Safari first, beach second is the order we recommend for almost everyone, and there is a genuine logic behind it, not just habit.

Safari days involve early starts, dusty roads and a fair amount of physical activity in game vehicles. Doing that first and finishing on Zanzibar’s beaches gives you a proper wind-down at the end of the trip rather than trying to relax before a demanding safari, or arriving at the coast already tired from the bush leg.

For timing, budget a minimum of four to five days for a worthwhile Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater circuit, longer if you want to add Tarangire, and a minimum of three to four days on Zanzibar to actually feel like a beach break rather than a token stopover.

Internal flights between the northern safari circuit (Arusha or Seronera airstrips) and Zanzibar are straightforward. Several carriers run daily scheduled flights, usually routing through Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport, with a flight time to Zanzibar of around an hour and a half. Book these in advance in high season, as seats on smaller aircraft sell out.

Zanzibar has its own separate entry requirements even though it is part of Tanzania, so keep your passport and any required documentation accessible, as you may go through an immigration check on arrival at Zanzibar’s airport even having already cleared it on the mainland.

A comfortable structure for a first trip is roughly five days on safari (Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and central Serengeti), one travel day, then four days on Zanzibar. That gives a real taste of both without either leg feeling rushed.