This 3-day fly-in safari takes you from the beaches of Zanzibar straight to Tanzania's two most famous parks: the Serengeti, with its vast plains and superb big cats, and the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five, including black rhino, in a single morning. You fly both ways, travel by private 4x4, and stay two nights on safari. From US$2,100 per person (two sharing), return flights and the crater fee included.
$2,100 per person (2 sharing) · flights, park & crater fees included
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Fly-InFrom Zanzibar
3 Days2 nights
Serengeti + CraterBig cats & Big Five
Private2+ guests
Overview
This is the fastest sensible way to see the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater from Zanzibar. Rather than losing most of two days to the road, you fly straight to the Serengeti, spend your time on the plains among lions, leopard and cheetah, then work down to the crater for a morning of concentrated Big Five game viewing. It packs the two headline parks of northern Tanzania into a short, efficient trip, and finishes you back on the island.
It suits couples, honeymooners and families adding a safari to a Zanzibar holiday, and anyone short on time who wants the marquee wildlife without a long overland journey. New to the parks? Read our Serengeti guide and Ngorongoro Crater guide for first-timers.
Why fly in from Zanzibar?
Driving between Zanzibar and the Serengeti would eat up most of two days in each direction, which simply does not fit into a 3-day trip. Flying turns that into a hop of under two hours, so all three days are spent on game drives rather than on the road. It is the one thing that makes seeing both the Serengeti and the crater realistic in the time. And unlike many short tours advertised from Zanzibar, your return flights and the Ngorongoro crater fee are included in the price, so there is no surprise add-on at the end. Our full breakdown of the costs and timings is in our guide to flying to the Serengeti from Zanzibar.
An honest word on pace and the migration. Three days for these two big parks is efficient rather than leisurely, with a long game-viewing transfer on day two and a full final day. It is well worth it for the wildlife, but if you would like more time on the plains, adding a night to make it four days relaxes the whole trip. And this safari is based in the central Serengeti, which has excellent resident big cats all year, but is not positioned to chase the Great Migration, which is only in the far north from July to October. If the migration is your goal, ask us about a longer, differently positioned trip.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Zanzibar to the Serengeti
You are transferred from your Zanzibar hotel to the airport for your morning flight to the Serengeti, landing at a central airstrip in the Seronera area late in the morning. Your guide meets you at the airstrip and you begin your first game drive straight away, across the central plains that hold some of the highest concentrations of lion, leopard and cheetah in Africa, along with elephant, giraffe and plains game. In the late afternoon you settle into your Serengeti lodge or tented camp for dinner and your first night in the bush.
Accommodation: a comfortable Serengeti lodge or tented camp (full board). Flight: Zanzibar to Serengeti.
Day 2: Serengeti game drive and transfer to Ngorongoro
After an early breakfast you enjoy a morning game drive in the Serengeti while the wildlife is most active, with time to search for cats on the hunt. After lunch you begin the scenic game-viewing drive south and east out of the park, past Naabi Hill and across the open plains, up toward the Ngorongoro Highlands. It is a long but rewarding leg, with wildlife along the way, and you arrive at your lodge on the Ngorongoro rim or in nearby Karatu in the late afternoon for dinner and your second night.
Accommodation: a lodge on the Ngorongoro rim or in Karatu (full board). Optional dawn balloon flight over the Serengeti available this morning.
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater and fly back to Zanzibar
An early start takes you down roughly 600 metres to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater for a half-day game drive. In this contained, wildlife-packed caldera you search for the Big Five, including the rare black rhino, alongside lion prides, elephant, buffalo, hippo, flamingo and large herds of wildebeest and zebra, with a picnic stop by the Ngoitokitok spring. In the early afternoon you ascend the rim and transfer to the airstrip at Lake Manyara or Arusha for your afternoon flight back to Zanzibar, where your safari ends.
Meals: breakfast and lunch. Ngorongoro crater service fee included. Flight: to Zanzibar. End of safari.
The Ngorongoro Crater floor concentrates the Big Five in a compact area.
The central Serengeti holds some of Africa's highest densities of big cats.
