Begin planning your Tanzania Family Holiday

A Tanzania safari is a delight for all ages, and as such is an ideal family holiday. The excitement of the adventure is truly shared, allowing parents, grandparents and children to treasure memories for ever after.  Every Tanzania safari is so different; each wildlife moment is so distinct, that even old timers cannot claim to have seen it all before. 
We've created many fabulous Tanzania family holidays - however, careful consideration and planning is required on many fronts when putting together an ideal family itinerary. The option of family suites (or extra beds), child-friendly activities and special child rates vary enormously from lodge to lodge.

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Where to go on a Tanzania family safari holiday





There is no correct family itinerary in Tanzania – both the Northern Circuit and Southern Circuit are equally family friendly.
 
In the North, a great itinerary for families goes as follows: One night in Arusha to recover from your international flight, then on to the Ngorongoro Crater for two nights. Then, take a flight to the Serengeti for at least a four night stay – which area depends on where the Migration is at the time. After this, take a short flight to Zanzibar for around five nights relaxing on the beach. We find this is perfect for teenagers who thrive on the exciting Serengeti and Crater game, and also want to try their hand at water sports with Zanzibar’s huge array of activities and fantastic beaches.
 
You may prefer going a bit more off the beaten track to the wild Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park. Here you can enjoy amazing prices, a more relaxed safari experience, and depending on your children’s age, walking and boating. Especially where children are concerned, safaris can get very tiring with early rises if you want to catch the best game. As a result, we would not recommend extending your safari time over 8 nights. Pop over to the beach after any Tanzania safari to unwind and catch the rays before your flight home. 
 
Whatever the ages of your children, your preferences as a family and your special requirements, we will carefully put together an itinerary to fit them all and to give you the very best possible safari experience and value for money. 

The most family friendly lodges in Tanzania





Family units are available in many camps and lodges, as are children discounts (which are applicable in some cases up to the age of 21!) so just ask one of our experts for an up to date run down of the best options out there. 
 
For your beach time, the charming island of Zanzibar includes our family accommodation favourites Breezes and Zuri Zanzibar. 
 
Our all-time favourite family safari-camp options are the Tanzania Nomad selection. Firstly, Nomad love children! They have child rates for all children under 21 years old. The guides are experts in making sure kids are well entertained and looked after which makes the whole safari experience easy for everyone. In the North, their camps include the Serengeti Safari Camp and Nomad Lamai in the Serengeti, and the brilliantly placed Entamanu on the Ngorongoro Crater rim. In the South, Sand Rivers is a fantastic choice for an intimate safari with your older kids, and in Ruaha, Kigelia offers a similar bare-foot luxury in the wilderness experience.
 
In the Selous there is also a super luxurious option of Bailey’s Banda, which is a private dining/everything family suite from Beho Beho – this is family accommodation for a trip of a lifetime!
 
Please note that many lodges and camps will not accept children under the age of 6. 

How much does a Tanzania family safari cost?

Per person per night: Tented, comfortable yet basic safari accommodation option prices begin from around $500 per person per night, and exclusive luxury (with all the pools and mod cons) begins at $1,200 per person per night.

Per person per trip: Generally, safaris in Tanzania begin from around $4,000/£3,500 per person if you were to go on a 4-night safari in southern Tanzania, and head over to the beach for a few days. All of our trips include internal flights, transfers, guides and your game viewing activities, but they exclude international flights. Most of the time all drinks and food are also included, but some camps are full board which means drinks are on top of this.

Special offers: We have been working with and re-visiting lodges in Tanzania for 20 years, so have access to unique special offers. Please get in touch, and we can build you an itinerary which takes advantage of these deals. Please also see our itineraries page for more specific costings – these are just a starting point though, as we tailor all our itineraries exactly to you.

Note that child rates can slash per person prices in half - these are always changing from season to season and camp to camp, so let us know your children's ages and we will do the leg work to find you the best value trip out there for you. 

Introducing Odyssey Explorer

Welcome to our new itinerary-building app! Odyssey Explorer allows you to browse a range of popular itinerary templates and tailor them to suit your budget and tastes. Once you are happy with your route template, Odyssey Explorer gives you the freedom to select and change your accommodation in each destination. It is an excellent tool for you to get an instant price for your dream trip before you work with a Tanzania expert to fine-tune it and make it into a reality.

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When to go on a Tanzania family holiday?

Generally, Tanzania is best to visit in the dry-season months of July – October when the parks are dry and wildlife viewing is dramatic, easy and action packed. Especially when with children, it is best to combine the excitement of safari with down time on the beach so it is a good idea to avoid the rainy season!

However, there are pros and cons of every time of year so it is definitely worth calling to discuss. For example, June and October/November are marvellous shoulder season months, where you get amazing wildlife but for a third of the price than in the peak season with special offers and low season rates.

Tanzania family holidays in festive season are an excellent idea. December sits between the short rains which usually fall in November, and the long rains which happen in April and May.

November however is an excellent time for phenomenal end of dry season wildlife, and the rains in this month are usually just the odd afternoon shower or two. The huge benefit of travelling in November for families is that the rates across the country are slashed, meaning you can afford a premium safari for less – important if you are paying for the whole family and would like a safari lodge with a pool for the kids to splash around in. June is similarly good for reduced rates, and the parks are luscious and beautiful at this time of year too.

January and February are exceptional times to see the Great Wildebeest Migration in the southern Serengeti as they congregate for calving season. If this is on your family’s bucket list, we would strongly recommend these months.

Note that whilst the Serengeti and Ngorongoro never closes, The Selous is closed from mid-March to the end of May, as the camps are inaccessible when it had been very wet. Ruaha is also mostly closed at this time of year too. 

