What You Need to Know: This 20-day family holiday costs from US$9,235 per adult for two adults at mid-range lodges (US$6,085 budget, US$16,745 luxury), including the flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar and seven beach nights. Children aged 5 and under travel free, children from 6 to 15 get 30% off, and every family booking gets an 8% family discount. The 19 nights mix three in Arusha, a night inside Tarangire, Lake Manyara, two on the Ngorongoro crater rim, three in the central Serengeti and seven at Kendwa on Zanzibar, with a waterfall and coffee day, Arusha National Park, a crater game drive and two island excursions included. It is best from late June to early October.
Who Is a Three-Week Family Holiday For?
This plan answers a request we received from a family of four with children of 10 and 13, who wanted to travel through Tanzania for about three weeks in July and asked for "variety, child-friendly pacing, downtime, cultural moments and active experiences", two nights somewhere with an exceptional view, and a beach where the children could swim and snorkel. Three weeks lets the trip breathe: no day has more than one long drive, there is a free day every few days, and the beach week is long enough to really rest.
| Choose this holiday if… | Choose a shorter trip if… |
|---|---|
| You have three weeks and want the safari and the beach without rushing | You have nine days: see the 9-day family safari and Zanzibar |
| Your children like walks, swims and visits as much as game drives | Your children are toddlers: see the 3-day safari with short drives |
| You want the river crossings less than a relaxed, varied trip | The migration is the priority: see the 8-day family migration safari |
20-Day Family Safari and Zanzibar Itinerary
Mid-range lodges are shown, always "or similar", with family rooms or connecting rooms requested everywhere. Where we can, we choose lodges with a swimming pool.
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Day 1: Arrival, a pool hotel in Arusha
Your driver-guide meets the family at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the drive of about an hour to Arusha. The first three nights are in the same hotel, so you unpack once and recover from the flights.
Stay: Njiro Luxury Resort or similar, three nights.
Airport pickupArushaMeals on your own -
Day 2: Arusha National Park: giraffes, monkeys and a canoe
A first, easy safari day, 45 minutes from town: giraffes below Mount Meru, black-and-white colobus monkeys in the forest and flamingos on the Momella lakes. Families who want to be active can add a canoe trip on the lakes or a walk with an armed ranger, quoted separately and subject to the park's age rules.
First game driveArusha National ParkBreakfast, picnic lunch -
Day 3: Materuni waterfall and a coffee farm
A day on the green slopes of Kilimanjaro with a local guide: a walk through banana and coffee farms to the Materuni waterfall, a swim in the cold pool below it, and a coffee session with a local family, who show you how they pick, roast and grind their beans. Lunch is included, and you are back in Arusha for the evening.
Walk and swimMateruni, near MoshiBreakfast, lunch -
Day 4: Into Tarangire, a night inside the park
About 2 hours to Tarangire, then the afternoon with its elephant herds and baobabs. Tonight you sleep in a tented camp inside the park, where you may hear lions and see elephants walk past.
Stay: Tarangire Katikati Camp or Baobab Tented Camp, or similar.
Night in the parkTarangireBreakfast, lunch box, dinner -
Day 5: Tarangire morning, Mto wa Mbu afternoon
A dawn game drive while the animals are busy, then a short drive to Mto wa Mbu at the foot of the Rift Valley wall, a lively village with a busy market, for a relaxed afternoon by the lodge pool or a walk through the village.
Stay: Moonbow Lodge or Mawe Mawe Manyara, or similar.
Morning driveTarangire, Mto wa MbuBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 6: Lake Manyara, then up to Karatu
Lake Manyara's forest, with monkeys and baboons along the road, opens onto the lakeshore with its birds and hippos. In the afternoon you climb the escarpment to Karatu, a cool farming town and the base for the next two nights.
Stay: Karatu Tented Lodge or Pamoja Farm Villas, or similar, two nights.
Game driveLake Manyara, KaratuBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 7: A free day in Karatu
No game drive today. Swim, read and play at the lodge, or add a Maasai village visit in the highlands to see how families live and herd their cattle, quoted with your trip.
