Mikumi & Selous Safaris from Zanzibar
Add a safari to your Zanzibar holiday: a small plane takes you to the park in about an hour, you spend the day with your own guide, and you are back by the beach the same evening. Or stay a night or two.
Prices in US dollars per person for private trips of 1 to 6 people, with park fees and flights included.
Choose your safari
Every trip is private: your own vehicle and guide, on the dates you choose. The price per person falls as your group grows.
Day trips
Fly out in the morning, back on the beach in the evening
1 day · by airMikumi Day Trip from Zanzibar
The quickest safari from the island: open plains where animals are easy to spot, and lunch in the park.
1 day · by airSelous Day Trip from Zanzibar
A game drive and a boat safari on the Rufiji River in Nyerere National Park, the old Selous.
Short safaris (2–3 days)
One or two nights in the bush
2 days · by air2-Day Mikumi Safari from Zanzibar
An evening and an early-morning game drive, when animals are most active.
2 days · by air2-Day Selous Safari from Zanzibar
A night by the river, a boat safari and two game drives in Nyerere.
3 days · by air3-Day Mikumi Safari from Zanzibar
Game drives on three days and two nights in a lodge or tented camp.
3 days · by air3-Day Selous Safari from Zanzibar
Two nights in Nyerere with a boat safari, game drives and a walk with a ranger.
3-Day Mikumi & Selous Safari from Zanzibar
Both parks in one trip: fly into Mikumi, drive to Selous, fly back to the island.
3 days · ferry & train3-Day Mikumi Safari by Ferry & Train
The budget way: ferry to Dar es Salaam and the fast SGR train towards Mikumi.
Beach & safari holidays
Planned from home, months ahead5 Days: Zanzibar Beach & Mikumi Safari
Land on Zanzibar, fly to Mikumi for a night, then three nights by the sea.
7 days · beach + safari7 Days: Zanzibar Beach & Selous Safari
Two nights on the Rufiji with a boat safari, four nights on the island.
8 days · 2 parks + beach8 Days: Mikumi, Selous & Zanzibar
Arrive in Dar es Salaam, see both parks by road, end with two beach nights.
A day trip, step by step
- Early pick-upOur driver collects you from your Zanzibar hotel and takes you to the airport.
- Short flightA small plane flies you to an airstrip in the park in about an hour.
- Game drive & lunchYour guide meets you at the airstrip. You spend the day looking for wildlife, with lunch in the park.
- Back the same dayThe plane brings you back in the late afternoon and we drive you to your hotel.
The airline sets the flight times. If a flight is late, we change the plan so you still get as much time in the park as possible.
Mikumi or Selous?
Both make a good first safari. The difference is the landscape and what you can do there.
| Mikumi National Park | Selous (Nyerere National Park) | |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | Open grass plains where you can see far | River, lakes and woodland along the Rufiji |
| What you can see | Elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, lions, hippos | Elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, lions, many water birds |
| Activities | Game drives | Game drives, a boat safari on the river, walks with a ranger on longer trips |
| Size | About 3,230 km² | About 30,900 km², Tanzania's largest national park |
| Day trip from Zanzibar | From $475 per person | From $640 per person |
Read more: Mikumi guide · Selous guide · Best time to go
Before you book
Can I really do a safari from Zanzibar in one day?
Yes. The flight to Mikumi or Selous takes about an hour, so you have most of the day in the park and are back at your hotel in the evening. We send you the airline's times when we confirm your booking.
I am planning my holiday from home. When should I book?
As early as you can, especially for June to October and the Christmas holidays, when the small planes and the camps fill up first. A safari is easy to add to any Zanzibar holiday plan.
I am already on Zanzibar. Can I still book?
Often, yes. Send us your dates on WhatsApp and we check seats on the flights straight away.
What is included in the price?
Transfers, flights, park fees, your private vehicle and guide, meals as listed and drinking water. Each trip page shows exactly what is and is not included.
How do I pay?
A 30% deposit confirms your trip and the rest is paid on arrival in Tanzania, before the trip starts. See our booking terms.
Who runs these trips?
This site is operated by Lion Crest Expeditions, a licensed and registered tour operator based in Arusha, Tanzania.
Ask us about dates and prices
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and how many of you are travelling. We reply within 24 hours, usually much sooner on WhatsApp.