Serengeti is probably one of the most well-known safari destinations in Africa. It has been awarded the best national park in the world multiple times and is known to be the place to witness the greatest wildlife show on earth, the Great Wildebeest Migration.
With more than a million animals living on this virgin savanna, covering more than 15,000,000 hectares (37,000,000 acres) across the northwestern part of Tanzania, there is no better place to go on a safari than here.
Within this travel guide, you will find all the information you need to help you plan out a safari trip of a lifetime in Serengeti National Park, including a suggested itinerary, a guide on how to pick the right safari tours, and so much more.
Without further ado, here is the ultimate safari guide to Serengeti National Park. Let's begin by looking at what highlights and destinations you can expect from most safari tours in Serengeti with the map below.
- Serengeti Safari Itinerary Map
- 5 Days Serengeti Itinerary, Highlights, and Attractions
- More Serengeti Activities
- Where to Stay in Arusha?
- Tanzania Travel Video
- When to Visit Serengeti, Tanzania?
- When to Visit to See Africa's Great Wildebeest Migration?
- How to Get to Serengeti, Tanzania?
- How to Get Around Serengeti, Tanzania?
- How Many Days To Spend in Serengeti, Tanzania?
- Which Safari Tours to Pick for Serengeti, Tanzania?
- How Much Money Do I Need For Serengeti, Tanzania?
- Is it Safe in Serengeti, Tanzania?
- Which tourist SIM card is best for Tanzania?
- What to Pack for Serengeti, Zanzibar?
- Further Reading for Tanzania
Serengeti Safari Itinerary Map
| ☀️ Day 1: | Tarangire National Park |
| ☀️ Day 2: | Serengeti National Park |
| ☀️ Day 3: | More Serengeti National Park |
| ☀️ Day 4: | Ngorongoro Crater |
| ☀️ Day 5: | Lake Manyara |
5 Days Serengeti Itinerary, Highlights, and Attractions
Day 1: Tarangire National Park
The first place we visited after departing Arusha on our safari trip is Tarangire National Park, a great park to begin your journey where you will be able to learn a bit more about wildlife behaviors, how to track them, and what kind of protocol you should follow while you are on a game drive.
Tarangire National Park is named after the Tarangire River that runs across the park. The place is known for its abundance of Baobab trees, long-lived, alien-looking massive trees that are native to Africa and Australia.
You will see one right out of the gate and plenty more inside the park. If you haven't seen one before, you are going to want to add Tarangire to your itinerary. They are quite a sight to behold.
- 9-Day Private Experience Tanzania Safari & Culture Tour ($ 3,350 pp USD)
- 4-Day Northern Parks Lodge Comfort (Shm-4B) ($1,630 pp USD)
- 5-Day Comfort Safari Experience ($1,837 to $1,914 pp USD)
Tarangire National Park is also known for its high density of elephants. Many of them often congregate along the river. You will also see a ton of zebras, wildebeests, water buffalos, and other species scattered around the park.
There are also more than 550 bird species living in the park, making it a great place for bird-watching. There are also predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs, but we only saw a few lion cubs on a tree, so they must be pretty rare here.
Your safari tour should arrive at the park before midday, and they will take you on a game drive for the entire afternoon with a lunch break at a lake viewpoint inside the park. Watch out for the monkeys there; they love stealing tourist food.
The food provided by my tour was always great throughout the trip. It was always freshly cooked by our chef and it was never the same each day. The food is often a mix of local and international cuisines. One day, you might be eating mishkaki (skewed beef, a local delicacy) and another day, you could have homemade pizza and pasta.
After lunch, you will continue on a game drive until sunset before returning to your accommodation for the night. On our first night, we stayed at Twiga Lodge, which is pretty good.
The room at Twiga Lodge is basic, but it comes with air-conditioning. You will have access to a pool, as well as a bar and a convenience store. For budget travelers, you can also camp here. They have a pretty spacious courtyard with lots of shade for your tent. You can also use their swimming pool and bars if you camp here as well.
Where to Stay in Tarangire?
Day 2: Serengeti National Park
After your first day of being introduced to Tanzanian wildlife and the ecosystem, you are now ready to visit the big league. On your second day, you will spend the first half of the day driving to Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti National Park is quite far, but along the way, you will pass through Ngorongoro Crater. You will have the opportunity to see some truly beautiful mountain scenery and several Maasai settlements as we enter their territory.
