4 Day Fly-in Safari from Zanzibar: Serengeti and Ngorongoro
From the beach to the big two: fly into the Serengeti for two nights, drive to Ngorongoro, explore the crater floor and fly back to Zanzibar.
- Duration
- 4 days
- Route
- Zanzibar – Seronera (Serengeti) – Ngorongoro Crater – Lake Manyara airstrip – Zanzibar
- Start / end
- Starts and ends in Zanzibar (pick-up from your hotel or Zanzibar Airport)
- Best time
- June to October is the dry season with excellent wildlife viewing; December to February is also very good, while the long rains of roughly March to May can affect roads and flights.
- Trip style
- Private game drives in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and your own guide, scheduled shared light-aircraft flights and comfortable mid-range lodges and tented camps.
Tour overview
This fly-in safari combines Tanzania's two most famous wildlife areas in four days, starting and ending on Zanzibar. You fly straight into the Serengeti for two nights of game drives on the open plains, then drive with your guide through the highlands to the Ngorongoro Crater.
A morning on the crater floor offers some of the most concentrated game viewing anywhere, including a real chance of black rhino. After the crater you fly back to the coast the same afternoon. It is perfect for beach holidaymakers who want a complete safari experience with minimal time on the road.
Highlights
- Fly directly from Zanzibar to the Serengeti
- Two nights and full game drives in the central Serengeti
- Scenic drive across the plains and past Olduvai Gorge
- A morning on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater
- Chance to see the Big Five, including black rhino
- Back on Zanzibar on the evening of day four
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Fly Zanzibar to the Serengeti
After an early pick-up from your hotel, fly from Zanzibar to the Seronera airstrip in the central Serengeti, a journey of around 3 hours, usually with a stop on the way. Your guide meets you with the Land Cruiser and a packed lunch, and you head straight out on an afternoon game drive. The Seronera valley is renowned for its resident lions and leopards, and you may also see elephants, giraffes, topi and hyenas. Check in to your tented camp in the early evening.
Day 2Full Day in the Serengeti
Set out early to catch the predators while it is cool. With a full day and a picnic lunch, your guide can range further across the park, following the latest sightings or heading toward the wildebeest migration if it is in the area. Look for cheetahs scanning the plains, crocodiles and hippos in the rivers and large herds of zebra and gazelle. Return to camp as the sun sets for dinner and the sounds of the Serengeti night.
Day 3Serengeti to Ngorongoro
After a final morning game drive, leave the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate and cross the short-grass plains of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where Maasai herders graze their cattle among the wildlife. You can stop at the Olduvai Gorge museum to learn about the region's early human history. The drive takes around 3 to 4 hours with stops. Climb up to the crater rim for spectacular views, then continue to your lodge on the rim or in the Karatu highlands.
Day 4Ngorongoro Crater, Fly to Zanzibar
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater early in the morning for a game drive across the crater floor, home to lions, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, flamingos and the rare black rhino. Visits are limited to about six hours, and you enjoy a picnic lunch by a hippo pool before climbing out. Your guide then drives you to the Lake Manyara airstrip, about an hour away, for your afternoon flight back to Zanzibar, which may connect via Arusha. You are met on arrival and taken to your hotel.
What is included
- Scheduled flights Zanzibar – Seronera and Lake Manyara or Arusha – Zanzibar
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and professional guide
- All park and conservation fees, including the Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- 3 nights' accommodation as listed
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water during game drives
- Hotel and airport transfers on Zanzibar
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa
- Travel insurance (mandatory for this trip)
- Tips for guides, pilots and camp staff
- Alcoholic and premium drinks unless stated
- Optional activities such as hot air balloon safaris
- Personal items, laundry and souvenirs
Good to know
- Light aircraft typically allow around 15 kg of luggage per person in soft-sided bags; larger luggage can be left at your Zanzibar hotel.
- Ngorongoro is high and chilly in the mornings, so bring a warm jacket even if you are coming from the beach.
- Return flight times vary by season, which may shorten or lengthen your time in the crater.
Frequently asked questions
Why do we drive from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro rather than fly?
There is no airstrip inside the crater area that suits this route, and the drive itself is part of the experience, crossing the plains and Maasai land with game viewing on the way.
Can we stay on the crater rim?
Yes. We can upgrade the Ngorongoro night to a rim lodge such as Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge for views straight into the crater.
Is this safari suitable for children?
Yes, families are welcome. A private vehicle means the pace can be adjusted to suit children, though some lodges have minimum age rules that we will check when booking.
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