To get the most out of Tanzania, combine one of the two safari circuits below with a visit to Zanzibar.
Northern Parks Safari (7 Days)
Most of the northern circuit parks can be visited on short 3-day/2-night safaris from Arusha. There is a choice of flying or driving and varied options of accommodations from basic camping to luxury safari lodges and intimate tented camps. To do a comprehensive circuit, you'll need at least a week; stay at least a night or two at each to get the most out of early-morning and late-afternoon game drives, which is when the animals are at their most active.
From Arusha, head southwest through the coffee plantations and on to the plains, where you may see the Masai grazing their cattle, and on to the Tarangire National Park, which is less than 2 hours by car from Arusha. The following day, continue east on the road going up the scenic escarpment overlooking Lake Manyara, where there are viewing spots to pull over and admire the lake tinged with pink thanks to the thousands of flamingos. From here, the road steadily climbs the foothills of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the vegetation becomes increasingly green and lush until you are in dense forest on the Ngorongoro Crater's rim. After spending the night at a lodge or camp at the top of the crater, sink into the crater the next day for a half-day safari -- plentiful game watching is virtually guaranteed. Back on the rim, the road spectacularly continues down the steep hill of the outer crater, where again Masai can be seen stalking the open plains, before flattening out at the gate of the Serengeti National Park. Spend at least 2 nights here, where game drives across the sun-baked plains dotted with piles of giant boulders can be richly rewarding, particularly during the annual migration of the wildebeest when thousands of grunting wildebeest and zebra trample the grasslands. Backtrack on the same road across the top of the Ngorongoro Crater and spend a final night in Lake Manyara National Park to explore the hardwood forests and lakeshore before returning to Arusha.
Southern Circuit Safari (7 Days)
The Selous Game Reserve and the Ruaha and Kitavi national parks in Tanzania's south are some of the wildest areas of East Africa and are fairly inaccessible except by small plane. They operate on a high-cost, low-impact system and are usually visited on fly-in safaris from Dar es Salaam. But visitors who can afford it will enjoy the tremendous solitude of the bush. The three parks are connected by flights, so spend at least 2 or 3 nights in each. While the parks' few tented camps are isolated enough as it is, there's the additional option of fly-camping, guided walking safaris where visitors sleep out in the open with only a mosquito net between them and the African sky.
Zanzibar (7 Days)
You can fly to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam and the regional airports, or catch a 90-minute hydrofoil from Dar es Salaam. The island can be visited in 3 or 4 days to see the highlights, but to enjoy some downtime on the beach, consider going for a week after a safari. After a few days on bumpy and dusty roads, this is an ideal way to wind up a vacation to Tanzania. Stone Town warrants a couple of days to soak up the atmosphere in the winding alleyways, eat at the nightly food market, go on a Spice Tour, visit one of the offshore islands, or perhaps take a ride on a dhow. The young at heart can then head to the north coast for a few nights in a rustic bungalow at Nungwi or Kendwa, well known as a party destination and for its idyllic beach, while on the east coast are large family resorts spread attractively along the beaches.
