Some journeys cannot be shortened. The Grand Safari is our flagship itinerary — sixteen days that begin beneath Mount Meru, cross the whole of the northern circuit at a pace that lets each place register properly, and finish on the Indian Ocean. Private vehicle, private guide, no fixed departures and no other guests.
It is built around a simple idea: that a great journey needs time to unfold.
MOST REQUESTED
Bush & Beach: Serengeti to Zanzibar
Per guest, from:
$5,440
$544 per night
CLIMB THEN REST
Kilimanjaro & Safari
Per guest, from:
$5,740
$522 per night
PEMBA ISLAND
Bush & Beach: the Quiet Coast
Per guest, from:
$5,780
$525 per night
BOTH SOUTHERN PARKS
Southern Explorer: Ruaha & Nyerere
Per guest, from:
$8,650
$865 per night
SIXTEEN NIGHTS
The Grand Tanzania
Per guest, from:
$10,690
$668 per night
Dry-season game viewing at its peak, with the Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti from July. The most requested departure period — book nine to twelve months ahead.
The southern Serengeti fills with newborn wildebeest and the predator action is unmatched. Warmer, greener and considerably quieter than the mid-year peak.
The short rains and the tail of the long rains bring dramatic skies, excellent rates and near-empty parks. Our best-value Grand Safari departures.
One Journey, Every Landscape
The Grand Safari is designed to cover every major habitat Tanzania has: the baobab country and elephant herds of Tarangire, the forest and flamingos of Manyara, the caldera floor of Ngorongoro, the endless plains and migration of the Serengeti, and finally the reefs and Stone Town culture of Zanzibar. Sixteen days is what it takes to see all of it without hurrying.
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The same route, the same guide, the same time — at four levels of comfort.
Lift off before dawn and drift across the plains at treetop height as the light comes up, landing to a full champagne breakfast laid out in the bush. Included from the Signature tier upwards.
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A full day on the floor of the world's largest intact caldera — the densest concentration of large mammals in Africa, and the best chance in Tanzania of seeing black rhino.
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Five nights on Zanzibar to decompress: Stone Town's alleys and spice markets, a dhow at sunset, and enough time on the beach to feel like the journey ended properly.
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The things our guests ask most before they travel. Still unsure? Speak to a safari specialist — we reply within 24 hours.
All accommodation, all meals on safari, a private 4x4 with pop-up roof, a dedicated professional guide for the full sixteen days, all park and concession fees, internal transfers, drinking water and airport transfers. Excluded are international flights, visas, travel insurance, premium drinks and gratuities. The Signature tier and above add a balloon flight and internal flights.
From USD 5,900 per person for the Explorer tier to USD 32,000 for the Exclusive tier, based on two travellers sharing. The most requested option is the Private tier at USD 16,500. Single supplements apply, and rates vary by season — high season is roughly 20-30% above the green season.
Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, the central Serengeti, the northern Serengeti for the migration in season, and finally Zanzibar. The order and the nights in each place are adjusted to where the herds are expected to be during your dates.
Yes — every Grand Safari is built individually. Guests regularly swap Zanzibar for Pemba, add Kilimanjaro at the start, extend into Ruaha, or drop a northern park to spend longer in the Serengeti. The sixteen-day framework is a starting point, not a fixed package.
Nine to twelve months ahead for June to October departures, since the best camps in the northern Serengeti sell out first. Six months is usually sufficient for green-season travel. We can occasionally place late bookings, but rarely at the preferred camps.
It is longer than most first safaris, but almost no one who takes it wishes it had been shorter. The pace is what makes it work — three or four nights in each area rather than one or two, so you settle in rather than constantly packing. If sixteen days is not possible, we can compress the route to twelve.
Yes, with adjustments. We build family versions with a second vehicle, shorter game drives, camps that welcome children, and a longer beach finish. Most families choose the Signature or Private tier. The minimum age for the balloon flight is 7.
A single guide accompanies you for the entire journey rather than changing at each park, which is the single biggest quality difference between this and a standard itinerary. All our Grand Safari guides are licensed, have a minimum of eight years in the field, and are chosen to match your interests — photography, birds, big cats or culture.
No particular fitness is needed. Days are spent in a vehicle with optional short walks, and all accommodation is accessible. Long drive days on the northern circuit can be tiring, which is why the Private and Exclusive tiers use internal flights to shorten them.
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