Short Itinerary

Day 1 (Dec 01, 2023) - Arusha to Tarangire. Game drives at Tarangire
Day 2 (Dec 02, 2023) - Tarangire full day game drives
Day 3 (Dec 03, 2023) - Transfer to Lake Manyara for game drives
Day 4 (Dec 04, 2023) - Transfer to Lake Natron (Bird Watching/ Flamingo Walk)
Day 5 (Dec 05, 2023) - Optional short hike to Ngare sero waterfalls and proceed to Central Serengeti with short enroute game drives in Serengeti
Day 6 (Dec 06, 2023) - Central Serengeti full day game drives
Day 7 (Dec 07, 2023) - Morning game drives in Central Serengeti and transfer to Ngorongoro/Karatu
Day 8 (Dec 08, 2023) - Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) and transfer to Lake Eyasi
Day 9 (Dec 09, 2023) - Lake Eyasi (Hadzabe and Datoga Tribe visit) 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 Tarangire

Pick up at 7:30 AM from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Tarangire National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. Tanzania’s third largest National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.

Day 2 - Tarangire

Your day will begin after breakfast by about 7:00 AM with a full day game drive in Tarangire National Park ahead of you. This park has a diverse landscape and nine different vegetation zones. As you begin your game drive, you will be welcomed by the ancient and gigantic Baobab trees, which make even animals like the giraffe look tiny. The 3,000 Sq Kms park gets its name from the Tarangire river that flows through it. The river attracts a lot of diverse animals and you should be able to spot a lot of elephants, giraffe, lions, antelopes and zebras. If it’s your lucky day, you might be able to spot the tree climbing python and the long necked Gerek. The Tarangire National Park has the highest concentration of elephants, which offers a unique chance for you to observe interactions between elephant families. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you. Have a good night’s sleep for tomorrow's adventure.

Day 3 - Lake Manyara

Pick up at 7:00 AM from your hotel 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 4 - Lake Natron

Your day will begin after breakfast by about 8:00 AM. We depart with packed lunch boxes towards Lake Natron. Located about 3.5 hours drive away from Mto Wa Mbu/Manyara, Lake Natron is a surreal destination and unique natural spectacle. Its waters are highly alkaline and are unusually shallow, averaging just one meter in depth. After checking into your lodge and a short break, put your walking shoes on as a Maasai tribesman takes you on a walk around the shores of Lake Natron on the lookout for birds, especially the lesser flamingos. Lake Natron is the most important and regular breeding site for lesser flamingos in East Africa hosting up to 2 million of them during the breeding season. The majority of egg-laying and hatching takes place from September to January. After the hike, you will head back to your camp/lodge for a well deserved dinner and rest.

Day 5 - Lake Natron to Central Serengeti

Your day starts early. Around 6:00 AM, accompanied by a Maasai guide, enjoy some light hiking to the nearby Ngare Sero waterfalls and relax in the cool spray of water cascading down the rocks of this scenic ravine. Make sure to bring your shoes! We return to accommodation by 8:30 AM and finishing up a good breakfast, will head out towards the Serengeti National Park. This road trip takes through variety of sites: towns and villages, savannah and forest, and you’ll be able to spot animals like antelope, wildebeest and zebra. We enter Serengeti in the afternoon. The Serengeti is arguably the most impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world. You will have an afternoon game drive in the endless plains of the Serengeti for a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles or a pride of lions lounging in the shade. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long game drive itself. The eventful day comes to an end with dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 6 - Central 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. You will explore the central portion of the Serengeti National Park today. The legendary Serengeti National Park is the most renowned safari destination for its incredible population of lions and leopards. The central portion of the Serengeti - known as 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. During the off season of the migration, one must really look out for the many lion pride that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion pride provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. Along with a picnic lunch during the full day game drive, the day will come to a close by around 5PM. The long day comes to an end with a good dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 7 - Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro

After breakfast around 6:30 AM, you will depart with a packed lunch from the camp and have a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park till lunch time. There are several game drive circuits in Central Serengeti and depending on what you have already seen on your safari and your interests, your guide will take you to game drives at one or more of these circuits. You are very likely to see a good number of big cats, especially lions, along with a diverse array of other wildlife. In the afternoon depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Depending on your choice of accommodation, you will be either staying inside Ngorongoro conservation area or exiting from Ngorongoro and staying at a lodge in Karatu. The day comes to an end with a good dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 8 - Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) to Lake Eyasi

On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast you will make an early descent 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 kms 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 ascend to the top exit of the crater. We will drive to our accommodation at Lake Eyasi and relax for the day.
You can also consider a quick visit to the shores of Lake Eyasi in the late afternoon/evening and explore it on a short trek where you can often see a large number of flamingoes and other birds.

