Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar

The below provides an overview of Tauck's requirements and those of the countries we visit, along with our supplier partners who have implemented their own Covid policies that may go beyond Tauck's requirements. The trip-specific guidelines are for U.S. travelers.

Up-to-date destination entry requirements will be posted 60 days prior to the first seasonal departure for each tour or cruise series. For journeys not yet posted below, please visit our Travel Requirements page. As entry requirement change frequently, please check often.

Tauck 2024 Covid Policy

For 2024 tours and cruises, Tauck has no remaining Covid requirements. There is no vaccination requirement or travel pledge to be signed. This 2024 policy could change if there is a surge in infection rates or other factors that could impact the safety of our guests and employees.

Tauck 2023 Covid Policy

• Vaccination Requirement: All Tauck guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated. Additionally, you must have had at least one booster dose and/or have proof of recovery from Covid.
• Requirements for Minors: Though highly recommended, vaccination for minors age 11 and under is not required by Tauck. However, if unvaccinated they must present a negative result from either a PCR or antigen test taken within 3 days of departing for their Tauck trip. If a child age 11 or under is vaccinated but not boosted, they must also present a negative test prior to their Tauck trip.
• Tauck Travel Agreement: Tauck requires all guests to sign our Travel Well Pledge. Your Tauck Director will provide this document for your signature on the first day of your trip, and will check your proof of vaccination and booster/or proof of recovery. Additional information can be found at here.

To ensure the safety of your fellow travelers and the communities we visit, all guests must follow health and safety protocols when necessitated by local health guidance or our supplier partners. Your Tauck Director will keep you informed of these local requirements.

Although not required by Tauck, some countries may require a pre-travel Covid test. It is important that you carefully check the most recent entry requirements (listed below) for your tour or cruise. 

Additional Destination Requirements

Your health and safety remain our number one priority while you are traveling with us on Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar. The below travel requirements are mandated by Tanzania and are applicable to all Tauck guests without exception:

• For all 2023 travel, all Tauck guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated. Additionally, you must have had at least one booster dose and/or have proof of recovery from Covid. Although highly recommended, vaccination for minors age 11 and under is not required by Tauck. However, if unvaccinated they must present a negative result from either a PCR or antigen test taken within 3 days of departing for their Tauck trip. If a child age 11 or under is vaccinated but not boosted, they must also present a negative test prior to their Tauck trip.

For entry into Tanzania

• Travelers to Tanzania may be asked to show proof of full Covid vaccination (14 days since the final shot). Unvaccinated minors must show proof of a negative Covid test (Tauck's testing requirement for unvaccinated minors will also fulfill Tanzania's requirement). Travelers may be subject to random Covid antigen testing.
• US citizens can purchase a Tanzania tourist visa can be purchased upon arrival, or online at https://visa.immigration.go.tz. The cost for single entry is $100 USD per person. 

For return to the United States:

• The US no longer has any specific Covid entry requirements.

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

• Tour Name and Departure Date
• Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Email Address*
  
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
• Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

* Required Fields

Deposits:

Deposits and fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $600 per person

Final Payments:

Final Payment is due to Tauck 60 days before departure for lands trips, and 120 days before departure for cruises and rail journeys. If your deposit was made by credit card, final payment will be automatic unless you opted out at time of booking. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. Failure to make payment will be a considered a cancellation by the guest and all applicable cancellation fees will apply.

Effective for plans purchased as of August 1, 2025:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. It must be purchased within 10 days of your initial deposit. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances: In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

• Trip Cancellation – If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.
  
  
• Trip Interruption – If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.
  
  
• Travel Delay – Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.
  
  
• Medical Expense – Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 
  
  
• Baggage / Personal Effects Protection – Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.

• Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services – Provided by CareFree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $799 per person 

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of August 1, 2025, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL.

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit

Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees.

If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit

Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

60 days or more before departure = $600 per person

59-8 days before departure = $1250 per person

7-1 days before departure = $2000 per person

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note: All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

Click here to find Tauck's Travel Terms & Conditions.

Included in the price of your tour:

All hotel accommodations, special dinners, safari expenses and adventures, local guides, entertainment, land transportation, luggage handling, admission fees, and the services of hotel and restaurant staff, local guides and drivers, and the Tauck Director are included.

