Highlights
- See iconic wildlife like lions and giraffes at Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks
- Explore the famous Ngorongoro Crater and spot rhinos on a safari tour
- Soar over the Serengeti plains on a dawn balloon ride
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Arusha, Shanga Foundation Community Handicrafts Project | Arusha |
| Day 2 | Transfer to Tarangire National Park, Afternoon Game Drive | Tarangire National Park |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Safari & Wildlife Activities | Ngorongoro |
| Day 4 | Full-Day Ngorongoro Safari with Picnic Lunch | Ngorongoro |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Serengeti National Park, Afternoon Game Drive | Serengeti National Park |
| Day 6 | Dawn Balloon Safari, Evening Game Drive | Serengeti National Park |
| Day 7 | Transfer to Arusha, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Arusha, Shanga Foundation Community Handicrafts Project
Welcome to Tanzania! You'll arrive in Arusha, lying in the shadow of iconic Mount Kilimanjaro and close to the 14,980-foot (4,566 m) Meru volcano, this northern city is a hub for Tanzania's thriving coffee trade. In fact, after checking into your hotel, you'll transfer to a former coffee plantation to visit a heartwarming community-works project. The Shanga Foundation empowers people with disabilities by providing training and employment opportunities to create handicrafts.
Over three hours, you'll meet the artisans and see them at work. These talented individuals create various products, from Swahili beaded jewelry to woven textiles, blown glass, and paper crafts. The tour isn't only an opportunity to witness the creation of these beautiful items but also to understand the skill and artistry involved. In addition to observing, you can participate in interactive sessions to learn weaving techniques and other skills. Feel free to pick up some souvenirs at the on-site shop—each purchase directly supports the artisans and the foundation's work.
Day 2: Transfer to Tarangire National Park, Afternoon Game Drive
Rise and shine! Meet your driver after breakfast and hit the road on a two-hour ride south to Tarangire National Park. This 1,000-square-mile (2,600 sq km) protected area may only be the sixth largest national park in the country, but there's no shortage of incredible wildlife here. It's one of Tanzania's finest birding destinations, with almost 500 avian species on record. Plus, during the migratory season, there are incredible numbers of plains game like wildebeests, antelope, and zebras.
You'll arrive around midday to check into your accommodation: the Escarpment Luxury Lodge Manyara, a beautiful lodge perched at the edge of the Great Rift Valley with spectacular views over Lake Manyara below. After lunch, head out on your maiden safari in Tanzania. Elephants are the main attraction here, with up to 3,000 roaming the park from June to November. Other common animals include giraffes, the Thompson's gazelle, greater and lesser kudus, elands, leopards, and cheetahs. At the end of the afternoon, you'll return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 3: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Safari & Wildlife Activities
Continue on the safari route this morning as you embark on the two-hour drive north to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses a vast expanse of diverse landscapes, including grasslands, woodlands, forests, and the most famous landmark of all: the Ngorongoro Crater. This geological marvel is one of the largest intact volcano calderas in the world (about 12 mi/ 19 km in diameter), with steep walls enclosing a self-contained ecosystem teeming with animals, earning it the nickname "Africa's Eden."
It's a great place to spot rhinos, as anti-poaching protocols mean they abound in this area. As for humans, Ngorongoro is inhabited by the Maasai people, seminomadic pastoralists who have coexisted with wildlife for centuries. Upon arrival, you'll check into the luxurious Karatu Tented Lodge with views of Lake Manyara and a spacious swimming pool.
After lunch at the lodge, choose between different activities. One option is to lace up your hiking boots for a walk around the crater rim. Led by a local ranger, this two-hour excursion showcases the dazzling flora and fauna of the Ngorongoro highlands, notably its birdlife and larger animals such as giraffes, zebras, and elephants. You'll also visit the nearby Olduvai Gorge. This vast ravine (about 30 mi/ 48 km long) is home to paleoanthropological sites that reveal some of the earliest signs of human development.
Day 4: Full-Day Ngorongoro Safari with Picnic Lunch
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
It's time for a full-day safari in Ngorongoro. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, this region teems with bull elephants, buffalo, rhinos, wildebeests, and the highest concentration of lions on the continent. You'll find plenty of rhinos in the park, as anti-poaching protocols mean they abound in this area. Ngorongoro is also unique in that over 40,000 Masaai tribespeople live in the area, and their livestock grazes right alongside the endemic wildlife.
You'll spend the entire day here, racing across the plains in a 4WD vehicle in search of the most exotic specimens. Lunch will be a picnic affair under the azure African sky. After some more game viewing, you'll return to your safari lodge at the end of the afternoon.
Day 5: Transfer to Serengeti National Park, Afternoon Game Drive
The adventure continues this morning on a two-hour drive farther north to Serengeti National Park. Upon arrival, you'll check into your luxury tent at Kati Kati Tented Camp, which sits amid the savanna in the heart of the park. You'll have a few hours to relax before exploring the park's 5,700-square-mile (14,763 sq km) protected area on an afternoon game drive.
This legendary safari destination is one of the oldest ecosystems in the world. Here, you can see Big Five game animals (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo), with lions and cheetahs being particularly common. In your open-topped 4WD vehicle, you'll travel to the Serengeti's central savanna plains on a half-day adventure to spot as many of these specimens as possible. At the end of the afternoon, you'll return to camp.
Day 6: Dawn Balloon Safari, Evening Game Drive
Rise and shine! This morning's crew will pick you up at 5 am for the ride to a takeoff site, where you'll embark on a truly once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Upon arrival, you'll hop in the basket and ascend over the Serengeti plains to see great herds of elephants, giraffes, and antelope grazing below. Upon touching back down on land, you'll toast the experience with a sumptuous champagne breakfast on the savanna—a ballooning tradition!
Later in the morning, return to the lodge, where you'll have a few hours to relax, have lunch, and enjoy the amenities. Then, leave on an afternoon game drive to try and spot any exotic animals you may have missed the day before. Get lucky, and you might glimpse black rhinos, African wild dogs, colorful secretary birds, or possibly even a leopard gearing up for its nightly hunt.
Day 7: Transfer to Arusha, Depart
More Great Tanzania Itineraries
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