Traveling from Ngorongoro Crater to Zanzibar

Hey,

I am going to Tanzania in October. My sister and I will be starting a Safari with our Dad and then leaving early (after Ngorongoro Crater) to head to Zanzibar. How do we get from Ngorongoro Crater to Zanzibar? From DAR I know there is a ferry we can take for about $50 to take us to Zanzibar. But how do we get from Ngorongoro Crater to DAR? Do we have to go through Arusha first? How long is the commute from Ngorongoro to Arusha? Is there a flight from Ngorongoro to Arusha? From Ngorongoro to DAR? From Ngorongoro to Zanzibar? Only buses? About how long is the commute from Ngorongoro to Arusha or to DAR? Is it possible to travel from Ngorongoro to Zanzibar in one day?

The safari itinerary my Dad is booking is:
day 1 DAR
day 2 Arusha
day 3/4 Tarangire
day 5/6 Ngorongoro
day 7/8 Serengeti
day 9/10 Arusha/DAR

Is Tarangire or Serengeti a better place to visit on this safari? We will be going in October from around 10th-24th. I've heard that most of the wildebeest migration is already in Kenya by that time. So would Tarangire be better for seeing animals? And less crowded/touristy?

Also any beaches, restaurants, hotels, things to do in Zanzibar that you can recommend for 2 female travelers? We are looking for budget or mid-range prices.

Thanks fellow travelers!
:)

hi
we are also heading to tanzania for a safari and zanzibar trip this summer.after my own research (i stand corrected on this) think the best way to get from the Ngorongoro crater to Zanzibar is via Arusha, either by bus to Dar and then onto a ferry or a direct fight. We are traveling by bus with the Dar Express which costs $24 pp one way, the trip takes at least 10 hours so we are overnighting in Dar and getting the ferry the next morning with Azam Marine/Costal Fast Ferries, which costs $40 pp one way. I did look at direct flights from Arusha to Zanzibar but they were too expensive for our budget. you can look up sites like flyzee.com, zanair.com or sky scanner.com for prices.

How do we get from Ngorongoro Crater to Zanzibar?

Why do you want to travel from Ngorongoro Crater to Zanzibar? Ngorongoro is in the middle of nowhere. Your safari drops you back in Arusha. From Arusha you can get a bus to Dar and then a ferry to Zanzibar.

You could also start "Day 1" in Nairobi instead of Dar. From Nairobi, Arusha is about 4 hours. It is about 10 to 11 hours by road from Dar.

Sorry, I didn't read your post properly. I doubt you will find any transport from Ngorongoro to anywhere. You will have have to reach Arusha somehow.

If you can get your safari operator to drop you in Karatu, you can get buses/minivans from there to Arusha. That's perhaps the only feasible way.

I think the best way is to fly from Arusha to Zanzibar there are scheduled flight 1400Hrs/1520Hrs it will cost you about US$ 200 per person one way. Otherwise from Ngorongoro to Zanzibar by road is an impossible drive about 960 kilometers and yes from Ngorongoro you must pass through Arusha then Moshi..

You will need to have your safari company drop you back at the park entry (the place were you entered the park on the Eastern side) [Recommendation - ensure that this arrangement is made in advance.] From there you should be able to get a local coach back to Arusha - it will not be comfortable and should take 3 hours (depending upon stops in Karatu and other places). There are flights from Arusha to Zanzibar - Coastal Aviation I think does this flight. Otherwise its Precision Air from Kilimanjaro International Airport - I think they have 3 flights per day to ZNZ - either direct or via Dar. If you book in advance (with either company) you should be able to get a better fare rate than doing it a day or so before. From personal experience I would recommend flying - the bus from NGO will be enough experience.

This post has been removed because it may not have met our community guidelines.

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.