Tanzania safari planning with the experts

A Tanzania safari surmises quintessential Africa. The vast rolling plains of the Serengeti are home to the world's greatest wildlife spectacle and the Southern parks offer some of the best off the beaten track safari experiences in Africa. The renowned Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti speak for themselves with their dense wildlife quantities and extraordinary game viewing whilst the Southern and Western Parks are home to some of the best kept secrets in Tanzania. From the extraordinary chimps of Mahale to epic lion versus buffalo encounters in Ruaha. No matter where you choose to your luxury safari in Tanzania, a wildlife spectacle awaits.

A Guide to Northern Tanzania & The Great Migration

Tented Camps or Non-tented Camps


A common misconception is that there is a massive difference between tented safari camps, and non-tented options. The assumption is that tented lodges are “basic” whilst wooden structured, solid lodges are more luxurious. In truth, some of the most luxurious camps in the country can have a canvas covering… As well as a pool, amazing food and all the amenities in the world. Likewise, some non-tented options like the Serengeti Serena offer permanent, solid walls – and granted - a pool, but the quality of the safari experience is somewhat under par in comparison to some excellent, authentic, safari-mad tented camps like the fantastic Lake Manze.

Mobile tented camps


The one exception is when it comes to “mobile tented camps”. Located in the Serengeti, they move two to three times throughout the year to be well positioned for the Great Migration. Because of their mobility they do not have pools, plumbing (though you still get hot showers), electricity is limited (but there!) and there are no solid structures, so you are most definitely in a tent… Even though it is a very luxurious tent nonetheless. The “camping” style of the mobile camps does not mean that they aren’t of the highest quality, but if you like big rooms and even bigger pools, then they may not be for you. It is about as authentic as it can get though, and we would really recommend them.

This is why when it comes to safari it is so important to talk to an expert about their experience in these different lodges, as photos can be deceiving and atmosphere, food, quirks and character can make or break your trip.

Tanzania Luxury Safaris


Contrary to what you might think, some tented camps are even more luxurious than permanent non tented camps. This means that your luxury safari in Tanzania can encompass tented camps without any compromise.

A Guide to Southern Tanzania

The South of Tanzania offers, in our opinion, the best tours in Tanzania. With better value accommodation than the north, and a less touristy experience, it may not be a classic ‘big five safari destination’ but you will have the most incredible time.

The Selous Game Reserve is a huge dry season park offering boating, walking safaris and fly-camping with excellent possibilities of seeing Africa's wild dogs.

Ruaha National Park is a beautiful red-earth park where you can also enjoy walking, fly-camping, super prides of lions and huge buffalo herds. Ruaha is home to 10% of the whole world’s lions, so to say the wildlife here is not as prominent as in the north could be a mistake!

The west comprises of Katavi and Mahale which are expensive to get to, but because of their relative inaccessibility offer a simply magical experience alone in the wilderness, where you can trek chimps in the Mahale Mountains and see some of Tanzania’s most dramatic safari scenes in the depths of Katavi’s harsh dry season.

Southern safari itineraries are usually made up of either three of four nights in both The Selous and Ruaha. For those who want a shorter Tanzania safari tour and more time to enjoy the sand beaches, then the Selous for four nights can be an easy and dependable option. However, we would recommend trying to combine both if budget allows, as this will provide you with diverse landscapes, wildlife and a range of safari experiences.

Very few travellers head to Katavi and Mahale because the flights are simply very expensive, and the few lodges available there are too. If you did go though on the Western tours in Tanzania, you can either fly from Arusha via the Serengeti or from Dar, but via a night or two in Ruaha. Flights only operate a few days a week though, so the west is usually only doable for those with a big budget who are very set on visiting it and who will revolve their entire holiday around doing so.

The Great Migration Africa

The Great Wildebeest Migration is a spectacular event where 2 million grazers circle the Serengeti all year round in search for fresh pastures. Some months are better than others to see the herds. The best times are when they are the most concentrated in certain areas:

From July – October the herds are crossing the Mara River in the northern Serengeti. This is where you get those dramatic Attenborough-esque scenes of wildebeest hurtling themselves into crocodile infested waters.

February is when the calving season is in full swing and this is the best time to see the herds in their full glory as they gather in their thousands on the endless plains of the south. February is the only time of year you are guaranteed to see the herds if you stay where they are predicted to be, as they never fail to gather in the Ndutu plains at this time of year.

We would advise visiting the Serengeti at these times if the Migration is on your bucket list and you're wanting a peak-season luxury safari in Tanzania. However, the Migration is a complex and unpredictable event. It is important to know the pros and cons for each time of year, which you can find in our month-by-month migration blogs on our chart to the right. 

Luxury Tanzania Safaris Accommodation

Northern Tanzania is expensive (comparatively to the south) but offers unrivalled wildlife viewing and is completely iconic.

The Serengeti National Park (which borders the Masai Mara in Kenya) is world-class and home to The Great Wildebeest Migration as well as the biggest concentration of predators on the planet. We would recommend spending a minimum of three nights during your Tanzania safari tour in the Serengeti – there is so much wildlife to see and areas to cover, that it would be a shame to travel all the way there and stay for any less. 

The Ngorongoro Crater has a huge amount of the big 5 in a unique and dramatic setting. Surrounding the crater, the Ngorongoro Highlands is home to colourful Masai culture and rolling coffee farms. We usually only recommend one big game drive into the crater, as it is small so one day is enough. You can either stay on the crater rim, or in the Ngorongoro Highlands a night either side of your game drive. Many people do visit the Crater on their tours in Tanzania, so it does however get very busy during the high season.