The road from Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti, and even once you are inside, is extremely rugged and dusty. Without a single shade around, it can get pretty hot in the jeep, so do prepare.
Once you arrive, you will find yourself in the middle of an expansive plain, so large that you cannot see its boundaries. The Maasai people called this place Serengeti, which means an endless plain - a fitting name for such vastness.
With such expansive and unobstructed terrain, you can easily spot all kinds of animals on both sides of the road, scattered throughout the plain, from impalas to zebras. If you are lucky, you might find a family of lions resting under the few trees they have here.
The terrain in Serengeti is great for hunting, so you will find many lions and cheetahs here, although seeing them on the hunt is not as easy, as these predators are not known to be very active, and you will often find them resting most of the time. At the end of the day, cats will be cats. 😅
The safari drivers are often connected with each other via radio, and whenever someone sees something interesting, like a leopard or a group of cheetahs, they will radio and let each other know where to drive to. That's how they keep track of animals and make sure we do not miss anything interesting.
You will likely spend the entire afternoon on a game drive in the Serengeti, spotting all kinds of animals before they take you to a campsite where you will spend the night inside the park.
Spending a night inside the Serengeti is another highlight of the trip. You will be hearing all kinds of animals at night, from elephants roaring to hyenas howling.
In fact, you might even see them wandering around near your camp at night. Just make sure not to spook them and always be accompanied by a ranger if you want to go somewhere at night.
If you are on a budget, you will likely be spending your night at Tumbili Camp, whereas for mid-range to luxury tours, you will be staying in a pre-setup tented camp like Angaata Seronera Camp or a proper luxurious resort like Four Seasons Safari Lodge.
Where to Stay in Serengeti?
Day 3: More Serengeti National Park
After a night in Serengeti National Park, you will be woken up at sunrise, where you will then be ushered off on an early morning game drive. This is the best time to see rare animals, as they are most active during this time.
We saw a cheetah and her cubs playing with each other during sunrise, several hippos relaxing by a pool of water, and a leopard slowly stalking something under tall grass, all within a span of 3 hours in the morning.
In the early morning, you might also be able to see some hot air balloons dotting the sky. If you are there during the Great Wildebeest Migration, you are going to want to go up in the hot air balloon.
It is hands down the best way to experience the Great Migration from above; there is no doubt about it. Something to note is that if you are there during the Great Migration, there is a high chance that the hot air balloon will be fully booked. So, I highly recommend you book one in advance here.
After spending the first half of the day in Serengeti, you will then be taken to Ngorongoro Crater where you will be spending the night at either Simba Campsite or Serena Safari Lodge depending on the type of tour you are on.
If you are looking for a hotel with the best view of Ngorongoro Crater, I highly recommend Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge. Not only are you getting a super comfortable and spacious room, but you also have an entire balcony overlooking Ngorongoro Crater for yourself.
It is the best hotel I have ever stayed in my life, and if you have the money for it, you are going to love Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. What makes Ngorongoro Crater so special is the richness of the vegetation on the crater floor, which is not common for a volcanic caldera.
When the volcano erupted, it collapsed onto itself, creating a large crater as deep as 600 m (2,000 ft) and covering over 260 square km (100 square ml). Due to this collapse, a nearby stream was drained into the lake at the center of the crater, creating conditions where animals can thrive.
In the early morning, you will once again be woken up extremely early to begin a morning game drive down into the crater. Your guide will take you on a winding road down to the crater floor, where you will be able to see tons and tons of animals congregating around the lake.
What makes a game drive in Ngorongoro Crater so special is the fact that the terrain there is completely different from the one you saw in Serengeti or Tarangire.
In fact, I think I like Ngorongoro Crater the most, mainly because of how stunning the backdrop is. Seeing these animals surrounded by high mountains and low clouds was quite a sight to behold.
The number of animals you will see here is also astounding. Right out of the gate, we saw a lone black rhino near the lake, as well as hyenas and tons and tons of zebras and wildebeests all around us.
In Serengeti, there are a lot of animals, but they are often scattered out, and it is not so easy to see them in big groups, unlike in Ngorongoro Crater where all the animals are gathered around the lake in a boundary you can actually see.
