Day 1 – Arusha / Lake Manyara National Park
Our representative will meet your at your hotel or pick up point in Arusha at 0730 hrs. Pre safari briefing, then board your customised 4 x 4 safari land cruiser and depart to Lake Manyara National Park on a scenic drive via Karatu and the village of “Mto wa Mbu”. Check in and lunch at your lodge. You will enjoy an afternoon game drive at the nearby Lake Manyara National Park until 1800 hrs. Lake Manyara National Park is situated spectacularly between the Great Rift Valley Escarpment and Lake Manyara. The most famous spectacle is the tree-climbing lions, which are occasionally seen along branches of Acacia trees. Lake Manyara National Park is also known for the flamingos that inhabit the lake. During the wet season they inhabit the edges of the lake in flocks of thousands but they are not so present during the dry season. More than 400 species of birds inhabit the park and many remain throughout the year. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 2 – Lake Manyara / Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, depart for Serengeti National Park arriving at your lodge for lunch. You will enjoy an afternoon game drive as your search for the BIG 5 begins. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge/ tented camp.
Day 3 – Serengeti National Park
Early morning and late afternoon game drives in the vast park. Serengeti, derived from the name “Siringet” which means endless plains in Masai Language hosts the great plains where are endless streams of wildebeest and zebra pour south towards Ngorongoro or north towards the Masai Mara during their annual migration. The park is home to the BIG 5 and other species including Hyenas, Cheetahs, Caracals, Serval Cats and several bovine species. It is also home to hundreds of bird species including vultures. Our game drives will cover the varied habitats and eco-systems of Serengeti. All meals and overnight stay at your lodge/ tented camp.
Day 4- Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After breakfast, depart for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Check in then lunch at your lodge with afternoon at leisure to enjoy crater views from your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5- Ngorongoro Crater Tour
After breakfast, board your vehicle at 0800 hrs and descend the down walls of the world’s largest caldera crater with packed lunch for a half day of game and sightseeing on the crater floor.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the crater has global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other animals into the northern plains. Extensive archaeological research has also yielded a long sequence of evidence of human evolution and human-environment dynamics, including early hominid footprints dating back 3.6 million years. Here you have a chance to spot Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, Hippos, Cheetahs, Hyenas and several antelope and birds species. Ascend to your lodge in the early afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6- Ngorongoro / Lake Eyasi Tour
After breakfast, you will depart for to Lake Eyasi. Check in followed by lunch at your tented camp. This afternoon, you will enjoy a visit to Lake Eyasi, a shallow, seasonal salt lake on the Great Rift Valley floor at the base of the Serengeti plateau. Dinner and overnight stay at your tented camp. We recommend Tindiga tented camp (mid-range) or Kisima Ngeda (Luxury).
Day 7: The Hadzabe Tribe
Very early in the morning, before breakfast, join the Hadzabe tribe, one of the last true nomadic tribes of Africa, in a fascinating hunting or fruit gathering session. This is something absolutely unique and out of the beaten track which is a great cultural experience, an authentic African safari experience that also presents incredible opportunities for world class photography. After interacting for a while with the tribe, drive back to Arusha with packed lunch provided on the way. You will be dropped off at your Arusha hotel or transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for an evening / night flight to your onward destination.
Optional: You can add an extra day to visit Oldonyo Sambu Maasai Village:
This is a traditional Maasai Village 40km away from Arusha and not a touristic show at all. In fact, many visitors to Tanzania consider this visit to be the greatest highlight of their trip. During the tour, you will be guided by a Maasai Chief, who will show you the village, how the Maasai live, their habits, how they cook, how they take care of livestock, what and how they study, dance, etc. You also have an opportunity to watch the village women perform a local traditional dance.
(Pre and post safari accommodation in Arusha can be organized based on requirement)