TANZANIA: THE SAVANNAH & BEYOND

10 days from Arusha to Arusha

Day 1 Arrive in Arusha, Tanzania

Welcome to Africa! Check in to your hotel and prepare for your safari experience!

Day 2 Arusha–Tarangire National Park

Today, drive south to TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, where the savannah grasslands are dotted with baobab and acacia trees. Enjoy a GAME DRIVE en route to your lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3 Tarangire

Today features MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES. Due to the Tarangire River, the park has a permanent water source, which makes for great game viewing year round. This is highlighted by a large population of elephants. You can also see wildebeest, eland, zebra, and Cape buffalo congregate around water holes. Enjoy time to relax at your lodge during the middle of the day. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4 Tarangire–Mto wa Mbu-Lake Manyara

One last GAME DRIVE in Tarangire before heading to the village of Mto wa Mbu. Here, a local guide who grew up in the village will take you on a WALKING TOUR for an up-close view of daily life. Along the way you will visit a LOCAL HOME, FARM, and a SCHOOL. You will also walk through the COLORFUL LOCAL MARKET. After lunch at your lodge, continue on to LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK, located at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. This small park is ecologically diverse, with groundwater forests, grassy plains, and the alkaline Lake Manyara itself. Here you will enjoy a GAME DRIVE and have the chance to see elephant, giraffe, zebra, and Cape buffalo. The park is also home to world’s largest concentration of baboons. Continue on to your lodge for the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5 Lake Manyara–Serengeti National Park

Today, drive to SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, Tanzania’s largest and most famous park. Home to the annual wildebeest migration, it attracts visitors from around the world and is great for game viewing year round. Enjoy lunch at your lodge before an afternoon GAME DRIVE. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Days 6-7 Serengeti

Enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES both days. The Serengeti is home to all of the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, elephant, and rhino. The park is also home to myriad other animals, including cheetah, giraffe, gazelle, and eland. On one of your morning game drives a BUSH BREAKFAST has been arranged for you. Sip on a mimosa as you savor every moment of this memorable experience. (B,L,D daily)

Day 8 Serengeti–Olduvai Gorge–Ngorongoro Crater

This morning, say goodbye to the Serengeti with a GAME DRIVE. Then, visit OLDUVAI GORGE, commonly referred to as the “Cradle of Mankind.” Part of the Great Rift Valley, this 30-mile-long, steep-sided ravine is where the Leakeys made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries, including the remains of several early hominids and fossilized hominid footprints estimated to be around 3.7 million years old. Also visit a LOCAL MAASAI VILLAGE. Here you will learn more about this semi-nomadic tribe, famous for herding cattle and their distinctive red clothing. Continue on to the rim of NGORONGORO CRATER, which is part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9 Ngorongoro

Descend into the crater for a full-day GAME DRIVE, including a picnic lunch. Ngorongoro Crater is technically a caldera—the world’s largest unflooded, in fact, at over 2,000 feet deep with a floor covering over 102 square miles. Game viewing here is fantastic, as most of the animals stay in this area year round. You can see lion, Cape buffalo, hippo, elephant, and flamingo. This is also your best chance to see the rare black rhinoceros. Views from the rim are stunning, especially at sunrise and sunset! (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10 Ngorongoro–Arusha–Homebound Flight

This morning, travel back to Arusha, where your tour ends with lunch. We have secured a day room for you at the Mount Meru Hotel, before a transfer to the airport for your late-evening flight. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Included features

Tarangire National Park 

Four game drives

Lake Manyara National Park 

Game drive

Serengeti National Park 

Six game drives; bush breakfast

Olduvai Gorge 

Visit the archaeological site and museum

Ngorongoro Crater 

Full-day game drive; visit a Maasai village



Notes:

• All game viewing is done at your own risk. We will require a signed liability waiver prior to travel.
• Check with your travel agent or physician regarding the latest health requirements for travel to Tanzania. This may require inoculations prior to travel and/or taking anti-malaria pills.
• We do not recommend this vacation to people with serious back problems, as it can be quite rough on some East Africa roads and game park trails.
• Due to limited capacity on safari vehicles and flights, your suitcase must be soft-sided and cannot exceed 33 lbs.
• Some minor changes in your daily itinerary may be expected due to wildlife migrations and viewing.

Accomodation

Meals

American breakfast daily, 9 lunches, 8 dinners

SUPERIOR HOTELS - (D) Deluxe (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class

ARUSHA Mount Meru Hotel (F), TARANGIRE Tarangire Sopa Lodge (F), LAKE MANYARA Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (F), SERENGETI Serengeti Sopa Lodge (SF), NGORONGORO CRATER Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (F). 

Dates & Prices

Popular Departure - due to itinerary and time of year, this departure historically sells out quickly. Early booking is encouraged.