Short Itinerary

Day 1 - (Dec 10, 2023) Arusha to Lake Manyara. Game drives at Lake Manyara
Day 2 - (Dec 11, 2023) Transfer to Central Serengeti. Afternoon game drives in Central Serengeti
Day 3 - (Dec 12, 2023) Morning game drives in Central Serengeti and transfer to Western Serengeti for afternoon game drives
Day 4 - (Dec 13, 2023) Western Serengeti - full day game drives
Day 5 - (Dec 14, 2023) Morning game drives in Western Serengeti and transfer to Central Serengeti for afternoon game drives
Day 6 - (Dec 15, 2023) Morning game drives in Central Serengeti and transfer to Ngorongoro/Karatu
Day 7 - (Dec 16, 2023) Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) and transfer to Arusha

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Safari tour prices vary depending on the starting date, your group size, and the choice of stay.

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Itinerary

Day 1 - Arusha to Lake Manyara

Pick up at 8:30 AM from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. As you enter the national park, lush forests of Acacia and Mahogany trees begin to set the mood for what is waiting ahead. The game drive will go on till evening with a small break for picnic lunch. During the game drive watch out for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, baboons and the blue monkeys. Another spectacle of Lake Manyara National park is the tree climbing lions, however spotting them is a game of luck. In the right season, you can see the shoreline turning pink with millions of flamingos flocking there. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.

Day 2 - Lake Manyara to Central Serengeti

After breakfast we head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, we descend into the heart of wild Africa - the Serengeti National Park - with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti's species. We arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park.

Day 3 - Central Serengeti to Western Serengeti

You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and depart to Western Serengeti with packed lunch. You will explore the central portion of the Serengeti National Park today and move towards the western part of the park. During May/June wildebeest herds are spread around the western corridor of Serengeti(consisting of Grumeti, Kirariwa regions), on their way from their birthing grounds in Ndutu (Southern Serengeti) to their breeding grounds in the Mara region (North Serengeti). The en route game drive towards the Grumeti region will also offer mild action from the resident game. The western region offers a variety of resident game such as zebras, hippo, gazelle, elands, topi, buffaloes, leopards, lions, black and white colobus monkeys. A picnic lunch will be done during the day-long drive itself. Based on the time of your arrival you will be able to spend a few hours by the Grumeti river which attracts thousands of mammals. Buffalo and hippopotamus rarely stray far from water and are also home to Nile crocodiles. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 4 - Western Serengeti

You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for full day game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart on an afternoon game drive with packed lunch. In the months between May to mid-June, the migration might be found in this region. Fierce, deep and heavily rain fed the river takes an enormous toll on the migrating wildebeest. Watching the wildebeest surging through the torrential flow, some drowning and a few falling preys to lurking crocodiles is an unforgettable sight. If it’s your lucky day you will be able to witness this natural wonder and watch nature take its course. During the full day game drive, you will have a stop where you can have your picnic lunch. The day comes to an end with a tasty dinner and a good rest in your accommodation.

Day 5 - Western Serengeti to Central Serengeti

You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart to Central Serengeti with packed lunch. The 3 Hr drive to the center will offer the mild en route game. The central portion of the Serengeti - known as the Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. As you make your way into the Seronera region, you will begin to notice the hilly and broken terrain altering into plain grasslands. In Seronera one must really look out for the many lion prides that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion pride provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. A picnic lunch will be done during the day-long drive itself. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 6 - Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro

After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park. Later depart for Ngorongoro Crater Rim with picnic lunch. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest collapsed volcanic crater in the world and fourteen kilometers of isolated natural beauty. Ngorongoro Crater is surrounded by a ring of extinct volcanoes and the floor, dotted with watering holes, shelters some 30,000 animals. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 7 - Ngorongoro crater tour (5 hours) to Arusha

On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast you will make an early descend at around 6:30 AM into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq km with a depth of over 2000 feet. The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is definitely recommended. The African elephant, buffalo, Black rhino, Hippos, Hyenas, Cheetahs, and Lions are found in plenty. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascent to the top exit of the crater. This is the last leg of your safari, with a 4hr drive left to Arusha. You will be dropped off to your preferred location in Arusha by 6:00 PM in the evening.

Stay Locations

Maps

Pre & Post Tour Hotels

Arusha is the base for safari tours in North Tanzania. If you need accommodation in Arusha before/after your safari tour you can check some popular hotel prices on bed and breakfast basis below.

