Safari from Zanzibar: Mikumi and Nyerere as a Day Trip

07:00 · Flight

Three reserves, one day.

On Zanzibar itself there is no big-game safari. If you want to see lions, elephants and giraffes from the island, you fly to the mainland in the morning on a light aircraft from Zanzibar airport (ZNZ) and are back in the evening. Bookable as day trips are Mikumi National Park (flight around 45 to 70 minutes) and Nyerere National Park, the former Selous Game Reserve (flight around 60 minutes). Saadani National Park on the coast is also offered by boat from Kendwa. Serengeti and Ngorongoro are not day trips: the flight takes around two hours, and the shortest offers from Zanzibar cover three days.

Everything goes by light aircraft from ZNZ: Mikumi 45 to 70 minutes according to the operators (departure 07:00, landing on the airstrip inside the park between 08:00 and 08:30), Nyerere around 60 minutes to the Mtemere airstrip, Saadani by air (Auric Air, two flights a day from Zanzibar) or by speedboat from Kendwa in around two hours. Coastal Aviation's scheduled flights to Selous go via Dar es Salaam (07:50 to 09:15), so the day tours use charter or shared flights straight into the park.

Drive time: Everything goes by light aircraft from ZNZ: Mikumi 45 to 70 minutes according to the operators (departure 07:00, landing on the airstrip inside the park between 08:00 and 08:30), Nyerere around 60 minutes to the Mtemere airstrip, Saadani by air (Auric Air, two flights a day from Zanzibar) or by speedboat from Kendwa in around two hours. Coastal Aviation's scheduled flights to Selous go via Dar es Salaam (07:50 to 09:15), so the day tours use charter or shared flights straight into the park.
Big Five: None of the three parks holds all of the Big Five. Rhinos disappeared from Mikumi in the 1990s, and for Nyerere and Saadani Safaribookings lists them as “None” too. Lion, elephant and buffalo are seen regularly in Mikumi and Nyerere; leopards are considered rare everywhere.
Malaria: The German Federal Foreign Office states a high year-round malaria risk for all of Tanzania below 2,500 metres, explicitly including the national parks and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia. The day safari therefore takes you from one risk area to another; the question of prophylaxis concerns the whole holiday, not just the safari day.
Price: TANAPA Conservation Fee Mikumi and Saadani, non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day: 30 USD plus 18% VAT
Best time: The dry season is June to October; in Mikumi and Nyerere that is the best time for wildlife sightings because the vegetation thins out and the animals come to the waterholes. September and October are regarded as the peak in Mikumi, with large buffalo and elephant herds at the water.

Drive time one way from the city, without hotel pickup. Figures from operators and park authorities.

Mikumi National Park

National park · 3,230 km² · 1 h · 263 km

Mikumi lies on the Dar es Salaam to Iringa highway and, at 3,230 km², is Tanzania's fourth-largest national park. The Mkata plain in the north is open savannah with acacias and baobabs, where giraffes, elephants, buffalo and zebras often stand close to the main loop. It is exactly this plain that the day safari drives, and the airstrip lies inside the park. For first-time visitors with a single day it is the most reliable choice from Zanzibar.

Honestly: You spend a net six to seven hours in the park, a good part of it in the midday heat when predators rest in the shade. Safaribookings rates lions as occasional, not as certain. There are no rhinos, and leopards and wild dogs are a matter of luck. The tarmac road through the park and the shared vehicles with six to seven guests are part of the picture.

Big Five: no
Malaria: risk
Wildlife: Lion (occasional, also in trees), Elephant, Giraffe, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hippo, Impala, Eland; Leopard and Wild dog rare; no rhinos
Conservation Fee non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day (TANAPA tariff 2023/24, extended to 30 June 2026 according to a third-party source): 30 USD plus 18% VAT, i.e. 35.40 USD (2026-09-23)

Official website

Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous)

National park · 30,893 km² · 1 h · 204 km

Nyerere was carved out of the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve in 2019 and, at 30,893 km², is Tanzania's largest national park. The Rufiji with its lakes and channels shapes the landscape; giraffes stand in large groups on the banks, hippos and crocodiles lie in the water. The day tour lands on the Mtemere airstrip at the eastern gate and drives the lakes loop in the north-east. If you want water, birds and wild dogs, you are better placed here than in Mikumi.