You will be spending about 5 hours driving around Ngorongoro Crater before heading back to the lodge where you stayed on your first night. There, you will have time to relax and begin your last game drive at Lake Manyara.
Where to Stay in Ngorongoro?
Day 5: Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is another national park that you can visit as part of your safari tour. It is similar to Tarangire National Park with an ecosystem outside of Serengeti, but more forested. Here, you will see more baboons and other monkeys than in any other place you've been to.
You will spend the first half of the day driving around the lake, and you will encounter a ton of baboons and blue monkeys right from the start. They are known to congregate around the forest area leading up to the lake, as well as elephants and all kinds of birds.
Since the area is so forested, you won't find as many predators here as in the Serengeti due to all the trees obstructing the view. There might be some lions and leopards here, but they are often up in the trees, resting, or looking for animals to hunt, which makes them harder to spot.
After driving around Lake Manyara for 5 hours, we headed back to our lodge for lunch, and then we were taken back to Arusha for a night stay before being dropped off at the airport the next day, officially ending the safari tour.
After 4 days riding around Serengeti, I found Lake Manyara to be a little underwhelming, but I think it has more to do with me being burned out than the place itself.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the monkey and elephant sightings, but by the time the tour ends, I felt like I had had enough of safaris for the foreseeable future. That's why I recommend you spend a maximum of 4 days in Serengeti and not more.
Where to Stay in Lake Manyara?
More Serengeti Activities
Where to Stay in Arusha?
When to Visit Serengeti, Tanzania?
The best time to visit Serengeti is in the dry season from late June to late October, when animals often congregate around water holes, making them much easier to track down and spot. Not to mention, there are fewer mosquitoes during the dry season, which will help reduce the chance of you contracting malaria.
That said, it can also be quite crowded during that time, and most safari companies will jack up the price to meet the demand, which can be pretty expensive.
Visiting Serengeti during the off-peak season can be a unique experience if you don't mind the sporadic rain. Between November and May, the scenery will be lusher with more greens all around. The rains are often short, except between March and May, and you will find Serengeti to be much quieter and cheaper than if you travel between June and October.
All in all, you can pretty much visit Serengeti all year round. Each season in Serengeti has its own pros and cons, and it all comes down to what you want to see in Serengeti. Another factor to consider is the great wildebeest migration, which we will discuss in the next section.
When to Visit to See Africa's Great Wildebeest Migration?
The Great Wildebeest Migration is one of the highlights of visiting the Serengeti. Every year around June and July, more than a million animals across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, mainly wildebeests and zebras, migrate across the plains from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya in search of grazing and water.
With millions of animals on the move in unison, crossing all kinds of terrain from plains to rivers, you are sure to see a ton of action during this time. Predators go on big hunts, from lions to leopards to crocodiles, ensuring that only the finest of the finest survives.
If you want to visit this once-in-a-lifetime event, make sure that you align your visit between June and July. Unfortunately, the migration doesn't run on a schedule, so the timing may vary, and you will have to coordinate with your safari tours to make sure you are there when the event happens.
For the best possible view of the great migration, I highly recommend that you go on a hot air balloon ride while you are there. There is no better way to experience the great wildebeest migration than from the air.
How to Get to Serengeti, Tanzania?
The closest town to Serengeti is Arusha, but unfortunately, the city doesn't have an international airport. So, if you are planning to fly as close to Serengeti as possible, you will have to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Moshi instead.
From the US, there are a few airlines connecting big US cities to Kilimanjaro Airport with only one transit, such as Ethiopia Airlines, Qatar, Swiss, and Kenya Airways, that you can book with.
You can also fly into Dar es Salaam, the main travel hub of Tanzania, via other airlines, and you can take a domestic flight to Arusha Domestic Airport, which is a little closer to Serengeti than Kilimanjaro Airport. However, the journey is ultimately longer as you will have to transit several times before you arrive.
From Europe, the same applies here as well with the easiest route being flights that fly into Kilimanjaro Airport. KLM has a direct flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro Airport, which takes about 8 hours. You can also fly from other big cities in Europe like London or Frankfurt via Qatar, KLM, or Kenya Airways with one transit in Doha, Amsterdam, and Nairobi respectively.
