Explore the wilds of the Serengeti, Lake Manyara’s rare tree climbing lions, and meet kaleidoscopic wildlife of Ngorogoro Crater on this safari-packed Tanzania tour.

In the pristine national parks of Tanzania, Mother Nature is at her most raw and powerful. Majestic lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants roam gracefully along ancient grasslands, while red-cloaked Masai warriors tend to their herds and the circle of life unfolds in an endless motion.

Keep your eyes open for baboons and flamingos, spot elusive big cats such as tree-climbing lions and spotted leopards as your explore Manyara National Park. Magical Ngorongoro Crater is one of the natural wonders of the world. With your private guide and vehicle, you’ll explore this incredible biosphere and witness the highest density of both lions and overall predators in Africa. Venture intothe fabled Serengeti to meet larger-than-life wildlife as they roam the endless plains. Track animals you’ve only dreamed of and let your expert guides show you the best that Tanzania has to offer.

Stay in spectacular safari lodes and camps situated for the best game viewing. Enjoy a personalized vacation that best suits your needs, developed by one of our experienced destination experts. Relax during your trip with our 24/7 support and expert local guidance.

DAY 1: ARUSHA

Your private, English-speaking driver will meet you in the public waiting area after passing through baggage claim to transfer you to your hotel.

Prior to departing on your first day of activities, a trip representative will meet you at your hotel (often in the morning) to give you a briefing on the details of your trip.

While you are in the care of Tsavorite Tours, your safety and security are our number one priority. As such, in the unlikely event of serious illness or injury, all Tsavorite Tours clients are covered by “Flying Doctors” Insurance policy. This emergency evacuation insurance covers the cost of the evacuation flight back to Nairobi for treatment.  This insurance policy however DOES NOT cover the cost of any medical treatment received. We highly recommend travel insurance for full coverage.

Accommodation: Mount Meru Hotel

The Mount Meru Hotel lies on 9 acres of lush landscape, surrounded by some of Africa’s most breath-taking vistas. Situated at the foothills of Mount Meru in the city of Arusha, this area is rich with a diverse array of wildlife, etched against the fertile slopes of this beautiful mountain. The Mount Meru Hotel, its management, and its staff members have made every endeavour to ensure that your stay is a rejuvenating and refreshing experience of African hospitality. Tanzanian warmth and kindness is renowned all over the world, and the opportunity to prove this fact much more than mere legend is an exhilarating opportunity to all at this pinnacle of splendor, the Mount Meru Hotel.

DAY 2: ARUSHA – NGORONGORO – MANYARA

Your guide will pick you up in Arusha and drive you to Lake Manyara National park for some game drive before driving you to the impressive Ngorongoro crater.

Lake Manyara National Park, is best known for baboons and tree climbing lions. However your skilled guide will point out the numerous herbivores that make this park their home such as hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs and giraffes. This scenic National park has the wall of the Great Rift Valley on one side, and the lake on the other, making it incredibly beautiful for photography opportunities.

Enjoy a box lunch while you travel (included in tour price).

Stop in and visit the Manyara region which is best known for its baboon population. In addition, this area has many herbivores such as hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs and giraffes. Some lucky visitors have even spotted the rare tree climbing lion here. The giant fig trees and mahogany trees are seen in the groundwater forest immediately around the park gates, which draw nourishment from the underground springs that are replenished continuously from crater highlands directly above the Manyara basin. Afterward, continue on to your next destination.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House

The Ngorongoro Farm House is a small and exclusive lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, only 5 kilometers from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate.  This unique property was built to offer visitors an authentic experience reminiscent of the atmosphere of the old days.  Inaugurated in 2003, this lodge offers various rooms, cottages, and suites, all rustically designed and decorated using local materials and furnishings, all for the purpose of providing each guest an imaginary journey to the life of days gone by.  Meals are served in the main building, or on occasion around the pool, and feature ample selections of locally inspired dishes or popular western fares.  Guests at this lodge can cool off in the pool or enjoy tension soothing massages after game drives.

DAY 3: NGORONGORO

You are provided with a personalized, experienced tracker-guide and private transportation today whilst exploring around the Ngorongoro National Park grounds.

