Plan your trip

Arusha, Tanzania

Tanzania, planned by the people who live here

Private safaris across the northern parks, every Kilimanjaro route, and quiet days on Zanzibar. Tell us how you like to travel and we will shape the trip around you.

Plan your tripBrowse safaris

Welcome to Africa Bound Tours

Private safaris and Kilimanjaro climbs, planned from our office in Arusha.

Africa Bound Tours is a safari company registered and based in Tanzania, with our office in Arusha. Ambrose Mtui leads the team and has 20 years of experience. We plan private safaris in Tanzania's northern parks, climbs on the main Kilimanjaro routes, beach days on Zanzibar, and trips that carry on into Kenya or to Rwanda's mountain gorillas.

Every itinerary on this site is a sample. Tell us who is travelling, roughly when, and what you hope to see, and we will change the days, the lodges and the pace until the trip fits you.

About us and the team
Ambrose Mtui taking a selfie with two men in traditional Maasai dress

Ambrose Mtui

Leads the team

Tell Ambrose about your trip
Sample safaris to tailor
19
Kilimanjaro routes
7
Where we plan and meet you
Arusha

Sample itineraries

Hand-picked journeys

Starting points, not fixed packages. Add a night, swap a lodge or slow the pace; we will rework any of them around you.
See all 19 safaris
Ambrose Mtui standing beside a mountain gorilla in thick green forest

4days

Private

4-Day Rwanda Gorilla Adventure

An immersive four-day journey through the Land of a Thousand Hills.

  1. Kigali
  2. Volcanoes National Park
  3. Gorilla Guardians Village
  • 3 parks and places

From US$4,190 per person (2 sharing), Comfort hotels

Zebra and wildebeest grazing beneath a flat-topped acacia tree

6days

Private · Migration · Calving

6-Day The “Great Migration” Calving Season

This Safari is exactly how it sounds, “short and sweet”. It is ideal for Adventurers that do not have a lot of time but would like to see all the best parts of the Northern Safari Circuit of Tanzania.

  1. Arusha
  2. Lake Manyara
  3. Serengeti
  4. Ngorongoro
  • 4 parks and places

Activities you can add: Canoeing, Cycling

An elephant calf on a red dirt track beside an Africa Bound Tours safari vehicle

6days

Camping

Private · Active

6-Day Tanzania Adventure Safari

Highlights include Manyara National Park, the World-Famous Serengeti, the UNESCO Heritage site of the Ngorongoro Crater and Mto wa Mbu Cultural Activities.

  1. Arusha
  2. Lake Manyara
  3. Serengeti
  4. Ngorongoro
  • 4 parks and places

Activities you can add: Balloon flight, Canoeing, Cycling

Three lion cubs walking along a fallen log

8days

Private

8-Day Tanzania Classic Tour

This Safari is for those who are interested in more than just your typical game drives! It combines some amazing activities for Adventurers who like to have a little more physical and active component.

  1. Arusha
  2. Lake Manyara
  3. Serengeti
  4. Ngorongoro
  • 4 parks and places

Activities you can add: Canoeing, Cycling, Waterfall walk, Coffee tour

A young lion lying along a thick tree branch

8days

Private · Big Five

8-Day Tanzania Classic

An eight-day northern-circuit safari linking Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire.

  1. Arusha
  2. Lake Manyara
  3. Serengeti
  4. Ngorongoro
  5. Tarangire
  • 5 parks and places

From US$4,410 per person (2 sharing, Comfort level), Apr–May 2027

A lodge dining room with a view down into a wide crater at dusk

10days

Private

10-Days Tanzania Private Safari

This Safari is exactly how it sounds, “short and sweet.” It is ideal for adventurers who do not have a lot of time but would like to see all the best parts of the Northern Safari Circuit of Tanzania.

  1. Arusha
  2. Lake Manyara
  3. Serengeti
  4. Ngorongoro
  5. Tarangire
  • 5 parks and places

Activities you can add: Maasai village visit

Three ways in

Plains, mountain, coast

Most trips combine two of them. Tell us which and we will work out the order, the pace and the days in between.
  • Ambrose Mtui standing beside a mountain gorilla in thick green forest

    Safari

    Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara in a private vehicle with your own guide.

    Safari itineraries
  • Wooden A-frame huts in a clearing among moss-hung forest trees

    Kilimanjaro

    Africa’s highest mountain, by the route and pace that suit you. Every established route, camping or huts.

    Compare the routes
  • Zanzibar

    Zanzibar

    Close a safari with slow days on the coast, the easy way to rest before the flight home.

