A 21-Day Tanzania Itinerary
Here's how I spent my 3 weeks in Tanzania
Here's how it went.
| Day | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fly into Kilimanjaro | I had a roundtrip into Zanzibar (arrived in the morning), from where I took a one-way to Arusha, 1.5 hours away from Kilimanjaro. Evening debrief with the trekking team |
| Day 2 - 7 | Kilimanjaro Hike, Machame Route (6 days) | There's multiple routes (some longer, some shorter) to trek Kilimanjaro. I opted for the most popular 6 day Machame route because it's the most scenic. Do not kid with the elevation - pack lightly, bring lots of Excedrin / Tylenol. Definitely do not cheap out and hire a porter to carry the majority of your stuff |
| Day 8 - 10 | Safari in Tarangire National Park, overnight in the park | The National Parks for safaris are not close by - be prepared to spend a lot of time in a car. It's better to spend multiple days in one park (like the Serengeti) versus trying to get to them all |
| Day 11 | Safari in Ngorogoro Crater | |
| Day 12 | Visit tribes at Lake Eyasi | This was one of my most memorable experiences ever, as it was so far from anything I'd experienced before. Read about it here, here, and here |
| Day 13 | Fly Arusha to Kigoma, 2 hour boat ride to Gombe National Park | |
| Day 14 - 15 | Gombe National Park | This was another special experience that was worth the two days in transit. Read about it here |
| Day 16 | Overnight in Dar Es Salaam, the capital | |
| Day 17-18 | Zanzibar | Get lost in old town, visit the spice farms |
| Day 19-20 | Paje Beach, Zanzibar | Learn to kite surf or relax on the beach. I opted to go to the less touristy area of the island. |
| Day 21 | Fly home |
Tips
- This itinerary can be done cheaper. I did not have much time to plan and I had specific dates so I hired a local operator (Visit Tanzania) to privately trek Kilimanjaro, drive me around for the Safaris, and arrange my chimp tracking trek. If you want to save money, hire the Kilimanjaro trekking guide directly (Hunter)
- Zanzibar is the best way to fly in and out of the country - it is a popular resort island with many nonstops from Doha (Qatar Airways) and Europe. It's not worth spending more than 2-3 days there
Resources I used:
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