Day 1: Kilimanjaro Airport / Arusha
Our friendly safari team will welcome you at Kilimanjaro Airport, and they will transfer you to Arusha. Arusha is the hub of Tanzania’s legendary Northern safari circuit and home to Mt Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks. Arusha is also one of the major coffee-growing regions in Tanzania.
Stay: Kahawa Lodge (Standard room)
Meals: Dinner & breakfast
Day 2: Arusha / Tarangire National Park / Lake Manyara
After breakfast, we meet our guide for a short briefing. We head off to Tarangire National Park, known as the land of giants – elephants and baobab trees. We’ll leave Arusha behind and drive to Tarangire National Park for a game drive in the Park.
Late afternoon we travel towards the local town of Mto Wa Mbu (Maasai for Mosquito Village – the only place in Tanzania which represents all tribes – 120 ethnic groups). Bananas are the main export in the area, and there are over thirty species of banana in the village, including a red banana which we recommend you give a try! We continue to drive up the Rift Valley escarpment to our Lodge, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with distant views over Lake Manyara.
Stay: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (Standard room)
Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner & breakfas
Day 3: Lake Manyara / Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Enjoy a morning game drive. Your journey continues towards the misty Ngorongoro highlands, passing on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater where we will stop for your first spectacular view of the Crater. The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa’s most beautiful regions. En route you can opt to visit a Maasai Village near Ngorongoro Crater. (The Maasai charge US$30 per person – for your account).
After bidding the Maasai farewell, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, located in the southeastern plains of the Serengeti ecosystem. The plains of the Conservation Area are the main holding ground for migratory animals where vast herds congregate and linger for more than four months, from December to April, before they start moving across the Serengeti in search of greener pastures and water. Afternoon game drives.
Stay: Nyikani Ndutu Camp (Tent)
Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner & breakfast
Day 4 & 5: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Balloon Safari – optional
Enjoy two full days game drive to explore more of what the Ngorongoro Conservation Area offers and enjoy the greatest safari spectacle in the world – the great wildebeest migration as thousands of little calves are born. For a once in a lifetime experience, we highly recommend an early morning hot air balloon safari (will be for your account) – a unique ‘bird’s eye’ game viewing experience, before landing in the beautiful wilderness and enjoying a full bush-style breakfast, complete with fresh coffee, tea, fruits, and champagne.
Stay 2 more nights: Nyikani Ndutu (Tent)
Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner & breakfast
Day 6: Ngorongoro Conservation Area / Ngorongoro Crater
Today we’ll rise early morning and drive to Ngorongoro Crater to enjoy an extended game drive along the Crater floor. A steep entry track leads us 600m down to the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater floor (referred to as the Garden of Eden). The crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes, and springs to open grassland with fantastic wildlife. Witness an unforgettable spectacle of African wildlife – a world teeming with animals. The park sustains a vast variety of animals, including the black rhino, with its year-round water supply and fodder. Another big drawcard to this picturesque park is its dense population of predators, which includes lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard. A drive through the forest will allow you to feast your eyes on some of the most spectacular green vegetation you will ever see. We enjoy a picnic lunch with a last game drive en-route to the access point followed by a short drive to your lodge.
Stay: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (Standard room).
Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater / Kilimanjaro Airport
Today we take it a little bit easier after a packed safari filled with endless memories and sightings. We enjoy a leisurely breakfast with some great Kilimanjaro coffee before driving back to Arusha where we stop at the Cultural Heritage Centre (for shopping for Tanzania art, memorabilia, and Tanzanites), and enjoy our picnic lunch. Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your onward flight home.
