Overview
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (5 days)
ARRIVAL IN ARUSHA
You arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and are met by your driver-guide, who takes you on the 45-minute drive to your hotel in Arusha, at the foot of Mount Meru. The city is the safari capital of Tanzania, and your guide can help you with currency, SIM cards and any last-minute purchases. Early to bed is wise, since the game drives start at dawn. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight, or to walk to the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre and the local markets. After check-in your guide gives a full briefing on the route, the park rules, the vehicle and what to expect each day, and you can ask any questions about your safari. The transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport takes about 45 to 60 minutes along a tarmac road, passing farmland and the towns of Usa River. Tonight you stay at a clean, comfortable budget lodge or camp with simple rooms, hot showers and generous home-style meals. Looking ahead to tomorrow: Lake Manyara National Park game drive.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK GAME DRIVE
Lake Manyara is a compact park between the Rift Valley escarpment and a shallow alkaline lake. Elephants here are very relaxed, and families may pass within a few metres of your vehicle without worry. Giraffes, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and elephants are common, hippos wallow in the pools near the lake, and thousands of flamingos and pelicans gather on the shore when water levels allow. The hippo pool near the lake shore is a good place to see hippos out of the water in the early morning or late afternoon. During the wet season more than 400 bird species are seen, including pelicans, storks, spoonbills and the large Egyptian geese. You sleep in a modest tented camp or guesthouse chosen for its location and value, with meals included. Coming up tomorrow: Serengeti National Park game drives.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK GAME DRIVES
The Serengeti covers about 14,750 square kilometres of open plains, kopjes, woodland and rivers, and holds the largest concentration of big cats and plains game in Africa. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest, Thomson's gazelles and topi graze the plains and hyenas, jackals and cheetahs hunt around them. Hippos and crocodiles line the Seronera and Grumeti rivers, and the birdlife includes ostriches, secretary birds, lilac-breasted rollers and many vultures. Late in the afternoon the light turns golden and the shadows lengthen, which is the best time for portraits of lions and giraffes. On a game drive you cross the Seronera valley, the central area known for lions and leopards resting in the sausage trees and on the granite kopjes. From December to March the herds are in the southern plains around Ndutu for the calving season, when tens of thousands of calves are born in a few weeks and predators are everywhere. Your guide uses park radio reports, tracks and years of local knowledge to find the best sightings and takes a picnic lunch in the bush or at a hippo pool. The rains arrive in short bursts in November and again from March to May, and the green plains give excellent backdrops for photographs. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and the most animal activity, so most days start with coffee at dawn. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word siringet, which means the place where the land runs on forever. You overnight at an economy lodge with tidy en-suite rooms, a restaurant and a friendly, local atmosphere. Coming up tomorrow: Ngorongoro Crater descent and game drive.
NGORONGORO CRATER DESCENT AND GAME DRIVE
At dawn you drive down the steep crater road to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world, about 260 square kilometres across and 600 metres deep. You search for black rhinos, one of the best places in Africa to see them, along with lions, spotted hyenas, elephants, buffalo, hippos and huge herds of wildebeest and zebra. Flamingos gather on the soda lake, and golden jackals, servals and secretary birds are often found on the grassland. About 25,000 large animals live on the crater floor, which has no fences, but the steep walls make most of them stay put all year. The descent road is steep and rough, and your driver-guide takes it slowly, so you can enjoy the views over the crater as you go down. Lake Magadi, the soda lake in the middle of the crater, attracts flamingos and the golden jackals that hunt along its shore. The night is at an affordable lodge where the rooms are plain but comfortable and the staff look after you well.
DEPARTURE FROM TANZANIA
After breakfast you check out and your driver-guide takes you to the airport for your flight home, or to your next destination. If you have time before your flight, you can browse the craft markets for Tanzanite jewellery, Makonde carvings and Maasai beadwork. Please check your flight time, and your guide will tell you when to leave based on the traffic, which can be heavy around Arusha. Please let us know if you would like to add a beach stay, a Kilimanjaro climb or a cultural experience to your next trip. We hope you leave with wonderful memories of your safari and look forward to welcoming you back soon.
Rates Per Person
The Overview tab explains the accommodation and meal options. Send us your dates and group size for an exact price.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Serengeti National Park and ends in Lake Manyara National Park.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport or Mwanza Airport is the most common arrival point for this trip.
Transfer Information
We meet you at the airport and handle every transfer between destinations throughout your trip.
Accommodation Before/After
Want an extra night in Arusha, Moshi or Zanzibar before or after your trip? Just ask and we will arrange it.