Trip Overview
This adventurous safari covers all five of northern Tanzania’s national parks: Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire, with each one offering something different and special. You will enjoy a great mix of hiking on one of the world’s most famous mountains, game viewing in superb wildlife habitats, cultural interaction with little-known indigenous tribes, and, importantly, relaxation time on the beautiful spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean.
Don’t put it off…Tanzania is waiting for you!
DAY 1: Welcome to Tanzania!
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by a Tansafari-Tours representative who will transfer you to your hotel in Arusha, where you can rest from your travels.
DAY 2: Arusha TOWN – Arusha National Park
Your driver-guide will meet you at your hotel after breakfast, and, from there, you will drive to Arusha National Park, with packed lunches, for the first game viewing of your Tanzanian adventure.
Home to Mount Meru, Africa’s fourth-highest peak, Arusha National Park is a green jewel that offers the opportunity to explore a fascinating diversity of habitats and landscapes within just a few hours. It is the only place on the northern safari circuit where you can easily find the bushy-tailed black-and-white colobus monkey. It is also possible to hike to the waterfalls; if you would be interested in doing this, please let us know ahead of time.
Late afternoon, return to your accommodation in Arusha for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Arusha – Kilimanjaro National Park
This morning you will drive to Kilimanjaro National Park with packed lunches, where you will enjoy 4-5 hours of beautiful hiking with your experienced mountain guide along the first stretch of the Lemosho Route (up to Shira 1 Camp and back). After a great trek, you will head to your accommodation in West Kilimanjaro for dinner and overnight.
DAY 4: Full day in west Kilimanjaro
Enjoy a day of game viewing in West Kilimanjaro Game Reserve. Return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
DAY 5: Kilimanjaro – Lake Manyara
After breakfast, you will head with your driver-guide to Lake Manyara National Park, described by the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.” After lunch, enjoy some game viewing before heading to you accommodation for dinner and overnight.
DAY 6: Lake Manyara National Park
Today you will have a full day of game viewing in Manyara. This small and very beautiful park has a tremendous diversity of habitats. It is also rich in wildlife, with an incredible number of baboons and more than 400 recorded bird species. Two-thirds of the park is taken up by the lake, whose waters are a hippo paradise! The lake’s grassy floodplains are dotted with large herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe. If you are extremely lucky, you might even spot one of Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions!! Late afternoon, you will head to your accommodation in Karatu for dinner and overnight.
DAY 7: KARATU – Lake Eyasi
Today you will enjoy a day of culture with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes of Lake Eyasi.
One of the last true bushman tribes in Africa, the Hadzabe live very much as they always have, despite Tanzania’s rapid development. With only 2,000 members, the Hadzabe are a fascinating people who offer us a window into Tanzanian life in the past.
You will join the bushmen on a hunt, accompany the Hadzabe women on their search for wild tubers, baobab fruit, and berries, and have a go at using the bow and arrow.
The Datoga, in contrast, are pastoralists, moving from place to place to find good pasture for their animals. They are also blacksmiths and are known for their skill in making arrows, knives, and bracelets.
After a great day of tribal culture, you will visit some nearby onion fields before heading back to your accommodation in Karatu.
DAY 8: Karatu- Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, you will proceed to the Serengeti National Park’s Naabi Hill Gate – the entry point for this spectacular wildlife habitat. While your driver-guide takes care of the administrative details, stretch your legs with a walk to the small lookout point and admire the beautiful views. After, enjoy your first game viewing as you slowly make your way to your Serengeti accommodation.
DAY 9: Full day in the Serengeti
Enjoy your first full day of game viewing in the Serengeti, with packed lunches. In the Maasai language, “seringit” means “endless plains” and you will soon understand why! The Serengeti National Park stretches over 15,000 square kilometers (approximately 5,790 square miles) and is unparalleled in natural beauty and wilderness. Before sunset, return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10: Full day in the Serengeti
Today you will spend another entire day game viewing in the Serengeti. The Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when approximately 1.5 million wildebeest move en-masse throughout the Serengeti and Maasai Mara ecosystems, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles (and their hungry predators!), making a total of over two million migrating animals. Your guide will do his utmost to ensure you have the best experience possible according to the time of year you are traveling. Early evening, proceed to your accommodation, where you can sip a sundowner, enjoy the sounds of the bush, and review the day’s excitement.
DAY 11: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater
Rise and shine! This morning we will depart early and head straight to Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of the Big Five. The crater is the world’s largest intact caldera, and, before collapsing, was probably once the size of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Your drive up to the crater rim will reward you with spectacular panoramic views that will remain in your memory for years to come. From there, you will descend more than 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) to the crater floor, where you will discover the forest areas, the lake, and the open savanna, where the lions hunt for food. If you’re very lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the elusive black rhino! Enjoy lunch near the hippo pool. Late afternoon, you will leave the crater and head to your accommodation in nearby Karatu for dinner and overnight.
DAY 12: Karatu – Tarangire National Park
This morning after breakfast, you will head to Tarangire National Park. There is no better place to enjoy a peaceful authentic safari atmosphere than in Tarangire. Lesser kudu, eland, gerenuk, and lion – among other wildlife – can be seen in this beautiful park, famous for its huge elephant population and its multitude of majestic baobab trees, some of which are more than 1,000 years old! Late afternoon, after a great day in the wild, you will head to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
DAY 13: full day in Tarangire National Park
Enjoy another full day of game viewing in Tarangire – the last of this safari – seeking out areas of the park not covered yesterday. Head to your accommodation before dark for dinner and overnight.
DAY 14: to Zanzibar Island
After breakfast, you will head back to Arusha, where you will be dropped off at Arusha Airport to catch your flight to Zanzibar. Upon arrival on the famous “Spice Island,” you will be met by a Tansafari-Tours representative, who will transfer you to your beach hotel and brief you about your program for the next few days.
DAY 15: Day at Leisure
Enjoy a full day with no pre-planned activities. Swim in the ocean or pool, relax on a sunbed with a good book, take a walk along the beach looking for shells, or, if relaxing is not for you, take advantage of one of the many optional activities available: snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming with the dolphins, a sunset dhow cruise, or a guided tour through Jozani Forest, to name but a few!
DAY 16: Historic stone town & spice tour
Today you will enjoy a private guided tour of historic Stone Town, including a visit to the former slave market and other interesting sites. Stone Town is famous for its winding alleys, grand architecture, bustling bazaars, former sultans’ palaces, mosques, and old merchants’ houses with their remarkably ornate doors. You will also have time to stroll through the narrow, shady streets and visit the small shops.
Last but not least, you will complete your visit with a fabulous spice tour, during which your senses will come alive!! Nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, cocoa, carambola (star fruit), jackfruit, and durian are just a few of the spices and fruits that you will learn about during the tour! You won’t just see…you will also touch, smell, and taste. Afterward, you will be driven back to your beach hotel just in time to watch the gorgeous sunset over the Indian Ocean while sipping a delicious cocktail!
DAY 17: Day at leisure
Take advantage of this last day in Paradise to do as you wish. Take a walk along the beach, enjoy a swim in the ocean or pool, read your book under the palm trees, or choose any one of the many optional activities available.
DAY 18: farewell Tanzania!
Enjoy your last hours in tropical paradise before flying out. The warm turquoise waters are beckoning for one last swim, and the endless stretch of beach is reaching out to you for one more walk to find that perfect shell that will become a cherished memento of your Tanzanian holiday. Your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you back to the airport in time for your return journey home or other onward destination.
The above itinerary can be customized according to your wishes.
One of our safari experts will get back to you within 24 hours.