All appropriate gratuities for camp staff, guides and drivers are included in the cost of the program.

Transfers: Transportation from Kilimanjaro International Airport to the Tauck hotel is included, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least three weeks prior to the start of your tour. If you do not provide your flight arrival information at least three weeks prior to the tour departure date, or choose to transfer on your own, you are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation to the hotel specified on your itinerary, which currently costs approximately $150 USD per vehicle. If you are delayed, and arrive in Tanzania after the group has left Arusha, you will require a transfer to meet up with the group at the hotel specified on your itinerary. This transfer can be arranged by contacting Kearsleys directly. Please note that this transfer is the responsibility of the guests traveling and, therefore, must be paid directly to Kearsleys at time of transfer. Cost is approximately USD $500 per vehicle. Transportation to and from airports may be shared with other Tauck guests.

On-Tour Flights: One on-tour flight must be purchased through us as part of your tour package.

Not included in the price of your tour:

Gratuities to your Tauck Director are not included.

Airfare: Airfare to and from this destination is not included in the journey cost. If purchasing your air elsewhere, it is very important to provide us with your confirmed arriving and departing flight information no later than 3 weeks before your arrival date. Flight information can be submitted to Tauck (or verified, if you've already provided it) on My Account.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.

Vaccinations:

Some of the countries visited on this itinerary may require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against certain diseases in order to enter the country.  These requirements are subject to frequent change as outbreaks occur and subside in different areas, and it is therefore crucial that you obtain the very latest information on entry requirements as you prepare for your journey.

Information regarding the Yellow Fever Vaccination:

Although Yellow Fever vaccination is not a Tauck requirement, guests are strongly advised to bring proof of vaccination or, if unable to receive the vaccine, a doctor's note explaining the reason. Please be aware that vaccination requirements can change, so staying up to date is essential. If you have been vaccinated, please bring your proof of vaccination, which can usually be obtained from your physician. If you cannot receive the vaccine due to age, medical conditions, or other reasons, please bring a medical exemption letter from your doctor explaining why the vaccine was not administered.

For the most up-to-date vaccination and health information, please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the embassies of the countries you will be visiting. These sources provide details on required vaccinations, recommended immunizations, and other potential health considerations.

We strongly encourage you to consult your personal physician at least four to six weeks prior to departure to review any required or recommended vaccinations, as some require time to become fully effective. Be sure to obtain written proof of any required immunizations and carry this documentation with your travel documents in your carry-on luggage.

Compliance with all vaccination and entry requirements is the responsibility of the traveler. Failure to obtain proper vaccinations or documentation may result in denied entry or quarantine, and Tauck cannot be responsible for any related expenses or travel disruptions.

Mobility on tour:

This safari journey is best suited for guests in good health who are steady on their feet. Walking distances are not extensive, but terrain is often uneven, dusty and navigated in warm weather. You will frequently climb in and out of safari vehicles. On Day 8, travel includes a flight to Arusha aboard a small single- or twin-engine aircraft accommodating approximately 13–18 guests.

Game drives take place in shared safari vehicles with six window seats and pop-up roofs for wildlife viewing. Vehicles are not air-conditioned, and roads are typically unpaved, making for bumpy rides. Seating rotates throughout the journey to ensure a shared experience for all guests. While on safari, you will travel in smaller groups and may also use small bush planes or helicopters. For your safety, it is important to follow the guidance of your Tauck Director, local guides and rangers at all times. Please note that medical facilities in remote safari areas are limited.

Oxygen tanks, wheelchairs & motorized scooters:

This itinerary cannot accommodate oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or motorized scooters.

• Oxygen tanks: Supplemental oxygen is strictly prohibited on many regional flights operated by small aircraft used during this journey.
• Wheelchairs & motorized scooters: Due to limited cargo capacity on small aircraft and safari vehicles, mobility devices cannot be transported.

Infrastructure in remote areas may present significant challenges for guests with mobility limitations. Tauck Directors are responsible for the group as a whole and are unable to provide individualized physical assistance. Guests who require personal assistance must travel with an able-bodied companion who can provide the necessary support.

Dietary requests:

All guests dine at Tauck-designated tables for included meals. While on safari, most meals are served buffet-style, reflecting the international nature of the lodges.

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.