Honestly: The day covers a tiny corner of the park, and the boat trip on the Rufiji is not included in the day tours or costs extra. The park fee is more than twice as high as in Mikumi. Lions are seen occasionally, leopards rarely, and wild dogs cannot be planned even in the denning season. Rhinos are not sighted. One operator explicitly restricts its group tour to June to October.

Big Five: no
Malaria: risk
Wildlife: Elephant, Giraffe (common), Buffalo, Hippo, Crocodile, Lion (occasional), Wild dog (occasional, denning season June to August), Leopard (rare); Rhino: no sightings
Conservation Fee non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day, high season 16 May to 14 March (TANAPA tariff 2023/24, extended to 30 June 2026 according to a third-party source): 70 USD plus 18% VAT, i.e. 82.60 USD (2026-09-23)

Official website

Saadani National Park

National park · 1,062 km² · 2 h · 53 km

Saadani is Tanzania's only national park directly on the Indian Ocean, around 53 km west of Zanzibar as the crow flies. The park is small and little visited, and wildlife density is markedly lower than in Mikumi or Nyerere. Its appeal is the mix of game drive, boat trip on the Wami and beach. Auric Air flies twice a day from Zanzibar; several operators use a speedboat from Kendwa instead (around two hours each way).

Honestly: Lions and elephants are seen far less often here than in Mikumi; TANAPA itself names giraffe, zebra, reedbuck, hippo and crocodile on the park page. The boat option depends on weather and sea conditions, and two hours of speedboat each way is no holiday for anyone prone to seasickness. If you want the classic savannah pictures, you are better off in Mikumi.

Big Five: no
Malaria: risk
Wildlife: Elephant, Giraffe, Buffalo, Waterbuck, Wildebeest, Hippo and Crocodile in the Wami River, monkeys, over 400 bird species; Lion and Leopard present but rarely seen; no rhinos
Conservation Fee non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day (TANAPA tariff 2023/24, extended to 30 June 2026 according to a third-party source): 30 USD plus 18% VAT, i.e. 35.40 USD (2026-09-23)

Official website

08:30 · Landing in the park

Out of the plane, into the jeep.

The light aircraft lands on the airstrip inside Mikumi National Park, and the 4x4 is waiting beside it. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, with luck lions. No rhinos, hardly any leopards. Six hours of savannah, then back across the channel.

Mainland Tanzania is a malaria area. Sort out prophylaxis beforehand.

Photo: NaturesCharm, Envato Elements

The whole day

How it really goes.

04:30Pickup at the hotel, up to 05:15 depending on location.
06:00Meeting point at Zanzibar airport, take-off at 07:00.
08:15Landing on the airstrip in the park, change into the 4x4.
08:30Game drive until midday.
12:30Lunch in the park, second loop until 15:30.
16:00Return flight, landing on Zanzibar, transfer to the hotel.

The day safari begins between 04:00 and 05:15 with pickup at the hotel, depending on how far the hotel is from the airport (Nungwi and Kendwa in the north need a good hour to ZNZ). Around 06:00 is the meeting time at the airport; the light aircraft takes off at 07:00. In Mikumi you land between 08:00 and 08:30 on the airstrip inside the park, in Nyerere at around 08:00 at Mtemere. The open or pop-top 4x4 waits at the aircraft, usually shared with six to seven guests. A game drive follows until lunch around 12:00 to 13:00 (picnic or hot meal in the park), then a second loop until about 15:30. Return flight around 16:00, landing on Zanzibar around 17:00, and you are at the hotel between 18:00 and 18:30. Net, that is six to seven hours in the park.

Open safari vehicle on a gravel track in the morning light — Photo: Image-Source, Envato Elements · Stock image

★ 4.9 · 50 reviews

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With flight

1-Day Selous (Nyerere National Park) Fly-In Safari from Zanzibar

★ 5.0 · 42 reviews

★ 5.0 · 1 reviews

from$530Availability →

via Viator

34 sourcesChecked on 23 September 2026No cookies, no trackingTANAPA Conservation Fee Mikumi and Saadani, non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day: 30 USD plus 18% VAT

16:00 · Second look

What the web gets wrong.

