Serengeti and Zanzibar Safari: Wildlife, Beaches, Costs & Best Itineraries (2027 Guide)
Serengeti Masai Mara Experts has always created Tanzania itineraries for over a decade, combining wildlife viewing with pure tropical relaxation at the beach. Our signature Serengeti and Zanzibar safari is one of the most popular packages among discerning travelers who want to balance adventure and rejuvenation. A Serengeti and Zanzibar safari is one of Tanzania’s top tourist experiences, combining wildlife with Indian Ocean beach vacations. Our local specialists have led thousands of tourists through Serengeti’s endless plains and Zanzibar’s blue coasts, so they know how to sequence them for maximum impact.
Additionally, our safari experts plan itineraries to maximize your time and give exceptional experiences, from watching the Great Migration in Serengeti to Zanzibar beach holidays. Also, the Serengeti hosts large concentrations of predators in Africa, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spot hyenas. Additionally, over 540 recorded bird species, making it one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Zanzibar, the tropical island paradise off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, provides the perfect complement to this wilderness. Zanzibar has unique things to see in Tanzania like pristine waters, coral reefs, spice farms, UNESCO-listed Stone Town and magnificent beaches, perfect ending to a safari.
In addition, visitors enjoy fun activities to do in Zanzibar after a Serengeti Safari holiday like snorkeling, scuba diving, traditional dhow cruises, cultural tours, marine wildlife expeditions and luxury beachfront resorts. Lastly, this is not a generic package; it is a carefully refined journey built on years of on-the-ground experience, strong relationships with Tanzania’s finest camps and beach resorts, and continuous feedback from our guests. Travel with Serengeti Masai Mara Experts for your Zanzibar and Serengeti holiday and benefit from insider access, seamless logistics, and more.
Why Combine Serengeti and Zanzibar during your Tanzania safari?
- This Zanzibar and Serengeti tour combines two distinct worlds into one, making it more cost-effective than splitting them, which can be more expensive. The added benefit is that if you go on a group or family Tanzania trip to Zanzibar and Serengeti, the expenses are split among several people. Hence, allowing you to transition from a fast-paced safari in the Serengeti to a slower-paced Zanzibar beach holiday that allows your body to unwind and your mind to process the information.
- Additionally, you have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in two distinct historical and cultural backgrounds in Tanzania with a Serengeti and Zanzibar beach holiday. First, the Swahili on the coast of Zanzibar, where you learn about their history from before the slave trade to the present by exploring foothills, slave routes, and the people’s spice markets. Secondly, the Masai and Hadzabe in the Serengeti, and learn about their survival strategies and how they preserve their culture in the present day.
- The species in each location also varied, ranging from the maritime creatures of Zanzibar like dolphins, sea turtles, and various fish species to the wild animals like the Tanzania Big Five, wild canines, wildebeests, and zebras.
- In addition to providing unique scenery photography from the vast savannas of the Serengeti to the white sand beaches of Zanzibar, the shifting landscape gives distinctive recollections.
- Additionally, experience entirely distinct lodging and dining environments, such as Zanzibar, where you stay near the Indian Ocean’s coastlines and eat freshly caught seafood, or the wilderness sundowners of Serengeti, where food is fresh from the farm to the table.

What is the Best Time to Visit Serengeti and Zanzibar in a combined safari?
The best time to visit Serengeti and Zanzibar in a single safari is between the months of July and October. So, visit Tanzania for this combined Serengeti and Zanzibar beach holiday, as it is the time when one can enjoy great wildlife viewing in the Serengeti alongside the Great Migration. Lastly, get the most out of your safari during this period because it is the peak of its occurrence, especially in August. In Zanzibar, the sands are more pristine during this season, and water activities are excellent because one can enjoy dhowing, fishing, and even scuba diving.
How to Travel Between Serengeti and Zanzibar
The road transfer between Serengeti and Zanzibar takes about 7 to 8 hours, including a boat transfer. So, one day of your safari is spent traveling from the Serengeti to Zanzibar or vice versa. This can be tiresome and exhausting because one is already exhausted from the activities of the Serengeti and may be tired on the way to Zanzibar. However, the most convenient option is air travel, which takes between 2 and 3 hours to travel from Zanzibar to Serengeti and vice versa. So, use popular airlines in Tanzania like Auric Air or Coastal Aviation, and the baggage is strictly limited to 15 kg.

What is the Cost of a Serengeti and Zanzibar Safari
The Zanzibar and Serengeti safari cost of this trip is determined by the money spent on lodging, the mode of transportation to be used, and the number of days. Also, whether the safari is guided or a Zanzibar and Serengeti self-drive, and the areas of these top Tanzania destinations to be visited. The Sereengeti or Zanzibar cost entirely depends on one’s budget; for example, a budget-friendly safari may cost between $1000 and $2000. A mid-range Serengeti and Zanzibar beach safari may cost between $3500 and $6500, and a premium safari may cost up to $8000.
Top Activities to do in Serengeti and Zanzibar
Best Serengeti Safari Experiences
1. Game drives
There are different types of game drives conducted in Serengeti National Park. First are single-day game drives and then multi-day game drives and can be grouped into sunrise and sunset game drives. So, through this experience, you observe various animals in Serengeti including the Big 5, lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants and other apex predators like wild dogs and cheetahs that are seen stalking and hunting their prey.

