The Serengeti migration in every season, the Ngorongoro Crater and Kilimanjaro, then an easy hop to the beaches of Zanzibar.
Tanzania holds most of the Great Migration most of the year. Some two million wildebeest, with zebra and gazelles, circle the Serengeti, calving on the southern plains early in the year and crossing the Mara River in the north from July. Choose the right camp for the month and you are in the middle of it.
The northern circuit is the classic route: Tarangire for elephants and baobabs, the Ngorongoro Crater for black rhino and lions on the crater floor, then the Serengeti. Ruaha and Nyerere in the south are wilder and quieter. Most trips end on Zanzibar, a short flight away.
Two honest caveats. Distances are big, so we fly between the Serengeti camps rather than drive. And the Crater is busy by mid-morning: go down at first light.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
From about January to March the herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, on the border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and give birth in their hundreds of thousands. Lions, cheetahs and hyenas follow. Mobile camps move with the herds, and the plains are green and bright between showers.
From July to October the herds reach the far north around Kogatende and cross the Mara River back and forth. It is quieter than the Kenyan side, with fewer vehicles at each crossing. Stay at least four nights and bring patience: herds can gather for hours before a single animal commits.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a collapsed volcano whose floor holds lions, hyenas, flamingos on the soda lake and one of the few places in Tanzania to see black rhino. Descend at dawn with a picnic breakfast to beat the vehicles. Rim lodges look straight into the caldera and are cold at night.
In the dry season Tarangire fills with elephants, as herds converge on the Tarangire River beneath huge baobabs. It is under three hours' drive from Arusha, which makes it a gentle start after the long flight. The private land to the east allows walking and night drives.
For a second safari, head south. Ruaha has big lion prides, greater kudu and very few vehicles; Nyerere, formerly the Selous, adds boat safaris on the Rufiji River and walking. Both are reached by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar, which makes a south-and-beach combination easy.
Africa's highest mountain needs no technical climbing, but altitude is the real challenge. Choose a longer route such as the Lemosho or Northern Circuit, seven to nine days, for better acclimatisation and success. Climb in the dry months and book a well-equipped operator with proper crew welfare standards.
Match your Serengeti camp to the month: the south for calving, the west in June and the north from July to October. Mobile tented camps follow the herds and are simpler than the permanent lodges. On the Crater rim, a room with a caldera view is worth the premium.
Seven tented suites and a family unit among palms in the Burunge corridor, run on unhurried days with your own guide and vehicle.
Eight suites among granite boulders above a baobab forest in Ruaha, with a private guide and vehicle for every booking.
Twelve open-fronted rooms tucked into the boulders of the Kogakuria Kopje, a short drive from the Mara River crossings.
Nomad's six-tent mobile camp, moved four or five times a year to stay within reach of the wildebeest herds.
An Edwardian-style manor on Sasakwa Hill above a 350,000-acre private reserve, with cottages that each have their own plunge pool.
Eight canvas and perspex domes on the forested slopes of Olmoti Crater, about an hour from the Ngorongoro Crater floor.
Sample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
A northern Tanzania safari paced for families with children aged eight and over: baobabs and elephants near Tarangire, a crater rim lodge above Ngorongoro, a mobile camp in the Serengeti, then four nights on a Zanzibar beach.
Tanzania has two rainy seasons: the short rains in November and December, and the long rains from about March to May, with April the wettest. The long dry season, June to October, is the classic safari window, with thin bush and animals at the water.
The migration is the exception to any simple rule, since it is always somewhere. That makes Tanzania one of the few places where January and February rank as highly as August. For Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro, the dry months are best.
Tarangire's elephants, a dawn descent into the Ngorongoro Crater and four nights by the Mara River, timed for the crossings from July to October. 9 nights.
Fly into Kilimanjaro and transfer to a coffee farm lodge outside Arusha to rest after the journey.
Drive to Tarangire for game drives along the river, and a walk or night drive on the private land beyond the park.
Continue to the Crater rim. Descend at first light for a full morning on the floor, and visit a Maasai village or the Olduvai Gorge.
Fly to Kogatende for four nights near the Mara River, then fly to Arusha or Zanzibar for the connection home on day 10.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Tanzania (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from the UK. Connect in Nairobi or Doha for Kilimanjaro, the gateway to the north. Light aircraft link Arusha with Serengeti airstrips, with soft-bag weight limits.
UK passport holders currently need a visa for Tanzania. Visitors to Zanzibar also need its mandatory inbound travel insurance. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book and again before you fly.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Tanzania (opens in a new tab)
All areas below 1,800 metres, including the parks and Zanzibar, are malaria areas. Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) well before you go. The Crater rim and Kilimanjaro are cold, so pack warm layers as well as sun protection.
The currency is the Tanzanian shilling, but safari costs are usually paid in US dollars in advance. Bring clean, recent dollar notes for tips, and use cards in larger hotels.
Vodacom is the leading mobile operator, and local SIM cards are easy to buy in Arusha. Most camps offer wifi in the main area, but expect gaps in the Serengeti.
Tipping is a standard part of a Tanzanian safari or Kilimanjaro climb. Guides, camp staff and mountain crews rely on it. We include current guidance with your documents.
Roughly: December to March on the southern plains around Ndutu for calving; April and May moving through the central Serengeti; June in the western corridor; July to October in the far north, crossing the Mara River; November drifting south again. The herds follow the rain, so timings shift by weeks each year. We place you in camps that can move or reach them.
It can be busy by mid-morning, especially in July and August. Going down at first light, with breakfast packed, gives you the best hours before most vehicles arrive. Head to the far side of the crater floor and it feels far quieter. One morning is enough for most people.
Eight to ten nights covers the northern circuit comfortably, with time in the Serengeti rather than rushing through. Add three or four nights on Zanzibar to recover. For the south, allow five or six nights across Ruaha and Nyerere. Shorter trips are possible if you fly between every stop.
Yes. Many lodges welcome families and offer private vehicles, which let you stop when children need a break. The northern circuit has plenty of variety, and Zanzibar makes an easy finish. Some mobile camps and walking activities have minimum ages, so we choose camps carefully for younger children.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: January, February and July to September.
The Masai Mara's private conservancies, rhino country in Laikipia and a Swahili coast, a single overnight flight from London.
Swahili Stone Town, spice farms and white-sand beaches on the Indian Ocean: the natural finish to an East African safari.
An hour with mountain gorillas in the Virungas, then chimpanzees, rainforest and a big five savannah, all within a day's drive.
The herds do not recognise the border, so the real question is not which country but which month. Here is where the migration usually is through the year, what the river crossings are really like, and how to avoid the crowds.