The Serengeti can be done as a day trip from Zanzibar

No. The flight to Seronera takes around two hours each way according to the operators, and the shortest Serengeti programme from Zanzibar that we found covers three days from 1,540 USD per person. Only Mikumi, Nyerere and Saadani are offered as day trips.

You can go on safari on Zanzibar itself

There are no big-game animals on the island. Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park offers red colobus monkeys and mangroves, no lions or elephants. The tour operators who write “safari from Zanzibar” always mean a flight to the mainland. The boat trips sold as “Safari Blue” are snorkelling and sandbank excursions.

Mikumi has rhinos and the Big Five

A German travel blog writes that “leopards and rhinos also occur” there. According to Safaribookings, rhinos disappeared from Mikumi in the 1990s, and a reintroduction has only been announced. TANAPA names elephant, lion, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and hippo on the park page, but no rhino. Leopards are rare.

Selous is cheap because it is less well known than the Serengeti

For the day tour that is not true. The Conservation Fee for Nyerere is 70 USD per person per day under the TANAPA tariff, the same as in the Serengeti and more than twice that of Mikumi (30 USD). At 384 to 480 EUR/USD the day tours cost the same as those to Mikumi or more.

Zanzibar is malaria-free, you only need prophylaxis on the mainland

The claim that Zanzibar has been malaria-free since 2008 has circulated in German forums for years. The German Federal Foreign Office (as of 23 September 2026) explicitly classes the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia as part of the year-round high-risk area. A German-language travel blog refers to a fatal imported malaria case of a Zanzibar traveller in 2025.

Selous/Nyerere is the largest national park in Africa

That is how a German-speaking guide on Zanzibar advertises it. The truth is: Nyerere, at 30,893 km², is the largest national park in Tanzania. The often-quoted 50,000 to 54,600 km² refer to the former Selous Game Reserve as a whole, of which only the northern part became a national park in 2019.

16:00 · Return flight

What it costs.

Honestly calculated, the day safari from Zanzibar costs 400 to 500 euros per person, because the flight is the biggest item. Documented operator prices: Mikumi 390 EUR (Rafiki Tours, shared vehicle), 400 USD (Rede Tours) to 500 USD (mikuminationalpark.net); Nyerere 384 EUR (cheapest offer on Safaribookings) via 450 USD (Kitano Tours, Southern Tanzania Safari) to 480 USD (Haji, German-speaking guide); Saadani by boat 400 to 600 USD. Included are transfer, flight, vehicle, guide, lunch and usually the park fee including tax.

The park fee alone is 30 USD (Mikumi, Saadani) or 70 USD (Nyerere) per person per day under the TANAPA tariff, each plus 18 percent VAT. For comparison: a scheduled Coastal Aviation flight from Zanzibar to Selous costs 248 USD each way in the timetable plus 17 to 27 USD in fees, so around 540 USD return, and goes via Dar es Salaam. The package price of the day tour is therefore not a markup but simply the airfare plus safari.

Tip for the driver-guide: one operator gives 10 USD per person per day as a guideline.

Official fees and prices

TANAPA Conservation Fee Mikumi and Saadani, non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day30 USD plus 18% VATAs of 2026-09-23
TANAPA Conservation Fee Nyerere, non-East Africans aged 16 and over, per day, high season70 USD plus 18% VATAs of 2026-09-23
Coastal Aviation scheduled flight Zanzibar to Selous via Dar, adults, each way248 USD plus 27 USD fees (outbound) or 17 USD (return)As of 2026-09-23

Guests in an open safari vehicle against the light — 16:00 · Back through the evening lightPhoto: Wavebreakmedia, Envato Elements · Stock image

Best time to go

When it is worth it.

The dry season is June to October; in Mikumi and Nyerere that is the best time for wildlife sightings because the vegetation thins out and the animals come to the waterholes. September and October are regarded as the peak in Mikumi, with large buffalo and elephant herds at the water. In Nyerere wild dogs are most likely to be seen in the denning season from June to August.

November to May is the rainy season with heat and high humidity; March to May bring the heaviest rain, when tracks can become impassable and visibility of wildlife suffers. For birdwatchers November to February is rewarding. The day safaris are offered all year; one Nyerere operator restricts its group tour to 1 June to 30 October.