    Safari and beach trips

Where we go

The places our safaris visit

Every stop on our sample itineraries, from the Serengeti to the Zanzibar coast. The bigger the glow, the more of our trips include it.
Map of the places our safaris visit: Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Arusha, Tarangire, Zanzibar, Karatu, Maasai Mara, Nairobi, Lake Eyasi, Amboseli, Lake ElementaitaNgorongoroLake ManyaraSerengetiArushaTarangireZanzibarKaratuMaasai MaraNairobiLake EyasiAmboseliLake Elementaita
Positions are approximate.
Zebra and wildebeest grazing beneath a flat-topped acacia tree

Why Africa Bound

Planned by people who live here

  1. Planned in Arusha

    Our office is in Arusha, the starting town for the northern parks. We plan, brief and meet you here.

  2. Your own vehicle and guide

    Safaris run privately in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a professional guide, at the pace you set.

  3. Itineraries are starting points

    Every sample trip can change. Tell us what matters and we will rework the days around it.

About our team

From the road

Photographs from our trips

  • Ambrose Mtui standing beside a mountain gorilla in thick green forest
  • Zebra and wildebeest grazing beneath a flat-topped acacia tree
  • An elephant calf on a red dirt track beside an Africa Bound Tours safari vehicle
  • Three lion cubs walking along a fallen log
  • A young lion lying along a thick tree branch
  • A lodge dining room with a view down into a wide crater at dusk
  • Two black rhinos standing in green grass and wildflowers
  • Two black-backed jackals drinking, reflected in still water
  • Travel Tips
    Travel Tips
  • Wildebeest and zebra crowding together at a river crossing

When to go

Reading the year

A rough guide to Tanzania’s seasons. Rains shift from year to year, so tell us your dates and we will suggest where to be.
Ask about your dates

Seasons calendar2026

  1. January: Calving, southern Serengeti.
  2. February: Calving, southern Serengeti.
  3. March: Long rains.
  4. April: Long rains.
  5. May: Long rains.
  6. June: Long dry season.
  7. July: Long dry season.
  8. August: Long dry season.
  9. September: Long dry season.
  10. October: Long dry season (this month).
  11. November: Short rains.
  12. December: Short rains.
Long dry season
Usually June to October. Thin bush, animals gather near water.
Short rains
Usually November and December. Brief showers, green plains.
Long rains
Usually March to May. Green, quiet parks.
Calving, southern Serengeti
Usually late January and February.

Kilimanjaro

7 routes up Africa’s highest mountain

At 5,895 m, Kilimanjaro is a long walk rather than a technical climb. The route and the number of days you give it shape how well you adjust to altitude.

