The Heart of East Africa
Why Tanzania? Because it has something for every traveler. This unforgettable journey through Tanzania offers a rich blend of wildlife, culture, and history. Travelers will explore Tarangire National Park, home to Africa’s densest elephant population and the life-giving Tarangire River. The adventure continues in the legendary Serengeti, where vast herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles roam, and big cats rule the savanna. In the Ngorongoro Crater—the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera—visitors will witness one of the most concentrated wildlife habitats on earth. Along the way, a visit to Olduvai Gorge provides a fascinating glimpse into early human history, while encounters with the Maasai people highlight Tanzania’s vibrant cultural heritage.
Trip Highlights
Discover Tanzania’s wild heart with game drives in the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, home to the Big Five and the breathtaking Great Migration. Witness herds cross the Mara River and meet the Maasai and Hadzabe tribes for a rare glimpse into traditional life. It’s a journey of epic landscapes, unforgettable wildlife, and rich cultural encounters.
The world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater forms part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) within the Serengeti ecosystem. The Crater itself is home to more than 25,000 large mammals. Once a large volcano that later collapsed, it is now the largest intact caldera in the world. The Crater floor has excellent grazing for resident herbivores, while the Crater walls are covered in lush vegetation, forming excellent protection for the large numbers of game. This is an area of spectacular beauty and superb game viewing, a truly unique safari destination.
Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed a 7th world wide wonder. The Serengeti is famed for its annual wildebeest migration, when some 1.2 million wildebeest migrate on the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, lions, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
Tarangire National Park is located 118 km Southwest of Arusha. We will begin the game viewing at the richest vista of an endless golden savanna. The Park is an endless pageant of wildlife, with undoubtedly the richest elephant population in Africa, and with surprisingly large herds. It has an extensive collection of exotic birds, antelopes, lions, leopards, giraffes, buffaloes, and the supposed tree-climbing pythons, which can be seen around the swamps. But the most important feature of this Park is the Tarangire River. This is a well-established viewpoint, where game can be viewed ambling to and from the river throughout the day. Thousands of animals migrate from the Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water.
Olduvai Gorge, on the way to the Serengeti National Park, boasts a history dating back to the dawn of time. It was here, that the anthropologists Drs. Lois and Mary Leakey discovered the skulls of the famous ‘Nutcracker Man” and ‘Handy Man’, both very significant links in the chain of human evolution. The Maasai are a pastoral tribe indigenous to Tanzania and Kenya who are dependent on the environment for their survival. Today, many Maasai still lead traditional lives.
Details
Duration: 6 Days & 5 Nights
Countries: Tanzania
Experiences: Adventure, Wildlife and Cultural Tour
Ages: All ages
Starting Point: Kilimanjaro
Ending Point: Kilimanjaro
All itineraries can be customized
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival Day
Fly into Kilimanjaro airport, drive to Tarangire National Park (2‐1/2 hours).
Day 2: Tarangire National Park
Morning and evening game drives in Tarangire National Park. The Park is an endless pageant of wildlife with undoubtedly the richest elephant population in Africa with surprisingly large herds. It has an extensive collection of exotic birds, antelopes, lions, leopards, giraffes, buffaloes, and the supposed tree climbing pythons, which can be seen around the swamps. But the most important feature of this Park is the Tarangire River.
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater
Off to the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day adventure to the world’s largest inactive, volcanic caldera. The Crater offers some of the best game-viewing in Africa and the chance to spot an elusive Black Rhino. You will drive across the Serengeti Plains, through Maasai villages and also past Olduvai Gorge.
Day 4: Serengeti National Park and Olduvai Gorge
Drive to the Serengeti National Park. Visit Olduvai Gorge en route. You’ll see all sorts of animals along the way, including giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, elephant, baboons, and if lucky, perhaps a leopard. We’ll head south towards the Serona River, where we’ll see more animals such as ostrich, gazelle, and crocs.
Day 5: Full Day Game Drive
Full day game drive with an optional hot air balloon safari. Drive thru the Western Corridor. Between July and October, the wildebeest migration crosses the Grumeti River in the Kirawira area. This river ensures a large animal population in the western corridor. Here, thousands of wildebeest and zebras plunge fearlessly into the crocodile-ridden waters. Plenty of animals can be observed, including cheetahs, lions, hyenas, and leopards.
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Optional Activities Before Departure
Morning game drive and then to Lobo airport for a short flight back to Arusha. Options include shopping for souvenirs, a coffee tour or spending the day relaxing at the pool. Depart in the evening.
Please remember that this is a guide only and we typically customize each safari trip.
Please contact us if you have any questions!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Airport pick up, Transport
Meals
Transport
Park fees and cultural fees
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Items of a personal nature, personal insurances, visas and gratuities
Gratuity
Optional extra activities, not specified above