Single room:

• Crest Safari Lodge - USD 47
• Kutoka Lodge - USD 64
• Karama lodge - USD 113
• The African Tulip - USD 149
• Four Points by Sheraton, Arusha - Traditional queen room - USD 205
• Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 375

Double sharing room:

• Crest Safari Lodge - USD 29
• Kutoka Lodge - USD 46
• Karama lodge - USD 76
• The African Tulip - USD 112
• Four Points by Sheraton, Arusha - Traditional queen room - USD 120
• Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 250

Triple sharing room:

• Crest Safari Lodge - USD 29
• Kutoka Lodge - USD 40
• Karama lodge - USD 73
• The African Tulip - USD 93
• Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 188

All of the above prices are on per person per night on bed and breakfast basis. More hotel options can be shared upon request

Addons

Add-on tours in Serengeti
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
Rhino Tracking: USD 110 per person
Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Information on Serengeti Add-on tours

Add-on tours in Ngorongoro
Masai Village Tour: USD 25 per person
Olduvai Gorge museum visit: USD 35 per person
Ngorongoro Crater Rim Hike: USD 35 per person
Information on Ngorongoro Add-on tours

Add-on tours in Lake Manyara
Canoeing in Lake Manyara: USD 74 per person
Night Game drives in Lake Manyara NP: USD 114 per person
Treetop Walkway: USD 54 per person
Information on Lake Manyara Add-on tours

Add-on tours in Karatu
Coffee Plantation Tour: USD 20 per person
Iraqw Village Tour: USD 25 per person
Endoro Falls & Elephant Caves visit: USD 35 per person
Information on Karatu Add-on tours

Transfers

This tour starts from Arusha. Kilimanjaro airport is the nearest international airport and Arusha airport is the nearest domestic airport. Please check our page on how to get to Arusha

Airport Pickup/Drop
Pickup or drop off at Arusha airport on the day of safari: No extra charge
Pickup or drop off at Kilimanjaro airport on the day of safari: USD 30 per vehicle

Airport to Hotel transfers
Transfer from Arusha airport to Arusha hotel or vice versa: USD 25 per vehicle
Transfer from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha hotel or vice versa: USD 50 per vehicle

InterCity transfers
Transfer from Moshi to Arusha or vice versa: USD 100 per vehicle
Transfer from Nairobi to Arusha or vice versa: USD 275 per vehicle

Flights

We do not book International Flights.
We can book local flights based on availability. Below are indicative additional costs for local flights.

Intercity Flights
From Zanzibar to Arusha: From USD 100 per person (Morning flight)
From Dar es salaam to Arusha: From USD 90 per person (Morning flight)
From Arusha to Zanzibar: From USD 170 per person (Late Afternoon flight)
From Arusha to Dar es salaam: From USD 110 per person (Late Afternoon flight)

**
This tour starts & ends at Arusha with road transfers between all locations. Central Serengeti is the farthest location you will be visiting in this tour and it is 7 hours from Arusha, each way. You can check about driving and flying to Serengeti here. To save drive time, you can directly fly into Central Serengeti where your safari vehicle with guide will be waiting to directly start the safari and cover other parks over the next few days making your way to Arusha by road on the last day. We will reroute the itinerary such that you cover all the parks included in the original itinerary with the same choice of accommodations & same number of nights as included in the original itinerary. This is called a Fly-in Safari

We can also reroute the itinerary such that you start with driving from Arusha on day 1 and cover other parks before you drive to Serengeti. We end the safari tour at Central Serengeti on the last day from where you can fly out to Ausha (or other cities). We will reroute the itinerary such that you cover all the parks included in the original itinerary with the same choice of accommodations & same number of nights as included in the original itinerary. This is called a Fly-out Safari.

Fly Into Serengeti
From Arusha to Central Serengeti: From USD 310 per person
From Zanzibar to Central Serengeti: From USD 370 per person
From Dar es Salaam to Central Serengeti: From USD 370 per person

Fly out of Serengeti
From Central Serengeti to Arusha: From USD 200 per person
From Central Serengeti to Zanzibar: From USD 420 per person
From Central Serengeti to Dar es salaam: From USD 420 per person

Note 1: Rates mentioned above are indicative and subject to change based on airlines and party(group) size
Note 2: In the Fly into Serengeti rates mentioned above, in addition to airfare, above rates also include cost to send the safari landcruiser with guide a day in advance to Serengeti, in time for your arrival & additional park fees that results due to rerouting of itinerary.
Note 3: Flights into Serengeti land at around 10:30 AM and game drives can start soon after landing while flights out of Serengeti depart around 11:00 AM and game drives can be done till about 45 min before flight departure.

Meals

Day 1 - Lunch & Dinner
Day 2 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7 - Breakfast & Lunch

Drive Times

Day 1 - Arusha to Lake Manyara takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (114 km)
Day 2 - Lake Manyara to Central Serengeti takes about 4 to 4.5 hours (192 km)
Day 3 - Central Serengeti to Western Serengeti takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (72 km)
Day 5 - Western Serengeti to Central Serengeti takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (72 km)
Day 6 - Central Serengeti to NCA takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (151 km)
Day 7 - NCA to Arusha takes about 4 to 4.5 hours (154 km)

Note: These are estimated drive times. Because of the traffic, location of the accommodations, and several other factors, actual drive times may vary. Driving distances are approximate and do not account for exact places.

Inclusions

• Park Fees (for Non-Residents).

• Concession/ Camping Fees.

• Daily game drives while on Safari.

• A professional driver/ guide.

• 4x4 Land Cruiser.

• All Taxes and VAT.

• Meals as per itinerary.

• Drinking water while on safari (2 litres per person per day).

Exclusions

• International flights.

• Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).

• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (Unless mentioned otherwise).

• Tips.

• Personal Items (Souvenirs, Travel Insurance, Visa Fees, etc.).

• Government imposed increase of Taxes and or Park Fees.

• Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.