Who you might meet

Lion (occasionalElephantBuffaloEland; Leopard and Wild dog rare; no rhinosLionLeopard; Rhino: no sightingsover 400 bird species; Lion and Leopard present but rarely seen; no rhinosalso in trees)GiraffeZebraWildebeestHippoImpalaCrocodileWild dog (occasionaldenning season June to August)WaterbuckHippo and Crocodile in the Wami River

None of the three parks holds all of the Big Five. Rhinos disappeared from Mikumi in the 1990s, and for Nyerere and Saadani Safaribookings lists them as “None” too. Lion, elephant and buffalo are seen regularly in Mikumi and Nyerere; leopards are considered rare everywhere.

The German Federal Foreign Office states a high year-round malaria risk for all of Tanzania below 2,500 metres, explicitly including the national parks and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia. The day safari therefore takes you from one risk area to another; the question of prophylaxis concerns the whole holiday, not just the safari day.

Who is it for?

With children

Children under 5 pay no park fee, ages 5 to 15 pay 10 USD (Mikumi, Saadani) or 20 USD (Nyerere) plus tax. The day is still hard for small children: pickup before 05:00, a light aircraft, six to seven hours in the vehicle in the heat. From about eight years it works well; below that we would rather book two days with an overnight stay. For Mikumi one operator quotes a child price of 380 USD.

Malaria

The German Federal Foreign Office classes all of Tanzania including Zanzibar as an area of high year-round malaria risk; the share of the dangerous Malaria tropica is over 99 percent. In high-risk areas the Office considers taking tablets sensible in addition to mosquito protection. You make the decision on chemoprophylaxis with travel-medicine advice for the whole stay; the safari day alone changes little. Long light-coloured clothing, repellent and a mosquito net apply everywhere.

Self-drive

Not sensible. From Zanzibar there is no car ferry towards the mainland for tourists, the passenger ferry to Dar es Salaam takes around two hours, and from there it is 283 km and, depending on traffic, three to five hours of driving to Mikumi. There and back in one day is not feasible. If you want to drive yourself, plan at least two nights on the mainland.

Limited mobility

The light aircraft (Cessna Caravan and similar) have a steep boarding ladder, no toilet on board and narrow seats, and luggage is limited to about 15 to 20 kg in soft bags. Getting in and out of the 4x4 is high. For wheelchair users the day tour is generally not suitable; one Saadani operator rules it out explicitly. With limited walking ability but a sure step the day is doable, because apart from lunch there is no walking.

What to wear

In the morning at the airport it is still pleasant; in the park it gets hot from 10:00, and in the rainy season humid as well. Light, long clothing in earth tones, hat, sunglasses and sun protection, plus a thin jacket for the open vehicle in the early morning. For the flights soft bags count; hard suitcases are often refused.

Photography

The best light is shortly after landing around 08:00 and from 15:00; in between the sun is high. A telephoto lens from 200 mm helps, because the shared vehicles do not drive up as close as you might like. On the light aircraft aerial shots of the coast and the Rufiji delta are possible; ask for a window seat. Drones are not permitted in Tanzanian national parks without a special permit.

Budget

Under 380 EUR per person is not possible with a flight; the standard is 400 to 500 EUR. Savings are only possible through the shared tour instead of a private vehicle (Safaribookings: 384 EUR shared versus 491 to 554 EUR private for Nyerere) and through group discounts from 2 people. The Saadani boat tour is not cheaper than the Mikumi flight. If you have the budget but not the time, book Mikumi; if you have the time, fly to Nyerere for two days, because the airfare is then spread over more safari hours.

Tips for the day

01Book a hotel in the south or west of the island if the safari is firmly planned: from Nungwi or Kendwa pickup starts as early as 04:00, from Stone Town or Paje an hour later.
02Ask before booking whether the park fee including VAT is part of the price. Reputable operators write “all park fees and taxes included”; others collect at the gate.
03Take your passport. It is required at Zanzibar airport and at the park entrance; without a passport there is no flight.
04Pack light and soft: light aircraft do not take hard-shell suitcases, and the luggage limit is usually 15 to 20 kg including hand luggage.
05You are most likely to see wild dogs in Nyerere in the denning season from June to August, but do not plan on it. If you want to see lions, ask the guide to head for the waterholes straight after landing, before the heat sets in.
06Count the flight as an experience in itself: the route crosses the Zanzibar Channel and the coast, and to Nyerere the Rufiji delta. Ask for a window seat.
07With two free days, take the overnight option: the airfare stays the same, but you get a game drive in the late afternoon and one in the early morning, the two best times that the day tour misses.
08Get travel-medicine advice on malaria before you leave, and for the whole holiday. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, Zanzibar counts as a risk area just as much as the mainland.