From Asia, the fastest way to get to Serengeti is to fly from any big city in Asia to Kilimanjaro Airport via Qatar, where you will only have to transit once in Doha. The journey should take no more than 17 hours.
You can also fly into Dar es Salaam and catch a domestic flight to Arusha, but the journey will be longer, and you will have to transit more than once, which is not very convenient. Flying with Qatar Airlines to Kilimanjaro Airport is the best way to go if you are coming from Asia.
From Africa, you can get to Serengeti by flying to Kilimanjaro Airport via airlines like Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, which operate a direct route from their headquarters city directly to Kilimanjaro Airport. From there, you can take a taxi to Arusha or ask your safari company to pick you up from the airport.
To find a cheap flight to Tanzania, I would recommend that you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule, so you can compare and pick the best one.
How to Get Around Serengeti, Tanzania?
By Safari Tours: The best way for travelers to get around the Serengeti is to go with a safari tour and let them handle all the logistics so you can focus on watching the animals instead of driving yourself. Check out the "Which Safari Tours to Pick" section for more information on how to choose the right safari tour for you.
By 4WD: Technically, you can drive around Serengeti yourself, but I highly recommend against it, especially if you are not an expert off-road driver. The roads are mostly gravel and rugged inside the national parks, and Serengeti is massive, covering more than 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). You can easily get lost in there if you don't know what you are doing.
If you know what you are doing, are an experienced off-road driver, and insist on driving around Serengeti yourself, you can rent a proper 4WD safari truck with the link below:
How Many Days To Spend in Serengeti, Tanzania?
There is quite a lot to see in and around Serengeti National Park, but since we are going to rely on safari tours, our options are going to be limited by what itineraries are provided by the tour company you choose and your budget.
In this section, we are going to focus on itineraries and find out which itinerary is best suited for you before we move on to the budget in the next section.
Most common safaris in Serengeti last between 3 to 5 days, depending on which side trips you want to add. A 3-day safari is the cheapest option, while a 5+ day safari is the most expensive.
3 Days Itinerary in Serengeti
Almost all of the 3-day Serengeti itineraries I found spend at least a day in Serengeti National Park and another in Ngorongoro Crater, which I think is more than enough for most people. This is because most of the highlights of Serengeti, such as the Big Five, the Maasai, and the beautiful scenery, can all be easily found in these two areas. Here's what the 3-day itinerary looks like:
Day 1: Drive to Serengeti National Park, spend the afternoon on a game drive around Serengeti before going to a campsite or a resort inside the national park, and spend the night among wild animals.
Day 2: Wake up early and spend the morning doing another game drive around Serengeti before exiting the park in the afternoon. Drive to Ngorongoro Crater and spend the night at either a campsite or a resort.
Day 3: The next morning, you will go on another early morning game drive, which will take up the entire half of your third day before exiting the nature reserve and heading back to Arusha.
If you are looking for the cheapest Serengeti safari tours and have limited time, go for the 3-day Serengeti safari. You will not miss much by not visiting Tarangire or Lake Manyara.
4 Days Itinerary in Serengeti
If you have a day to spare and want to experience a different ecosystem outside of the Serengeti, you can spend the fourth day visiting either Tarangire National Park, known for its abundance of Baobab trees and elephants, or Lake Manyara, where flocks of flamingos and monkeys often gather. Here's what a 4-day Serengeti itinerary looks like:
Day 1: Drive to either Tarangire or Lake Manyara National Park and go on a game drive throughout the first half of the day before continuing on another afternoon game drive until the evening. Afterward, you will be taken back to a lodge in Karatu town.
Day 2: From Karatu, drive to Serengeti National Park. Spend the afternoon on a game drive around Serengeti before going to a campsite or a resort inside the national park and spend the night among wild animals.
Day 3: Wake up early and spend the morning doing another game drive around Serengeti before exiting the park in the afternoon. Drive to Ngorongoro Crater and spend the night at either a campsite or a resort.
Day 4: The next morning, you will go on another early morning game drive, which will take up the entire first half of your third day, before exiting the nature reserve and heading back to Arusha.
