Family Safari Vacations in Tanzania
Tanzania is fantastic for family safari vacations! As the country is situated within Africa’s malaria belt, we don’t recommend traveling here with children under 6 years. However, it’s a great destination for wildlife-loving youngsters aged 6 years and over.
For the ultimate family safari, look no further than Tanzania. An enormous country with a wide range of ecosystems, Tanzania offers sensational wildlife watching and it’s home to some of Africa’s most iconic wilderness areas, including the Serengeti National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Just off the coast, Zanzibar is a tropical island paradise, with pristine beaches, watersports, and family-friendly resort hotels for some well-deserved post-safari relaxation.
Why Choose Tanzania for Your Family Safari Vacation?
Wildlife
Tanzania is a country of remarkable biodiversity, home to some of the highest concentrations of wildlife on Earth. All Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo – inhabit the iconic Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro Crater, alongside huge counts of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, and multiple antelope species, and Tarangire National Park is home to massive elephant herds. Further south, you’ll find large numbers of wild dog in Nyerere National Park, while Ruaha counts lion, leopard, and elephant among its residents. Chimpanzee troops populate the dense, forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains, and other notable primate species include bush babies, vervet monkeys, and the black-and-white colobus. Tanzania’s birdlife is also epic, and perhaps most notable are the millions of flamingos that flock to its Great Rift soda lakes.
Child-Friendly Accommodation
Tanzania offers a wide variety of accommodations, many of which are perfect for families traveling with children. Some lodges have interconnecting suites or spacious family rooms for four or five guests. Others operate exclusive-use private bush villas built specifically with children in mind – these feature connecting rooms, kids’ plunge pools, and private safari vehicles, so families can create their own game-viewing schedules. Some camps have designated kids’ clubs with fun-filled activities, including shooting bows and arrows, identifying small animals and birds, cooking, stargazing, and checking fresh animal tracks and spoor.
Beaches
For many families, a safari is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so they want to maximize their time and cover as much ground as possible. A post-safari beach vacation is an extremely popular way to spend those last few days together. Zanzibar has all the ingredients for a fabulous family beach vacation, including some great hotels, Robinson Crusoe-style beaches, turquoise water, and a gorgeous tropical climate.
Good Infrastructure
Tanzania has a well-established safari infrastructure, making domestic air travel a breeze despite the long distances. National parks and conservation areas are well connected, and flights usually run to schedule, which counts when you’re on a multi-stop trip with kids in tow!
Affordability
Tanzania’s wide variety of game parks, conservation areas, and accommodation options allows plenty of scope for budget flexibility. You can benefit from significant savings as part of a larger group, especially if your dates fall outside peak season. However, great deals still exist even during the most popular times of the year, especially if you choose some of the less-frequented regions.
What is the Best time to Visit Tanzania?
Tanzania is a vast country with varying climatic conditions. Broadly speaking, June through October are dry months, representing an excellent time of year for wildlife viewing. Mid-June usually signals the start of the wildebeest river crossings and the most dramatic part of the Great Migration, when enormous herds make the treacherous journey north across the Mara river. The increasingly unpredictable long rains occur in March, April, and sometimes part of May. A second short rainy season in November and December is typically characterized by relatively light downpours, followed by a dry spell in January and February.
Family Activities
Game Drives
Bush Walks
Sleep-outs
Boating
Watersports
Farm Activities
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Wildlife-dense Tanzania is ideal for day and night game drives, allowing families to cover plenty of ground. Exclusive-use properties supply private vehicles and dedicated safari guides, so you can create your own schedule and even spend the whole day in the bush with a picnic lunch. Your guides will always know the best routes to take, ensuring you see as much wildlife as possible.
Walk the same path as a lion, see fresh elephant dung and know that a herd of gentle giants recently passed through, and marvel at the size and shape of a termite mound. Bush walks allow up-close encounters with nature that aren’t possible from a vehicle. Safari walks are best suited to families with older children, as the minimum age for this activity is usually 12 or 16 years.
