7-Day Camping Safari in Tanzania with Serengeti and Ngorongoro

• Depart from your lodge in Arusha and proceed to Lake Manyara National Park. Although small in size, this park is one of the most diverse reserves in the country. Lake Manyara covers two-thirds of the park. Backed by the wall of the Great Rift Valley, the park features groundwater forest, open grassland near the lake foreshore, and the Soda Lake.

• Enjoy a picnic lunch in this area of open grassy plains, hot springs, dense woodlands, and steep mountainsides. Lake Manyara National Park is a birding paradise with more than 350 species of birds. The park is also famed for its unique and elusive tree-climbing lions.

Dinner and overnight at Nsya Lodge: bed, dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

• Start the day with an early morning game drive before heading to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro is a special place because it is a Conservation Area rather than a National Park. This means the whole area is managed for both the animals and the local Masai people, who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife.

• Get a chance to glimpse the Masai way of life during the drive to Ngorongoro.

• Stop at the entrance gate, where there is an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape. Drive around the rim of the crater itself, and from here you can look down and see herds of wildebeest or buffalo.

• Descend into the crater. The crater walls provide a natural sanctuary for the animals, which means there is plenty to see: lions, elephants, buffalo, rhino, and, if you are lucky, leopard. The only animal you will not see here is a giraffe, whose long legs are unable to cope with the steep sides of the crater.

• Travel back to your special lodge late in the afternoon.

Dinner and overnight at Rhino Lodge: bed, dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

• Head to Olduvai Gorge, known as the "Cradle of Mankind." It was here, in the Great Rift Valley, that the remains of early hominids dating back 2 million years were uncovered.

• Proceed to visit the most famous wildlife sanctuary in the world - Serengeti National Park. The word "Serengeti" means "endless plains," which describes the park's 5,600-square-mile boundary. Yet for all its sprawling area, the Serengeti does not disappoint when it comes to rich game viewing. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth.

Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Acacia Tented Lodge: bed, dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

• Embark on another game drive in the expansive Serengeti National Park with your Tanzanian safari guide. The Serengeti boasts one of the most varied collections of wildlife on the planet. Each year, from May to December, millions of animals migrate from central Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara and back again in an incredible spectacle. Even during the quieter season, vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle roam here, along with groups of elephant, giraffe, and buffalo, while lions, leopard, cheetah, hyenas, and jackals stalk their prey.

  • Opt for a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti for $500 per person (optional).

Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Acacia Tented Lodge: bed, dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

• Experience the culture and traditions of the local Maasai on the way from Serengeti to Tarangire National Park. Your local guide will show you a Maasai Boma and explain how Maasai people live in the conservation area.

• Visit the Maasai Boma, and then drive straight to Tarangire National Park.

Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Roika Tented Lodge: bed, dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

• Depart from your lodge after breakfast and proceed to the park. This is one of Africa's little-known gems and should be on the itinerary of all lovers of wilderness and solitude.

• Stay overnight inside the park at Tarangire Safari Lodge.

Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge: bed, dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

• Begin early before sunrise at 6:00 am this morning. You will view animals from 6:00 am until 8:30 am, which is considered prime viewing time.

• Return to Tarangire Safari Lodge at 8:30 am for breakfast and check out.

• Continue with your game viewing after breakfast until you head back to Arusha. The viewing time will depend on the time of your departure flight. You can be dropped off in Arusha or at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).