With this 4-day itinerary, you will be able to see everything the Serengeti has to offer, as well as more animals like monkeys and flamingos. Additionally, you will experience a different ecosystem with a more diverse scenery than just a savanna.
5 Days Itinerary in Serengeti
For a 5-day itinerary, you are going to spend 3 days exploring Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, 1 day to explore Tarangire, and another day at Lake Manyara. Here is what the itinerary looks like:
Day 1: Drive to either Tarangire or Lake Manyara National Parks and go on a game drive until a lunch break, before continuing on another afternoon game drive until the evening. Then, you will be taken back to a lodge in Karatu town.
Day 2: From Karatu, drive to Serengeti National Park. Spend the afternoon on a game drive around Serengeti before going to a campsite or a resort inside the national park and spend the night among wild animals.
Day 3: Wake up early and spend the morning doing another game drive around Serengeti before exiting the park in the afternoon. Then, drive to Ngorongoro Crater and spend the night at either a campsite or a resort.
Day 4: The next morning, you will go on another early morning game drive, which will take up the entire half of your third day. After that, you will exit the nature reserve and head back to the same lodge you stayed in Karatu Town on your first day.
Day 5: Wake up early and go on another morning game drive along the banks of Lake Manyara. You will be at the lake for the entire first half of your fifth day before taking a lunch break back at the lodge in Karatu and then heading back to Arusha.
Personally, I found the 5-day itinerary in Serengeti to be a little too much, and it got way too repetitive at the end, especially on my last day exploring Lake Manyara. All I saw were the same animals we had been seeing for the last 4 days.
The lake was nice, but nothing special, and it is not a must-see in my opinion. If you are looking to save some money and time, I would recommend you go with a 4-day itinerary instead and pick between seeing Tarangire or Lake Manyara, but not both.
So Which Serengeti Itinerary Should I Pick?
All in all, depending on your time, you can either go for a 3-day itinerary or a 4-day itinerary in Serengeti. Both will allow you to see most of the animals you are there to see, such as water buffalos, leopards, lions, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, and tons and tons of zebras and wildebeests.
A 5-day itinerary with 2 days visiting Lake Manyara and Tarangire is too much for a safari, in my opinion, and I would not recommend you go for that. You will be better off going with a 2-day or 3-day itinerary and saving your time and money for something else.
Unless you can find a tour that will allow you to spend 2 full days inside Serengeti National Park, only then would it be worthwhile to stay longer than 4 days in the Serengeti.
Which Safari Tours to Pick for Serengeti, Tanzania?
There are a ton of tour companies in Tanzania that will take you around the Serengeti, all with very competitive prices and perks. With so many options out there, it can be quite overwhelming at first for you to browse through all the offerings, so I decided to come up with a few steps that will help you pick the right safari tour companies for your trip to the Serengeti, as it did for me.
1. Define Your Budget
First and foremost, you will have to define how much you are willing to pay to visit Serengeti. To give you a ballpark number, the cheapest Serengeti tour that I found is about $600 USD per person for 3 days, and the expensive one can go as high as $3000 USD or more with a duration ranging from 5 to 15 days.
From my experience, the only difference that matters most when it comes to these safari tours, and how it affects the price, is the choice of accommodation.
Most tours will come with a proper open-roof safari jeep, unlimited bottled water, and freshly cooked food, all-inclusive throughout your time with them. You will be driving on the same road, seeing the same animals, and having almost the exact same experience in Serengeti as everyone else, except for the accommodation.
For 600 USD, you will likely be spending your time in a 2-person tent in a basic campground every night, whereas for 3000 USD, you will probably be spending your nights at high-end luxury hotels like Serena Lodges every night.
So first, define how much you are willing to spend on a Serengeti safari tour. If 600 USD is your budget, then you do not have much choice, I'm afraid. However, if you can spend a bit more, you will have the option to pick how many days you want to spend and define how luxurious your accommodation is going to be, which is the next thing you have to define.
2. Define Your Comfort Level
Next up, what kind of comfort level do you want for your safari tour? There is a wide range of accommodation available in Serengeti, from a cheap campground to a luxurious resort with an infinity pool facing the savannah. The options are endless, well, as endless as your wallet allows.