Explorers can spend a night beneath the stars in a private sleep-out – usually a simple set-up with a mesh-covered tent that allows you to fall asleep gazing at the night sky. Gather around the campfire for storytelling and enjoy dinner on a lantern-lit deck accompanied by the sounds of nature. Don’t forget to listen out for lion calls in the distance as the big cats begin a long night on the prowl!
Travelers can also take to the spectacular Rufiji River in Nyerere National Park for some of Africa’s best boating safaris. This area is a great option for fishing too.
Visit the island of Zanzibar, and you’ll have plenty of watersports to choose from, including windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving amidst gorgeous coral reefs. You can also take a dhow excursion and sail along the coast, perhaps stopping for a snorkel or a spot of line fishing. Sunset cruises and full-day boat charters are also popular, particularly with lunch served on a secluded island.
Some of Tanzania’s lodges are on working farms, where visitors can see young offspring, such as lambs and baby piglets, at certain times of the year. You can also choose to enjoy a hands-on experience on many of these working farms, by helping with day-to-day tasks like harvesting vegetables and collecting eggs. This activity is particularly popular with small children, who love the freedom of being outdoors without too many restrictions!
Where to Go
Best Lodges for Families
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Wilderness Usawa Serengeti
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsWilderness Usawa Serengeti offers a superb mobile tented camp experience, with access to 15,000 square kilometers of pure Serengeti wilderness from nine key migration sites. Following the path of the Great Migration with precision, Usawa is always at the…
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Gibbs Farm
From $1,240 – $1,550 ppGibb’s Farm is one of the oldest guesthouse properties in North Tanzania, having been established by German settlers as part of a coffee estate in 1929. We tend to suggest it as a two-night base from which to visit the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.…
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Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsTarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge offers year-round accommodation in the heart of Tanzania’s lesser-visited Tarangire National Park, renowned for its magnificent elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. Spacious tented suites allow for double and triple…
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Jabali Private House
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsA very stylish private house complete with butler, chef, and guide, Jabali is ideal for two adult couples or a family with up to four children. The entire experience is tailored to the group and everything is impeccably managed for you! Jabali Private…
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Kaskaz Mara Camp
From $590 – $1,040 ppAt Yellow Zebra, we reckon Kaskaz is a superb addition to the Nasikia portfolio. This camp has a phenomenal setting looking over a vast plain and huge rooms! Its location is perfect for a Serengeti safari – and we love those stylish supersize tents.
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Kiba Point Camp
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsKiba Point is owned and operated by Nomad Tanzania, an adventurous safari company with an impressive portfolio. Among Nomad’s properties are Serengeti Safari Camp, Entamanu Ngorongoro, and Greystoke Mahale, all favorites at Yellow Zebra! The company also runs…
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Mkombe’s House Lamai
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsAn exclusive-use private house in the Serengeti, Mkombe’s House has been designed specifically with little children in mind – it is just perfect for a large family group or for travelers with small children. It can accommodate up to ten guests and has its own…
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Wayo Little Green Camp
From $410 – $520 ppWith a wealth of experience in safaris that are off the beaten track, and three excellent locations that take you well away from the busier areas of the Serengeti, Wayo Little Green offers a well-priced, intimate camp that follows the path of the Great…
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Lemala Mara
From $670 – $1,180 ppLemala Mara Tented Camp is a great property that’s worth the upgrade if you want to splash out slightly. Considered one of the first of the Serengeti’s luxurious mobile camps, it is a seasonal camp that moves twice a year. It is Lemala Mara Tented Camp when…
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Breezes Beach Club
From $190 – $290 ppBreezes is something of a Yellow Zebra favorite – for years, we’ve recommended the property to clients, and it has delivered every time! There’s accommodation to suit a range of budgets here. If you are looking for something quieter, smaller options are…
Best Trips for Families
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Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.
