7-Day Tanzania Safari from Arusha with Maasai Culture and Lake Natron

• After your welcome at Kilimanjaro Airport, transfer to the hotel and receive a briefing from the main guide. Preparations continue with arranging the equipment.

Overnight at the hotel with half board.

• After breakfast, depart for Tarangire National Park. Established in 1970, the park covers an area of 2,600 km2 and is located in the middle of the Maasai steppe. (Transfer: 2h30) The park is named after the Tarangire River that crosses the area and provides water for animals during the dry season. The concentration of animals includes elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and dik-diks. This park is also known for its majestic Baobab trees.

Overnight at camp in a tent outside the park with full board.

• After breakfast, transfer to Ngorongoro and descend into the crater. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spreads across 8,288 km2, of which the crater covers an area of 260 km2 with a diameter of 20 km. The crater is a unique place, created to protect wildlife while allowing the Maasai population to live on this territory.

• Enjoy a full day circulating through the park by many routes to approach the animals in this beautiful scenery. The crater is home to rhinos, buffalo, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, lions, elephants, hippos, and flamingos.

Overnight at the camp in a tent outside the park with full board.

• After breakfast and preparation of bags, depart northwest toward the Gol Mountains, where the Maasai lifestyle has not changed for centuries. This crossing is a superb vehicle transfer through the vast plains of the Serengeti.

  • Those travelling between January and mid-March can watch the famous wildebeest migration occupying these territories.

• See a landscape of plateaus, rocky mountains, and large green plains where the Maasai graze their herds of cows. It is not unusual to find herds of zebras and giraffes grazing alongside domestic livestock.

• You can also observe Maasai women fetching water while passing many villages. (Transfer: 3-4 hours)

Overnight at a special camp in a tent with full board.

• After breakfast, proceed towards Lake Natron. (Transfer: 3.5-4 hours)

• Nestled in the Rift Valley, the lake is one of the most amazing places on Earth: a magical landscape of volcanoes, hidden canyons, plains, and expanses of salt water.

  • In these hostile places, birds struggle to survive and cope with hazards, and their history in this extraordinary setting, which seems to belong to another planet, reminds visitors that there is still a whole universe waiting to be discovered.

• In the afternoon, climb to the waterfalls for a swim in an idyllic place where vegetation runs down the walls and gives the site a magical appearance. (Running time: 5-6 hours)

Overnight at Natron camp in a tent with full board.

• Depart in the morning to meet the Maasai tribes living around Lake Natron.

• Discover a Maasai village and visit a traditional boma (Maasai house).

• After meeting the local Maasai guide and receiving a briefing, see and decide whether it will be possible to climb Mount Lengai at night, the sacred Maasai peak from which the fumaroles of the semi-active volcano escape.

  • The ascent can be difficult and lasts well into the night, so it is not recommended for those who have never practised climbing in high mountains.

• Transfer to Mto Wa Mbu in the afternoon, following tracks that border a string of volcanoes, with opportunities for animal observation along the road and across the landscape. (Running time: 3 hours and 8 to 10 hours for Mount Lengai) (Transfer: 3-4 hours)

Note: The climbing fees for Oldonyo Lengai are not included in the package. The climbing fee is 80 USD per person based on two persons.

Overnight at Haven Nature Camp in a tent with full board.

• After breakfast and preparation of bags, depart towards Lake Manyara Park. The park is located in the Rift Valley area, spreads across 330 km2, and is divided into two parts: the lake and the rainforest.

  • Lake Manyara has a variety of impressive wildlife, birds, and vegetation. The highly alkaline lake is home to dozens of flamingos and other bird species.

• After lunch, return to Arusha and transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport.