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 (9 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. Malaria tablets, sunscreen and a hat are worth packing, and your guide can advise you about clothing for the days ahead. 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. Tonight's base is a good-value lodge with simple rooms and a communal dining area where you can swap stories with other travellers. Looking ahead to tomorrow: Tarangire National Park game drives.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK GAME DRIVES
Tarangire is best known for its giant baobab trees, some over a thousand years old, and for the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania. Lions here often sleep in the shade of baobabs during the heat of the day, and your guide knows the favoured trees. During the green season the migratory herds scatter across the plains outside the park, and the park becomes lush and quiet. Lions are often found resting in the shade of acacia and baobab trees, leopards are seen in the riverside trees and the park holds more than 500 bird species, including the colourful yellow-collared lovebird and the huge kori bustard. In the green season the animals disperse across the wider ecosystem, but the scenery and the birdlife are at their best. Tree-climbing pythons are sometimes seen in the acacia branches, although they are very well hidden, so your guide looks closely. You sleep in a modest tented camp or guesthouse chosen for its location and value, with meals included.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK GAME DRIVE
Lake Manyara is a compact park between the Rift Valley escarpment and a shallow alkaline lake. During the wet season more than 400 bird species are seen, including pelicans, storks, spoonbills and the large Egyptian geese. The road starts in groundwater forest, where blue monkeys, vervet monkeys and large troops of olive baboons live among mahogany and fig trees, then opens onto grassland and the lake shore. Game drives here are short and varied, so you can fit them in before or after the drive to Karatu or the Ngorongoro highlands. Manyara is known for its large troops of baboons, which sometimes number in the hundreds and are easy to watch from the road. You can also add a canopy walk, a night game drive or a mountain-bike ride through the farms on the escarpment as an optional extra. 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. Blue monkeys and vervet monkeys live in the forest, and troops with young ones are often seen playing on the road. Accommodation tonight is a budget safari lodge, simple and practical, with good food and a quiet place to rest. 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. From June to October the herds move to the northern Serengeti and the Mara River, where the dramatic river crossings take place. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest, Thomson's gazelles and topi graze the plains and hyenas, jackals and cheetahs hunt around them. 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. 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. Spotted hyenas have a large clan population here and are often seen at dusk heading out to hunt, or at their dens with cubs. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and the most animal activity, so most days start with coffee at dawn. Late in the afternoon the light turns golden and the shadows lengthen, which is the best time for portraits of lions and giraffes. The great migration of about 1.5 million wildebeest, with zebra and gazelle, follows the rain in a loop through the ecosystem all year round. 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: 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. Cheetahs use termite mounds and kopjes as lookouts, so your guide scans the low rises for a slim silhouette. The Retima Hippo Pool near Seronera is a short stop where dozens of hippos crowd together, with crocodiles basking on the muddy banks. 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. Spotted hyenas have a large clan population here and are often seen at dusk heading out to hunt, or at their dens with cubs. Hippos and crocodiles line the Seronera and Grumeti rivers, and the birdlife includes ostriches, secretary birds, lilac-breasted rollers and many vultures. You overnight at an economy lodge with tidy en-suite rooms, a restaurant and a friendly, local atmosphere.
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. 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. Spotted hyenas have a large clan population here and are often seen at dusk heading out to hunt, or at their dens with cubs. The park holds more than 500 bird species, from ostriches on the plains to the colourful lilac-breasted roller on every other bush. Large troops of olive baboons and vervet monkeys live around the riverine woodland, and they are lively to watch. Accommodation tonight is a budget safari lodge, simple and practical, with good food and a quiet place to rest. Next on the route: 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. 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. 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. Large troops of olive baboons and vervet monkeys live around the riverine woodland, and they are lively to watch. 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. Black-maned lions are common on the Seronera plains, and prides often rest on the granite kopjes to catch the breeze. 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. Hippos and crocodiles line the Seronera and Grumeti rivers, and the birdlife includes ostriches, secretary birds, lilac-breasted rollers and many vultures. Your night is spent at a basic but well-kept camp with shared facilities, warm bedding and a hearty dinner. Next on the route: 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. Picnic lunch is at the hippo pool, and vehicles are limited to six hours on the crater floor so you must descend early. The crater formed when a giant volcano collapsed some two to three million years ago, leaving a caldera whose walls rise about 600 metres. 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. Flamingos gather on the soda lake, and golden jackals, servals and secretary birds are often found on the grassland. Lions here hunt on the open grassland with little cover, so you can often watch an entire hunt from your vehicle. You rest at a standard budget camp, with a hot shower, a comfortable bed and a hearty dinner after the day outdoors.
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. Your guide hopes that you take home many photographs and stories, and a review on TripAdvisor helps other travellers find us. If you have time before your flight, you can browse the craft markets for Tanzanite jewellery, Makonde carvings and Maasai beadwork. Allow plenty of time for the transfer and for check-in, and your guide will help with your luggage and any last-minute shopping for souvenirs.
Rates Per Person
The Overview tab explains the accommodation and meal options. Send us your dates and group size for an exact price.
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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.