19:00 · Back

Frequently asked questions.

How much does a day safari from Zanzibar with flight cost?

Expect 400 to 500 euros per person. Documented prices (as of September 2026): Mikumi 390 EUR to 500 USD, Nyerere 384 EUR to 480 USD, Saadani by boat 400 to 600 USD. The flight is the biggest item; the scheduled flight from Zanzibar to Selous alone costs around 540 USD return in the Coastal timetable. The package price includes transfer, flight, vehicle, guide, lunch and usually the park fee.

How early does it start and when am I back?

Pickup between 04:00 and 05:15 depending on where your hotel is, departure from ZNZ at 07:00, landing in the park between 08:00 and 08:30. Return flight around 16:00, landing on Zanzibar around 17:00, at the hotel between 18:00 and 18:30. That makes a day of 13 to 14 hours door to door.

Do you see lions in Mikumi?

Often, but not for certain. Safaribookings rates lions in Mikumi as “occasional”, elephants, giraffes and buffalo as “common”. Tripadvisor reviews of the day tours regularly mention lions, elephants and buffalo. Your best chances are straight after landing at the waterholes of the Mkata plain; at midday the cats rest in the shade.

Mikumi or Nyerere: which is better for one day?

Mikumi, if you want classic savannah with giraffes, zebras, elephants and good chances of lions, and the airstrip to be right inside the park. Nyerere, if you prefer a water landscape, hippos, crocodiles, large giraffe groups and the chance of wild dogs, and the higher park fee (70 instead of 30 USD) does not bother you. The day-tour prices are similar. For a single day Mikumi is the more reliable choice; Nyerere is more rewarding with an overnight stay.

Is a two-day tour worth it instead of one?

Yes, if the budget allows one more night. The airfare stays the same, but you gain the late-afternoon game drive and the early-morning one, exactly the cool hours with the highest animal activity that the day trip misses because of the flight times. In Nyerere the boat trip on the Rufiji comes on top, which day tours lack.

Do I need malaria prophylaxis for the safari day?

The question is not about the one day but about the whole holiday: the German Federal Foreign Office classes all of Tanzania including Zanzibar as a high-risk area and considers taking tablets sensible there in addition to mosquito protection. Discuss this with travel-medicine advice before the trip. Mosquito protection, long clothing and a net apply in any case.

How long is the flight from Zanzibar to Mikumi?

The operators quote 45 to 70 minutes, depending on the aircraft type and whether there are stopovers. Departure is usually at 07:00, landing on the Mikumi airstrip between 08:00 and 08:30. To Nyerere (Mtemere) it is around 60 minutes direct, about an hour and a half by scheduled flight via Dar es Salaam.

Can I do the safari on my own with the ferry and a hire car?

Not in one day. The ferry to Dar es Salaam takes around two hours, and from there it is 283 km and three to five hours to Mikumi. Self-drivers need at least two nights on the mainland. For a single day only the flight remains.

Which park fees apply and are they included in the price?

TANAPA charges non-East Africans 30 USD per person per day in Mikumi and Saadani and 70 USD in Nyerere, each plus 18 percent VAT; children aged 5 to 15 pay 10 or 20 USD. Most day tours include the fee; check the item “park fees and taxes” in the tour description.

Can you see the Big Five from Zanzibar in one day?

No. There are no rhinos in Mikumi, Nyerere or Saadani; in Mikumi they disappeared in the 1990s. Four of the five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard) are possible, but leopards are rare everywhere. If you want the Big Five, you need the northern parks or the Ngorongoro area, and several days for that.

Safari from ZanzibarFrom the island to the mainland and back on the beach by evening.

Three reserves, one day.

Out of the plane, into the jeep.

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What the web gets wrong.

What it costs.

When it is worth it.

With children

Malaria

Self-drive

Limited mobility

What to wear

Photography

Budget

Frequently asked questions.