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In short
With two days, fly to Nyerere (Selous): a full-day game drive, a night at a lodge and a Rufiji River boat safari before the flight back. With three days and a smaller budget, the ferry to Dar es Salaam and the road or train get you to Nyerere or Mikumi, but most of day 1 and day 3 is travel.
Fly or ferry: what the travel day costs you
The fly-in and the ferry versions go to the same parks. The difference is how much of your trip is spent getting there.
Fly-in, 2 days
Fly-in, 3 days
Ferry and road, 3 days
Zanzibar to the park
≈ 30–60 min flight
≈ 30–60 min flight
≈ 2 h ferry, then ≈ 4–6 h by road (Nyerere) or train and road (Mikumi)
Day 1
full-day game drive
full-day game drive
travel; boat safari or village visit in the late afternoon
Day 2
boat safari or walk, flight back
second game drive or boat safari
full-day game drive
Day 3
morning activity, flight back
travel back to Zanzibar
Pickup
≈ 05:30–06:30
≈ 05:30–06:30
≈ 05:00–05:30 for the 07:00 ferry
Luggage
15–20 kg, soft bag
15–20 kg, soft bag
25 kg on the ferry
Long rains (≈ Mar–May)
scheduled flights stop mid-Mar to end May
same
check the listing for changes
The ferry versions are usually the cheaper way in, but on a 3-day trip you get one full day in the park, the same as a 2-day fly-in. They suit travellers who don't want small planes or who want to see the mainland on the way.
Nyerere: game drive plus the Rufiji
Nyerere National Park (formerly part of the Selous Game Reserve) is the usual choice for two days. A typical fly-in trip lands in the morning, drives all day with a bush lunch, and reaches the lodge between about 17:00 and 18:00. On day 2 you go out at 07:00 for about two hours on the Rufiji River, among hippos, crocodiles and water birds, then fly back mid-morning or in the afternoon. Some versions add a bush walk with a ranger or a Maasai village visit. Nyerere's park entry fee is high and charged per 24 hours, which is part of the price difference with Mikumi; the fee card shows it.
Mikumi over 2–3 days
Mikumi has no river safari, so extra days mean more game drives. Most 3-day Mikumi trips go by ferry: the 07:00 boat to Dar es Salaam, the SGR express train to Morogoro, and a drive to a lodge near the park. Day 2 is a full game drive from about 06:00, and day 3 is the trip back. Operators need a passport copy several days ahead to book the ferry and train. A 2-day Mikumi trip by plane exists but is rare; for a short Mikumi visit, the day trip is simpler.
Luggage, levies and timing
Pack a soft bag of 15 kg or less for the plane and leave the rest at your Zanzibar hotel.
Carry your passport: you need it for the flight, the ferry and the train.
Check the exclusions for lodge levies (tourism levy and village tax per night) and for tips.
Book the safari to end at least two nights before your flight home; operators ask for this in case of weather delays.
Nyerere NP entry, adultnon-resident adult, per person per 24 h; tariff dated 2026-05-16 to 2027-03-14 (season "ENTRY HIGH"); VAT not stated in this row
Mikumi NP concession fee (overnight stay), adultnon-resident adult, per person per night in a lodge/camp inside the park; tariff dated 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30
Nyerere NP and Selous. Nyerere National Park is a TANAPA national park, carved from the northern sector of the Selous Game Reserve.7
What the entry fee covers. TANAPA conservation (entry) fees are per person and valid for 24 hours from the time of entry.8
Children. Children under 5 enter TANAPA parks free; child rates apply to ages 5–15.9
How to pay. Visa and MasterCard are accepted at TANAPA park gates; TANAPA also lists mobile money (M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money) and payment through its online reservation system.10
Payment system. TANAPA fees are paid through the Government Electronic Payment Gateway (GePG).11
VAT. TANAPA's tariff page says all fees are inclusive of 18% VAT where applicable (the per-row tariff data does not mark VAT).12
Selous Game Reserve (TAWA). The remaining Selous Game Reserve is managed by the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), which publishes its own entry fee per person per 24 h.13
Child and adult ages. The child fare is for ages 5-11 and the adult fare for 12 and over. Azam says children under 5 cannot be booked.18
Pay in US dollars. Foreign passengers pay in USD; pounds sterling and euros are also accepted, other currencies are not.19
Bring your passport. Foreign passengers must carry their passport when travelling between Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.20
Luggage allowance. 25 kg per person; extra luggage is charged.21
Missed sailings and cancellation. No refunds for missed dates or times. To cancel, tell the office at least 2 hours before departure. Online bookings are confirmed only once paid.22
Where to buy tickets. At Azam offices in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar or Pemba, or from approved travel agents. Don't buy from people in the street claiming to be agents. Non-residents can also book online from azammarine.com.23
Checked 3 November 2026 on Azam Marine & Kilimanjaro Fast Ferries.
When to go
When to go
A typical year, not a forecast. The rains move a few weeks either way.
Rain rows follow the Tanzania Meteorological Authority’s seasons for Zanzibar. Crowd levels are the usual pattern of European and local holidays.
Questions people ask
Is a 2-day safari from Zanzibar worth it over a day trip?
If you fly, yes: you get a full-day game drive plus a morning boat safari or walk, for the same two short flights as a day trip. You also see the park in the late afternoon and early morning, when the day trip is already gone or not yet there.
2 days or 3 days?
By plane, two days covers a game drive and a boat safari; a third day adds a second full game drive. By ferry and road, choose three days, because most of the first and last day is travel.
How long does the ferry and road version take?
