08 DAYS ESSENTIAL TANZANIA

Welcome to Tanzania! Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, located a short distance from Arusha Town Centre. Spend the rest of the day at leisure to explore the city at your own pace.

Overnight in Arusha

After breakfast, you will head to the breathtaking Lake Manyara, a shallow alkaline lake that shimmers in a cleft in the Great Rift Valley. You will arrive at your lodge for lunch followed by an afternoon game drive. Tucked below the Rift Valley wall, Lake Manyara National Park comprises a thin green band of forest bordered by the 600-meter high red and brown cliffs of the slope on one side, and the white-hot shores of an ancient soda lake on the other. The Acacia woodlands shelter the park’s famous tree-climbing lions, lying lazily along the branches in the heat of the day. Lake Manyara safaris offer unique views of elephants, giraffes, buffalos, and wildebeests. These fascinating animals may be found eating in unexpected clearings or heading towards the water to drink or wash. The rivers and riverbeds provide scenic vistas for potential animal spotting. Warthogs seem to thrive in the area, growing notably larger and tuckered. This park is also a natural playground for baboons and monkeys. Later, in the afternoon, you will be transferred to the lodge for dinner.

Overnight in Lake Manyara Area

After breakfast, depart to the famous Serengeti National Park with a picnic lunch. Enjoy an en-route visit to the Olduvai Gorge. Arrive in Serengeti and embark on an afternoon game-viewing drive through the park. You will return later as the sun sets for dinner.

Overnight in Serengeti National Park Area

Today you will enjoy a full day of game viewing drives through the park with in-park meals. The sight of predator versus prey dominates the greatest park during a Serengeti Safari. The golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost exclusively, all three African jackal species live here, along with the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.

Overnight in Serengeti National Park Area

After breakfast, you will depart for the famous Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area (NCCA). Discover rolling plains, lakes, craters, mountains, and dormant volcanoes. Take the journey up the side of the vast Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site, and one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometers wide, 610-760 meters deep, and covering a total area of 264 sqm km). Upon arrival, you will spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Overnight in Ngorongoro Area

Today you will descend into the “8th Wonder of the World”, a unique biosphere that has remained virtually unchanged since the dawn of time. Enclosed within the towering walls are grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a freshwater lake, and a fascinating variety of birdlife. Here too are all the members of the “Big Five” (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and buffalo) as well as a large cast of plains game and one of Africa’s densest populations of predators. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the crater floor before climbing up. From there you will transfer back to the Farmhouse.

Overnight in Ngorongoro Area

After breakfast, you will drive back to Arusha for lunch. You will later be transferred to the Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back home.