Both October and November can be very hot in the Selous which is worth noting if you are not a fan of high temperatures.

Tanzania family safari and beach holidays

Tanzania is probably one of the best and easiest countries to combine safari and beach, making it the ideal family safari location. The most popular beach option is Zanzibar, due to its pristine white sandy beaches and turquoise waters for the adults, and huge array of exciting and fun-filled water sport activities for the kids – or vice versa!
 
With regular flights from all the national parks, it is really easy to get to Zanzibar from pretty much anywhere in Tanzania all in the space of 45 – 120 minutes. If you are really keen divers or whale shark watchers, other islands to consider are Pemba and Mafia Island though the beaches here are definitely not as good as Zanzibar… Something to be wary of. For those seeking a cast-away experience take a look at the quirky Fanjove Private Island. 
 
Some of the best family beach lodges are Baraza, Breezes and Zuri Zanzibar. 

What to do with kids on safari?

Book a safari camp with interconnecting rooms or a family tent so you can all stay under one roof/canvas.

Don't try and do too much! Tanzania is a vast country and it’s impossible to visit every park. Children will get more out of visiting a few locations in more detail rather than rushing around – and so will adults.

Get a range of activities- children will start to become blasé after their 10th lion encounter in a vehicle, so ask us which is the best place for a varied safari.

Tanzania is blessed with beautiful beaches - after your safari spend some family time having fun on the beach snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, kite surfing, paddle boarding and much more. Or for exhausted parents, simply relax in a spa with a cold drink and a massage… a tempting alternative!

 
Think about taking a short safari at half term in February or October as you can often take advantage of ‘off season’ rates and fewer tourists.

Ask us about special offers for families and children - these change on a frequent basis and there are often some great deals to take advantage of. 

Tanzania family holidays FAQs

Why go on a Tanzania family holiday?

 
•  Tanzania is in the best possible destination to combine safari and beach. This is especially important for family holidays as you are paying for children. If you were trying to combine safari and beach anywhere else, your budget would get eaten up quickly by lengthy and expensive flights.  
 
•  The South of Tanzania can offer a really diverse safari experience for the whole family with excellent boating, and walking or fly camping for the over 12’s – a family adventure of a lifetime. 
 
•  The North - The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater - provides a completely action-packed and beautiful Africa safari experience. Seeing the Great Wildebeest Migration will not be something your kids will forget in a hurry. Some people like to introduce their children to a cultural experience, and this comes in its buckets in the Ngorongoro Highlands with the proud Masai people. Here, you have the privilege of a private vehicle for a really intimate and freeing safari – a huge plus for a Northern Tanzania family itinerary.
 
•  Special offers for families are available in many of the safari companies in Tanzania – we have been working with them for 20 years so can get some amazing deals. Tanzania loves families and their child rates and offers reflect this. 
 
•  We really can’t think of a reason not to choose Tanzania for your once in a lifetime family holiday!  
 

Is it safe to take children on safari?

 
The nature of safari is staying in close proximity to wild animals, which does add a bit of risk. However, we only work with established, well organised and well-funded safari lodges and camps with a great safety track record. If you follow the instructions and briefings from the camp managers and guides then your safari will be as safe as anywhere else in the world. Speak to us about which safari camps we believe are best suited for families.

Where to go with young children on your Tanzania Family Safari?

 
For those travelling with very young children (6 yrs old), we generally recommend the larger hotel style as the rooms often have air conditioning, are completely secure and made of stone as opposed to canvas. The hotels also often have extra staff on hand to baby sit in the evening while you are having dinner. In the Serengeti, The Four Seasons is a great luxury hotel option, or alternatively for those with less of a budget, the Serena Serengeti Lodge is quite appealing.
 
It’s also worth noting that Tanzania is in a malarial area so we recommend speaking with a doctor before booking your safari.
 

Tanzania Family Safari Vs. Kenya Family Safari

 
Tanzania and Kenya offer some of the best family safari experiences in Africa. Kenya has been involved in safari and tourism for a lot longer than Tanzania, and as a result some areas have become very busy with more of a mass market big-hotel feel to it. Tanzania has learnt from this, and thus adopted the ethos of less is more - fewer camps and lodges, but ones of a higher quality.
 
For example, you would find the Serengeti National Park less busy than the neighbouring Kenyan Masai Mara. The exception to this is the Laikipia private concession area of Kenya which is perfect for families, offering a range of activities such as horse riding, camping out under the stars, river swimming, camel treks, scenic air flights and generally mucking around without the stringent rules of the national parks. In comparison, Tanzania offers some great safari activities in the South and West, such as walking safaris, boating safaris, night drives and fly camping.

Client Reviews

[100% BASED ON 5 REVIEWS]

Tanzania Safari | Tanzanian Safaris – Reviews

We had a fantastic holiday organised by Tanzania Odyssey. The web site was the best travel website we have ever used - very informative and easy to use and includes the prices of each property. Our travel consultant, Dave, was very pleasant and helpful and gave us useful advice to give us exactly the holiday we wanted. Highly recommended.

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Paul and I would like to thank you for your excellent planning of our safari to Tanzania.

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Tanzania Odyssey is the perfect choice for a perfect trip. They listen to you, give you good advices and always do their best to satisfy your needs. I always ask for their help when I go to Tanzania.

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We had a great safari experience. The organisation of the various flights and accommodation was seamless which really added to the experience. Would definitely recommend Tanzania Odyssey and would use them again.

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Wonderful in so many ways
Tanzania Odyssey arranged an amazing safari to southern Tanzania this summer. All the arrangements worked like clockwork and we all agree this was our best family holiday ever

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