The ferry from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam takes about two hours, then the drive to Nyerere takes about 4–6 hours depending on traffic. Mikumi trips often take the SGR train from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro (about 1 h 45 min) and drive from there.
How much luggage can I take?
On small planes, very little: Coastal Aviation allows 15 kg per person including hand luggage and recommends soft bags, Auric Air allows 20 kg. Leave your main bag at your Zanzibar hotel. The Azam ferry allows 25 kg per person.
Are park fees included?
On most 2–3 day listings, yes. Some lodges charge a small tourism levy and village tax per person per night, paid at check-in, and a lodge inside Mikumi adds TANAPA's per-night concession fee. Read the exclusions.
Can I do the Serengeti in 2 days from Zanzibar?
Only by plane, and the scheduled flights take about 3.5–4 hours each way with stops, so two days leaves little time in the park. See our Serengeti page for fly-in options.
When should I avoid a 2–3 day safari?
The long rains, about March to May. Scheduled flights to Nyerere stop from mid-March to the end of May, and some operators reroute trips by road through Dar es Salaam in that period.
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “"Park":"Mikumi National Park","Category":"Entrance","RevenueCode":"REV0001","ProductName":"Entrance Adults (NR)","Season":"ALL","FromDate":"2026-07-01","ToDate":"2027-06-30","Currency":"TZS","Amount":76650,"createdAt":"2026-07-26” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “"Park":"Mikumi National Park","Category":"Entrance","RevenueCode":"REV0002","ProductName":"Entrance Children 5 - 15 Years (NR)","Season":"ALL","FromDate":"2026-07-01","ToDate":"2027-06-30","Currency":"TZS","Amount":25550,"createdAt":"2026-07-26” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “"Park":"Nyerere National Park","Category":"Entrance","RevenueCode":"REV0001","ProductName":"Entrance Adults (NR)","Season":"ENTRY HIGH","FromDate":"2026-05-16","ToDate":"2027-03-14","Currency":"TZS","Amount":178850,"createdAt":"2026-07-26” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “"Park":"Nyerere National Park","Category":"Entrance","RevenueCode":"REV0002","ProductName":"Entrance Children 5 - 15 Years (NR)","Season":"ALL","FromDate":"2026-07-01","ToDate":"2027-06-30","Currency":"TZS","Amount":51100,"createdAt":"2026-07-26” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “"Park":"Mikumi National Park","Category":"Concession","RevenueCode":"REV0305","ProductName":"Concession Fee Adult (NR)","Season":"ALL","FromDate":"2026-07-01","ToDate":"2027-06-30","Currency":"TZS","Amount":63875,"createdAt":"2026-07-26” (checked 3 November 2026)
tawa.go.tz — “(i) SELOUS, IKORONGO, GRUMETI AND MASWA GAME RESERVES Age group Fee per person per day Citizen (Tanzanian Shillings) For 24 Hours Non citizen (USDollars) For24 Hours (a)Aged 18 years and Above 5,000.00 50.00 (b)Aged 5-17 years 3,000.00 30.00 (c)Aged below 5 years” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “Carved from the northern sector of the Selous Game Reserve, Nyerere National Park protects a colossal landscape of rivers, wetlands, open plains and woodlands.” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “Conservation fees are valid for 24 hours from time of entry” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “Children under 5 years of age enter FREE of charge” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “Visa, MasterCard accepted at park gates” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “Payments are made using Government Electronic Payment Gateway (GePG)” (checked 3 November 2026)
tanzaniaparks.go.tz — “All fees are inclusive of 18% VAT where applicable” (checked 3 November 2026)
tawa.go.tz — “(i) SELOUS, IKORONGO, GRUMETI AND MASWA GAME RESERVES Age group Fee per person per day Citizen (Tanzanian Shillings) For 24 Hours Non citizen (USDollars) For24 Hours (a)Aged 18 years and Above 5,000.00 50.00” (checked 3 November 2026)
azammarine.com — “For our rates, children are considered to be between 5 and 11 years of age, while adult rates are for passengers aged 12 and above. We kindly inform you that children under 5 years of age are not eligible for ticket bookings.” (checked 3 November 2026)
azammarine.com — “Foreign passengers are required to pay for their tickets in United States Dollars (USD$). We do however accept payments in UK Pound Sterling (Stg) and Euro (€). All other currencies are not acceptable.” (checked 3 November 2026)
azammarine.com — “All foreign passengers (none Tanzanian citizens) are required to carry their passports when traveling between the islands of Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.” (checked 3 November 2026)
azammarine.com — “Permitted Luggage is 25 Kg per person. Any extra luggage will be charged.” (checked 3 November 2026)
azammarine.com — “No refund policy on missed travel dates or times. In case of cancellation, our office should be informed 2 Hours prior to departure. Online bookings are not considered confirmed until payment has been made” (checked 3 November 2026)
azammarine.com — “We recommend all passengers buy their tickets from our offices in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, or Pemba and from our approved travel agents throughout the country. Please do not buy tickets from people in the streets claiming to be our agents.” (checked 3 November 2026)
getyourguide.com — 2-day, 1-night Nyerere by plane: full-day game drive, banda bungalow full board, 2 h Rufiji boat option, tourism levy and village tax paid at check-in
getyourguide.com — 2-day Nyerere: 07:30 flight, lodge ≈ 17:00–18:00, 07:00 boat safari, 10:00 flight back (or 16:00 with an extra activity)
getyourguide.com — 3-day Nyerere by ferry: Dar es Salaam to the park 4–6 h by road, April–June rerouting via Dar
getyourguide.com — 3-day Nyerere by ferry: ferry ≈ 2 h, drive ≈ 4–5 h, afternoon boat safari on arrival