Rest dayKaratuBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 8: Up to the Ngorongoro crater rim
A short drive up through the forest to your camp on the crater rim, with the whole caldera spread out below. Spend the afternoon taking in the view, which is the reason for staying up here two nights; the rim is cool, so pack warm layers for the evening.
Stay: Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp or similar, two nights. For a more luxurious stay with an exceptional view, such as Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on the rim, we quote the upgrade with your trip.
Crater viewsNgorongoro crater rimBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 9: A day on the crater floor
Down 1,970 ft (600 m) to the crater floor for a game drive among lions, hyenas, buffaloes, zebras and hippos, with flamingos on the soda lake and the best chance in Tanzania of a black rhino. A picnic by the hippo pool, then back up to the rim for a quiet evening.
Crater game driveNgorongoro CraterBreakfast, picnic lunch, dinner -
Day 10: Across the plains to the central Serengeti
West over the highlands and down to the Serengeti plains, with a stop at Olduvai Gorge if the family wishes, and a game drive through the park to your camp near Seronera.
Stay: Mberesero Serengeti Central Lodge or Serengeti Classic View Camp, or similar, three nights.
Into the SerengetiNgorongoro, central SerengetiBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 11: A full Serengeti day
Out with a picnic along the Seronera valley, known for its lions, leopards and cheetahs, with time to wait at sightings and a break at camp whenever the children need it.
Big catsCentral SerengetiBreakfast, picnic lunch, dinner -
Day 12: Balloon, kopjes or a slow morning
The family's choice: an optional sunrise balloon flight over the plains (US$490 per person, with the operator's age limits), a morning drive to the rocky kopjes where lions rest, or a late start and an afternoon drive only.
Flexible dayCentral SerengetiBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 13: Fly from the Serengeti to Zanzibar
Instead of a long drive back to Arusha, a scheduled light-aircraft flight takes you from the Serengeti straight to Zanzibar; these flights often stop on the way. You are met and driven to Kendwa on the north-west coast, where the sea is good for swimming at almost any tide.
Stay: Kendwa Rocks or Nungwi Turaco Resort, or similar, seven nights with breakfast.
Bush to beachSerengeti, KendwaBreakfast -
Days 14 to 19: A week on the beach, with two excursions
Mostly free days for swimming, sunsets and dhow-watching on the north coast. Two guided days are included: Stone Town with a boat to Prison Island and its giant tortoises, and Jozani Forest, home of the red colobus monkey. Snorkeling trips to Mnemba Atoll, popular for turtles, leave from the north and east coasts and can be added; we book them with a trusted local operator.
Beach and excursionsKendwa, Stone Town, JozaniBreakfast daily -
Day 20: Fly home from Zanzibar
A last morning swim, then the transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your flight home.
Airport transferZanzibarBreakfast
How Much Does the 20-Day Family Safari and Zanzibar Holiday Cost?
From US$9,235 per adult for two adults at mid-range lodges, US$6,085 at budget level and US$16,745 at luxury level, for the whole three weeks. That includes the safari, every lodge and hotel, the flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar, the Materuni day and two Zanzibar excursions.
| Adults | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$8,370 | US$13,015 | US$23,705 |
| 2 | US$6,085 | US$9,235 | US$16,745 |
| 3 | US$5,185 | US$8,225 | US$14,335 |
| 4 | US$5,315 | US$8,460 | US$15,975 |
| 5 | US$4,930 | US$8,010 | US$14,680 |
| 6 | US$5,055 | US$8,205 | US$15,715 |
The park fees for Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, the crater service fee and the concession fees for the nights inside the parks are all included. The two crater-rim nights are at a mid-range camp; a luxury rim lodge is quoted as an upgrade. Rates for 2027 and 2028 are confirmed in your written quotation.
What Children Pay
| Traveler | Price at mid-range, 2 adults |
|---|---|
| Child 5 and under | Free |
| Child 6 to 15 | About US$6,465 (30% off the adult price) |
| Family discount | 8% off the whole booking |
For a family of two adults and two children aged 10 and 13, that is US$18,470 for the adults and about US$12,930 for the children, around US$31,400, or about US$28,890 after the 8% family discount. Your quotation works it out for your exact rooms and dates, line by line. The family rules are on our family safaris page.