Distances & travel time
Driving times below exclude game-drive hours and assume a mix of park tracks and highland roads.
| Day | Route | Approx. distance | Approx. travel |
|---|
| Day 1 | Zanzibar to Serengeti (fly) then game drive | ~1h40 flight + game drive | flight + afternoon drive |
| Day 2 | Serengeti to Ngorongoro rim / Karatu | ~230 km | 5 to 6 hrs with game viewing |
| Day 3 | Crater descent, then airstrip and fly to Zanzibar | crater + ~100 to 180 km | half-day crater + transfer + flight |
What's included
Flights and crater fee included. Unlike many short tours advertised from Zanzibar that hide the flights and the $295 crater fee in the exclusions, both are built into the price, so the rate you see is the rate you pay.
Optional add-ons
You can enrich the trip with a few popular extras, arranged on request. Indicative prices are per person and confirmed on quotation.
| Add-on | What to expect | From (pp) |
|---|
| Serengeti balloon safari | A dawn hot-air balloon flight over the plains on the morning of day two, followed by a champagne bush breakfast. | ~$500 to $600 |
| Extra night in the Serengeti | Turn the trip into 4 days for a more relaxed pace and more time with the big cats. | On quotation |
| Maasai village visit | Visit a Maasai boma near Karatu to learn about traditional pastoralist life. | ~$25 |
Add-on prices are indicative and confirmed on quotation.
Where you'll stay
You spend one night in the central Serengeti and one night at the Ngorongoro rim or in Karatu, both chosen to keep you close to the wildlife and the crater descent.
Our standard is comfortable mid-range lodges and tented camps with en-suite rooms, hot water and full-board dining. We confirm the exact properties at booking, and you can upgrade either night to a luxury lodge or camp on request. To understand the difference between a lodge and a tented camp, see our lodge versus tented camp guide.
Best time to do this safari
This safari runs year-round. Because it is not built around the migration, your choice of month is mostly about weather and crowds rather than the herds. The central Serengeti and the crater reward visitors in every season.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|
| Dry (best for game) | Jun to Oct | Easiest wildlife viewing, clear crater mornings, busier and higher rates |
| Short rains | Nov to Dec | Fresh green scenery, fewer vehicles |
| Green (value) | Mar to May | Lush landscapes, best birding, lowest prices, some rain |
The Ngorongoro rim is high, around 2,300 m, and cool, so pack a warm layer for the crater morning and the early starts. For the full month-by-month picture, see our best time to go guide.
Ready to fly from the beach to the plains?
Tell us your travel dates and group size and we will confirm flights and availability and send your exact quote, usually within a few hours.
Frequently asked questions
It is US$2,100 per person, based on two travellers sharing. The price includes return flights between Zanzibar and the safari, all park and conservation fees, the Ngorongoro Crater service fee, a private 4x4 with a professional guide, two nights' accommodation, meals on safari and all transfers. Larger groups usually pay less per person because the vehicle cost is shared, so tell us your numbers for an exact quote.
Yes. The return flights, from Zanzibar to the Serengeti at the start and back to Zanzibar at the end, are included in the price. Only your international flights to and from Zanzibar are separate. Flying is what makes seeing both the Serengeti and the crater possible in three days.
Three days is enough for a genuine taste of both, and flying is the key that makes it work, because it removes the long road transfer and puts you straight onto the plains. It is a fast-paced trip rather than a leisurely one, with a full final day, so if you would like more time in the Serengeti or a gentler pace, adding a night to make it four days is well worth considering. For a first big trip, longer is always more relaxed, but three days done as a fly-in is a rewarding short safari.
This safari is based in the central Serengeti, which has superb resident wildlife all year, high densities of lion, leopard and cheetah, plus elephant and plains game. The migration, however, moves around the park and is only in the far north for the river crossings from July to October and in the south for calving from December to March. In three days you cannot reliably chase it. If seeing the migration is your main goal, tell us your dates and we will advise on a longer, differently positioned trip.
