The Complete Tanzania
Northern Circuit · Ruaha · Nyerere (Selous) · Zanzibar
5.0 Stars — 204 Reviews about Yera
Duration: 14 Days
Tier: Signature
Price From
$5,500 per person
Depends on number of people and lodge tier selected
Overview
Fourteen days. Two circuits. One seamless journey to the coast.
This is Tanzania's most comprehensive journey — a single itinerary connecting the iconic Northern Circuit with Ruaha and Nyerere (Selous), the country's wildest and least-visited wilderness, before ending on Zanzibar's white sand.
“Guests kept asking us to choose the north or the south,” says our founder. “We stopped trying — the real Tanzania is both, connected properly in one itinerary, not compressed into a sampler of either.”
What to Expect
On safari with Yera
- Ngorongoro Crater's Black Rhino Stronghold
- Tarangire's Elephant Herds & Ancient Baobabs
- Ruaha's Record-Setting Lion Prides
- Rufiji River Boat Safari in Nyerere (Selous)
- Guided Walking Safaris in Ruaha & Nyerere
- All Internal Flights Between Circuits
- A Barefoot Finish on Zanzibar
Day by Day
The Itinerary
◆ THE ROUTE
What You'll Do Today
Land at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer privately to Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania's Northern Circuit. Your guide meets you for a welcome briefing covering the full fourteen days ahead before you settle in for the night.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Dinner
Route
Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha · Private transfer
What You'll Do Today
For those who want it, the morning is spent with the Planting Hope Initiative, a Yera-supported community program near Arusha — joining a local reforestation project alongside students, or learning about our education sponsorship program that helps children stay in school with their families. In the afternoon, you drive to Tarangire National Park, where centuries-old baobabs anchor a landscape that holds some of the largest elephant herds anywhere in Tanzania, closing with an evening game drive.
What to Expect to See
Optional Activities
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Arusha → Tarangire National Park · Road transfer
What You'll Do Today
Central Serengeti (Seronera) is reached by light aircraft or road, depending on your preference and the season. Once there, a full day of game drives works the river courses and kopjes where predators concentrate year-round — not only during the migration months.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Tarangire → Serengeti National Park (Central) · Light aircraft or road transfer
What You'll Do Today
A second full day gives you real depth in the Serengeti rather than a single rushed pass — resident lion prides, leopard in the riverine trees, and, depending on the time of year, the wildebeest and zebra herds of the Great Migration moving through the region.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Serengeti National Park (Central) — Full Day
What You'll Do Today
One last Serengeti game drive in the morning light, then a road transfer up into the Ngorongoro Highlands — a shift in altitude and landscape that sets up the crater descent to come.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater · Road transfer
What You'll Do Today
Descending into the Ngorongoro Crater is one of this journey's defining moments — over 250 square kilometres of grassland, lake, and forest sealed inside a volcanic caldera, holding lion, elephant, hippo, and one of East Africa's last strongholds of black rhino. A full day is spent tracing the crater floor before returning to the rim — one of Africa's densest concentrations of wildlife, inside a single volcanic caldera.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Ngorongoro Crater — Full Day
What You'll Do Today
A scenic flight takes you from the Ngorongoro Highlands south to Ruaha National Park — Tanzania's largest national park by area, and one of its least visited by international travelers, despite holding some of the country's richest wildlife.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Ngorongoro → Ruaha National Park · Scenic flight
What You'll Do Today
The Great Ruaha River anchors this ecosystem even in the dry season, drawing elephant, buffalo, and some of the largest lion prides recorded anywhere in Africa. Morning takes advantage of the cooler hours along the river; the afternoon is yours to rest, or to head back out for an optional sundowner drive.
What to Expect to See
Optional Activities
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Ruaha National Park — Full Day
What You'll Do Today
A guided walking safari offers a different register entirely — tracking, reading signs, and moving through the bush at the pace the land sets, with an armed ranger and your guide, through landscapes dominated by ancient baobabs. The afternoon returns you to the vehicle for a further game drive.
What to Expect to See
Optional Activities
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Ruaha National Park — Walking Safari
What You'll Do Today
A flight takes you from Ruaha to Nyerere National Park — renamed from the Selous Game Reserve, though many international travelers still search for it under that older name. At over 30,000 square kilometres, it remains Africa's largest game reserve, anchored by the Rufiji River and its network of channels and floodplains.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Ruaha → Nyerere National Park (Selous) · Light aircraft transfer
What You'll Do Today
The Rufiji River is the defining feature of this ecosystem, and a boat safari is the only way to properly see it — hippo pods, basking crocodile, and an exceptional range of birdlife line the banks. It's a different pace and a different sightline from a game drive, followed by an afternoon back on land.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Nyerere National Park — Boat Safari
What You'll Do Today
A second way of experiencing Nyerere — on foot, through riverine forest and open plains, with an armed ranger reading the signs of what has passed and what might be near. It closes out the wilderness portion of this journey before the coast.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route
Nyerere National Park — Walking Safari
What You'll Do Today
A flight takes you from the wilderness of the south to the Indian Ocean coast. The rest of the day is left free — a walk on the beach, a swim, or simply doing nothing at all after twelve days of early starts.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Route
Nyerere → Zanzibar · Light aircraft transfer
What You'll Do Today
Your final morning is left unstructured — the beach, Stone Town if you haven't already explored it, or simply one more slow morning by the water — before a transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Extensions to your Zanzibar stay can be arranged in advance.
