Tanzania: Chimp Trekking & Serengeti Safari — Self-Launched

Land at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and take a shared shuttle or local taxi into Arusha town (~£15-20, 1 hour). Settle into a guesthouse in the Njiro or town centre area, pick up a local SIM from a Vodacom/Airtel shop, and use the afternoon to confirm your safari booking in person and draw cash — many safari operators and Gombe guides prefer cash or bank transfer. If you have energy, the Arusha Coffee Lodge or a small local operator can arrange a coffee tour (~£20) or the Kikuletwa hot springs trip (~£25 with a shared vehicle). Evening: eat at a local 'mama lishe' spot or the Arusha Night Market area.

🚌Shared airport shuttle or taxi from JRO (~£15-20)

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel in Arusha town, private room ~£18-25

• →Airport transfer to Arusha town
• →SIM card and cash run
• →Confirm safari and Gombe bookings
• →Optional coffee tour or Kikuletwa hot springs

Join your local safari vehicle (most Arusha operators run small-group departures with 4-7 people in a Land Cruiser) and drive 2-3 hours west to Mto wa Mbu. Book a village cooking class directly with a local guide in town — the Mto wa Mbu cultural tourism programme runs banana-beer and Swahili-cooking experiences for around £15-20 including lunch, and it's the same experience the group tour includes. Continue up onto the Ngorongoro Crater rim for sunset; budget lodges and the public campsite (Simba A) are both options, with camping far cheaper.

🚌Shared safari Land Cruiser with local operator (included in 3-day safari package, ~£300-420 per person for vehicle, guide, park fees and lodging)

🛏Crater rim budget lodge or public campsite (Simba A) ~£20-35

• →Mto wa Mbu village walk and cooking class with lunch
• →Rift Valley viewpoint stops
• →Sunset on the Ngorongoro Crater rim

Early descent into the crater in an open-roof 4x4 for a half-day game drive — lions, rhino, elephants, flamingos at Lake Magadi — with a picnic lunch at the Ngoitokitok springs. In the afternoon, hike part of the Mount Makarot trail (or the gentler highland trail towards Lake Eyasi views) with your safari guide; the full Makarot summit is a demanding 5-6 hour round trip so most self-launchers do the shorter ridge section, or dedicate a separate day if you're fit and acclimatised. Ask your operator to build the hike into the itinerary in advance — it costs roughly £25-40 extra for a guide.

🚌Safari Land Cruiser and open-roof game vehicle

🛏Crater rim budget lodge or public campsite ~£20-35

• →Ngorongoro Crater full game drive with picnic lunch
• →Mount Makarot ridge hike or highland viewpoint trail
• →Optional Maasai village visit (~£15)

The 3.5-hour drive from the Ngorongoro highlands into the Serengeti via Naabi Hill Gate is one of Africa's great road journeys — the plains open up and wildlife appears almost immediately. Pay your Serengeti park fees at the gate (roughly £55-70 per person per 24 hours depending on season; this is usually bundled into a safari package). Afternoon game drive en route to your camp, then sundowners at a kopje viewpoint. Public campsites (Seronera) are the budget option and put you right among the wildlife.

🚌Shared safari Land Cruiser

🛏Public campsite (Seronera) ~£15-20, or budget tented camp ~£40-60

• →Scenic drive through Naabi Hill Gate
• →Afternoon Serengeti game drive
• →Sundowners at a kopje

Full-day game drive with a packed lunch, chasing whatever the season offers — big cat sightings around Seronera, the migration herds if you're travelling July-October in the north, or calving season on the southern plains in February-March. Ask your guide about a balloon safari if you want a splurge (roughly £450-550 per person, booked directly with Serengeti balloon operators — a big extra but extraordinary). Return to camp for the evening; this is also your last full safari day before heading west.

🚌Shared safari Land Cruiser

🛏Public campsite (Seronera) ~£15-20 or budget tented camp ~£40-60

• →Full-day Serengeti game drive with picnic lunch
• →Optional hot-air balloon safari (~£450-550 direct)

Morning game drive out of the park and drive back to Arusha (5-6 hours), or pay extra for a bush flight from Seronera airstrip to Arusha (~£180-230 with Coastal Aviation or Auric Air) to save the day. In the evening fly Arusha to Kigoma on Air Tanzania or Auric Air (~£120-170 one way, book direct online; note the 15kg luggage limit). Overnight in Kigoma town on the lakeshore — the Kigoma Hilltop area has simple guesthouses from around £20-30.

🚌Safari vehicle to Arusha, then domestic flight Arusha–Kigoma (~£120-170)

🛏Guesthouse in Kigoma town ~£20-30

• →Final Serengeti game drive
• →Domestic flight to Kigoma
• →Lake Tanganyika sunset on the Kigoma waterfront

Take a local boat or the scheduled boat from Kigoma to Gombe Stream National Park (about 1 hour; roughly £30-50 return shared, or arrange through your Gombe guide). Chimp trekking permits are the key cost — around £85-100 per person per trek for non-residents, plus park entry fees (~£50-60 per 24 hours) — and must be arranged in advance through TANAPA or a Kigoma-based operator such as Gombe Eco-Tourism. Trek into the forest with a ranger guide in the morning; you get one hour with a habituated chimpanzee community, and it's the same forest and the same research legacy as the group tour. Afternoon free for kayaking on Lake Tanganyika (~£20), snorkelling, or swimming off the beach.

🚌Shared boat across Lake Tanganyika (~£30-50 return)

🛏Gombe bandas/resthouse or Kigoma guesthouse ~£30-60 (lodge upgrade at Mbali Mbali Gombe from ~£150)

• →Boat transfer to Gombe Stream National Park
• →Ranger-guided chimpanzee trek (1 hour with the troop)
• →Optional kayaking or snorkelling on Lake Tanganyika

Morning with your guide at the old Gombe Stream Research Centre and Jane Goodall's original house, then hike up to Jane's Peak for the lake views — this is done as part of the standard Gombe visitor trail and usually costs nothing beyond your guide and park fees. If you have time, a second chimp trek in the morning is possible at the additional permit cost. Catch the boat back to Kigoma and the evening flight to Dar es Salaam (~£90-140 one way with Air Tanzania or Precision Air).

🚌Boat to Kigoma, then domestic flight Kigoma–Dar es Salaam (~£90-140)

🛏Budget hotel in Dar es Salaam (Kariakoo or Msasani area) ~£20-35

• →Visit Jane Goodall's former home and the research station
• →Hike to Jane's Peak
• →Optional second chimp trek (extra permit)

Take a local dhow or the Bongoyo Island boat from the Slipway or Msasani jetty (roughly £15-25 including boat and marine park fee) for a day of snorkelling, seafood lunch on the beach and swimming. Alternatively stay in town and explore the Kariakoo market, the National Museum (~£3) or the Village Museum (~£5). Book a taxi or boda-boda for the airport the next day — roughly £10-15.

🚌Local taxi and Bongoyo boat (~£15-25)

🛏Budget hotel in Dar es Salaam ~£20-35

• →Day trip to Bongoyo Island
• →Snorkelling and beach seafood lunch
• →Kariakoo market and National Museum (alternative)

Breakfast and transfer to Julius Nyerere International Airport for your onward or international flight. If your flight is late, the Slipway waterfront area has cafes and a craft market worth an hour or two.

🚌Taxi to Julius Nyerere International Airport (~£10-15)

🛏None

• →Airport transfer