Tanzania to Zanzibar: White Sands & the Wilderness

Arrive at anytime. Head out to a local bar where the drinks are affordable and the company is fantastic. Get to know your new travel mates over a few Tuskers as a group. Connect over past travels, set your intentions for this trip, and as the night settles around you; simply enjoy being in the moment.

Included Experiences

• Connect With New Friends: Connect with new friends on your first night out in a new destination. Only available on 18-to-Thirtysomethings tours.
• Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Well folks it’s time for the Africa you have all imagined, the experience that has been depicted over and over again in books, movies, and television. So grab those cameras, purchase a quirky bucket hat, and head out on a wildlife safari drive into one of the most famous national parks in Africa; the Serengeti. Get ready for abundant wildlife, vast golden plains dotted with thorny acacia trees, and hippo-filled rivers as you begin a 3-day and 2-night excursion into the park itself and the great Ngorongoro Crater.

The Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater portion of the trip will make use of specialized 4x4 7-seater safari vehicles, with experienced safari driver/guides, who will ensure wonderful wildlife encounters. The safari vehicles each have sliding windows and a large pop-up roof, perfect for viewing animals and scenery. The group will split up among several vehicles and your CEO will spend time in each vehicle over the next three days.

Included Experiences

• Serengeti National Park Safari : This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.
• 7-Seat 4x4 Safari Vehicle: Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.

Grab your buddies and jump aboard for one last morning safari in the Serengeti. As the sun rises higher in the sky watch the animal kingdom come to life in this grassland savannah before returning to break down camp. Then it’s on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, famous for Africa’s best wildlife viewing. Get ready for epic views from the crater rim and watch as animals meander around below drinking water from the permanent supply on the crater floor. You’ll be setting up camp in the late afternoon at a site near the crater rim and then you can spend the rest of the day enjoying one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on the planet.

Please note: if you have pre-booked the Serengeti Balloon Safari, today's the day for this activity! The CEO will give the final confirmation, as it is subject to change. You will miss the included morning wildlife safari drive with the group, but you will have a much better view from above! If you have not yet pre-booked, add it to your checkout page, or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance. Please note that due to the high-altitude location of our camp, temperatures can drop at night. We recommend bringing extra layers to wear during the evening and following morning.

Included Experiences

• 7-Seat 4x4 Safari Vehicle: Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.
• Serengeti National Park Safari : This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.

Optional Experiences

• Serengeti Balloon Safari: Spirited aloft in a hot-air balloon, view the wildlife and terrain of the Serengeti that only the birds see. Enjoy a champagne breakfast and keep that shutter-finger good and limber—you’ll be using it plenty over the course of your hour in the air. Please note, additional fees will apply for passengers exceeding the 120 kg (265 lbs) weight limit.

It’s time to experience “Africa’s Garden of Eden” on a more personal level. Today, venture down to the crater floor where the group will embark on a final safari experience. Have those cameras charged and at the ready because, let’s face it if you are going to see any wildlife this would be the place (and we are so excited for you)! The animals are bound to this area by the crater walls and the enclosed nature of the crater means its own ecosystem has been created think; rich grasslands, swamps, acacia forests, and Lake Makat so get ready to see some magic. With full camera rolls the group will exit the crater in the late morning and travel back to Arusha. Swap stories along the way, pick those favourite photos from earlier, or simply sit back and let yourself enjoy the passing scenery as you cruise along.

Included Experiences

• 7-Seat 4x4 Safari Vehicle: Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.
• Mto wa Mbu Community Visit and Lunch: Take part in a cultural walk to learn about life in this East African town. Mto wa Mbu has attracted some 18,000 residents from 120 different tribes. During the two-hour tour, visit the community's local market, go right to the farmer's fields, see how huts are constructed, and meet artisans in their shops. Afterwards, sit down with our new friends and enjoy a traditional lunch of meat and plantains.
• Ngorongoro Crater Wildlife Safari Drive: Set the alarm and prepare for an early start to see the wonders of the Ngorongoro Crater. Masai herdsmen appear in the morning mist. Our driver/guide takes us down into the crater and drives us to all the best spots to view wildlife. Watch for zebra, gazelles, buffalo, and warthogs. The swamp and forest are home to hippos, rhinos, elephants, baboons, and monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled and camera ready to capture a pride of lions or a lone leopard walking along the savanna.