What to Expect to See
Tonight's Stay
Meals
Breakfast
Route
Zanzibar → Departure · Private transfer
Your Investment
What determines the price
Pricing on this journey starts from $5,500 per person (Classic tier, double occupancy) and varies based on three factors.
Group Size
Smaller private groups carry a higher per-person rate than joining a shared departure; larger groups reduce the per-person cost of flights and guiding across two circuits.
Season
June–October (dry season) brings peak wildlife visibility and Serengeti river crossings; December–March is green season, with migration calving in the south in February. April sees the long rains and some camps closed, so we recommend avoiding it.
Lodge Tier
Pricing shown reflects our Classic tier, based on double occupancy. Signature and Bespoke tier upgrades are also available on this same route.
Included
All internal flights connecting the Northern Circuit, Ruaha, Nyerere (Selous), and Zanzibar.
An English-speaking driver-guide throughout the Northern Circuit, plus specialist guides in Ruaha and Nyerere — private to your group.
All national park and conservation area entry fees for the full 14-day route, including armed ranger fees for the guided walking safaris.
Lodging per your selected tier — Classic, Signature, or Bespoke — chosen with you during planning.
All game drives, the Rufiji boat safari, and the guided walking safaris in Ruaha and Nyerere as listed in the itinerary.
Emergency medical evacuation cover with AMREF Flying Doctors for the duration of your journey.
Arrival and departure transfers, plus bottled water provided in the vehicle throughout.
Excluded
Dining on Safari
Every kitchen, professionally run
Every camp and lodge on this journey employs professional kitchen teams experienced in preparing a full range of dietary needs — without compromising on quality or variety, whether you're in the north on the road or south by air. Simply let us know your dietary preferences when booking, and we'll confirm with each property in advance.
Before You Travel
Documents & Preparation
Valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates, with two blank visa pages.
Most nationalities can apply for a Tanzania e-Visa online prior to arrival, or on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport.
Required only if arriving from, or having transited through, a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
We recommend comprehensive cover including medical evacuation for all safari travel.
Packing List for The Complete Tanzania
Everything to bring, from the bush to the beach — PDF, 1 page
What Our Clients Say
Told by the travelers who saw it all
“We didn't want to choose between the classic circuit and somewhere wilder — this itinerary meant we didn't have to. Ruaha alone was worth the trip south.”
Daniel & Priya K. · Canada, September 2025
“Fourteen days that never felt padded. Every region earned its place, and finishing on Zanzibar was the perfect close.”
Hannah W. · United Kingdom, July 2025
“The Rufiji boat safari in Nyerere was a completely different pace from anything else on the trip — hippo and crocodile right off the bow, then back in the vehicle by afternoon. This itinerary doesn’t waste a single day.”
Marcus B. · South Africa, June 2025
Why Travel With Yera
What sets this journey apart
We Plan Around You
Pacing built around your priorities across the north, the south, and the coast.
We Handle Every Detail
All internal flights, permits, and camps confirmed before you land.
24/7 Ground Support
A local ground team on standby throughout your journey, with flexible rebooking if flight schedules change.
Common Questions
Before You Go
This is a 14-day Tanzania grand safari built as one continuous journey across two circuits and the coast — the Northern Circuit, Ruaha, Nyerere (Selous), and Zanzibar — rather than a compressed sampler of any one region.
Arusha, Tarangire, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro are close enough together that road transfers make sense. Ruaha, Nyerere (Selous), and Zanzibar are each too far apart, and too remote, for road transfers to be practical within this itinerary — so those legs are covered by scenic flights instead.
No — it's entirely optional, offered on the morning of Day 2 near Arusha. It's a complimentary Yera-supported community program; guests who'd rather head straight to Tarangire are welcome to do so.
Yes — Nyerere National Park is the current official name for the area long known internationally as the Selous Game Reserve. We reference both names throughout this itinerary since many travelers still search using the older one.
No — the Ruaha walking safari (Day 9) and Nyerere walking safari (Day 12) are optional and confirmed per camp at booking. The Rufiji boat safari on Day 11 is included as listed.
This itinerary is tier-flexible: Classic, Signature, and Bespoke lodge/camp options are all available and selected with you during planning. Pricing shown (from $5,500 pp) reflects the Classic tier, based on double occupancy.
Fourteen days across two circuits and the coast means several camps and internal flights to coordinate — we recommend booking this itinerary at least 6 months ahead for best availability, particularly for Ruaha and Nyerere camps.
Yes — an English-speaking driver-guide throughout the Northern Circuit, and specialist guides in Ruaha and Nyerere, private to your group.
Most nationalities require a visa, available on arrival or in advance online (e-Visa). We recommend confirming requirements for your specific passport before travel.