Types of accommodation available in Serengeti are (from cheapest to most expensive):
- Cheapest: 2-Persons Tent at a basic campground (the tents are provided and set up by your safari tour guide)
- Mid-Range: Small lodges or tented camps where the tent is pre-setup, come with full furniture, and offer limited access to electricity and hot water.
- Luxury: Big chain hotels, such as Serena Lodge, offer fully functional luxurious rooms equipped with a heater, a balcony, and private access to an unmatched view of the national park.
With the comfort level you want in mind, we can start thinking about how many days you want to spend in the Serengeti, which we will discuss in the next section.
3. Define the Number of Days You Want to Spend in Serengeti
The more days you spend in the Serengeti, the more expensive your safari tour is going to be, and as I explained previously under the "How Many Days To Spend in Serengeti, Tanzania?" section, I found 3-4 days in the Serengeti to be the optimum amount of days for most travelers.
For budget-conscious travelers, I recommend 3 days. However, if you can spend a bit more and would like to see other places outside of the Serengeti ecosystem, 4 days is the way to go.
For anything more than that, I would only recommend it for professional photographers who know exactly what to see and where to go in the Serengeti, have an unlimited budget, and don't mind customizing the safari tours to fit their needs.
4. Browse Through Viator or SafariBookings
Once you have defined your budget range, comfort level, and duration, you can go to safari search websites like Viator and Safari Bookings and filter the listing results according to your needs to find the best tour operator for you.
Safari Bookings is my favorite website for searching safari tours. They have over 800 Serengeti tours listed on the website and allow me to filter the listings according to my budget range, comfort level, and duration. They also provide the option to see only private or shared tours.
With the budget level, comfort level, and duration all defined, it's only a matter of time before you find a safari tour you like on Safari Bookings. All you have to do is send them a quote and wait for them to contact you back.
All the tour operators on Safari Bookings are legally registered, and most are well-established, so there is nothing to worry about when reaching out to these companies.
I have used Safari Bookings many times when I was in Africa for all kinds of trips, from hiking Kilimanjaro to trekking with the gorillas, and I have never once run into any trouble with them, so I can vouch for it.
Which Tour Company Did I Pick for My Serengeti Trip?
For myself, I decided to go on a 5-day safari tour to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara operated by Suricata Safari as they have a lot of positive reviews, and they have a trip that matched the budget, comfort level, and duration I had in mind.
The whole experience was great. The food was good, the accommodation was excellent, the organization and management were awesome, and I had a great time in Serengeti. I only wish I had picked the 4-day one instead, as I think 5 days was a little too much.
Just for reference, Suricata Safari offered 900 USD for a 5-day budget trip in Serengeti sleeping in tents, and 1400 USD for a mid-range to luxury trip sleeping in lodges and resorts, in October 2021.
How Much Money Do I Need For Serengeti, Tanzania?
Depending on the comfort level and duration you choose for your Serengeti Safari Tour, here is a rough calculation of how much the tour will cost based on budget level and duration:
For 3 Days: 600 USD for a budget trip, 1200 USD for a mid-range trip, and 1400+ USD for a luxury trip.
For 4 Days: $800 for a budget trip, $1400 for a mid-range trip, and $2000+ for a luxury trip.
For 5 Days: $1000 USD for a budget trip, $1500 USD for a mid-range trip, and $2700+ USD for a luxury trip.
Is it Safe in Serengeti, Tanzania?
Since you will be under the supervision of your safari tour company, your safety is their top priority, so there isn't much to worry about when it comes to safety.
That said, wild animals are untamed and unpredictable, and in order to be 100% safe, you will also have to exercise certain precautions, like not putting your hands out the windows when there are predators around.
Do not even think about touching these animals or opening the jeep doors while you are game viewing, unless your guide has told you to do so. Always put on mosquito repellent, even during the day, as there are always mosquitoes around waiting to taste that delicious blood of yours.
Last but not least, do not walk around at night in campgrounds without a ranger, as you might stumble upon elephants or worse, hyenas. Other than that, there's nothing to worry about.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Tanzania?
Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Serengeti, Tanzania without having to switch out your physical SIM card.
Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you'll be good to go. If your phone doesn't support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Serengeti, Tanzania:
There are 3 major carriers in Tanzania: Vodacom, Tigo, and Airtel. All of them have varying prices and coverage, with Vodacom having the most coverage and the price to match. Tigo is the second, and Airtel is the third.