Leave Arusha early and be on the lookout for the mighty Mt Kilimanjaro—you might catch a glimpse on the road towards Bagamoyo—and watch as the Tanzanian countryside passes by and the blue waters of the Indian Ocean make their debut. The group will spend the night in Bagamoyo before transferring to Dar es Salaam and the island beaches of Zanzibar. Want to cut travel time in half and spend more time in Stone Town? Pre-book the Zanzibar Express on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour.

Zanzibar Express; transfer this morning from your Arusha hotel to the airport for a scenic flight to Zanzibar. Arrive in Stone Town and spend the afternoon exploring on your own. Enjoy an extra night in Stone Town and meet back up with the group the following day. Only breakfast included.

Optional Experiences

• Zanzibar Express: Looking forward to your trip but not as much to the long journey from Arusha to Zanzibar? Upgrade this part of your tour and fly instead! You’ll cut your travel time between the two cities to a fraction and enjoy an extra night in Stone Town, where you can wait (nice and relaxed) for the rest of your group to join you. Includes all transfers, local flight, and one additional hotel night in Stone Town, Zanzibar.

After the jam packed last few days of this trip where you are going next is going to be just what you needed. Wake in Bagamoyo and travel to Dar es Salaam hopping on the ferry to the paradise of Zanzibar. Get ready for picturesque island beaches that will make you contemplate staying here and living off the grid. Few places on this planet are as entrancing and exotic as this Tanzanian archipelago so get ready to enjoy it, take loads of pictures, and relax in a place that has long lured backpackers and adventurers to it’s sandy shores.

Zanzibar is a Muslim society. Immodestly dressed women or men in shorts will get harassed and cause great offence in Stone Town. On the beach, customs are a little more relaxed, but travellers are encouraged to be respectful of the island's culture and cover up when walking around. Never try to take a photograph without asking permission.

Included Experiences

• Ferry: Get to the next spot on your route aboard a convenient and efficient ferry boat.
• Stone Town Orientation Walk: This orientation walk is just a brief introduction. If you'd like to learn more in depth information about Stone Town, we recommended going on a guided city tour.
• Free Time: Feel free to explore on your own, or join a guided tour.

Optional Experiences

• Christ Church Cathedral & Old Slave Market: Tour the site of what was once one of East Africa's most notorious slave markets, and the Anglican cathedral that was constructed in its place.
• Sultan's Palace Museum: Tour this opulent palace built by the second sultan of Zanzibar in 1883 as an extravagant Arab mansion.
• Stone Town Walking Tour: Enjoy a walking tour along the bustling narrow streets of Stone Town and admire the historical old buildings and homes that are part of a preservation program funded by UNESCO and the Aga Khan Foundation. Also, visit the historical site of the slave market and learn about this dark aspect of history. Continue to the local fruits and vegetable market, fish market, Tip tipu house, and National Museum.

Roll out of bed this morning in Stone Town and explore the heart of Zanzibar. Wander the winding historic unpaved alleyways of Stone Town passing by balconies and gigantic wooden carved doors along the way. Get lost and spend hours exploring the streets and squares, drinking potent coffee from pavement vendors and buying sweetmeats from tiny cafes. Keep an eye out for tinga-tinga paintings, antique shops, beautifully printed cloths (kangas and kikois worn by local people), little carved chests with copper inlays, and spices – all beautiful presents or memories to take home. Transfer to the tropical haven of Jambiani for a relaxing few days as a group.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Settle into island life and explore during some free time.

Optional Experiences

• Jozani Forest Tour: Known for the red colobus monkeys, a visit Jozani forest is a highlight when in Zanzibar. Explore the nature trails while following in the footsteps of a guide who will inform about the impressive flora and fauna surrounding you. (36-160 USD per person)
• Swimming: Grab your bathing suit and go for a refreshing swim.

Wake up in this island paradise and get ready to seize the day. You’ll be exploring one of the world’s great cultural crossroads… think Africa meets Arabia and add the Indian Ocean into the mix as the cherry on top. The day is yours to spend as you choose; head out for a diving experience, grab some goggles and go snorkelling, hop aboard a sailing trip, or just lounge on the beach and relax. Zanzibar’s tropical setting, unique culture, and active beach-party scene make this place a very enjoyable East African Indian Ocean experience.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Do as much or as little as you'd like on this island slice of paradise.

Your most difficult task today is going to be pulling yourself away from the beauty that surrounds you in Jambiani. Travel back to Stone Town on the other side of the island and explore the heart of Zanzibar. The tour ends in the late morning.

Morning group transfer from the beach. Depart Stone Town upon arrival in the late morning. Onward travel should be booked no earlier than 2:30pm.

Included Experiences

• Departure Day: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.