14 Day Tanzania Safari and Mafia Island Holiday 2024/2025/2026: This 14 Day 2024/2025/2026 Tanzania wildlife safari exploration and Mafia island tour are designed for travelers like you who want to immerse themselves into the captivating wilderness and exotic beach holiday of Indian Ocean.
This safari is a private Tanzania wilderness adventure that will let you explore Tarangire National Park for two nights, Lake Manyara National Park, a small hidden jewel in northern Tanzania that offers a secluded safari experience in Africa, Ngorongoro crater largest unbroken caldera on Earth, Serengeti National Park the most visited park in the world, five times in row award winner for the leading National Park in Africa by World Travel Awards leaving behind, Kruger National Park, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Etosha National Park, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Alongside the discovery of wilderness life, you will venture into Zanzibar’s life and soak in the white sand of Zanzibar. Unlike many other islands in Zanzibar, Mafia is a very secluded island. Tropical flora shelters the atoll of the Mafia. Embark on a village tour, swim with whale sharks, go to Chole Island for Popo Park, or sail on Kitu Kiblu dhow to explore the island where you can see beautiful marine life.
This safari starts at Kilimanjaro International Airport and completes at Karume Airport in Zanzibar, but if you’ve booked the returning flight out of Kilimanjaro, share the details with your East Africa tour operator at a time of booking so they can help you arrange the return flight from Mafia to Kilimanjaro.
You can extend this tour with a Gorilla trekking tour in Uganda or Chimpanzee tracking in Mahale or Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.
This trip can be 100% customized into something you’ve in your mind.
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro – Karibu Tanzania.
Our representative from East Africa Safari Guides will be waiting for you at the airport; after the immigration clearance process, he will help you with the luggage and give a short brief before proceeding to Arusha, where you will overnight.
Suppose your arrival is scheduled at earlier hours. In that case, you might have an opportunity to explore nearby areas like the Serval Wildlife orphanage in Sanya Juu or go around Arusha city and experience local people’s lives. Tengeru or Katiti local market is one of the best spots to visit on your extra time before the wilderness safari commences the following day.
Overnight at Kibo Palace Hotel in Arusha
Meals Plan: Bed and Breakfast
Day 2 &3: Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, we will head to Tarangire National Park, a 2-hour drive from Arusha town. Upon arrival at the entrance gate, your tour guide will complete all necessary papers so you can check into the park smoothly.
Tarangire is renowned for its majestic wildlife viewing, backdrop landscapes, and stunning views; in the park, you can see an array of wild animals, birds, and small breathtaking termite mounds that dot Tarangire plains, plus old baobab trees, which Elephants feed on during the dry season.
In the park, there’s a permanent river known as the Tarangire River, after the park is named after it. During the dry season from June to October, most of the animals visit there for a drink, thus making it easier for visitors to witness the sheer amount of wildlife.
The park is famous for Elephants migration; if you’re luckier, you will see more than 300 Elephants moving or feeding together, alongside other animals such as Lions, cheetahs, leopards, aardvarks, butterflies, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hyenas, warthogs, ostriches, elands, Topis, troop of baboons. You will also encounter over 500 avians, like Superbstarling, Mousebird, Yellow-necked spurfowl, Bushshrike, Buphagidae, Black-headed heron, Bushshrike, and Wattle-eye, to name a few.
Tarangire covers an area of 2,850 square kilometers (1,100 square miles.), which makes it challenging to explore the park in a single day. Many folks leave most of the area unexplored, and that’s the reason you will be spending the two nights here: You can immerse yourself in this wildlife sanctuary and explore at your leisure.
You will spend two nights at Tarangire Safari Lodge
Day 4: Lake Manyara National Park
On the 4th Day of your 14 Day Tanzania Safari and Mafia Island Holiday 2024/2025/2026, you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park this morning for a game drive; believe us! This park is least visited in the northern Tanzania tourism circuit, but its offering is incomparable to none. You will see the tree-climbing lions just chilling on top of the trees. Manyara is greenish throughout the year because of its underground water; many tropical animals are found in this park because of the available vegetation.
The park lies below the Great Rift Valley. Inside the park is a lake called Manyara, which lives in the entire surrounding; the name Manyara was derived from the Maasai language. The park also boasts a geothermal locally known as Maji Moto; apart from the beautiful scenery of Lake Manyara, you will also see animals such as baboons, Elephants, African buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, leopards, wildebeests, waterbucks, klipspringers, lions, hippos to mention a few as well as birds.
Suppose you ever wanted to engage in a peaceful game drive on a Tanzania wildlife safari tour. In that case, the Lake Manyara safari tour is ideal for you to duck in and explore the untamed wildlife in Tanzania.
Overnight at Eileen’s Trees Inn Lodge
Day 5: Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
Today, we will drive to Ngorongoro after a morning coffee and explore the beauty of Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Africa. More than 250,000 mammals live inside the caldera, which is 600 meters deep. The Ngorongoro Crater is assumed to have been made about 2.5 million years after a vigorous volcano’s cone buckled inward after an enormous outbreak. The massive, unbroken caldera we tell today is the foremost remainder of this collapse.
On your game drive inside the crater, you will see all Big-5, such as Rhinos, Elephants, buffaloes, Lions, Leopards, and many others, including Hippos, flamingoes, wild dogs, hyenas, Serval cats, and many more.
