Tanzania Family Holidays

Tanzania Family Safari itinerary planning 

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 2 nights. Then, take a flight to the Serengeti for at least a 4 night stay – which area depends on where the Migration is at the time! After this, take a short flight to Zanzibar for around 6 nights relaxing on the beach. We find this is perfect for teenagers who thrive on the hugely dense Serengeti and Crater game, and also want to try their hand at water sports with Zanzibar’s huge array of activities and fantastic beaches.

Depending on your family’s preferences, 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. You can even combine Ruaha and the Serengeti with a fantastic new direct flight  – this is a really spoiling combination and definitely one to consider! Note that, especially when with children, 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 around 8 nights. Pop over to the beach after any Tanzania safari to unwind and catch the rays before your flight home. 

Older children will be thrilled by the wildlife on safari. They may also enjoy horse-riding safaris, hot air ballooning over the Serengeti, fly-camping in the bush, bush fires and bush breakfasts and fishing in the rivers of Selous. In Zanzibar they might like to learn to scuba dive (there are several PADI accredited diving centres), or go on a dolphin safari, snorkelling or deep sea fishing.

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.

How much does a Tanzania Family Safari cost? 

Safaris are not cheap, there is no question about it - especially when you start bringing all your children! Luckily, these days many camps offer great deals for families with the arrival of family tents, family villas and family lodges so you can have a completely private and intimate family holiday. It is worth remembering that under 12’s get reduced international air fares, and also in some camps under 21’s are considered children so they too enjoy reduced rates!
 
There is a real range of accommodation in Tanzania with the most basic budget properties costing around $350 per person per night to the most luxurious in exclusive locations, costing close to $2,000 per person per night! We have got access to the best family special offers and deals so speak to us about building an itinerary that takes advantage of these!

Top 5 Tanzania Family Safari tips 

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 everywhere

Get a range of activities- children will start to become blasé after their 15^th Lion encounter in a vehicle, so arrange ask us about a safari that has different activities.

Tanzania is blessed with beautiful coastlines - after your safari spend some family time having fun on the beach snorkeling, 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 offers to take advantage of.

 

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

For those travelling with very young children, 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.
 

Where to go with teenagers on your Tanzania Family Safari?

Older children will be thrilled by the wildlife on safari.They may also enjoy horse-riding safaris, hot air ballooning over the Serengeti, fly-camping in the bush, bush fires, bush breakfasts and fishing in the rivers of the Selous. In Zanzibar they might like to learn to scuba dive (there are several PADI accredited diving centres), or go on a dolphin safari, snorkelling or deep sea fishing. What an amazing holiday for a teenager to tell their friends about – Tanzania seems to have it all.

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.
 

How do I combine the beach with a Tanzania Family Safari?

Tanzania is probably one of the best and easiest safari countries to combine beach, making it the ideal family safari location. The most popular destination is Zanzibar, due to its pristine white sandy beaches and turquoise waters for the adults, and huge array of exciting and fun-filled watersport 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. 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, Zuri Zanzibar and The Residence.
 

Is it safe to take children on safari? 

Safari is of course a potentially dangerous holiday due to the fact that you are staying in close proximity to wild animals! However we only work with established, well organised and well funded safari lodges and camps with a great safety track record. As long as you follow the instructions and briefings from the camp managers and guides in the camps then your safari will be very safe. Speak to us about which safari camps we believe are best suited for families.
 

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 rules and regulations 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.

In regards to beach-time, the best beaches on Kenya are again, often busier than the Tanzanian mainland and islands.
 

Tanzania Family Safari further details:

Between us here in our office we have visited every lodge or camp in Tanzania that is worth talking about so the best way to book a Tanzania Family Safari is to get in touch and have a chat with us. Email us on [email protected] or call through on 1866 356 4691 or the UK on 020 8704 1216.