6-Day Flying Safari from Zanzibar
Fly straight from the Indian Ocean into the heart of the Serengeti. Six days combining four full days on the Serengeti's endless plains, a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, and a final morning among Tarangire's elephants and baobabs, before flying back to Zanzibar. No long road transfers — just Zanzibar, the bush, and back.
6-Day Flying Safari from Zanzibar Zanzibar to the Northern Circuit
Six days, one short flight, and the two very different sides of Tanzania that make it East Africa's most complete destination. This itinerary begins with a direct flight from Zanzibar straight to the Serengeti — no two-day road transfer, no wasted safari time — landing you on the plains in time for your very first game drive.
Four full days inside Serengeti National Park allow your guide to work the park properly: different zones, different light, different herds each day. From there the route runs south through the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive on the caldera floor, overnighting in the highland town of Karatu, before a final morning among Tarangire's elephants and ancient baobabs on the way to Arusha Airport and the flight back to Zanzibar. A private 4x4 Land Cruiser, an expert Northern Circuit guide, and all accommodation, transfers, park fees and meals are included throughout.
Where You'll Go
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania's most iconic wilderness and the reason most travellers fly straight in. 14,763 km² of endless open plains, home to the Great Migration, the continent's largest lion population, and predator sightings on virtually every drive. Four full days here means time to explore the Seronera Valley's prime predator country as well as the park's quieter corridors.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around 25,000 large mammals live within the crater's 260 km² floor year-round, including the critically endangered black rhino, at one of the highest wildlife densities anywhere in Africa. A single descent delivers Big Five country in a self-contained natural amphitheatre.
Tarangire National Park
The Northern Circuit's baobab country. The Tarangire River is the region's only permanent dry-season water source, drawing elephant herds of fifty or more, alongside lion, leopard and some of Tanzania's finest birding. A single full morning here delivers a dramatically different landscape to close out the safari before the flight home.
The Itinerary
1
Zanzibar → Serengeti National Park
Your safari begins with a scenic direct flight from Zanzibar to the Serengeti, trading the turquoise of the Indian Ocean for the golden expanse of Africa's most famous plains in under two hours. Your guide meets you at the airstrip with the Land Cruiser waiting.
There's no downtime built in here — you head straight into your first Serengeti game drive on the way to camp, giving you a full afternoon in the bush on day one. Dinner and overnight in Serengeti.
2
Full-Day Serengeti Safari
Spend the whole day exploring Serengeti National Park, searching for lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, cheetahs, leopards, buffalo and the countless other species that make this park Africa's benchmark wildlife destination.
Morning and afternoon game drives with a picnic lunch in the park allow your guide to work different circuits as sightings develop through the day. Dinner and overnight in Serengeti.
3
Full-Day Serengeti Safari
Another full day exploring different wildlife areas of the Serengeti, with morning and afternoon game drives designed to reach zones you haven't yet covered — the rocky kopjes, the riverine woodland, or the open short-grass plains, depending on where the wildlife is concentrated.
Your guide reads fresh sightings and seasonal movement to decide the day's route in real time. Dinner and overnight in Serengeti.
4
Full-Day Serengeti Safari
Spend another complete day in the Serengeti for wildlife viewing, photography and exploring different areas of the park. By your fourth day here, your guide's accumulated sightings and fresh radio reports from the wider guide network make for a targeted, purposeful search.
Whether the Great Migration is passing through or the resident wildlife is holding steady, this final full Serengeti day is built around whatever the park is offering. Dinner and overnight in Serengeti.
5
Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Karatu
Depart Serengeti in the morning and continue to the Ngorongoro Crater. Your guide descends the crater wall onto the caldera floor, where roughly 25,000 large mammals live within a self-contained ecosystem just 260 km² across — one of the most concentrated wildlife-viewing experiences on Earth.
Enjoy a picnic lunch inside the crater as you search for lion, elephant, buffalo, flamingo and, with luck, the critically endangered black rhino. Later in the afternoon, ascend the crater rim and drive to the highland town of Karatu. Dinner and overnight in Karatu.
6
Karatu → Tarangire → Arusha Airport → Zanzibar
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park for a game drive among its elephant herds, ancient baobab trees and other wildlife — a dramatic landscape contrast to close out the safari, and one of the Northern Circuit's most photogenic parks.
Later, transfer to Arusha Airport for your flight back to Zanzibar, bringing the safari full circle in a single travel day and leaving the rest of your evening free on the island.
Accommodation 5 Nights Across 2 Locations
A comfortable tented lodge inside the park itself, positioned for direct access to prime game-drive territory from the moment you leave camp each morning.
A peaceful garden lodge in the cool Karatu highlands, perfectly positioned after a full day in the Ngorongoro Crater and ahead of the next morning's drive to Tarangire.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- Direct flight, Zanzibar to Serengeti
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser (pop-up roof) for all game drives
- Expert English-speaking Northern Circuit guide
- All national park and conservation area fees
- All accommodation (5 nights, as per itinerary)
- All safari meals as per the itinerary
- Bottled water and soft drinks in the vehicle daily
- Return transfer, Arusha Airport to Zanzibar
- International flights to/from Tanzania
- Tanzania tourist visa (required, approx. $50 USD)
- Travel and medical insurance (strongly recommended)
- Alcoholic beverages throughout
- Safari guide and lodge crew gratuities (discretionary)
- Optional hot air balloon safari over the Serengeti
- Personal items and souvenirs
Why Haven Trails Adventures
Skip the two-day road transfer. This itinerary flies you straight from the island into the safari, maximising time in the bush over a compact six days.
Our guides have worked extensively across Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire and know where the wildlife concentrates in every season.
Most short itineraries give the Serengeti one or two days. This one gives you four — time to explore different zones and follow real sightings.
Haven Trails is based in Moshi, Tanzania, with a local team that knows flight schedules, road conditions and the best lodges on the Northern Circuit.
Extend your Zanzibar stay before or after the safari, add a hot air balloon flight, or upgrade any of the lodges. Tell us your vision.
Haven Trails operates in strict compliance with TANAPA and NCA Authority regulations and supports anti-poaching initiatives across the Northern Circuit.