Northern Parks, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar


Trip description

Tanzania has many of the most spectacular and extensive reserves in the world, including Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. You can combine a safari in these national parks, as well as in Tarangire and Lake Manyara, with the ascent of the famous nearby Kilimanjaro and a well-deserved rest on the idyllic beaches of Zanzibar

Day 1: Arrival and visit of Arusha

Day 2: Walking tour of Arusha National Park

Day 3: Safari in Ngorongoro Crater

Day 4: Road to Serengeti and safari in the Seronera area

Day 5: Safari in Seronera, full day

Day 6: On the way to Lake Natron

Day 7: Visit of Lake Natron

Day 8: Tarangire National Park

Day 9: Visit to Manyara National Park

Day 10: Moshi and coffee plantations

Day 11: Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 1

Day 12: Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 2

Day 13: Climbing Kilimanjaro by Shira route - day 3

Day 14: Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 4

Day 15: Relax on the beach in Zanzibar

Day 16: Relaxation, visit of Nungwi and dhow ride

Day 17: Stone Town: cultural visit of the capital of Zanzibar

Day 18: Diving or snorkeling in Mnemba

Day 19: Jozani Forest Reserve - Chwaka Bay National Park

Day 20: "Spice Tour", "Dolphin tour" and "Safari Blue"

Day 21: Last day of beach and fish market in Nkokotoni

Day 1 : Arrival and visit of Arusha

Day1 : Arrival and visit of Arusha ©Stephan SZEREMETA


Arrival in Arusha after a long and tiring flight. Visit of the city with a guide. The change of scenery is complete in the middle of the flow of multicoloured trucks and buses, pedestrians who seem to converge to exchange provisions, clothes, mechanical parts... A real ant farm! Go out to a good restaurant in the city to taste Swahili specialities.




Day 2 : Walking tour of Arusha National Park

Day2 : Walking tour of Arusha National Park ©Stephan SZEREMETA


Walking tour of Arusha National Park, accompanied by a ranger, to stretch your legs after a very long flight with a stopover. It is necessary to fill up with oxygen before you can drive for miles on a 4x4 safari. Enjoy the incredible views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the surrounding Mount Merou.




Day 3 : Safari in Ngorongoro Crater

Day3 : Safari in Ngorongoro Crater ©Stephan SZEREMETA


Departure for the Ngorongoro crater, the road is long and tiring in Masai land to the edge of the crater, it is an impressive 4x4 ascent, hang on! You go on a six-hour safari in the crater to discover its extraordinary wildlife. Picnic break. In the middle of the afternoon, you take the road to Olduvai. Walk with a Masai to watch the sunset




Day 4 : Road to Serengeti and safari in the Seronera area



In the morning you take the road to Serengeti National Park, through dented 4x4 tracks. The formalities may take a little time. Then you enter a vast plain that stretches to infinity (which means Serengeti in Swahili) that you must penetrate to the heart of the Seronera area to take a safari, before joining your lodge in this area




Day 5 : Safari in Seronera, full day



Seronera is one of the richest regions in the world in wild animal fauna. You must be in this very remote area to make the most spectacular safaris. In this large plain, lonely lions groups or cheetahs feel fast, while sleepy leopards in the trees of the only wooded Seronera area, after a rich meal eaten during the night.




Day 6 : On the way to Lake Natron



In the morning, you leave Serengeti National Park for Lake Natron, on a very dented and challenging trail, but with beautiful scenery. A picnic break is welcome, but it will take a day to get to the camp. You will discover the landscapes of the alkaline lake of tectonic origin in pink and red colours.




Day 7 : Visit of Lake Natron



In the morning, you will visit Lake Natron by 4x4 and on foot, with a Masai guide. The landscapes are fantastic, you can observe the famous dwarf flamingos and other migratory birds that come to breed here. After lunch at the camp, you will take a boat trip on the Ngaro Sero River. Swimming in the clear and refreshing waters of a waterfall. Return to camp for dinner




Day 8 : Tarangire National Park

Day8 : Tarangire National Park ©Stephan SZEREMETA


Departure in the direction of Arusha, with a break halfway through to visit the village of Engaruka. Then, in the afternoon, you will discover Tarangire National Park in the afternoon, known for its hundreds of elephants that live in groups along the river. Beware of the many tsetse flies, do not wear blue or black. Overnight in the park




Day 9 : Visit to Manyara National Park

Day9 : Visit to Manyara National Park ©Stephan SZEREMETA


In the morning, safari in the park of Tarangire where it is not rare, in addition to elephants, to meet groups of lions, sometimes perched in the acacias with low branches. In the afternoon, you will discover the wonderful landscapes of Lake Manyara and its thousands of pink flamingos. Return to Arusha, restaurant and well-deserved rest.