Compare the routes
Altitude by day
Altitude of each Kilimanjaro route, day by day. Highest point 5,895 m.Day 1: Marangu Gate, 1,800 mDay 1: Mandara Hut, 2,700 mDay 2: Horombo Hut, 3,720 mDay 3: Kibo Hut, 4,700 mDay 4: Uhuru Peak, 5,895 mDay 4: Horombo, 3,720 mDay 5: Marangu Gate, 1,980 m
Show the figures as a table
Altitude of each Kilimanjaro route, day by day
RouteDayPlaceAltitude
Marangu Route, 5 daysDay 1Marangu Gate1,800 m / 5,906 ft
Day 1Mandara Hut2,700 m / 8,858 ft
Day 2Horombo Hut3,720 m / 12,205 ft
Day 3Kibo Hut4,700 m / 15,420 ft
Day 4Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 4Horombo3,720 m / 12,205 ft
Day 5Marangu Gate1,980 m / 6,496 ft
Umbwe RouteDay 1Umbwe Gate1,600 m / 5,249 ft
Day 1Umbwe Camp2,900 m / 9,514 ft
Day 2Barranco Camp3,976 m / 13,045 ft
Day 3Karanga Camp3,995 m / 13,107 ft
Day 4Barafu Camp4,673 m / 15,331 ft
Day 5Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 5Mweka3,068 m / 10,066 ft
Day 6Mweka Gate1,640 m / 5,381 ft
Marangu Route, 6 daysDay 1Marangu Gate1,800 m / 5,906 ft
Day 1Mandara Hut2,700 m / 8,858 ft
Day 2Horombo Hut3,720 m / 12,205 ft
Day 3Zebra Rocks4,020 m / 13,189 ft
Day 3Horombo3,720 m / 12,205 ft
Day 4Kibo Hut4,700 m / 15,420 ft
Day 5Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 5Horombo3,720 m / 12,205 ft
Day 6Marangu Gate1,980 m / 6,496 ft
Machame Route, 6 daysDay 1Machame Gate1,640 m / 5,381 ft
Day 1Machame Camp2,850 m / 9,350 ft
Day 2Shira Camp3,810 m / 12,500 ft
Day 3Lava Tower4,630 m / 15,190 ft
Day 3Barranco3,960 m / 12,992 ft
Day 4Barafu4,670 m / 15,322 ft
Day 5Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 5Mweka3,100 m / 10,171 ft
Day 6Mweka Gate1,640 m / 5,381 ft
Rongai RouteDay 1Rongai Gate1,950 m / 6,398 ft
Day 1Rongai Cave2,835 m / 9,300 ft
Day 2Second Cave3,444 m / 11,300 ft
Day 2Kikelewa Cave3,600 m / 11,811 ft
Day 3Mawenzi Tarn4,316 m / 14,160 ft
Day 4Mawenzi Ridge4,389 m / 14,400 ft
Day 4Mawenzi Tarn4,316 m / 14,160 ft
Day 5Kibo Hut4,703 m / 15,430 ft
Day 6Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 6Horombo Hut3,734 m / 12,250 ft
Day 7Marangu Gate1,843 m / 6,046 ft
Machame Route, 7 daysDay 1Machame Gate1,800 m / 5,906 ft
Day 1Machame Camp3,000 m / 9,843 ft
Day 2Shira Camp3,850 m / 12,631 ft
Day 3Lava Tower4,600 m / 15,092 ft
Day 3Barranco3,950 m / 12,959 ft
Day 4Karanga Camp3,995 m / 13,107 ft
Day 5Barafu Camp4,673 m / 15,331 ft
Day 6Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 6Mweka3,068 m / 10,066 ft
Day 7Mweka Gate1,640 m / 5,381 ft
Shira RouteDay 1Shira Gate3,597 m / 11,800 ft
Day 1Simba Camp3,597 m / 11,800 ft
Day 2Shira 2 Camp3,810 m / 12,500 ft
Day 3Lava Tower4,630 m / 15,190 ft
Day 3Barranco Camp3,976 m / 13,044 ft
Day 4Karanga Camp3,995 m / 13,106 ft
Day 5Barafu Camp4,673 m / 15,331 ft
Day 6Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 6Mweka Camp3,068 m / 10,065 ft
Day 7Mweka Gate1,640 m / 5,380 ft
Lemosho RouteDay 1Londorossi Gate2,385 m / 7,825 ft
Day 1Mti Mkubwa2,780 m / 9,121 ft
Day 2Shira 1 Camp3,500 m / 11,483 ft
Day 3Shira 2 Camp3,900 m / 12,795 ft
Day 4Lava Tower4,640 m / 15,223 ft
Day 4Barranco3,960 m / 12,992 ft
Day 5Karanga Camp4,035 m / 13,238 ft
Day 6Barafu Camp4,640 m / 15,223 ft
Day 7Uhuru5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 7Millennium3,790 m / 12,434 ft
Day 8Mweka Gate1,630 m / 5,348 ft
Northern Circuit RouteDay 1Londorossi Gate2,360 m / 7,742 ft
Day 1Mti Mkubwa2,895 m / 9,498 ft
Day 2Shira 1 Camp3,505 m / 11,500 ft
Day 3Shira 2 Camp3,810 m / 12,500 ft
Day 4Lava Tower4,630 m / 15,190 ft
Day 4Moir Hut4,139 m / 13,580 ft
Day 5Buffalo Camp4,023 m / 13,200 ft
Day 6Third Cave3,871 m / 12,700 ft
Day 7School Hut4,755 m / 15,600 ft
Day 8Uhuru Peak5,895 m / 19,341 ft
Day 8Mweka Camp3,068 m / 10,065 ft
Day 9Mweka Gate1,640 m / 5,380 ft

Where to go

Parks, lakes and islands

Northern circuit

Town · Northern circuit

Arusha

Northern circuit

Conservation area · Northern circuit

Lake Eyasi

A thatched restaurant on stilts over the sea at sunset, with a dhow sailing past

Island · Zanzibar and the coast

Zanzibar

Travel guides

Before you go

An Africa Bound Tours safari vehicle with its roof raised, a herd grazing behind it

Practical

Tanzania safari packing list (with a Kilimanjaro add-on)

What to pack for a Tanzania safari: soft bags for light aircraft, neutral colours and the tsetse fly rule, warm layers for Ngorongoro mornings, and why plastic bags stay at home. Plus a short extra list for Kilimanjaro.

Arusha 3.37° S · 36.68° E

Tell us how you like to travel

Who is coming, roughly when, and what you would love to see. Someone from our Arusha team reads every request and replies with ideas and a first itinerary.

Plan your tripor call +255 754 373 948

Cookie settings

We count page visits with our own simple analytics to learn which trips help travellers. No advertising cookies, no third-party trackers.

Current choice: not chosen yet · Read the cookie notice