I personally used Vodacom bought from an official Vodacom shop between Terminal 2 and 3 at Dar Es Salaam Airport, and it has worked wonders all over Tanzania, even at some of the camps on Kilimanjaro!
There are many data bundles you can choose from, ranging from 500 MB for 7 days at 3000 TZS all the way to 50 GB for 30 days at 95,000 TZS. I bought a 10 GB for 30 days at 35,000 TZS (15 USD), and I still had plenty of data left after 20 days in Tanzania.
For more information about Tanzania's local SIM card: Tanzania's Prepaid Data SIM Card.
Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.
What to Pack for Serengeti, Zanzibar?
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: Always pack a pair of shoes with which you are comfortable walking. Although you won't be walking much on a safari, it's always good to pack a pair just in case. My go-to pair of shoes is the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that I always wear when I am out and about, even on long hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: It can be quite hot outside when the sun is out and the sky is clear, so be sure to pack multiple breathable shirts that you can wear when you are out and about.
- Shorts/Pants: Shorts are great when it gets hot outside, especially when you are in a safari jeep in the afternoon on a clear day. It will feel like an oven inside, so either wear shorts or long breathable pants. For shorts, I highly recommend you pack a pair of breathable shorts, and for long pants, go with something breathable like Columbia hiking pants.
- Fleece Jacket: The savanna can get really cold in the morning and at night, so I would recommend you pack a warm fleece jacket just in case. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
- Microfiber Towel: A microfiber towel is the perfect backpacker's towel as it is light, easy to dry, and can be compressed to save space in your backpack.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your safari trip so that you can capture all the beautiful moments on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. I recommend the Sony a7C camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM lens for general purpose, and a Tamron 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 for wildlife. Or, if you have the money, go for the ultimate wildlife lens, the Sony 200-600mm F5.6-6.3. With these lenses, it should cover all the focal lengths you might need on a safari.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank. Some tented camps and campgrounds do not have electricity, and the last thing you want is your camera running out of battery while you are on a safari.
- Water Bottle: Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. A total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You just need one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you are visiting.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- A Daypack: Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all of my travel gear, it comes with plenty of slots and pouches, and it is stylish as hell!
- A Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of this stuff with you. I recommend you get the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can never go wrong with Osprey.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Tanzania
I have plenty of articles to help you further with your trip planning for Tanzania. Here is a selection of articles that you might find useful:
- Planning to visit Tanzania for the first time? Here are the 10 best things to do in Tanzania.
- Looking for a complete itinerary for Tanzania? Here is a 10 Days to 2 Weeks Backpacking Itinerary for Tanzania.
- Want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and not sure where to start? Here is A Complete Hiking Guide To Kilimanjaro, which provides all the information you need to successfully hike Kilimanjaro.
- If you plan to hike Kilimanjaro, you are going to have to know what to pack and what not to. Here's The Ultimate Packing List for the Kilimanjaro Hike.
- Zanzibar is one of the most popular island destinations in Africa, and to really do the place justice, you are going to need a complete travel guide to help plan the best trip of your life. Here are the 10 Best Things To Do In Zanzibar and a complete travel guide to the pearl of the African Indian Ocean.
- Stone Town is a historical town full of rich history and culture, and it is a place you shouldn't miss when you are traveling to Zanzibar. Here are the 10 Best Things To Do In Stone Town, Zanzibar.
- To truly make the most of your trip to Zanzibar, you have to rent a car and drive to all the hidden gems on the island. Here is 8 Important Things to Know Before Renting A Car in Zanzibar.
- To see all articles about Tanzania, visit Tanzania Travel Guide page.
- If you are planning an East Africa backpacking trip, make sure to check out all our East Africa Travel Guides.
- Looking for more travel guides for Africa? You can find more on my Africa Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
3 Comments
Hope that someday I could take that Safari Trip because that would be totally different. Africa with its nature and wilderness is a must for everyone! Praying for it... hahaha.. Thanks, Pete! experience of a lifetime
Hey Maria,
Yes, a safari is definitely a great trip for anyone, adults or kids, backpackers or luxury tourists. Serengeti has everything for every one. You won't regret visiting it. :)
Very informative! Thank you!!!