Explore one of the most recognized wildlife conservation areas in Tanzania today.  Depart your camp or lodge in a privately driven vehicle, along with a local expert guide, for an approximately 20 to 30 minute drive towards the Ngorongoro Park Gate.  It will then take you another 20 minutes to reach the crater rim itself.   The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera.  This geological masterpiece was formed as a result of an extremely large volcanic explosion which caused the volcano to collapse in on itself, thus creating a crater.  The crater is roughly 20 kilometers wide and some 2000 feet deep, making the trip from crater floor to rim around 45 minutes by 4×4.  The extremely fertile crater floor is the reason why there is such a highly concentrated amount of wildlife here.  Over 20000 mammals call the crater home, including some of the only remaining black rhinos in the world.  The crater floor also boasts one of the highest carnivore densities in the world including large prides of lions, packs of hyenas and solitary predators like cheetahs and jackals.  A keen eye and expertly recommended search patterns from your guide, may help you spot some of the less common species like leopards, servals, and bat-eared foxes.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House

DAY 4: NGORONGORO – SERENGETI

Your guide will pick you up from the Ngorongoro Conservation area and drive you to the famous plains of the Serengeti.  On this drive you have the option of stopping at Olduvlai Gorge, the Serengeti welcome centre and lookout point, or stop for lunch at a picnic spot.  After entering Serengeti Park you will have the chance to enjoy game viewing as you drive through the park to your next accommodation. This drive takes 5 to 6 hours depending on the number of stops you make and how much game viewing you enjoy along the way.  Expect longer trip times during the rainy seasons.

The massive Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge is often referred to as “The Cradle of Mankind.”  Beginning in the eastern Serengeti plains, the gorge is roughly some 48 kilometers long.  Resulting from millions of years of natural erosion, this gorge boasts a steep-sided ravine that cuts and stretches its way through the Great Rift Valley along eastern Africa.  The gorge is named after a commonly used plant by the Masai people with the scientific name of Sansevieria-Ehrenbergii, or Oldupai for short.

Get ready for an afternoon to remember as you set out accompanied by an experienced tracker-guide into the seamlessly never-ending expanses of the Serengeti.  The park is world renowned for its healthy stock of resident wildlife species, in particular the African Big 5 which or course includes buffalos, elephants, rhinoceros, leopards and lions.  Although with sightings considered a rarity, very few black rhinoceros still live within the confines of the park grounds.  The Serengeti is also home to the largest population of lions and giraffes in all of Africa.  Heavy concentrations of topi, gazelle, waterbuck and Coke’s hartebeest provide an ample food source for local carnivores including cheetah, hyenas and African wild dog.  The park is also home to some 500+ species of birds, ranging in size and weights some of these bird including ostrich, crowned crane, marabou stork and secretary bird are the most sought after photogenic birds on the planet.

Accommodation: Mbalageti Camp

Mbalageti Serengeti Camp features luxury tented chalets as well as lodge style standard rooms on the slopes of the rising Mwamweni Hill. Each room type is equipped with all the utilities of home, such as an en suite bathroom and a veranda with a stunning view. Dining takes place both in the bush, privately or with small groups, or in the dining tent, where local and continental cuisine forge new roots. English tea is served in the gardens with pastries daily. Activities range from spending some alone time in the loft reading books to a relaxing float in the tranquility pool, with the Serengeti plains as the backdrop.

DAY 5: SERENGETI

This morning’s African adventure begins with an exploratory game drive through Tanzania’s oldest and most recognized National Park, the Serengeti.  This location offers the most expansive game viewing in Tanzania. From predators to prey, great herds of grazing herbivores to tactically cunning packs of carnivores, life on the plains of the Serengeti can best be defined as a complete “circle of life.”  A photographic dream unfolds before your eyes as giraffes and elephants feast on tasty shrubbery, whilst impalas, gazelles and buffalos dance carefully through the plains as to not become the latest meal for on-looking lions, cheetahs and hyenas.

Spend today searching out Impala, one of Africa’s most beautiful and graceful animals. Previously thought to be part of the gazelle tribe, Impalas have been found to be so different that they are now classified as their own sub-family status. When frightened or startled the whole impala herd starts randomly leaping to confuse their predator. They can jump distances more than 10 meters (33 ft.) and 3 meters (9 ft.) high. Leopards, cheetah, lions and wild dogs prey on impala. Impala can reach running speeds of approximately 50 to 55 mph (80 to 90 km/h) to escape its predators. See if you can track these incredible animals!

Accommodation: Mbalageti Camp

DAY 6: SERENGETI – ARUSHA

If time allows, your expert guide will squeeze in one more game drive before dropping you off at the airstrip. It will be your last chance to see the park’s diverse range of animals.

Take your flight from Serengeti to Arusha today. The flight will do more than one stop on the way. The flight duration is approximately 2 hours.

Luggage restriction applicable to this flight: Standard Y Class – 15kg per person, Premium XL Class – 30kg per person for both carry-on and checked luggage. Your checked luggage needs to be soft-sided – no wheels / no spine, a duffel bag is recommended. A small purse/backpack, is recommended as a carry-on, to keep your camera, passport, hat, sunblock or other items you need within easy reach.

You’ll enjoy an airport transfer between your Arusha hotel and Kilimanjaro International Airport with a private vehicle and English speaking driver.