Because of the mineral-rich volcanic soil, many herbivores live in the crater as they feed on the available grasses, and their number increases, attracting hundreds of predators and thus making Ngorongoro a place with a massive concentration of predators.
The lion population that lives in the Crater is likely one of the largest in the world. This is one of the Ngorongoro Crater evidences that makes it a popular safari destination. As a result, the lions here have total contempt for safari vehicles; they will hunt within yards of one and even seek shade alongside one!
After lunch, we will continue to Serengeti National Park, where we will spend the next three nights searching for animals and enjoying the beautiful park scenery; we will probably arrive late at night.
Overnight at: Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp
Day 6 & 7: Explore Serengeti
We will spend the next two thrilling days searching for animals and enjoying the splendid Serengeti safari tours. The endless plains of Serengeti offer a once-in-a-lifetime safari adventure in Tanzania. Whether you are visiting to witness the Wildebeests Safari Migration or explore the majestic nature of Serengeti, then this is the right moment to do so!
All nights will be spent in the central Serengeti (Seronera Valley). The center of the park is the Seronera area. Seronera is a grid of river valleys that guarantee year-round water deliveries and keep the region unbelievably rich in flora and fauna throughout the year.
The park is enormous. If you want to see the Great Migration, staying in the appropriate place for your vacation dates is more important than thinking too hard about the type of camp or hotel you want. This park is so large that you will only see the herds if you choose the correct position; our tour operator in Arusha – Tanzania, will do their best to locate you in a suitable place to relax and enjoy your Tanzania safari holiday.
Serengeti Africa is uncommon with a big reputation but still manages to exceed expectations and steal your breath away.
You will see as much wildlife as you want, so remember to take beautiful pictures to share with your families and friends.
Overnight at: Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp
Day 8: Transfer from Serengeti to Karatu.
On the 8th day of your 14 Day Tanzania Safari and Mafia Island Holiday 2024/2025/2026, After breakfast, we will start a slow drive out of the Serengeti, marking the end of our unique 8-day safari in Serengeti, Tanzania, with abundant good memories. We will head towards the Naabi gate, and along the way, we might see animals like lions. We will arrive in Karatu around the evening hours and go to Eileen’s Trees Inn Lodge for a shower, dinner, and relaxation.
The following day, after breakfast, our guide will drive us to Arusha airport to proceed with the flight to Zanzibar and finally go to Mafia Island for beach relaxation.
Day 9: Fly to Zanzibar & Stone Town Tour
On the 9th day of your 14 Day Tanzania Safari and Mafia Island Holiday 2024/2025/2026 , Early in the morning, we will drive to Arusha with our packed lunch; our private safari guide will drop us at the airport to catch a flight to Zanzibar; upon arrival in Zanzibar, a representative from East Africa Safari Guides will pick us up from the airport and walk us through the Zanzibar ancient town of Stone Town, a World Heritage Site called Mji Mkongwe in the Swahili language, you will explore the city and get a chance to see Slave Market, Wander
The Old Fort, Magnificent wooden doors, Wander at Freddie Mercury Museum the famous singer whose history is rooted back in Zanzibar before he flew to England in 1963 he lived in this house which is now the best museum around the stone town, you can also visit local market of Darajani referred to Bazaar by the locals where you can fruits, grains, and many other different things.
Is Gemstones your thing? The stone town is the only place in Zanzibar where you can purchase different jewelry made from Tanzanite, an exceptional gemstone that is found nowhere than Tanzania in the small village of Mererani; please bear in mind that these precious stones are costly because of their colors and uniqueness. You can buy them in Stone Town at Johari Treasures, Tanzanite Gallery, or Zenj Treasures.
The choice is yours if you want to get lost in the town alone or accompanied by a tour guide.
After a full day of exploration, you can stay at your hotel for a night.
Stay at: Maru Maru Hotel in Zanzibar
Day 10 – 13: Relaxing by the beach or exploration
We will fly from Zanzibar Airport to Mafia Airport, where a representative from Kinasi Lodge will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel; we will arrive for lunch and relax by the beach for the rest of the day.
While staying in Mafia Island, you will have a wider choice of what to do, or you can sunbathe on the beach and opt to do nothing.
Take a walk around Chole Village, where you may engage with the local Swahili residents and taught about their way of life. Observe artisans building dhows along with the calm pace of numerous village activities. Popo Park on Chole Island was established to protect the territory of fruit bats, also known as flying foxes. These lovely nocturnal bird species have fox-like features and russet-colored fur. As the sun sets over the horizon, hundreds take to the air.
You can also swim with Whale Shark. This is possible if you’re visiting from October to March.
Spend time enjoying the Zanzibar tour and its surroundings, lying on the beach, and breathing the fresh air of the coastal region of Tanzania.
Stay at Kinasi Lodge, a three-start lodge; Kinasi Lodge, located on southern Mafia Island, is a pleasant mid-range hotel surrounded by palm and nut trees. It boasts a lovely décor that matches Kinasi’s Shirazi cultural motif, a distinct Swahili fusion of Persian and African architectural elements. Constructed roofs, cane and iron furnishings in the common spaces, and an outdoor pool surrounded by comfy loungers provide a warm and relaxed atmosphere on your Mafia Island tour holiday with East Africa Safari Guides.
Day 14: Transfer Home
In the morning, depending on our international flights, we will go to the airport and hop on a short scenic flight to Kisauni Zanzibar airport to connect with the International flight.
Our professional safari planner in the Arusha office will advise you when booking after studying your international flight itinerary.