Tarangire National Park is another option for amazing game viewing. Night drives, fantastic views and a colossal number of elephants all addd up to an amazing safai experience. However, it is more of an "add-on" park to the main northern circuit of the crater and Serengeti. It can be visited for a few nights en route to the crater, if you have ample time and money. 

Lake Manyara is another smaller park with flamingos, fantastic land-birdlife and some truly beautiful spots for safari. It can be seen in an afternoon rather than as the focus of a trip as it is small. Most people who drive to the crater go via Lake Manyara for a few hours to tick it off the list. 

The Cost of Tanzania Safaris Tours

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 tour 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 a safari itinerary which takes advantage of these deals. Please also see our luxury safari itineraries page for more specific costings – these are just a starting point though, as we tailor all our itineraries exactly to 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.

The Best Time for a Safari in Tanzania

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. 

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.

Northern Tanzania

Ngorongoro is amazing year round – it is not very big, and so the animals can’t widely disperse when there is plentiful grass and water. However in  The Serengeti, February is the very best time to see the Great Migration as the wildebeest congregate in the southern plains in their thousands for calving season.

Southern Tanzania

The parks of Southern Tanzania are classically dry season parks so definitely best from July - October. Outside these months, the widllife can be tricker to find than in Northern Tanzania.  

As Ruaha and The Selous are relatively low land compared to northern Tanzania, they are affected a bit more by the rains. The Selous is closed from mid-March to the end of May, as the camps are inaccessible when it has 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: Safari & Beach - Zanzibar

Tanzania is probably one of the best and easiest safari countries to combine the beach with. Our favourite beach hideaway is Zanzibar, due to its diversity in lodgings, activities and not to mention its beautiful white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. With plenty of internal flights from all the national parks, Zanzibar is accessible with short flights.

The only place worth mentioning on the mainland coast is the beautiful Ras Kutani. It is a place for sheer relaxation, and a personal, romantic and intimate beach getaway experience.

Other islands to consider are Pemba Island, Mafia Island and for those seeking a caste away experience, take a look at Fanjove Private Island.

For those who require exclusivity fit for a movie star then there is nowhere else but Mnemba Private Island.

Tanzania Safaris FAQs

Tanzania Fly-in Safaris vs 4x4 Safari Tours


For the most part, the parks of Tanzania are best visited by flying into your different destinations. Southern Tanzania is completely made up of fly-in destinations, as the Selous and Ruaha are relatively inaccessible otherwise. For Northern Tanzania, we like to recommend a half drive and half fly-in safari, as this provides a varied experience, but also in the Ngorongoro Crater, a lot of the time driving can be a cheaper than flying from Kilimanjaro airport after your international flight. Your guide would take you from stop to stop, so don’t worry about ever being stuck on the ground at any point on safari.

What to pack and what to wear on safari in Tanzania


Advisable packing and clothing are so changeable depending on what you are doing, where and when you are going. The best thing to do is to give us a call and discuss your plans. However, we do have a pre-departure page you can have a peek at for general advice. Is it your first safari? Check out our blog on useful tips for first time safari goers..

Where to fly into for a Tanzania Safari?


There are two main international airports in Tanzania; Mount Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Dar es Salaam (DAR). Most flights are not direct, and the best ones have only one connection if coming from the UK or the US.

African Safaris: Tanzania or South Africa Safari?


Tanzania has taken a relatively high-quality, low-volume approach to safari tourism, with emphasis on excellent accommodation, service and guiding, rather than a high volume of tourists. This makes for a much better, more exclusive and intimate safari experience than in other countries which have taken a more mass-market approach such as South Africa. The Kruger can get exceptionally busy, and the other reserves which take a more high-quality approach are ludicrously expensive. You can get a really high-quality safari in Tanzania which you simply can’t get in South Africa for the same money.

I want to push the boat out – where are the best luxury safari holidays in Tanzania?


The Serengeti - With its reputation as one of the most iconic safari parks in Africa comes seriously luxurious lodges, not to mention the most spectacular natural event in the world, the Great Wildebeest Migration. If you want unrivalled safari action, there is nowhere better in Tanzania than the flat acacia dotted Serengeti plains. Ruaha - True, wild and unspoilt African bush, Ruaha is perfect for a real safari enthusiast looking for superb and varied wildlife without the interruption of the sometimes chaotic tourism of the north. Ruaha is home to some of the best lodges on the continent for a truly authentic, yet luxurious safari. Ngorongoro - As the 8th wonder of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater itself is wondrous to behold. If you add into the equation the huge concentrations of wildlife all within its dramatic cliff edge walls, you can soon see why the crater is referred to as the cradle of mankind.

Why Tanzania Odyssey?


Our website speaks for itself; we are passionate about giving honest personal opinions and crafting truly personalised itineraries. We couple our in-depth, first-hand knowledge forged from 20 years experience with each client’s individual requirements to tailor unique and unbeatable experiences in Tanzania and throughout the rest of Africa.
Our experience goes above and beyond most tour operators, as our MD Marc Harris is a judge of the Safari Awards and is a former director of African Travel and Tourism. Annabel Skinner is also a director and wrote the Cadogan Guide to Tanzania (see below!) so rest assured every single one of our team is fully up to date with the world of Tanzanian safaris from our combined knowledge, as well as from visiting and revisiting Tanzania every year.

Client Reviews

[100% BASED ON 5 REVIEWS]

Tanzania Safaris | 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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