Tanzania family safari holiday

After arriving at Kilimanjaro international airport, you’ll be transferred to nearby Arusha for the first night of your holiday in a private vehicle with guide.

Arusha is the jump-off point for most safaris to Tanzania’s northern circuit. The town itself is home to numerous coffee plantations, in the shadow of nearby Mount Meru.

We prefer to stay in one of the properties built in and around the coffee plantations, or in the charming nearby town of Usa River.

You’ll have the rest of the day to acclimatise before your safari begins the following day.

Tarangire is a fantastic first stop on safari, particularly if travelling in the dry season from July – October.

You’ll be collected from Arusha in the morning by your driver-guide and make the 2.5 hour journey along a tarmac road in your private vehicle to the entrance to Tarangire National Park. From then on, you’ll be on safari. You will make your way through the park’s stunning landscape, stopping off for a packed lunch before arriving at your accommodation in the afternoon.

The following day you will experience all the delights Tarangire has to offer. We highly recommend a walking safari with an experienced local guide (age restrictions apply).

On the morning of your 4th day, you’ll have an early start, leaving Tarangire via another drive through the park (keep your binoculars and cameras handy).

On your way to Ngorongoro, you’ll stop for lunch and a game drive in the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park. You’ll then climb the Rift Valley escarpment and continue on to Karatu.

Upon arrival at Karatu you’ll be impressed by the lush greenery of the Ngorongoro Highlands. We recommend staying at one of the many properties in this beautiful area, or alternatively, on the crater rim itself. Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp offers great value accommodation and is situated close to the descent road for early morning drives to the crater floor.

The following morning you’ll leave the lodge at first light for your full-day drive down onto the Ngorongoro Crater floor. This is a one-of-kind safari destination and you’ll be blown away by the sheer drama of the landscape and the density of wildlife in the crater bowl.

Serengeti is so steeped in safari lore that it’s hard to believe it could live up to the legend, but as the epicentre of wildlife in East Africa, it outstrips expectations time and again.

It stretches as far as Kenya‘s Masai Mara and hosts the magnificent Great Migration: over 3 million wildebeest and other ungulates traverse countless miles in an annual cycle seeking sustenance.

Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, on the foothills of Mt Meru near Arusha, is a great place to soak in Tanzania at its best. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet attentive, and the gardens are large. Lunch is served in these gardens every day, dinner is an a la carte dining experience, and if you’d like more flexibility, there is an all-day bistro and bar.

The lodge’s main area, built around the original landowner’s home that dates back to the 1900s, is an oasis of calm, however, should you want to make the most of it, there is plenty to do here. As well as the swimming pool, cafe and pizza area, there is a lovely collection of boutiques on the property, called Trader’s Walk a destination in itself.

Olivers Camp is a lovely tented property, situated in the remote south of Tarangire National park, close to the Silale swamps. It is the perfect spot from which to explore this fascinating wilderness.

Accommodation is provided in ten classic safari tents, each with its own ensuite bathroom complete with indoor and outdoor shower. One of the highlights of the camp is the expansive, two-storey deck overlooking the flood plains. Meals are served out here and it’s an excellent place to relax during the day with a book, glancing out to the passing wildlife.

Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge is owned and operated by Tanganyika Wilderness Company, a local company focused on providing affordable luxury experiences in the world-renowned safari areas of Tanzania.

Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge is situated on the side of a hill and is afforded expansive views across the central Serengeti plains. The location means there is excellent wildlife viewing all year round and the great migration usually passes by from the end of October into November.

Accomodation is provided in 25 spacious ensuite tents, built upon stilts to ensure all make the most of the epic scenery. Several family units are available and children of all ages are welcome. Bookings are made on a full-board basis and we normally recommend this lodge as part of a driver-guide safari, upon which you will be travelling with your own guide.

Arusha town is small and picturesque cultural hub, which for its size, boasts an unusual amount of activities, and places we would recommend visiting.

It is a major diplomatic hub, being host to the East African Community, and also historically a very important city to Tanzania. Its markets are varied and vibrant, the coffee estates are well worth a visit, and if museums, art shops and galleries are for you, Arusha family safari holidays will not disappoint.

Tarangire’s trove of activities has plenty to offer a Tanzania family safari holiday.

Exploring on foot attunes all the senses to one’s environment and is a wonderful exercise in getting to grips with the wild, revealing a fascinating micro-universe of insects, tracks and flora.

Game viewing is especially rewarding between July and October when it’s drier and life is concentrated around the river; once the rains set in, the greenery grows more abundant and terrain gets trickier to traverse.

The Crater’s wildlife density is spectacular, boasting roughly 30,000 animals within 100 square miles — and it’s one of Tanzania’s best spots for rhino to boot. You won’t see giraffe or female elephants though: the descent is too steep.

Another creature quirk sees hyena and lion reversing their traditional scavenger/predator roles; some fun facts to make for an educational family safari holiday.

The Serengeti’s sheer volume of animals is unrivalled. The migration draws a plethora of predators, of which there are more than any other park.

The great migration‘s famed river crossings take place in the north where rocky kopjes conceal leopard cubs and the Lamai Wedge touches Kenya, and the southern reaches host the calving season; everywhere in between proffers abundant wildlife and beauty, and the options are endless as the plains themselves for a family safari holiday.