Return Zanzibar to Serengeti flights, all park and conservation fees, the Ngorongoro Crater service fee of about US$295 per vehicle, a private 4x4 Land Cruiser with a professional guide, two nights' accommodation, all meals on safari, drinking water and all transfers. Not included are international flights, your Tanzania visa, travel insurance, tips, premium drinks and optional add-ons.
You have a strong chance. The Serengeti gives you lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo, and the Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to see the fifth, the black rhino, along with more lion and elephant in a compact area. No safari can guarantee every animal, since these are wild and free-ranging, but this route gives a short safari an excellent Big Five hit rate.
Yes. The crater service fee of about US$295 per vehicle for the descent, which many cheaper quotes leave out and add later, is already included, along with all park and conservation fees. The price you see is the price you pay.
It is an efficient, active itinerary rather than a relaxed one. Day two includes a long, scenic game-viewing drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro area, and day three is full: an early crater descent, a half-day game drive, then a transfer to the airstrip for your afternoon flight to Zanzibar. Most travellers find the pace worthwhile for seeing both parks in the time. Adding a fourth day relaxes the schedule considerably if you prefer.
Yes. You have a private 4x4 and your own guide throughout. The US$2,100 price is based on two people sharing the vehicle. For three or more travellers the per-person price is usually lower, since the vehicle and guide are shared across more people, so tell us your group size for the exact figure.
You spend one night at a comfortable lodge or tented camp in the central Serengeti, close to the wildlife, and one night at a lodge on the Ngorongoro rim or in nearby Karatu, well placed for the crater descent. We confirm the exact properties at booking and can upgrade either night to a luxury lodge or camp on request.
The flight takes roughly one hour and forty minutes to just under two hours, sometimes with a short stop to drop or collect other passengers. It replaces a road journey that would otherwise take most of two days, which is why flying is essential for a 3-day trip to these parks.
It starts and ends in Zanzibar. We include your transfer to the airport and both flights, so you begin and finish back on the island, ready to continue a beach holiday if you wish.
Yes. The combination of the Serengeti's big cats and the crater's Big Five in a short, fly-in format makes it popular with couples and honeymooners adding a safari to a Zanzibar stay, and it works well for families with a private vehicle and flexible timings. For families with young children we can adjust the pace.
Neutral-coloured clothing, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, binoculars and a camera, plus a warm layer for the cool, high Ngorongoro rim and early starts. Use a soft duffel bag rather than a hard suitcase, as the light aircraft limit luggage to about 15 kg including hand luggage.
Most travellers need a Tanzanian e-visa, obtained before travel. A yellow fever certificate is only required if you arrive from or via a yellow fever country, not from Europe or a normal Gulf transit. Malaria is present on the mainland and in Zanzibar, so take precautions and consult a travel clinic. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Expect cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo, hyena, warthog and many antelope, plus flamingos in the crater and an enormous variety of birds. The central Serengeti is especially good for the big cats, and the crater floor concentrates a remarkable amount of wildlife in a small space.
Yes. A dawn hot-air balloon flight over the Serengeti plains, followed by a champagne bush breakfast, is a popular add-on to this safari, typically from around US$500 to US$600 per person. It suits the morning of day two before you leave the Serengeti. Ask us to include it and we will arrange it.
It is designed for two or more people, and the US$2,100 rate is based on two sharing. Solo-traveller rates and larger-group rates are available on request. Larger groups generally get a lower per-person price because the private vehicle is shared, so just tell us your numbers.
It runs year-round, and the central Serengeti and the crater are rewarding in every season. The dry season from June to October is easiest for general game viewing, the green season from March to May is quieter and cheaper with lush scenery, and the crater is excellent all year. Because this trip is not built around the migration, your choice of month is more about weather and crowds than about the herds.
Send us your travel dates and group size by WhatsApp or email and we will confirm flights and availability and send your exact quote, usually within a few hours. A deposit secures the booking, with the balance payable before or on arrival.
Serengeti & Ngorongoro Fly-In Safari from Zanzibar gallery
Other Tanzania safaris
Justus Kahwa, Safari Operations Director, Kai Tours & Safaris.
Plans fly-in safaris from Zanzibar and will tell you honestly when adding a day would make the trip better.