Ways to Bring the Cost Down
Three weeks at mid-range lodges is a big budget for a family of four. If you need it lower, these are the changes that save the most without losing the shape of the trip:
- Budget level: the same route at budget lodges costs from US$6,085 per adult, about a third less.
- Fewer beach nights, or a budget beach hotel: seven nights at Kendwa are a large share of the price; four or five nights, or a simpler hotel, cut it noticeably.
- One fewer Arusha night: combine Arusha National Park and the Materuni day if the children arrive rested.
- Karatu instead of the crater rim: sleeping in Karatu and driving up for the crater day costs less than two rim nights, though you lose the view.
Tell us your budget when you write, and we suggest the best version of the trip for it.
What the Holiday Includes
- Airport pickup at Kilimanjaro and drop-off at Zanzibar airport, and the transfer from Zanzibar airport to Kendwa
- A private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and your own driver-guide for the safari days
- Nineteen nights at the level you choose, with meals as listed (full board on the safari, breakfast in Arusha and on Zanzibar)
- The Materuni waterfall and coffee day, with lunch, and two guided Zanzibar excursions
- The scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar
- All park entry, conservation and concession fees, and the crater service fee
Not included
- International flights and visas (US$100 for US citizens)
- Tanzania's mandatory inbound travel insurance (US$44 per adult) and your own travel insurance
- Optional extras: the balloon flight (US$490 per person), canoeing or walking in Arusha National Park, the Maasai village visit, snorkeling trips and the luxury rim upgrade
- Lunches and dinners in Arusha and on Zanzibar, drinks, tips and personal items
Making Three Weeks Work with Children
- Rest days are planned in: Day 7 in Karatu and Day 12 in the Serengeti are flexible, and the beach week has only two set excursions.
- One long drive at a time: the longest day is the drive into the Serengeti on Day 10; the flight to Zanzibar replaces the long drive back.
- Light-aircraft luggage: pack the family's bags as soft bags for the Serengeti flight, which has strict weight limits.
- Health: ask your doctor about malaria tablets and sun protection for three weeks near the equator. Our guide to a safari with kids has a full checklist.
How to Book the 20-Day Family Holiday
Send your travel dates, the number of adults, each child's age, your lodge level, whether you want the rim upgrade and your budget through the form, on WhatsApp +255 678 992 599 or by email to jaynevytours@gmail.com. Our team in Moshi replies with a day-by-day itinerary and a quotation itemized by segment, with every adult and child price and the family discount. A 30% deposit confirms the holiday, the balance is paid on arrival, and refunds follow our booking terms.
Common Questions About the 20-Day Family Holiday
Is three weeks too long for a family safari?
Not with this shape: ten safari days with rest days built in, then a week on the beach. Children tire of back-to-back long drives, not of a varied trip.
How much do children pay?
Children aged 5 and under travel free, children from 6 to 15 pay 30% less than an adult, about US$6,465 at mid-range for two adults, and every family gets 8% off the total.
Can we stay somewhere with a special view?
Yes. The two nights on the Ngorongoro crater rim look down into the caldera; for a more luxurious rim lodge, we quote the upgrade with your trip.
Why Kendwa for the beach?
Kendwa and Nungwi in the north have swimming at most tides, which matters with children; snorkeling trips to Mnemba Atoll can be added from the north coast.
Can we fly back to Arusha instead of going to Zanzibar directly?
Yes, but flying from the Serengeti straight to Zanzibar saves a day and a second flight, so we recommend it.
Can the trip be shorter?
Yes: drop a night in Arusha, the Karatu rest day or a few beach nights. For a ready-made shorter version, see our 9-day family safari and Zanzibar.
The Bottom Line
For a family with three weeks, this is a complete Tanzania holiday: a gentle start around Arusha, ten varied safari days with rest built in and a view from the crater rim, then a week on the beach at Kendwa. It costs from US$9,235 per adult at mid-range, with children aged 5 and under free, 30% off for children up to 15 and 8% off for every family.