The Best of Northern Tanzania: 9 days and 8 nights
AREAS VISITED: Arusha / Tarangire National Park / Lake Manyara / Ngorongoro Crater/
Olduvai Gorge / Serengeti National Park
We consider this safari to be our “Tanzanian Core” safari. Other itineraries in Tanzania will visit these “core” places and then be supplemented by visiting other parks in Northern Tanzania.
Activities: Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Cultural
Activity Level: Easy
Enjoy breakfast this morning at your hotel as we introduce you to an exciting adventure. Next we will head out and visit with a Maasai community as well as other communities north of Arusha. We will receive a warm welcome from local people who will invite you into their homes. We shall also see farm lands and visit a coffee plantation. After visiting with the local people, we have the option of browsing a typical marketplace to see how the local people do their business. We will stay the night in Arusha. Lunch and dinner included.
After breakfast this morning, you will leave for Tarangire National Park,. Here you will enjoy the scenic park with geological landscape as diverse as the wildlife. There are also unique vegetation zones ranging from woodland to savanna grassland to boabab tree forests. The Tarangire River runs through the park and attracts abundant wildlife and birds. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Today you will enjoy more wildlife viewing in Tarangire. We will seek out a wide variety of animals including before departing for Lake Manyara National Park. We will arrive in time for lunch followed by game viewing at Lake Manyara National Park. We will stay the night at Lake Manyara Serena lodge, which is situated at the edge of escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Breakfast, lunch dinner is included.
Today you will drive to Ngorongoro Crater one of the world’s largest calderas with an amazing balance between the wildlife and the Maasai people who have lived here for centuries. You will relax at your hotel and enjoy the spectacular views from your hotel located on the edge of the crater. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Today you will take a packed lunch and descend with a 4-wheel vehicle to the bottom of the Ngorongoro Crater for an all day game drive. The crater is a self-contained wildlife haven packed with nearly every mammal species to be found in East Africa. We will eat our picnic lunch in the park by a beautiful lake situated in the crater with hippos and many different types of birds. We will ascend from the crater and then drive back to the hotel for dinner. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
For the next three days, you will be in for quite an adventure with game viewing in the Serengeti plains as we venture out on multiple game drives. Our driver and guide are experienced and masters at spotting the elusive species such as the leopard, bat-eared fox, and the rare golden and silver jackals. On the way to Serengeti, you will stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit the small but very informative museum and excavation site. Olduvai Gorge is a place rich with history because it is the place believed to be the birthplace of mankind and where the Leaky’s have worked for over two decades. The accommodation will be at beautiful lodge located in Serengeti Park. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
This will be a full day of game viewing we shall head out on two game drives early in the morning and one in the late afternoon. We will travel into the vast Savannah plains of the Serengeti and enjoy the sight of herds of animals running across the plains and the predators stalking them in this untamed wilderness.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Today you will have another beautiful day in a different part of Serengeti Park. You will sit on the edge of the river and watch the herd of hippos and their babies interact, with each other while the crocodiles sunbathe across the river. The scene is truly spectacular! Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
**** Optional Hot Air Balloon Ride Available on this day****
This is not included in the cost of the safari. We can organize a balloon ride for you if you are interested
For our last day in Serengeti, we will enjoy our breakfast and say good bye to the Serengeti plains. We will catch a flight to connect with our international flight in Arusha. Enjoy a farewell dinner at a restaurant before your evening flight. Breakfast, dinner included.
Please let us know if you want to mix and match any of the itineraries. It is our goal to customize your safari to fit your interests and needs!