Private Tanzania safari

12 Days Northern Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar in Depth

A complete private Tanzania journey across Tarangire, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar, created for travellers who want the wildlife circuit and coast to feel deeply experienced.

Plan this journey Talk to our team

12 daysPurposeful, unhurried pacing

Private journeyVehicle and guide throughout

Arusha · Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · ZanzibarDesigned around your priorities

Tailor-madeStay level and connections aligned

The journey

Tanzania, experienced with a rhythm that feels right.

Twelve days allows Tanzania to unfold in chapters: elephant country, forest and escarpment, the Serengeti’s wide plains, the crater’s concentrated wildlife and a final coastal reset. It is a complete route with enough time to inhabit each part rather than race through it.

We refine the final route around wildlife conditions, lodge availability, road or light-aircraft preferences and the level of comfort you want. The result is a private journey that feels coherent from arrival to departure.

Day by day

The rhythm of the route.

Every day is designed to give the wildlife, landscape and lodge experience the time it deserves.

Day 01

Arrival in Arusha: settle in well

Arrive in Arusha and begin with a private transfer and a peaceful first night. The arrival day is intentionally generous. Your transfer, room readiness and dinner are handled quietly so you can acclimatise and begin the next morning with real energy for the first wilderness chapter. This first night is selected for more than convenience: it protects your recovery after an international flight, keeps the next morning straightforward and gives you a clear point of contact before the safari begins.

Day 02

Tarangire: elephant country and a quiet first camp

Travel into Tarangire National Park, where elephants, baobabs and quieter game viewing set a calm opening pace. Tarangire is not used as a token first park. With a private guide, you have time to follow elephants, linger in the baobab landscape and understand why this quieter park is such a rewarding part of the northern circuit. We factor in real driving time, comfort stops, park formalities and a proper meal rather than publishing an optimistic transfer time. Your guide manages the practical flow quietly so the journey remains enjoyable.

Day 03

A full Tarangire day

Use the extra Tarangire day for private drives, a walking experience where appropriate or simply more time in the lodge landscape. The full extra day gives you the option to use the park differently: a slow sunrise drive, more time at a remarkable sighting, a guided activity where appropriate or an unplanned lodge afternoon. It creates space before the route moves on. Game viewing is never treated as a fixed mileage target. Your private guide considers recent sightings, light, weather and your own energy, then explains the choices so you can take part in shaping the day.

Day 04

Lake Manyara: forest, escarpment and a change of texture

Continue to Lake Manyara for a different scale of Tanzania: forest, birdlife and the Rift Valley escarpment. Lake Manyara changes the texture of the circuit with forest, lake edge and escarpment views. We treat it as a lighter, restorative chapter rather than trying to make it compete with the open-country wildlife of the Serengeti. The route keeps enough flexibility for a slow lunch at camp, a private picnic or more time at a meaningful wildlife encounter. This is how the day stays rich without becoming relentlessly full.

Day 05

Into the Serengeti: travel with time for wildlife

Travel or fly into the Serengeti with sensible stops and time for an afternoon game drive once you reach the plains. The transition into the Serengeti is planned around where you are staying and how you like to travel. Wildlife viewing begins on the route, with time for a proper camp arrival and an evening that does not feel rushed. Accommodation is matched to your selected level of comfort, with the final proposal showing exactly what changes in setting, room style, privacy, service and the way the stay supports the next day.

Day 06

Central Serengeti: a private day on the plains

Track wildlife with your private guide, adjusting the day around the current movement of cats, herds and your own interests. A private guide gives this day shape: leave early for cats, return for lunch when the heat builds or stay out longer when wildlife is active. You decide how much time you want in the vehicle and at camp. Your guide and lodge team coordinate the timing of meals, luggage and the following morning’s departure in advance. The operational detail is handled in the background, leaving the experience feeling calm and personal.

Day 07

A second Serengeti day, led by wildlife and your priorities

A second Serengeti day creates the breathing room that makes a private safari feel distinct. The second day protects the heart of the safari. It allows a different Serengeti area, a balloon experience or the simple luxury of not needing to leave camp at first light because the route has enough room already. This chapter is deliberately protected from unnecessary extras. The best experiences are often the ones that have room for a change in weather, an unplanned sighting or simply the wish to slow down.

Day 08

Serengeti to Ngorongoro: a considered transition

Travel toward Ngorongoro through the changing Serengeti landscape, arriving in the highlands before evening. The journey to the crater highlands is paced with the changing landscape in mind. You arrive in a cooler, quieter setting with time to enjoy the lodge and prepare for the following morning rather than pushing through after dark. Any onward travel is confirmed against the final flight schedule and current road conditions. We do not leave the last connection to chance, and we will recommend an additional night whenever it creates a more comfortable end to the journey.

Day 09

Ngorongoro Crater and flight to Zanzibar

Descend early into the crater, then continue via the planned flight schedule to Zanzibar for a contrasting coastal chapter. After an early crater descent and a well-timed picnic, your private transfer connects you to the Zanzibar flight. We manage the operational detail so the coastal arrival feels like a clean transition, not another long travel day. This longer route allows the wildlife experience and the lodge experience to support one another. You are not expected to be in the vehicle all day simply because the itinerary has another place to reach.

Day 10

Zanzibar: a restful coastal arrival

Arrive, settle and take the first day with no pressure to do more than enjoy the beach and the service around you. The first Zanzibar day is deliberately light. It is there to let the body and mind come down from the safari rhythm, whether that means a swim, a beach walk or simply an early night in a beautiful room. Your final documents set out the confirmed times, inclusions and contacts clearly. Before travel, we also discuss packing, dietary needs, special occasions and any small details that make the private journey feel genuinely yours.

Day 11

Zanzibar at your own pace

Choose the island experiences that feel right, or keep the day entirely unplanned. Choose the balance that feels right: private boat time, snorkelling, a cultural excursion, spa time or no scheduled activity at all. The coastal days are designed around how you want to finish, not an obligation to “do” Zanzibar. The day can be left entirely open or arranged around one meaningful experience. We protect that choice so a beach or lodge chapter feels like a real finish, not a programme with a different view.

Day 12

Departure from Zanzibar

Private transfer to the airport timed around your onward flight. Your departure is planned around the final flight and your preferred last morning. The team handles the transfer and can also arrange a further coast extension when you would like the journey to end more gradually. The final morning remains flexible around your departure time. Private transfers, luggage support and any last meal or room arrangements are confirmed in advance, so the journey closes as smoothly as it began.

Good to know

What we arrange around the route.

Your journey includes

Private arrival, transfers and in-country transport agreed in your proposal
Private guiding and game drives planned around your route
Accommodation and meals at your selected travel level
Park-fee, luggage and practical pre-departure guidance
Support coordinating every part of the journey

We tailor before you commit

Lodge style, room configuration and privacy preferences
Road travel, light aircraft and the pacing that suits you
Wildlife priorities, photographic interests and family needs
Dietary requirements, celebrations and private group details
Zanzibar or wider East Africa extensions

Before you decide

Useful answers for this Tanzania safari.

Can this route be tailored to our dates?

Yes. These itineraries are considered starting points. We adapt the route around your travel window, wildlife priorities, lodge availability and preferred pace.

How do we choose between mid-range, luxury and high-end?

We explain the practical difference in room style, privacy, camp setting, inclusions and service, so you can invest where it will change the journey for you.

Can we add Zanzibar or another East African country?

Yes. A beach finish, Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda extension can be added when it creates a better overall holiday rather than simply more nights.

Make it yours

Ready to plan Tanzania your way?

Share your dates, group and level of comfort. We will return with a clear private route and the accommodation choices that make sense.