Tanzania
Four cities I explored, three routes that actually work, and the practical page. I wish someone had handed me that the first time.
Updated September 2026
What nobody tells you before you land
Tanzania is two trips in one, and they pull in opposite directions: the northern safari circuit around Arusha — Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara — and the Indian Ocean coast, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Kilimanjaro sits between them, and I climbed it and did the safari myself, so this page is built around how those three actually connect.
Most people fly into Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), not Dar. So the routes below start there: get the safari or the climb done while you're fresh, then let the coast be the reward. Zanzibar is a short hop, not an afterthought — leave real days for it.
Fact sheet
Everything practical, on one page
Itineraries
Three routes that actually work
Seven days is enough for a real safari plus Zanzibar. Fourteen adds the Kilimanjaro climb, and that's the whole country.
Land at Kilimanjaro, overnight in Arusha, then the northern circuit — Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater — before a short flight to Zanzibar to unwind. The version for one week.
The whole northern circuit at a proper pace — Tarangire's elephants and Lake Manyara added before the Serengeti — then a long, slow stretch on the Zanzibar coast.
The one I'd take. Acclimatize in Arusha, climb Kilimanjaro on the seven-day Machame route, then reward the legs with a safari and the beaches of Zanzibar.
City guides
Four cities, walked one street at a time
Kilimanjaro
Africa's highest peak — which route to pick, how hard it really is, and how to reach the summit.
7 days · Coming soonSafari
The Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, plus the smaller parks — Tarangire, Lake Manyara — grouped out of Arusha.
3 days · Coming soonDar es Salaam
The big coastal city — markets, the fish market, and the ferry gateway to Zanzibar.
1 day · Coming soonZanzibar
Stone Town's alleys and spice history, then white-sand beaches and turquoise water in the north.
3 days · Coming soonAsked every week
Questions I get about Tanzania
How many days do I need?+
Seven is enough for a real safari and a few days on Zanzibar. Ten does the full northern circuit unhurried; fourteen adds the Kilimanjaro climb, which is the whole country.
Which Kilimanjaro route, and how hard is it?+
No technical climbing, but it's a serious altitude trek to 5,895 m. I took the seven-day Machame route — the extra day helps you acclimatize, and the slower you go, the better your chance of the summit.
When should I go for the migration?+
The dry season, June to October, is best overall. The dramatic Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti happen roughly July to September, so aim for those months if the migration is your priority.
Is it safe, and what about malaria?+
The safari and Zanzibar routes are safe with normal caution. Malaria is the real concern: take prophylaxis for the safari areas and the coast, use repellent and sleep under a net. Ask a travel clinic before you go.
The podcast
I walked this before I wrote it
Every guide starts as an episode. Listen to the Tanzania introduction — the context, the history and the honest bits — then come back for the routes.