$105 per person each.
Stay: Zuri Zanzibar, Kendwa, or similar.
BeachOptional excursionBreakfast -
Day 9: Your Last Full Day, Ending with a Sunset over the Indian Ocean
Another free day on Zanzibar's north coast. Finish it on a traditional sunset dhow cruise (US$105 per person), or on the beach watching the sun go down over the water.
Stay: Zuri Zanzibar, Kendwa, or similar.
BeachOptional dhow cruiseBreakfast -
Day 10: Transfer to Zanzibar Airport for Your Flight Home
A last swim, then your driver takes you to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, near Stone Town, for your flight home.
Airport drop-offBreakfast
Where Will You See the Big Five on This Route?
The Big Five are the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. The route is planned so that each park adds the animals the others are weakest for, which is why it takes in three parks rather than spending all five days in one:
| Animal | Best place on this trip | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Elephant | Tarangire, where herds gather at the river in the dry season | 2 |
| Buffalo | Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater | 2 and 3 |
| Black rhino | The Ngorongoro Crater floor, the best place in Tanzania for rhinos | 3 |
| Lion | All three parks, especially the crater and the Serengeti | 2 to 6 |
| Leopard | The Serengeti, resting in trees along the rivers | 4 to 6 |
No guide can promise a sighting, and leopards and rhinos are the hardest of the five, but two full days in the Serengeti and a morning on the crater floor give you a good chance of all five. Read more in our guide to the Big Five.
Where Will You Stay on This Safari and Beach Holiday?
| Where | Lodge, or similar | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Arusha | Zondela House | 1 |
| Tarangire National Park | Tarangire Sopa Lodge, inside the park | 1 |
| Ngorongoro | Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp | 1 |
| Serengeti | Pori Pori Camp | 2 |
| Stone Town, Zanzibar | Maru Maru Hotel | 1 |
| Kendwa, north Zanzibar | Zuri Zanzibar | 3 |
Every lodge can be swapped for another of the same standard, or for a budget or luxury level, and we requote with each change. Our guide to Zanzibar's beaches compares Kendwa with the other coasts.
How Much Does a 10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Holiday Cost?
The trip costs from US$5,315 per person for 2 travelers at mid-range level, US$3,730 at budget level and US$8,870 at luxury level. The lodges are the main difference between levels, and the price per person falls as the group grows, because the vehicle and crater fee are shared.
| Travelers | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$4,935 | US$7,235 | US$12,350 |
| 2 | US$3,730 | US$5,315 | US$8,870 |
| 3 | US$3,235 | US$4,800 | US$7,785 |
| 4 | US$3,315 | US$4,900 | US$8,455 |
| 5 | US$3,100 | US$4,675 | US$7,885 |
| 6 | US$3,175 | US$4,760 | US$8,315 |
Prices are per person, based on current park fees and lodge rates; your written quotation confirms the price for your dates in 2027 or 2028.
What the 10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Price Includes
- Airport pickup at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drop-off at Zanzibar airport
- 9 nights' accommodation: 5 on safari with all meals, 1 in Stone Town and 3 at Kendwa with breakfast and the meal plan shown in your quotation
- A private 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and a professional driver-guide for the 5 safari days
- Park fees for Tarangire and the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and crater fees
- The scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar
- All transfers on Zanzibar, and a guided Stone Town walking tour
- Drinking water on safari, and AMREF Flying Doctors evacuation cover
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa and the mandatory inbound travel insurance (US$44 per adult)
- The optional balloon flight (US$490) and Zanzibar excursions (US$105 each)
- Drinks not listed, tips and personal expenses
Why Travel in the Dry Season of 2027 or 2028?
June to October is the dry season in northern Tanzania and on Zanzibar. The grass is short and animals gather near water, so the Big Five are easier to find, the roads are dry, and Zanzibar has sunny days and a warm sea. It is also the busiest season, so lodges and the Serengeti–Zanzibar flight fill early; the earlier you book, the better the chance of the lodges on this page.
In the dry season the Great Migration herds are usually in the northern Serengeti. If the river crossings matter to you, we can move the Serengeti nights north; see our 4-day Mara River crossing fly-in and the Great Migration guide.
Can You Change the Plan?
- More beach: add nights at Kendwa, or move to the quieter east coast
- Lake Manyara: add a day between Tarangire and the crater for the forest and lake shore of Lake Manyara
- Kilimanjaro first: climb before the safari, as in our Kilimanjaro, safari and Zanzibar guide
- Different lodges: any lodge can be upgraded or swapped, and we requote
How to Book Your 10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Holiday
Send us your dates, the number of travelers and your preferred level through the booking form, on WhatsApp +255 678 992 599 or by email to jaynevytours@gmail.com, and our team in Moshi will reply with a written quotation. A 30% deposit confirms the booking and the balance is paid on arrival.
Common Questions About the 10-Day Big Five Safari and Zanzibar Holiday
How much is a 10-day Tanzania safari and Zanzibar holiday?
From US$5,315 per person for 2 travelers at mid-range level, or US$3,730 at budget level, with 9 nights' accommodation, a private 5-day safari, park and crater fees, the Serengeti–Zanzibar flight and all transfers.
Will we see the Big Five on this safari?
There is a good chance. Tarangire is excellent for elephants and buffaloes, the Ngorongoro Crater for black rhinos, and the Serengeti for lions and leopards. No sighting can be guaranteed, and leopards and rhinos are the hardest to find.
Is the dry season the best time for this trip?
Yes. From June to October the animals gather near water and are easier to see, and Zanzibar has sunny days and a warm sea. It is the busiest season, so book early.
How do we get from the Serengeti to Zanzibar?
By a scheduled light-aircraft flight from a Serengeti airstrip, often with a stop on the way; it is included in the price. Soft bags of about 15–20 kg are allowed on light aircraft.
Why spend a night in Stone Town before the beach?
Stone Town is close to the airport, so you arrive without a long drive after the flight, and you see the old town on a guided walk the next morning before heading north to Kendwa.
Is the safari private?
Yes. You have your own Land Cruiser and driver-guide for the whole safari, and you set the pace.
Will we see the Great Migration?
In the dry season the herds are usually in the northern Serengeti. This route focuses on the Big Five; if the migration is a priority, we can move the Serengeti nights north.
Can children join this trip?
Yes. The days on safari are planned around the animals, not long drives, and Kendwa's beach is good for swimming. Tell us their ages and we confirm rooms and child rates.
The Bottom Line
Ten days is enough for the two things most people come to Tanzania for: a private safari through Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti with a real chance of all of the Big Five, and four relaxed nights on Zanzibar. It costs from US$5,315 per person for two at mid-range level in the dry seasons of 2027 and 2028. Send us your dates, and book early for July and August.