0 List
Open Close
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. All Tours
  4. All Tanzania Tours
  5. 3-Day Safaris From Zanzibar
Filter Options

Your Safari

Where To
+ Add country, park or highlight
› Start Date
Start Date
› 2 Adults
Age at the end of the tour
Travelers
Search

Tour Length

Rates in USD $ – Change Currency

Per person, excl. international flights

Comfort Level

Private or Shared Tour

Safari Type

Operator Rating

Specialized Tours

+ Show more

Other Tour Features

Filter by Operator

Filter by Accommodation

Operators From

+ Show more

Show Safari Tours

3-Day Safari From Zanzibar - Compare 394 Tours

4.8/5  –  2,178 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.

Selected filters:
Clear All Filters
1-20 of 394 Rankings are based on performance, relevance and payment. Learn more
SafariBookings

Related Searches

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 Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), which is less than 200km/125mi 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 wildebeest migration. Then there is the Ngorongoro Crater, where all the Big Five, including 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 Nyerere 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 Nyerere 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 (facing 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 Nyerere). 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 other 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 Nyerere, 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 2,178 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

Flavia  –  
Italy IT
Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026
The journey of a lifetime
5/5

Tanzania was an extraordinary destination for our first safari: we had the opportunity to visit several parks, each with unique landscapes and an impressive abundance of wildlife. We were especially thrilled by Central Serengeti, where we...

Full Review

Cassandra Spicher  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026
From the kind people to the beautiful animals, everything was amazing.
5/5

The local people loved teaching us about their country and showing us all Tanzania had to offer. We felt safe and well cared for at every stop. I still can't believe we saw over 30 different kinds of animals, some of them so close we could...

Full Review

Bryan  –  
Spain ES
Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026
The whole country seems to be one big wildlife reserve.
5/5

An extraordinary experience although the Serengeti has become far to commercialised.
There are far too many vehicles and when a crossing or kill is broadcast it becomes a race which can be very dangerous.

Full Review

Paulo Matos  –  
United Kingdom UK
Reviewed: Sep 16, 2026
Nature at its best
4/5

My Safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks was an unforgettable experience. To see all the big 5 in their Natural environment plus all the other beautiful animals I had the opportunity to see was absolutely amazing.

Full Review

All 2178 Tanzania Reviews