Day 9 - Lake Eyasi to Arusha

Around 05:30 am, after a light breakfast, you will depart from the lodge and visit the Hadzabe Bushmen. They are the last remaining hunter gatherers of East Africa who are continuing their way of life with very little changes since 10s of thousands of years. You will participate in their early morning activities including bush trek, hunting, and making a campfire. Other activities that might be done during the day are interacting with the Hadza, participating in their honey gathering, baobab fruit foraging, and experiencing their daily life.

Later in the day, you will drive back to the village to meet the Datoga people, another indigenous tribe found in the area. Datogas are skilled farmers and livestock keepers. Some of them are also craftsmen living independently for over decades forging knives, arrowheads, and jewelry for the greater Datoga tribe and for the Bushmen.

Later on, you will return to your lodge for a hot lunch before driving further to Arusha to reach by around 5:00 PM.

Stay Locations

Day 1 (Dec 01, 2023) - Tarangire (Within the Park) or Tarangire (Outside the Park)
Day 2 (Dec 02, 2023) - Tarangire (Within the Park) or Tarangire (Outside the Park) or Lake Manyara (Within the Park) or Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
Day 3 (Dec 03, 2023) - Lake Manyara (Outside the Park) or Lake Manyara (Within the Park)
Day 4 (Dec 04, 2023) - Lake Natron
Day 5 (Dec 05, 2023) - Central Serengeti
Day 6 (Dec 06, 2023) - Central Serengeti
Day 7 (Dec 07, 2023) - Karatu or NCA
Day 8 (Dec 08, 2023) - Lake Eyasi

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 (Prices are per person).

Single room:

• Kutoka Lodge - USD 64
• Gold Crest Hotel - USD 100
• 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:

• Kutoka Lodge - USD 42
• Gold Crest Hotel - USD 60
• 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:

• Kutoka Lodge - USD 39
• Gold Crest Hotel - USD 50
• 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

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 (Dec 01, 2023) - Lunch & Dinner

Day 2 (Dec 02, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 (Dec 03, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 (Dec 04, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 (Dec 05, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 (Dec 06, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 (Dec 07, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 (Dec 08, 2023) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9 (Dec 09, 2023) - Breakfast & Lunch

Transfer Times

Day 1 (Dec 01, 2023) - Arusha to Tarangire takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (106 km)
Day 2 (Dec 02, 2023) - No transfers
Day 3 (Dec 03, 2023) - Tarangire to Lake Manyara takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (88 km)
Day 4 (Dec 04, 2023) - Lake Manyara to Lake Natron takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (120 km)
Day 5 (Dec 05, 2023) - Lake Natron to Central Serengeti takes about 5.5 to 6 hours
Day 6 (Dec 06, 2023) - No transfers
Day 7 (Dec 07, 2023) - Central Serengeti to NCA takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (151 km)
Day 8 (Dec 08, 2023) - NCA to Lake Eyasi takes about 1 to 1.5 hour (50 km)
Day 9 (Dec 09, 2023) - Lake Eyasi to Arusha takes about 3.5 to 4 hours (195 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

• 4x4 Land Cruiser.

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

• Meals as per itinerary.

• Daily game drives while on Safari.

• A professional English speaking driver/ guide.

• Concession/ Camping Fees.

• Park Fees (for Non-Residents).

• All Taxes and VAT.

Exclusions

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

• Government imposed increase of Taxes and or Park Fees.

• Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).

• Optional activites in Lake Natron.

• Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.

• International flights.

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

• Tips (Tipping guidelines).

Addons

Add-on tours in Serengeti
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
Rhino Tracking: USD 130 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 Tarangire
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Night Game Drives (for clients staying inside): USD 100-200 per person depending on lodge

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