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3-Day Safari From Zanzibar - Compare 459 Tours

4.8/5  –  2,106 Tanzania Reviews

Zanzibar has many attractions, including abundant marine creatures and tropical forests inhabited by monkeys, but it is not a classic safari destination. So once you’ve seen all that the island has to offer, you could cross over to mainland Tanzania to experience Africa’s thrilling wildlife on a guided safari. A popular option from Zanzibar is a 3-day package, which allows for 2 nights and 1 full day in one or more of Tanzania’s legendary national parks or reserves. Several different tours and itineraries are available, so give some thought to which animals you’d like to see and where you might find them. Make the right choices and your safari will be extraordinary.

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4 Questions About 3-Day Safaris From Zanzibar

1. Which parks are typically visited on a 3-day safari from Zanzibar?
2. Is the south or north of Tanzania better for a trip from Zanzibar?
3. Are 3 days enough for a safari from Zanzibar?
4. Are all 3-day safaris from Zanzibar fly-in safaris?
 
 

4 Questions About 3-Day Safaris From Zanzibar

Answered by Philip Briggs

Which parks are typically visited on a 3-day safari from Zanzibar?

“Most 3-day safaris from Zanzibar visit Tanzania’s outstanding Northern circuit, which includes Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. It is not realistic to visit all four of these parks on a 3-day package, so you will need to decide your priorities. If you want to experience outstanding wildlife viewing without covering huge distances, we would recommend sticking to Serengeti NP and spending both nights in the same lodge or camp. Another good option is to combine Serengeti with the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, an immense caldera (a crater of volcanic origin) where you stand a great chance of spotting all the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino). Alternatively, you could skip the Serengeti completely, and combine Ngorongoro with Lake Manyara and/or Tarangire. This itinerary would involve more driving between parks, but the landscapes and wildlife are thrillingly diverse. It would also probably work out to be more affordable than a Serengeti safari, as you can stay in lodges or campsites outside the parks. The closest mainland parks to Zanzibar are actually on the Southern circuit. These are Selous Game Reserve (now renamed to Nyerere National Park), which is less than 200km/124mi from Zanzibar by air, and the more far-flung Ruaha and Mikumi National Parks. These parks are less well known than Serengeti and Ngorongoro, but they still rank among East Africa’s top safari destinations. Any of Selous, Ruaha and Mikumi could be visited from Zanzibar, but it would not be realistic to visit more than one of these parks on a 3-day/2-night safari.”

1

Is the south or north of Tanzania better for a trip from Zanzibar?

“Both the north and south have their pros and cons, so it is more a question of personal priorities than of one being better than the other. In pure wildlife-viewing terms, however, the Northern circuit probably has the edge. Serengeti NP offers unbeatable big cat viewing (it is not unusual to see lion, leopard and cheetah over the course of a 2-night stay). Get your timing right for the Serengeti, and you might also catch its world-famous great migration. Then there is Ngorongoro Crater, where all the Big Five, including black rhino, might be seen in a truly magnificent setting. The southern parks have the advantage of being closer to Zanzibar, and connected to it by direct flights (for the northern parks you will probably need to change planes at Arusha), which means less travel time and more wildlife viewing. Coming from Zanzibar, safaris to Selous or Mikumi also tend to be significantly cheaper than those to any of the Northern circuit parks. Wildlife volumes are lower in the southern parks, but so is tourist traffic. And Selous has the big bonus of offering thrilling boat safaris on the Rufiji River, as well as hosting one of the world’s largest populations of African wild dogs, which are Endangered (face a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild).”

2

Are 3 days enough for a safari from Zanzibar?

“I think that is the very minimum amount of time to really enjoy yourself. It means that you will fly from Zanzibar to your park (hopefully as early as possible) on day 1 and then fly back (hopefully late in the day) on day 3. This gives you 2 nights and 1 full day on safari, which means that you can go on at least four game drives (or three game drives and a boat excursion if you’re visiting Selous). You’ll also be able to go on your game drives at the ideal times for seeing the animals: they’re most active and more easily seen early in the morning and late in the afternoon. And with three or four game drives to look forward to, you greatly increase your chances of seeing the animals you’ve come so far to see. Having said that, if you are able to spend longer than 3 days on safari, it is an option worth considering. Adding another 1 or more days to your itinerary will allow you to visit more parks and ensure that you have more memorable wildlife encounters.”

3

Are all 3-day safaris from Zanzibar fly-in safaris?

“Any 3-day safari from Zanzibar will involve a flight to the mainland. This is because you can’t go on a classic safari on Zanzibar Island itself. The option that includes the least flying is Saadani National Park, which is close to Dar es Salaam and supports four of the Big Five (only rhinos are missing), but at very low volumes. You could fly (or even catch a boat) to Dar and then drive to Saadani. All other safari options require that you fly from Zanzibar to the park of your choice. For Selous, Ruaha or Mikumi, this will most likely be a direct flight. For parks in the north, you will probably change flights at Arusha.”

4

Tanzania Reviews

4.8/5 2,106 Reviews
Expert
Mark Eveleigh  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

As a safari destination Tanzania has it all!
5/5

Tanzania as a safari destination has it all. If this is your first safari and your ambition is to get some amazing sightings and rack up the big 5 as soon as possible, then Ngorongoro Crater is probably the best place in the world to do...

Full Review

Expert
Sue Watt  –  
United Kingdom UK

Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.

The perfect safari destination
5/5

With almost a quarter of this vast country dedicated to wildlife reserves and national parks, Tanzania is justifiably regarded as Africa’s premier safari destination. It’s one of my favourite countries, not just for the bush, beaches...

Full Review

Sheela Bhattacharya  –  
Tanzania TZ
Reviewed: Apr 26, 2026
Every season brings new charm
5/5

Tanzania is pure magic for anyone who loves wildlife. The sheer richness and diversity of animals here is unmatched—every game drive feels like stepping into a live documentary. From vast open plains to dense forests and crater...

Full Review

Rod  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Apr 22, 2026
Exceptional wildlife, beautiful sunsets, wonderful hospitable people. Definitely worth visiting.
5/5

We were blown away by the amount of wildlife that we saw up close including lions playing, elephants, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, baboons and gazelle along with other animals at Mikumi National Park. The waterfall we hiked to was beautiful in...

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Shabani  –  
Tanzania TZ
Reviewed: Apr 20, 2026
is very good country
5/5

We had a fabulous experience with plex africa safaris, got to visit the incredible mikumi national park on a day visit. Brilliant, educational and friendly tour guide, Erik. It was a jam packed day and we saw the most incredible wildlife,...

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Helga Ruhland  –  
Germany DE
Reviewed: Apr 17, 2026
Visiting Tanzania was the right decision
5/5

I went on safari with my adult daughter in Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater. We weren’t sure if going on safari in March was the right decision. But it definitely was! The landscape is green thanks to the rain, which sometimes starts but...

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All 2106 Tanzania Reviews