Day Trip Ngorongoro Crater
A day in the Ngorongoro Crater with no overnight stay: down into the crater to the Big Five, privately guided, from Arusha City or with a flight from and to Zanzibar.
1 dayCalculate the price
Zanzibar Archipelago
Around 80 minutes' flight from Arusha, and you are standing on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Highlights
- Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000
- Nungwi and Kendwa in the north: swimming even at low tide
- Snorkelling and diving at the Mnemba reef
- Spice tours through clove, cinnamon and vanilla plantations
- Zanzibar red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest
- Kitesurfing in Paje
Safari: prefer to plan it yourself?
Put your safari together in the trip planner.
Zanzibar Archipelago at a glance
Around 80 minutes' flight from Arusha, and you are standing on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar is the classic way to wind down after a safari: Stone Town with its narrow alleys (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000), spice farms in the island's interior and coral reefs off the coast.
Strictly speaking, Zanzibar is an archipelago, 25 to 50 kilometres off the coast of Tanzania. When most people say Zanzibar, they mean Unguja, the main island; its greener sister island Pemba is hilly, quiet and popular with divers. Then there are small islands and sandbanks such as Mnemba for day trips.
Impressions
The islands of the archipelago
Unguja is the main island and the one developed for tourism, with Stone Town, the well-known beaches and the airport. Pemba, the “green island”, has hills full of clove plantations, very little bustle and, offshore, dive sites for advanced divers.
The small neighbours are worth a day trip: the reef around Mnemba Island is the best-known snorkelling spot, and Prison Island with its giant tortoises lies just off Stone Town.
Stone Town and the beaches
Stone Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000: winding alleys, intricately carved wooden doors, bazaars and, in the evening, the market in the Forodhani Gardens. Half a day with a guide is enough for a first overview, though many end up staying longer.
When it comes to beaches, the tide decides. In the north around Nungwi and Kendwa you can swim all day, while on the east coast the sea retreats a long way at low tide; the exposed seabed then becomes a walkway full of starfish. Kitesurfers head for Paje, snorkellers tend to go to Matemwe.
Diving, nature and spices
Underwater, the archipelago has two faces: the Mnemba reef for relaxed snorkelling and diving, and the walls off Pemba for the experienced. On land, Jozani Forest protects the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found only on Zanzibar.
And then there are the spices that gave the islands their nickname. On a spice tour you see how cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg grow, and at the end you guess what you have just crushed. The hit rate is usually lower than you would think.
Best time to travel
You can swim almost any time, because it never gets cold on Zanzibar; the annual average is around 27 °C. The most reliable months are June to October, plus the hot, dry weeks of January and February. Most of the rain falls between March and May, often as a short, heavy shower with sunshine afterwards; in November and December there are occasional showers.
Getting there
- From Arusha
- a flight of around 80 minutes to Unguja
- International
- Abeid Amani Karume Airport (ZNZ) on Unguja, direct or via Dar es Salaam and hubs in Europe and the Middle East
- By ferry
- fast ferry from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town, about one and a half to two hours
- Pemba
- its own airport near Chake Chake
Any of our safari routes can start or finish on Zanzibar; we build the flight into the plan.
Fees
Since October 2024, Zanzibar has required mandatory inbound travel insurance for international visitors (44 USD per person, as of 2024); since 1 October 2026, the requirement has also applied on the mainland. One policy covers the whole trip, and it is taken out where you first enter the country. On top of that, as for all of Tanzania, you need a visa (50 USD, as of March 2024). We check both for you when we prepare your quote.
Matching tours
Day trip · 2 tours
Day Trip Tarangire
A day of game drives in Tarangire with no overnight stay: elephants and baobabs, privately guided from Arusha City, with an optional Zanzibar flight at the start or end.
1 dayCalculate the price
2 days · 3 tours
2-Day Fly-in Serengeti, return flight from Seronera
By plane into the central Serengeti and back: two travel days full of game drives without a long drive to get there, from Arusha City or Zanzibar.
2 daysCalculate the price
2-Day Tarangire & Ngorongoro Crater
Compact two-day safari from Arusha City: elephants on the Tarangire River, then down to the Big Five in the Ngorongoro Crater. One overnight stay, privately guided.
2 daysCalculate the price
2-Day Tarangire & Lake Manyara
Two privately guided days: first to the elephants of Tarangire, then into the groundwater forest at Lake Manyara, with one overnight stay, from Arusha City.
2 daysCalculate the price
3 days · 4 tours
3-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire & Lake Manyara
Three days through Arusha National Park, Tarangire and Lake Manyara: three landscapes in three days, with two nights on the road, from Arusha City.
