Welcome to Tanzania! On arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport you will proceed through customs and immigration (Visa on Arrival Fee: $100 USD per person - payable in US dollars - Cash). After clearing customs you will be met in the arrivals hall by our local representative (he will be holding a sign with your name on it) and transferred to your accommodations in Arusha (approximately 1 hour driving distance).

Arusha

Arusha is the gateway to Tanzania's northern circuit, serving as a base for Kilimanjaro treks and wildlife safaris into Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Transport hub aside, Arusha even offers its own opportunities for exploration, including day trips to Arusha National Park, canoeing tours on Momella Lake and Meru coffee plantation visits. For those looking to just rest and recover from jet lag, Arusha also features the perfect stop to relax and recharge, before continuing your African adventure!

Enjoy a leisurely morning, then transfer to Arusha National Park for an introductory game drive.

Lake Momella Canoeing Excursion

Today you will enjoy a guided canoe trip on Lake Momella.

In the north east part of Arusha National Park, lies the area known as the Momella Lakes. Fringed by green hills, seven lakes nestle in valleys and depressions, punctuating the post-volcanic landscape. Their sodium rich contents and the formation of algae, make the lakes alkaline, especially the big Momella Lake and Lake Reshateni - therefore all year round they are a favorable feeding and resting areas for flamingos. Have your camera ready throughout the tour, for many beautiful photo opportunities.

Entrance to Tarangire National Park & Game Drive

This morning, you will be met by your private guide to embark on your safari expedition! From Arusha, you will be taken on a 3 hour drive to the legendary Tarangire National Park. Your first game drive begins upon entering the park. The sincere thrill of your initial wildlife encounter, will ignite an excitement that you will crave no matter how many safaris you have experienced! Continue game driving the rest of the way to your camp, where you will have time to rest before your next safari activity this afternoon. (This service is on a private basis.)

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is one of the most diverse National Parks in Tanzania. Covering a promising area of 1,360 sq km, Tarangire is situated in the northwestern corner of Tanzania’s Masai Steppe, east of The Great Rift Valley. This region boasts large herds of elephant and buffalo, in addition to an impressive concentration of big cats. Featuring over 500 different species, Tarangire also offers the best bird diversity in East Africa. The rugged landscape offers a unique safari backdrop, that blends seamlessly between rolling grasslands, messy swamps and forests of baobab trees.

Tarangire National Park Game Drive

Enjoy a full day of game driving in the Tarangire National Park. With endless species roaming the area, it shouldn't be hard for your expert guide to lead you towards the action. Whether you encounter an entire herd, or a lone traveler, the thrill of observing the wildlife in their natural habitat is magical. Embrace each sighting and enjoy it to the fullest...you never know what the day may have in store for you!

Maasai Cultural Experience en route to Lake Manyara

Continue onto a small village near the shores of Lake Manyara for Maasai lands and life experience. Activities around the village abound! You can visit traditional huts, take part in activities like goat herding, spear throwing, jumping/dancing, jewelry beadwork, spotting birds on a short walking safari, and learning from a villager the history and culture of these fascinating people.

Lake Manyara Game Drive

Continue your journey onward. You will make your way to Lake Manyara, entering through the southern entrance, the Iyambi Gate. This route will reward you with an incredible game drive experience from the south to the north end of Lake Manyara, exiting through the Main Gate. This National Park is famed for the bird life around the soda lake, flamingos in particular, and is home to unusual tree-climbing lions. By late afternoon, your drive will continue to Lake Eyasi for your overnight stay.

Lake Eyasi

Lake Eyasi is a scenic region located along the Rift Valley escarpment, south of the Ngorongoro Crater. Due to limited fresh water resources, the region does not attract large game populations. Eyasi instead attracts those looking to get off the beaten track who desire a unique cultural interaction experience. Here you have the opportunity to immerse yourself into the daily lives of the indigenous Hadzabe bushman and the nomadic Datoga tribe. In fact this is the only place in Africa where you can go hunting with these Hadzabe, the last known tribe that lives by hunting and gathering honey and fruit.

Hadzabe & Datoga Tribal Immersion

Today, you are in for an amazing cultural experience with the local tribes of Lake Eyasi. A very early morning of traditional hunting ensures you are learning ancient customs firsthand. You are able to interact with the Hadzabe people and join in the thrill of the hunting of small mammals and preparing them to cook. You will also meet with the Datoga tribe blacksmiths to discuss their craft and interact with the local communities.