2. Serengeti Migration Safari.
Here, you can trace the progress of the huge migrating herds in Serengeti park, which include impalas, zebras, and wildebeests. July through October is the greatest time to see this action, and the Grumeti and Mara river crossings are the most exciting to witness.
3. Walking safaris in Serengeti.
Explore the grasslands of the Serengeti National Park under the guidance of a Maasai guide, this time on foot instead of using a safari vehicle. Get ready to see the wilderness for what it is as you learn about the medicinal herbs and taste the wild fruits. Also, look at the fossils in Serengeti upclose during your walks, and trace back to the ancient roots by learning survival skills.

4. Hot air Ballon safaris in Serengeti.
From a different perspective, observe the Serengeti National Park; wake up as early as 5: 00 PM, and be driven to the Seronera area where the hot air balloons are launched. Soar above the ground and have an aerial view of the different wildlife sightings as the sunset makes each moment magical.
Best Zanzibar Safari Experiences
1. Explore the Stone Town.
Go back to ancient history by exploring the old slave market, where slaves were portrayed for sale in Zanzibar’s Stone Town. So, pass through the narrow alleys along the stone walls that symbolize every struggle and fight for freedom. Then, after the walk, you will reward yourself wity sea food at the Forodhani market, where you taste the flavorful fish and lobsters prepared traditionally with love.
2. Take a tour of the plantations of spices.
Travelers can connect with nature by watching the process of planting spices like cloves and vanilla while being guided by an expert who explains every detail. You can also use your senses of touch and smell to identify which spices are being harvested. Finally, you can drink coconut juice from freshly harvested coconuts.
3. Zanzibar beach Holidays
The perfect tropical retreat is a beach holiday in Zanzibar, which combines leisure, adventure, and rich Swahili culture amid the blue seas of the Indian Ocean. Serengeti Masai Mara Experts creates unique beach vacations in Zanzibar that combine luxurious resorts and carefully selected beachfront lodges with life-altering experiences for couples, families, honeymooners, and lone travelers. See the beaches of Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje, and Jambiani in Zanzibar.
Visitors can enjoy deep-sea fishing, sunset dhow cruises, dolphin viewing, kite surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving among colorful coral reefs, tours of spice plantations, sandbank excursions, and visits to Jozani Forest to see the rare Zanzibar red colobus monkey.
4. Visit Mnemba Island.
There are a lot of activities that are carried out at this island, including boat rides, dhow safaris, and scuba diving. Also, explore the marine life here, like the sea turtles and the dolphins; therefore, if anything concerns any kind of water sporting activities, this is an ideal destination to go to on Zanzibar Island.
Luxury, Mid-range & Budget Accommodation Recommendations
Popular luxury Serengeti Safari Lodges
1. Mwiba Lodge.
Located in the southern region of the Serengeti, built with stone-like architectural structures offering unique spa treatments. Also, walking safaris where you follow the animal prints of animals like the rhinos and lions to monitor their social behavior. They also offer private helicopter flight services where you explore the rift valley floor and get to observe its aerial view and prices per night here are about $1300 per individual for a night.
2. Sayari Camp.
The Sayari Camp, which has ensuite tented camps and an elevated bar overlooking the emerald-yellowish grasslands of the Serengeti National Park, is strategically located near the Mara River. It is in the northern part of the park, where you can see the microbrewery and unwind at the swimming pool overlooking the waterhole where animals like zebras and wildebeests come to drink water. The cost is estimated to be around $1,200.
3. Singita Sasakwa & Faru Faru.
This is situated in a private concession along the Serengeti’s western corridor, with individual balconies overlooking the Grumeti River. It offers guests first-rate luxury, although it’s better suited for those who prefer to be extremely secluded. Wine tastings, where guests can sample a variety of delectable wines, gun-assisted clay shooting, and educational classes for families traveling with kids to the Serengeti are among the services provided here. The cost per night is estimated to be around $1,500.

Zanzibar lodges.
1. Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas.
The Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas, located on Paje Beach in Zanzibar’s South Eastern Coastal region, offer a private kite surf academy and private steam rooms where guests can revitalize their bodies using traditional oils and herbs. The nightly rates are approximately $950.
2. Beach at Tulia Zanzibar Unique Resort.
This resort, which is situated on Zanzibar’s East Coast, offers gourmet dining, daily massages, walking safaris to the tidal reefs, and complimentary bicycle adventures as part of its packages, which cost approximately $850.
Popular Self drive Serengeti Safari Packages in Tanzania
8 day Serengeti, Zanzibar and Ngorongoro safari
Visit Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Zanzibar for a wildlife and luxury beach holiday in Tanzania in 8 days with the experts.
9 day Serengeti, Tanzania safari & Beach Holiday
Book our affordable Serengeti, Zanzibar and Tanzania safari tours and enjoy immersive wildlife experiences and end with a beach holiday in Zanzibar.








