Private safaris to the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Zanzibar. Tell us when you can travel and what you hope to see, and we'll send a day-by-day plan with a price.
The Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, the elephants of Tarangire and the beaches of Zanzibar can all fit into one trip. Each changes with the seasons, so the same parks give a different safari in February and in August.
We plan private safaris in Tanzania. You choose the parks, the camps, the pace and the length, and we write the plan around those choices instead of selling a fixed package.
Each one is a starting point. Add a night, slow the pace or swap a camp, and we change the plan to suit.
Wildlife follows the rain, so the timing shifts a little from year to year. This is what usually happens this month in the places we travel.
Clear skies and thinning grass. The herds often move through the Western Corridor in June and July, then north, where Mara River crossings are most likely from August to October. The busiest months.
Dry season and river crossings: June, July, August, September, October
Clear skies, short grass and the easiest game viewing on the crater floor. This is also the busiest time, and nights on the rim are cold enough for warm layers.
Dry season: June, July, August, September, October
The Tarangire River becomes the main water source and wildlife moves in from the surrounding country. Elephant gatherings usually peak from August to October. Hot afternoons, dusty tracks.
Dry season: June, July, August, September, October
The best months for mammals, which gather near the streams and the lakeshore. Clear skies, dusty tracks and comfortable mornings.
Dry season: June, July, August, September, October
Every safari we plan starts with a conversation about you: who's travelling, when, what you most want to see and how you like your days to run. Only then do we suggest a route. Two couples travelling in the same week can end up with quite different trips, and that's how it should be.
Tanzania's wildlife follows the rains. If the month you have in mind doesn't suit what you most want to see, we'll tell you, and we'll suggest either a different month or a different part of the country that works better for your dates. Our guide to the best time to visit Tanzania shows how we think about the year.
Safari days can involve long drives, and the countryside between the parks is part of the experience. Your proposal shows approximately how long you'll spend on the road each day, so you can see the pace before you commit. If a day looks too long, we'll change the route, add a night or suggest a light-aircraft flight.
Location matters more than labels. We look first at where a lodge or camp sits in relation to the wildlife at your time of year, then at comfort. You can travel at a mid-range or a luxury comfort level, and mix the two on one trip. Read safari comfort levels explained for what changes and what doesn't.
Your dates, who is travelling and what you hope to see. A rough idea is enough.
A day-by-day route with the camps, the drive times and what the price includes.
Slower, longer, a different camp: we rework the plan as often as you need.
You accept the proposal online. Once the deposit arrives we confirm your camps, and the safari is booked.
An enquiry isn't a booking, and asking costs nothing.
Not every trip fits an itinerary. Tell us the dates you have and what matters most, whether that's a first safari with children, a honeymoon or a slow week in one camp, and we'll draft a private route around it.
For classic game viewing, the best time to visit Tanzania is usually the long dry season from June to October, when the grass is short and animals gather near water. January and February are often just as good in the southern Serengeti, where the wildebeest calve. The long rains (roughly March to May) and the short rains (roughly November to December) bring green landscapes and fewer vehicles. Exact timing varies from year to year.
In most years the wildebeest herds spend roughly December to March on the southern Serengeti plains, where calving usually peaks in February.
Pack light, in a soft bag: light-aircraft flights between parks usually limit luggage to around 15 kg per person, so confirm the limit with your airline.
The long dry season, from June to October, is the classic choice: the grass is short and animals gather near water. January and February are excellent in the southern Serengeti, where the wildebeest calve. The rainy months bring green scenery and fewer vehicles. The right month depends on what you most want to see.
Five to eight days suits most first safaris on the northern circuit, with time for Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and at least two nights in the Serengeti. Three or four days works for Tarangire and the crater on their own, or as an add-on to a Kilimanjaro climb or a beach stay on Zanzibar.
The wildebeest herds are in the Serengeti ecosystem all year, but where they are depends on the month and the rains. Calving usually peaks in February in the south, and Mara River crossings usually happen from about July to October in the north. Nobody can promise a crossing on a given day, so we plan time in the right area.
The parks, the park rules and the wildlife are the same. A mid-range safari uses comfortable lodges and tented camps, often just outside the parks. A luxury safari uses premium camps, more often inside the parks or on the crater rim, with more space and more attentive service. Many travellers mix the two on one trip.
A private safari gives you your own vehicle and guide, so the day runs at your pace and you stay at sightings as long as you like. A small-group safari shares the vehicle with other travellers. Private travel suits families, photographers, honeymooners and anyone with particular interests. Tell us which you prefer when you plan.
Most visitors need a visa or some form of entry permission, and the rules depend on your nationality. They also change, so check the official Tanzania immigration website and your own government's travel advice before you book flights. If Zanzibar is on your route, check whether it has additional requirements of its own.
A few details are enough to start: roughly when, how many of you and what you hope to see. We reply with ideas and questions, then a written plan when you're ready for one.
Prefer the full planner? It takes a few minutes and lets you choose parks, pace and comfort level.
Open the planner
