Tanzania Safari Packages & Tours

Tanzania is the African safari destination that exceeds every expectation. The Serengeti's endless plains stretch further than any horizon, the Ngorongoro Crater shelters the most concentrated wildlife on Earth, and Tarangire's ancient baobab trees tower over herds of elephants so large they seem to fill the landscape. Add the spectacle of the Great Migration — 1.5 million wildebeest, 400,000 zebra, hundreds of thousands of gazelle moving in a perpetual circle through Tanzania and Kenya — and you have a country that sets the global standard for wildlife tourism. Tazama Africa Holidays has been crafting Tanzania safaris for years, with deep knowledge of every park, every season, and every camp.

The Serengeti — Africa's Most Famous National Park

The Serengeti National Park (14,763 km²) is the centrepiece of any Tanzania safari. Its name means "endless plains" in Maasai, and the southern grasslands live up to that description — flat, golden, and stretching to a horizon that seems to curve with the Earth. The Serengeti supports over 3,000 lions, making it one of the finest lion-watching destinations in Africa. Leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, and wild dog complete a remarkable predator and prey community.

The Serengeti's different zones offer different experiences through the year. The southern Ndutu plains host the calving season (January–March) with extraordinary predator activity. The central Seronera area has year-round resident wildlife and excellent leopard sightings from the rocky kopjes. The northern Kogatende/Lamai area offers the Mara River crossings from July to October — the most photographed wildlife event in the world. Our Tanzania safari packages are designed around whichever Serengeti experience matches your travel dates.

Hot air balloon safaris over the Serengeti at dawn, when the light turns the plains gold and the herds below move in slow, silent streams, rank among the most extraordinary experiences available anywhere in Africa. We include balloon options in our premium Tanzania safari packages for guests who want to experience the Serengeti from above.

Ngorongoro Crater — The World's Largest Wildlife Arena

The Ngorongoro Crater is a collapsed volcanic caldera — 260 km² of enclosed wildlife habitat with no need for the animals to leave. Within its walls live an estimated 25,000 large mammals: the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa. Lion prides hunt in the open; a small but growing population of black rhino (roughly 30 individuals) move through the Lerai acacia forest; enormous buffalo herds graze the crater floor; flamingoes turn the soda lake pink. A full-day Ngorongoro Crater safari is one of the most concentrated and reliable wildlife experiences anywhere on the continent.

The crater rim sits at 2,300m elevation — cool, misty, and spectacularly beautiful. Sunrise from the rim, looking down into the caldera with clouds rolling below, is an experience that stays with you for life. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area that surrounds the crater also protects the Olduvai Gorge — the "Cradle of Mankind" where Louis and Mary Leakey discovered some of the earliest human fossil remains — and the Empakaai Crater, a deep water-filled caldera with flamingoes on its floor.

Tarangire National Park — The Elephant Kingdom

Tarangire is Tanzania's most underrated park and one of Africa's finest elephant destinations. During the dry season (June–October), when the Tarangire River is one of the few permanent water sources in the region, elephants converge in herds of hundreds — one of the largest elephant concentrations in Africa. The park's ancient baobab trees (some thousands of years old) create a dramatic and distinctive landscape unlike anywhere else in Tanzania.

Tarangire also supports lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, buffalo, and a remarkable diversity of wildlife that includes several species rare elsewhere: the ashy starling, the straw-coloured fruit bat (colonies of millions roost in the baobabs), and the unusual fringe-eared oryx. Most northern Tanzania circuits begin at Tarangire — an excellent first safari park that sets the bar immediately high.

Lake Manyara National Park — Tree-Climbing Lions & the Rift Wall

Lake Manyara National Park, squeezed between the towering western wall of the Great Rift Valley and the shallow alkaline lake that gives it its name, punches far above its modest size. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions — prides that regularly lounge in the branches of the fig and acacia trees along the lake shore — and for enormous flocks of flamingoes and pelicans on the lake itself. The park also supports one of Africa's densest elephant populations per square kilometre, large hippo pods, and a rich diversity of forest birds in the groundwater fig forests at the base of the rift escarpment.

The Great Migration in Tanzania

The Great Migration spends most of the year in Tanzania. Understanding the annual cycle helps you plan the experience you're looking for:

• January–March (Ndutu, southern Serengeti): The calving season — over 500,000 wildebeest calves born in weeks. Extraordinary predator concentrations and intimate scenes of birth and survival in the short-grass plains.
• April–June (central and western Serengeti): The herds move north. The western corridor's Grumeti River hosts massive crocodiles and the first dramatic river crossings of the year.
• July–October (northern Serengeti and Maasai Mara): The famous Mara River crossings. Thousands of wildebeest plunge into crocodile-filled waters in the most dramatic and photographed wildlife event in the world.
• November–December: The herds return south as the short rains bring fresh grass to the southern plains. The cycle begins again.

Popular Tanzania Safari Itineraries

• 4-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit: Tarangire + Ngorongoro — the classic introduction to Tanzania's wildlife.
• 6-Day Classic Tanzania Safari: Tarangire + Serengeti + Ngorongoro — Tanzania's three greatest parks in one seamless circuit.
• 8-Day Great Migration Safari: Extended Serengeti time focused on the calving season or river crossings depending on travel date.
• 10-Day Kenya & Tanzania Combination: Maasai Mara + Serengeti + Ngorongoro — the ultimate East Africa safari circuit.
• Tanzania Fly-in Safari: Charter flights between parks eliminate road time and maximise time in the bush.

Best Time to Visit Tanzania

Tanzania is a year-round safari destination, but the dry season (June–October) offers the best general game viewing across all parks. January–March is outstanding for the calving season in the southern Serengeti. April–May (long rains) brings lush scenery, empty camps, and significantly reduced rates — excellent for budget-conscious travellers who accept some inconvenience.

Tanzania Safari Costs

Tanzania's conservation fees are structured to maintain quality over quantity:

• Ngorongoro Conservation Area fee: $70 per person per day + vehicle fee
• Serengeti National Park fee: $60 per person per day
• All-inclusive mid-range Tanzania safari: From $400–$600 per person per day
• Luxury Tanzania safari: $700–$1,500+ per person per day

All Tazama Africa Holidays Tanzania safari packages include all park and conservation fees, accommodation, meals, game drives, and transfers. Contact us for a detailed quote tailored to your group and dates.

Why Book Tanzania with Tazama Africa Holidays?

Tanzania safari planning requires knowledge of which park to be in at which time, which camps are worth the price, and which guides will find the leopard while others drive past. That knowledge comes from years of on-the-ground experience. Our East Africa-based team knows Tanzania intimately and designs each itinerary around your specific travel dates, interests, and budget. We are not a booking portal — we are the team that will be on the ground with you, from the first game drive at dawn to the last sundowner on the plains.