Day 10 : Moshi and coffee plantations

Day10 : Moshi and coffee plantations ©Stephan SZEREMETA


Take the road to Moshi, a smaller, more friendly town in Arusha, at the foot of Kilimanjaro. At this point you are tired of the safari, rest, and take a short walk through the surrounding coffee plantations, along a path that leads to a beautiful waterfall just outside the city, with a Masai guide




Day 11 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 1

Day11 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 1 ©Stephan SZEREMETA


The Shira route is absolutely superb, a little more engaged than on the eastern side, but not too busy and feasible for any sporty trekker. From Moshi, take the Arusha road and then turn off on a 13 km track going up through the forest to Londorossi. The ascent is very regular (23 km) to Shira Hut.




Day 12 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 2

Day12 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 2 ©brytta - iStockphoto.com


Shira Plateau - Arrow Glacier Camp. Continuing towards Kibo, it takes us 4 hours to reach the lava tower, at 4,600 m. It is best to continue to Arrow Glacier Camp, at 4,900 m. If the sky is clear in the evening, you can see Mount Meru. After Shira, some expeditions sometimes decide to spend the night at Moir Hut, to attack the Credner glacier on the northwestern slope.




Day 13 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by Shira route - day 3



Arrow Glacier Camp - Crater or Uhuru Peak. From the base of the glacier, one rises straight up on a moraine. The slope increases and we arrive on the last rocky jump before the plateau of the Kibo crater. We cross the plateau to the southeast, to attack the 300 m of the summit, in a snowy valley, with rock climbing passages. We start the descent to the camps of Mweka Hut or Horombo




Day 14 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 4

Day14 : Climbing Kilimanjaro by the Shira route - day 4 ©Stephan SZEREMETA


From the camps of Mweka Hut or Horombo, there are 3 hours of very pleasant descent through a magnificent primary forest crossed by blue monkeys. On arrival, you rest at lunch break after this challenging trek. Return to Arusha and flight to Zanzibar in the evening, arrival in Nungwi: dinner in a restaurant in the centre and overnight rest




Day 15 : Relax on the beach in Zanzibar

Day15 : Relax on the beach in Zanzibar ©Obladatel - Shutterstock.com


After a good weather safari in the heat and dust of the bush, nothing like a few days of beach in Nungwi or Kendwa all the north of the island, among the most beautiful beaches because without reef reef. Here you can bathe at any time in turquoise water. A postcard landscape in which one invites you to a siesta under the palm.




Day 16 : Relaxation, visit of Nungwi and dhow ride

Day16 : Relaxation, visit of Nungwi and dhow ride ©dsukhov - Fotolia


New day of rest and beach. We take the opportunity to soak up the lively atmosphere of Kendwa, the second largest city on the island after Stone Town. Visit the dhow making workshops, visit the turtle aquarium, and beach session followed by a massage on the deckchair, as there are many outdoor spas here. In the evening, enjoy a sunset on a dhow, the traditional boats of Zanzibar




Day 17 : Stone Town: cultural visit of the capital of Zanzibar

Day17 : Stone Town: cultural visit of the capital of Zanzibar ©Arnaud BEBIEN


Discover the labyrinthine streets and fantastic architecture of the old city, with its Indian, Arab and African influences. Unmissable: the Old Dispensary, the old fort, the Anglican church, the slave prison, the Mtoni palace... Soak up the authentic atmosphere, buy souvenirs. Passage to the market of Forodhani, dinner in a good restaurant, return to Nungwi.




Day 18 : Diving or snorkeling in Mnemba

Day18 : Diving or snorkeling in Mnemba ©Oohan101 - iStockphoto


The jewel of the northern coast is called Mnemba, an island surrounded by a huge coral reef that dives into a wall, and can be discovered both diving and snorkeling. Located opposite Matemwe, boat trips are also organized from Nungwi. In the afternoon, go to the Matemwe fish market (around 4pm), and walk around this authentic village




Day 19 : Jozani Forest Reserve - Chwaka Bay National Park



Zanzibar has only one national park, the one that includes the Jozani forest and the wild mangroves of the preserved coast of the park. The forest is home to the adorable Colobus monkeys that can easily be approached. The visit of the park with a forest ranger takes a good half day. In the afternoon enjoy the beach




Day 20 : "Spice Tour", "Dolphin tour" and "Safari Blue"

Day20 : "Spice Tour", "Dolphin tour" and "Safari Blue" ©Tanzania Tourist Board


Choose from the island's unmissable tours one or two that you will love to do. The unmissable: the Spice tour, which takes you on a tour of a farm where all the spices of the island are grown, very instructive. Or the Dolphin Tour in Kizimkazi (where you can admire the village's 12th century mosque) or the Safari Blue, a day of snorkeling in the south of the island




Day 21 : Last day of beach and fish market in Nkokotoni



You enjoy a last day of rest and sunshine in the shade of a palm tree on the white sand, before taking a transfer to Zanzibar airport, heading for France. Stop at the Nkokotoni Fish Market to see the impressive fish shipments land if you have time




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