Iraqw Village Walk

Enjoy a short drive to Karatu and a leisurely walking safari through farms and villages on the rift valley escarpment. You will discover the farming, irrigation and local cattle-husbandry techniques, visit houses and, if you want, sample the local cuisine of the Iraqw tribe.

You can also experience traditional wood-fired brick making, local musicians, and generally gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyle of the people who live here. In the afternoon, visit the nearby village market or relax at Endoro Lodge.

Crater Highlands

The Crater Highlands features an idyllic stopping point, on the journey from Tarangire and Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. This rural region is known for its lovely farmhouse lodges, vast landscapes, flourishing coffee plantations, working farms and local ethnic communities. Through a variety of cultural activities on offer in the area, you are invited to immerse yourself in the rhythms and beauty of rural farm life and the pristine surrounding nature.

Ngorongoro Crater Floor Game Drive

This morning you’ll descend into the Ngorongoro Crater floor for game driving and exploration. Ngorongoro was a huge active volcano, probably larger than Kilimanjaro when the volcano erupted some 8 million years ago. Its cone collapsed leaving a crater or more appropriately a “caldera” 600m deep, 16km across and 265 sq km in area.

Many of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhino can be seen grazing on the open grassland of the crater floor surrounded by some of the 20,000 large animals that occupy the crater, including lion, cheetah, eland, zebra and gazelle. Flamingo, among other bird species can often be seen feeding at Makat Soda Lake.

Game Drive to Central Serengeti

Today, you will leave behind the greater Ngorongoro Conservation area, and continue your safari into the Central Serengeti. This region is home year round to an abundance of wildlife, which you will have the chance to experience away from the crowds. This is Africa, all to yourself! From December to March, the Central Serengeti is iconically known to catch a glimpse of the Great Migration.

During your stay, you may also be interested in visiting the historic Olduvai Gorge and Museum. You can learn about the archaeological attractions and visit the fascinating museum, to understand where early human tools and fossils were first discovered, including "Lucy." These incredible documents of our evolutionary history is unique to this area.

Central Serengeti

Situated in the heart of Tanzania, the Central Serengeti encompasses the world-famous Seronera Valley which is known for its prime wildlife-viewing opportunities. This picture-perfect landscape is characterized by endless stretches of savannah-covered open plains interspersed by rocky outcrops of granite and scattered with acacia woodlands and covered in a network of rivers and streams. The Central Serengeti forms part of the great wildebeest and zebra migration and provides an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife such as giraffe, impala, waterbuck, hippo, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, serval and much more. Popular activities include: game viewing, cultural tours, horse riding safaris, and hot air ballooning over the spectacularly scenic terrain.

Serengeti Game Drive

Today you'll game drive to the Northern Serengeti.

The Serengeti National Park is probably the best place on the planet to spot large game. Your three days here will be spent on different game drives searching for prides of lions, cheetah, leopard and much more. In the evening you’ll return to your beautiful tented camp for stories and dinner.

Northern Serengeti

The Northern corridor of the Serengeti remains serene and quiet due to its relative inaccessibility, requiring extended drive times or alternatively domestic flight. From July through October the Migration is resident in the area and is the finest place to see the Migration's river crossings; as the herds often cross the Mara River daily. Here you'll find a diversity of landscapes - from forested hills, to open savannas and riverine vegetation.

Northern Serengeti Game Drive

Spend the day game driving in the Northern Serengeti. If you're lucky you might even get to see the scores of zebra and wildebeest attempting to cross the Mara River. Spend your morning and afternoon wildlife viewing as the sun rises and falls over the endless plains of the Serengeti.

This morning, bid goodbye to your safari guides as you are transferred to a local airstrip in the National Park.

Here you will board a charter flight to Zanzibar Island.

Arriving in Stone Town, Zanzibar, you will be met locally and transferred to the northern tip of the island.

Zanzibar

Zanzibar is a tropical oasis located just 25 miles off the coast of Tanzania and is the perfect pre or post-safari beach getaway. Both the birthplace of the Swahili language and home to the only ancient East African city that still functions today, this Indian Ocean “spice” island weaves breathtaking sunsets, diverse cultures and beautiful beaches into a uniquely African tapestry.

Enjoy this free time at your leisure.

This morning you will be transferred back across Zanzibar to board your flight to Dar Es Salaam.

Connect here for your international flights home.