3 daysCalculate the price
3-Day Fly-in Serengeti, return flight from Seronera
Three days in the central Serengeti with arrival and departure by plane, two nights in the park and game drives around Seronera. From Arusha City or Zanzibar.
3 daysCalculate the price
3-Day Fly-in Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Fly into the Serengeti, return via the Ngorongoro Crater: three safari days with two overnight stays, from Arusha City or Zanzibar.
3 daysCalculate the price
3-Day Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro Crater
Three days on the northern route from Arusha City: Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, with two overnight stays and a Big Five finale.
3 daysCalculate the price
4 days · 3 tours
4-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro Crater
Four days, four parks: from Arusha National Park via Tarangire and Lake Manyara down into the Ngorongoro Crater, with three nights from Arusha City.
4 daysCalculate the price
4-Day Fly-in Serengeti, return flight from Seronera
Four travel days and three nights in the heart of Serengeti National Park, flying in and out by light aircraft, with game drives from Seronera to the kopjes.
4 daysCalculate the price
4-Day Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Four days from Arusha City: elephants in Tarangire, two days in the central Serengeti and finally the Ngorongoro Crater. Three nights, privately guided.
4 daysCalculate the price
5 days · 2 tours
5-Day Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
The great northern circuit in five days: from Tarangire via Lake Manyara into the Serengeti and finally down into the crater. Four nights, privately guided.
5 daysCalculate the price
5-Day Tarangire, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Five travel days, three of them in the Serengeti: a start in Tarangire, a finish in the Ngorongoro Crater, four nights from Arusha City.
5 daysCalculate the price
6 days · 2 tours
6-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Six days right across the north, from the Momella Lakes to the crater floor, with two full days in the Serengeti and five nights.
6 daysCalculate the price
6-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Six days with the focus on the Serengeti: three days in a row in the park, framed by Arusha National Park, Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater.
6 daysCalculate the price
7 days · 2 tours
7-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Seven days, the whole of the north: first Arusha National Park, Tarangire and Manyara, then three Serengeti days, and finally the crater.
7 daysCalculate the price
7-Day Fly-in Serengeti (3 days), Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire & Arusha National Park
Seven days, Serengeti first: fly in, stay three days, then back via the crater, Manyara and Tarangire all the way to Arusha National Park.
7 daysCalculate the price
Frequently asked questions
Is Zanzibar safe for tourists and women travelling alone?
Zanzibar is considered a comparatively safe destination, including for women travelling alone. The usual rules still apply: do not show off valuables, stick to busy routes at night and watch out for pickpockets, especially at markets. Checking the latest travel advice from your foreign office is part of your preparation.
How much should you tip on Zanzibar?
Tipping is not compulsory, but it is customary for good service. As a rough guide: around 10 per cent in restaurants, about 1 USD per day for housekeeping, and for guides and drivers about 5 to 10 USD per person per day, depending on the length of the excursion. Small notes, in shillings or US dollars, are handy.
Can you pay with euros or dollars on Zanzibar?
The official currency is the Tanzanian shilling. US dollars are accepted in hotels, by tour operators and in many restaurants, and prices are often quoted directly in USD; the notes should be fairly recent. Hardly anyone accepts euros directly, but changing them is no problem, and ATMs dispense shillings.
Are there dangerous animals on Zanzibar?
You will not find the mainland's big game on the island. In the water, sea urchins are the most common cause of sore feet, and water shoes help on some beaches. The mosquito is a more serious matter: malaria occurs all year round, so consistent protection against mosquitoes in the evening matters more than any thought of sharks.
What language is spoken on Zanzibar?
The language spoken is Swahili, but in hotels and on excursions you will get by with English everywhere. A few words of the local language still open doors: Jambo means hello, Asante thank you and Karibu welcome. That is all you need to start with.
Send us a message
We put your route together — free of obligation and in person. We reply the same day, usually faster on WhatsApp.
Prefer to talk? Dominic Dreiner is happy to help.
Alle Preise sind unverbindliche Richtpreise pro Person bei zwei gemeinsam reisenden Personen, einschließlich der in der Leistungsübersicht genannten Leistungen und ohne Flüge nach Tansania. Bei größeren Gruppen sinkt der Preis pro Person. Der endgültige Preis richtet sich nach Reisezeitraum, Gruppengröße, gewählten Unterkünften und Verfügbarkeit; er wird Ihnen im individuellen Angebot verbindlich genannt. Angebote sind bis zur abschließenden Verfügbarkeitsprüfung freibleibend. Es gelten unsere AGB.