Day 1 – Kilimanjaro International Airport to Lake Manyara
Welcome to Tanzania! On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a representative provides a warm greeting before the journey continues toward Lake Manyara. The drive passes through the outskirts of Arusha and into the Great Rift Valley region, offering the first glimpses of Tanzania’s landscapes, villages, and culture along the way.
Arrival at the lodge is in time for dinner, followed by a peaceful overnight stay near the park—an ideal start to the safari adventure ahead.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Migunga Tented Lodge (Comfort) | Lake Manyara Serena (Comfort Plus) | Lake Manyara Kilimamoja (Luxury)
Travel Time: Kilimanjaro Airport to Lake Manyara: Approx. 3–3.5 hours
Day 2 – Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, exploring its diverse habitats—from groundwater forests and acacia woodlands to the lakeshore often visited by flamingos, hippos, and large baboon troops. Return to the lodge for lunch before beginning the journey toward the Serengeti.
Leaving Lake Manyara behind, travel through the rolling highlands and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with sweeping views across volcanic terrain and Maasai pastoral lands. From here, the landscape opens into the vast plains of the Serengeti, where wildlife sightings often begin long before reaching the park gate. At approximately 15,000 square kilometres, the Serengeti hosts over three million animals, many of which participate in the famous seasonal Great Migration—one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles.
Arrive in the Serengeti in time for an afternoon game drive en route to the lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Seronera Wildlife Lodge (Comfort) | Serengeti Serena Lodge (Comfort Plus) | Melia Serengeti Lodge (Luxury)
Travel Time: Lake Manyara to Serengeti: Approx. 4–5 hours depending on wildlife sightings and stops
Day 3 – Serengeti National Park
Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the world-famous Serengeti National Park, a vast ecosystem that supports one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife on Earth. The Serengeti is home to an astonishing diversity of large mammals, including elephants, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, buffalo, warthogs, and 19 species of antelope, along with several primate species. Lesser-known but fascinating carnivores such as serval, jackals, bat-eared foxes, honey badgers, genets, and mongooses add to the park’s rich biodiversity. Over 200 bird species can also be spotted throughout the plains and river areas.
Today’s focus is on searching for quality encounters with the Serengeti’s three big cat species—lion, cheetah, and leopard. The early morning and late afternoon offer the best chances for predator sightings, as these cooler hours are prime periods for hunting activity. Nocturnal hunters may also be seen returning from, or preparing for, their nightly forays across the plains.
Throughout the day, expect excellent sightings of giraffe, impala, topi, reedbuck, buffalo, hippo, vervet monkey, waterbuck, and large herds of plains game.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Seronera Wildlife Lodge (Comfort) | Serengeti Serena Lodge (Comfort Plus) | Melia Serengeti Lodge (Luxury)
Travel Time: Game drives within Serengeti National Park
Day 4 – Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Rim
After breakfast, depart for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, enjoying a final morning game drive across the vast Serengeti plains. Wildlife sightings are common along this route, with opportunities to spot predators, grazing herds, and a wide variety of birdlife before leaving the park.
A picnic lunch is enjoyed en route, often at a scenic viewpoint overlooking the sweeping grasslands. In the afternoon, continue toward the Ngorongoro Crater Rim, ascending to the lodge positioned high on the edge of the caldera.
The views from the crater rim are spectacular—stretching across the entire floor of one of the largest intact calderas in the world. A major advantage of staying at this location is its close proximity to the park gate, allowing exceptionally early access into the crater the following morning.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Bougainvillea Lodge (Comfort) | Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (Comfort Plus) | Lions Paw Ngorongoro (Luxury)
Travel Time: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Rim: Approx. 4–5 hours depending on wildlife and stops
Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive & Maasai Boma Visit
After breakfast, descend approximately 2,000 feet into the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater, carrying a picnic lunch for a full morning of exploration. The crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and is home to an estimated 25,000 animals. Its fertile floor supports a remarkable array of wildlife, with large populations of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest, warthog, and the critically endangered Black Rhino.
Predators are abundant, and the crater is particularly famous for its resident lion population, offering excellent chances for sightings. The varied landscapes—grasslands, swamps, forests, and lakes—create one of the most concentrated wildlife viewing areas in all of Africa.
After a picnic lunch at a designated area, ascend the crater walls and continue to a Maasai Boma for a cultural visit. This is an opportunity to spend time with Maasai families, learn about their traditions, observe daily life, and gain insight into one of East Africa’s most iconic pastoral cultures.
Return to the lodge on the crater rim for a relaxing evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Bougainvillea Lodge (Comfort) | Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (Comfort Plus) | Lions Paw Ngorongoro (Luxury)
Travel Time: Game drives within Ngorongoro Crater; Crater ascent to rim: Approx. 30 minutes
If Bougainvillea Lodge (Comfort option) is selected, please be aware that the property is located outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As a result, the itinerary will be adjusted slightly to include exiting the Ngorongoro gate after the crater tour and then continuing onward to Karatu for the overnight stay.
Morning
Day 6 – Ngorongoro to Tarangire National Park
Today the journey continues eastward toward Tarangire National Park. After entering the park, wildlife sightings often begin immediately, with game frequently spotted en route to the lodge. Arrival is in time for lunch, followed by an opportunity to relax or take a swim.
The afternoon is dedicated to game viewing within Tarangire. The park is famous for its large elephant herds, dramatic baobab trees, and sweeping savannahs. During the dry season, animals gather in impressive numbers along the Tarangire River, offering excellent wildlife encounters and diverse photographic opportunities.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Burunge Tented Lodge (Comfort) | Tarangire Safari Lodge (Comfort Plus) | Tarangire Kuro Treetops Lodge (Luxury)
Travel Time: Ngorongoro Area to Tarangire: Approx. 3–4 hours
Afternoon
Day 7 – Tarangire to Arusha Coffee Lodge → Kilimanjaro International Airport
Depart after breakfast and travel northeast toward Arusha, passing through the scenic Masai Steppe, an area dotted with traditional villages and expansive fields of maize, coffee, and banana plantations. Arrival in Arusha is around midday, just in time for a relaxing lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge, set within one of the region’s oldest coffee estates.
After lunch, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, where the safari itinerary concludes.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: End of tour
Travel Time: Tarangire to Arusha: Approx. 2–2.5 hours; Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport: Approx. 1 hour
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Afternoon
