This is the trip for travellers who want both the great Mara crossings and the time to recover from them. Thirteen days. The full Northern Circuit with three of them on the Mara river. Four nights on the Indian Ocean after. The flagship long-format Tanzania safari and Zanzibar combination in the catalogue, and the answer to the question every well-travelled client asks when they want the whole experience without flying home tired.
The route opens in Arusha for an arrival night, then a single Tarangire night to start the safari softly. Two Seronera nights move you west across the central Serengeti plains. Three nights at Kogatende put you on the Mara itself for the August-to-September crossings: the herds, the crocodiles, the Mara Triangle lion prides tracking the migration night by night. A closing Crater day seals the safari with the Big Five inside the caldera. Then a short flight to Zanzibar and four nights on the warm sea, long enough to actually unwind, not just touch down before the long flight home.
Every camp on the safari is yours to choose, from authentic tented to flagship private. The Zanzibar coast and lodge are yours to pick, and the activities at every stop are yours to layer in. Park fees, lodge nights, and vehicle days are itemised on the page before you book. Same seasonal window as our shorter Mara Crossings trip: July through October, peak August and September. Outside that window, the Classic Hybrid covers the same parks year-round.
Every camp on the route is yours to choose. Park fees, lodge nights and vehicle days are itemised on the page before you book. What we quote is what you pay.
- 1Arusha1 night
- 2Tarangire1 night
- 3Seronera Serengeti1 night
- 4Kogatende Northern Serengeti (Mara River)3 nights
- 5Seronera Serengeti1 night
- 6Ngorongoro Crater1 night
- 7ZanzibarCentrepiece4 nights
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7✦The centrepieceWhat you'll typically see
Wildlife is wild, so we quote likelihood, not promises. Bars reflect this route in this season.
Pick your lodges by budget.
Most operators lock you to one lodge per stop. We give you three price tiers: pick the same tier across the trip, or splurge on one night and save on another after you submit.
Park fees, shown.
Other operators bury them. We put TANAPA, NCAA and WMA fees on the page before you book, itemised, with a per-night rate you can audit.
Want to lock this itinerary without going through the panel?
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