Day 1: Arusha - Tarangire National Park
Depart from Arusha after breakfast and make your way to Tarangire National Park famous for its wide number of elephants. The sun makes the earth look a rusty red as it rises over the horizon. The grass is brittle in the dry months; you can hear the crunch as animals stumble over the straw. The river keeps its surroundings lush; however, it has withered, as it does when the dry season rolls through, keeping the animals close to the riverbanks and the wildlife active throughout the year. The air is cool, shaded from the afternoon sun.
The baboons are not fussed by the vehicle as they continue on their way, active in the sunlight, foraging for food, rambunctious among the troop, eventually settling down and heading for the river in search of water to quench their thirst. In the late afternoon, as the baboons make their way to the water, you make your way to your accommodation for dinner and overnight. As the sun sets over Tarangire National Park the sky shifts from an open blue, closing to a deep red before merging into black.
- Accommodation: Tloma Mountain Lodge
- Meal plan: Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Drives to the world-famous Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, you collect your lunch box and your journey takes you west and north, your exciting destination being a name familiar to everyone – the Serengeti! Along the way, the sheer scale of the territory and the raw beauty of the landscapes reveal themselves and your driver-guide will help you to spot animals and birds. This is just a preview of things to come, for the Serengeti is home to what is possibly the world’s greatest gathering of wildlife.
After enjoying a picnic lunch, you’ll be eager to pursue some greater wildlife-spotting opportunities in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set in the grasslands, savannahs, woods and mountain scenery, which creature will show itself next? These ‘endless plains’ are home to elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo, and crocodile. The adventure has truly begun. At the end of the afternoon, exhausted and exhilarated, your driver-guide will drive you to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
- Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 3: Full day in the plains of Serengeti National Park
Waking up in the Serengeti is something really special. Sights, sounds, and smells of Africa are all around you, and ahead is a full day of adventure in the world’s most famous national park. After breakfast, you start today with the morning section of the game drive in Serengeti National Park, marveling at the stunning scenery, ever-changing light and always entertaining wildlife, all explained to you by your expert driver-guide. After a picnic lunch, you set off again, searching for wildlife in this awe-inspiring park.
Serengeti’s wonders evolve subtly as the day progresses. The myriad animals and birds are the ‘stars of the show’ and Nature’s dramas can unfold at any time. Of course, the animals don’t work on any schedule, so you may find a lion or leopard, elephant, and zebra, cheetah and antelope at any time on your drives. At the end of the afternoon, you drive back to the comfort of the tented camp.
- Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
- Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Final game drives in the Serengeti and head toward Ngorongoro
A final action in the Serengeti again is something really special. Sights, sounds and smells of Africa are all around you, and ahead is a half-day of adventure in the world’s most famous national park and after your transfer to your hotel in Karatu just outside of Ngorongoro. After breakfast, you start with the morning section of the game drive in Serengeti National Park.
Even after two days, there will be lots of new sights to see. Circling vultures alert everyone to a fresh kill, the birds waiting their turn as the cats dig in. It’s always a special feeling in Serengeti. You will proceed with game drives in these endless plains, until the afternoon, as you find your way out of Serengeti through Ngorongoro to your campsite on the crater rim for dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation: Simba Campsite
- Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 5: Descend to the Ngorongoro Crater
On this day, you will have an early start as you head to the Ngorongoro Crater to explore the most amazing part of your tour. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the few areas in Tanzania where you can find such a breathtaking blend of scenery and wildlife coupled with a fascinating historical and cultural element. The crater is not only the largest unbroken caldera in the world but it is also one of the new seven natural wonders of the world.
After your morning game drive, you will take a break to enjoy your packed lunch at the hippo pool picnic site, and in the late afternoon, you will ascend the crater and drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation: Tloma Mountain Lodge
- Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Experience the cultural experience in Lake Eyasi (the Hadzabe and the Datoga)
This morning, you will be introduced to the extraordinary people who belong to an indigenous tribe known as the ‘Hadzabe’ (hunter-gatherer Bushmen). The tribe inhabits the shores of Lake Eyasi as do the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe.
You will visit these tribes, which will include going hunting with them, visit to their homesteads, and learn about their way of life, animal tracking, and medicinal plants. Also you will visit the blacksmiths who are known for changing the old metals to be useful so you will have the chance to see how they do it. Also, you will have wonderful walks around the lake.
- Accommodation: Tloma Mountain Lodge
- Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 7: Lake Manyara National Park - Arusha
Early in the morning after breakfast, you will depart with a picnic lunch box to Lake Manyara National Park for the game drive. You will enjoy the game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, home to hippos, elephants, flamingos, and the famous tree-climbing lions. In the late afternoon after picnic lunch, you drive back to Arusha to your hotel for a resting and hot shower.
- Meal plan: Breakfast and lunch
