8 Day Mikumi And Zanzibar Safari

Destinations: Tanzania, Mikumi National Park and Zanzibar

Over 8 days this route takes in Mikumi and Zanzibar, each stop with its own character. The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Mikumi

You set out from Dar es Salaam after breakfast and drive to Mikumi National Park, the country changing as the kilometres pass, reaching camp with time to settle in and take a first look before dark. Its Mkata floodplain draws comparisons with the Serengeti for the way lion, buffalo and elephant sit out on open grass. The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. Zebra, wildebeest, impala and tall Masai giraffe spread across the plain. You settle into camp as the light goes. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

Lilac-breasted rollers sit on every third bush, and the birding is strong year round. Mikumi is 3,230 square kilometres and the fourth-largest park in Tanzania, reached on the tar road from the coast. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush.

Elephant family passing an open safari truck — An elephant family passes the vehicle on the Mikumi floodplain.

Day 2 Game Drives In Mikumi

A full day in Mikumi National Park. You are out on game drives, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Zebra, wildebeest, impala and tall Masai giraffe spread across the plain. Lilac-breasted rollers sit on every third bush, and the birding is strong year round. Mikumi is 3,230 square kilometres and the fourth-largest park in Tanzania, reached on the tar road from the coast. Back at camp after dark, dinner is under the stars.

Its Mkata floodplain draws comparisons with the Serengeti for the way lion, buffalo and elephant sit out on open grass. The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

Single lioness lying in sunlit green grass — A lioness in the green grass, found on the second full day of drives.

Day 3 Game Drives In Mikumi

A full day in Mikumi National Park. You are out on game drives, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Lilac-breasted rollers sit on every third bush, and the birding is strong year round. Mikumi is 3,230 square kilometres and the fourth-largest park in Tanzania, reached on the tar road from the coast. Its Mkata floodplain draws comparisons with the Serengeti for the way lion, buffalo and elephant sit out on open grass. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. Zebra, wildebeest, impala and tall Masai giraffe spread across the plain. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

Twin propeller plane on the dirt airstrip — The light aircraft that carries you from the park airstrip out to the coast.

Day 4 Transfer To Zanzibar

A short morning out on game drives at first light in Mikumi, then to the airstrip and a light aircraft for the move to Zanzibar. The country changes on the way, and you reach Zanzibar in the afternoon. You head out by the sea as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of lanes, carved doors and old trading houses. Spice farms outside town still grow the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon that made the island rich. Fresh seafood by the water closes the day.

Mnemba atoll offers the island’s best snorkelling, with reef fish, turtles and dolphins offshore. The food is a highlight, grilled seafood, coconut and spice along the Swahili coast. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count.

Day 5 On The Coast At Zanzibar

A full day at Zanzibar. You are by the sea, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Spice farms outside town still grow the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon that made the island rich. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef. Mnemba atoll offers the island’s best snorkelling, with reef fish, turtles and dolphins offshore. The tide, the reef and a long lunch set the pace.

The food is a highlight, grilled seafood, coconut and spice along the Swahili coast. Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of lanes, carved doors and old trading houses. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead.

Day 6 On The Coast At Zanzibar

A full day at Zanzibar. You are by the sea, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef. Mnemba atoll offers the island’s best snorkelling, with reef fish, turtles and dolphins offshore. The food is a highlight, grilled seafood, coconut and spice along the Swahili coast. It is proper downtime after the early mornings of the safari.

Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of lanes, carved doors and old trading houses. Spice farms outside town still grow the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon that made the island rich. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest.

Day 7 On The Coast At Zanzibar

A full day at Zanzibar. You are by the sea, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Mnemba atoll offers the island’s best snorkelling, with reef fish, turtles and dolphins offshore. The food is a highlight, grilled seafood, coconut and spice along the Swahili coast. Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of lanes, carved doors and old trading houses. Fresh seafood by the water closes the day.

Spice farms outside town still grow the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon that made the island rich. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good.

Day 8 Departure

A final morning by the sea before you leave, the best window of the trip for anything still on your list. You make the most of the early light, then your light aircraft flies you back toward Dar es Salaam. Spice farms outside town still grow the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon that made the island rich. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef. This 8-day trip links Mikumi and Zanzibar, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. Mnemba atoll offers the island’s best snorkelling, with reef fish, turtles and dolphins offshore.

The food is a highlight, grilled seafood, coconut and spice along the Swahili coast. Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of lanes, carved doors and old trading houses. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools.

What’s Included

All internal flights and road transfers on the route
Full-board accommodation on safari as shown
Game drives and the activities named in the day plan
Park entry fees for the days shown
Airport and airstrip transfers, drinking water in the vehicle

What’s Not Included

International flights and any visa
Travel insurance
Drinks, tips for guides and staff
Activities not listed and items of a personal nature

Why Is This Tanzania Safari a Good Option?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. Its Mkata floodplain draws comparisons with the Serengeti for the way lion, buffalo and elephant sit out on open grass. The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. The north and east coasts are lined with white sand behind a protected coral reef. Linking Mikumi and Zanzibar in one route means you cover more of Tanzania than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 8 days you get range without the trip feeling rushed, the set-piece wildlife, the quieter corners, and the change of country from one stop to the next. For a traveller who wants variety over a single famous name, this is a strong, well-balanced way to see the region, and it works whether it is a first trip or a return.

Are 8 Days Enough for a Tanzania Safari?

8 days across Mikumi and Zanzibar is a well-judged length, though it is a read of each stop rather than a deep stay. You get a full day or more at the main parks, enough to see the headline wildlife and still catch the quieter moments. It suits travellers who value breadth and do not mind moving every couple of days. What this length cannot do is exhaust any one park, the biggest of them could fill a week on their own, so the remote corners stay for another trip. If a single place is your priority, spend the nights there instead. And if you have longer, the route takes an easy add-on, whether that is more time with the wildlife or a stretch on the coast to finish. As it stands, this 8-day trip is balanced and full.

What Is the Price of This Tanzania Safari?

What you pay turns mostly on the camps and the season. In Tanzania, park fees run from USD 35 to 70 per adult per day depending on the park, with the Ngorongoro Crater charged higher. As a rough guide, most trips of this length run from around USD 2,400 to 5,200 per person sharing, higher in the peak dry months and cheaper in the green season. Camp and lodge level is the big lever, from simple tented camps to the smarter river and bush camps, and a shared vehicle between four brings the per-person cost down. Tell an operator your dates, group size and the standard you want and it can be quoted to the figure.