Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arusha – Tarangire National Park

   • Location: South East of Lake Manyara, Northern Tanzania. 
   • Climate: Hot and wet best to visit July-January. 
   • Typical Landscape: Hilly, with long elephant grass and swamps. 
   • After breakfast, early in the morning, you depart for Tarangire National Park. Arrive in time for lunch at the Tarangire lunch area while enjoying the view of the Tarangire River. Thousands of animals migrate from dry areas to the Tarangire River to search for water. 
   • After lunch, relax for a short while and later go for an afternoon game drive. Tarangire covering 2,850 sq. miles, is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania. This well-watered park is famous for its diversity of wildlife, large herds of elephants wandering (It is popularly known as Home of Elephants, tree climbing lions and giant Baobao Trees.), and tree-climbing pythons often spotted in the branches of its massive iconic baobab trees. This park is worth a visit to experience the perfect diversity of East Africa and Tanzania between July and December, when large numbers of animals migrate from Lake Manyara. It is famous for its dense wildlife population, which is most spectacular in the dry season between June and September. It is during this period that thousands of animals- wildebeest, zebra, eland, hartebeest, buffalo, and Oryx migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water. The predators – lion, leopard and others - as is the custom in the savanna, followed closely by birds, are also abundant here, and over 350 species have been recorded.

   Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Octagon Lodge around the ridge of Ngorongoro Highlands in Karatu Town.

2. Day 2: Tarangire – Serengeti National Park

   • After breakfast, drive to Serengeti National Park, passing via Olduvai Gorge. Olduvai George is the prehistoric site where Dr Louis Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habilis (“Handy man”), regarded as mankind’s first step in human evolution. This Olduvai Gorge visit may be added to your day at the additional cost of 75$ per person. 
   • You will arrive in Serengeti National Park by lunchtime and have your hot lunch at the lunching area in Serengeti and short rest. Later in the day, afternoon games drive in the park. The Serengeti is probably the most famous wildlife sanctuary in the world. Within its 14,763-km2 area, it hosts 3 million large mammals. More than 35 species of plain animals- zebra, wildebeest, eland, giraffe, and others are found here. Therefore, for the African big five: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino. The park is famous for its spectacular events in the natural world, the annual migration of wildebeest. This commences around June when over one million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle head for the Maasai Mara in Kenya and Ngorongoro Highlands in search of fresh grass and water. Other popular wild animals include wild dogs, jackals and hyenas. Serengeti also inhabits over 350 species of birds, both migratory and resident. 

   In the evening, you will have dinner and overnight at Tukaone Serengeti Camps.

3. Day 3: Serengeti National Park – Full Day

   • Early in the morning, depart for an early morning game drive. After waking up early at your lodge, you will engage in a morning game drive as you look out for various wildlife species, such as predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs hunting. If you’re lucky enough, you may spot killing where predator like lions goes for an early morning search for food as you may spot lions killing antelopes, wildebeests or giraffe and cheetah or leopard hunts, plus spotting other wild animals like caracals, giraffes, hyenas, antelopes, zebra, wildebeests, elephants, buffalos and among others when they are active in the morning ready for searching for pastures. 
   • Then you will return for breakfast at your lodge, collect a picnic lunch and proceed for a full-day game viewing in Serengeti. You will have a picnic lunch in the course of a day. Later in the evening, you will be driven back to your lodge in Serengeti overnight. 

   You will have a shower and dinner at Tukaone Serengeti Camps overnight.

4. Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater And Maasai People Cultural Visit

   • Location: Crater Highlands, Northern Tanzania. 
   • Climate: Lower temperatures on the highlands and at night, rainy during April, May, and November. 
   • Typical Landscape: Soda Lake with a fig tree and acacia forests, and flat mud plains during the dry season. 
   • Early in the morning, departs for an early morning game drive. No return for breakfast, therefore you will take your breakfast before signing out and leaving the lodge. Your guide will collect picnic lunch and proceed for a morning game drive in Serengeti while en route out of Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater for a game viewing in Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area. 
   • You will have a picnic lunch in the course of a day while enjoying lunch by the hippo’s pool. After a short rest break, proceed for an afternoon tour of the crater. The drive commences with the 600m descent to the crater floor. Covering 260sq/km, the crater is an attraction in its own right and is one of the wonders of the natural world. The crater supports a year round resident population of a variety of wildlife and birdlife. You will have no trouble spotting lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many species of plain animals- wildebeest, zebra reedbuck, Thompson gazelle and many more. 
   • The Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation area are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to approximately 25,000 large mammals and a huge variety of smaller species making it a target for discerning safari goers. Packed full of game, due to the plentiful water and food available on the crater floor throughout the year. This large unflooded volcanic caldera and the vast escarpments and flat grassy plains, yellow barked Acacia trees, wetlands and lakes attracting massive Flamingo migrations with over 300 species of birds to make this park an awe-inspiring sight as one of the natural wonders of the world.
   • NOTE: Here after Ngorongoro we combine with a visit to Maasai boma in the Afternoon or evening. Tanzania has over 120 tribes each with its own cultures. The Maasai in northern Tanzania are among the most popular ethnic groups in the area, a proud people fervently attached to their cultural values. Ngorongoro is the home of the pastoral Maasai, who have been allowed to live in the conservation area, a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land use where people, their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same protected habitat. The Maasai move widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys in search of pastures and water. In recent years the Maasai have been encouraged to work on the land to supplement their traditional staple food of milk and meat. While in Ngorongoro most of the guests on safari love to include a visit to a Maasai Boma (homestead). 
   • The Seneto Maasai Boma on the western slopes of the Ngorongoro Highlands about two hundred metters off the main road to Serengeti is one of the famous cultural visitor points for guests. Another popular Maasai village is Irkeepus that is located in the Ngorongoro Highlands and this visit can be combined with a trek of Olmoti or Empakaai Crater. Here you will be shown around the Maasai Boma and are welcomed to explore the huts where Maasai families live and learn a few things about their way of living. The huts, normally built by women, are made of wood, mud, and cow dung. 
   • The visit lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and at the end, the villagers will show off and try to sell their colorful beadwork and other handcrafted wares. If time allows the Maasai warriors would challenge men to engage in a spear-throwing match or perform a tribal dance and women may choose to participate in beadwork. Maasai culture though briefly and enriched them with some authentic African experiences. Around late afternoon you will be driven out of the park back to Moshi town.

   Dinner and overnight at Lush Garden Hotel in Arusha - B&B in Arusha Town.