8-Day Tanzania Safari with Wildebeest Calving Season in Serengeti

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Day 01

Arrival in Arusha

• Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania. After clearing customs, look for your driver, who will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name. Your driver will then transfer you to Kizumba House on the outskirts of Arusha.

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Day 02

Game Viewing in Lake Manyara National Park

• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park in the morning. Set against the steep escarpment of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park features an evergreen groundwater forest and various ecosystems, including acacia woodland, grassy plains, a swampy fan delta, and, of course, the expansive lake. This diversity attracts a wide variety of mammals, birds, and other wildlife species.
• Manyara is also home to rare tree-climbing lions. The park offers excellent game viewing, with buffalo, impala, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, hippos, and many elephants roaming near the lake. You can also be on the lookout for blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, and the very active olive baboon. Overnight at St. Catherine Monastery or similar (with lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

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Day 03

Journey to Serengeti National Park

• Head out after breakfast for the drive to Serengeti National Park. The word "Serengeti" is derived from the Maasai language, meaning "endless plain." En route to the Serengeti, you can visit a Maasai village, a perfect place to explore Maasai culture and even participate in some tribal activities.
• There is also an option to visit Olduvai Gorge, known as the Cradle of Humanity. The museum is a testament to the long journey humanity has made from its humble roots in East Africa to its current state as the dominant species on Earth. Overnight at one of our Wild Camps (with lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

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Day 04

Full Day in the Serengeti

• Relax for a full day in the Serengeti, unequaled for its beauty and home to the Great Wildebeest Migration. Huge herds of plains game, such as wildebeest, zebra, and antelope, dominate the park, while predators such as lion and cheetah can be found among the many kopjes scattered across the plain. The landscape varies from open grass plains in the south and savanna with scattered acacia trees in the center to hilly, wooded grassland in the north, as well as extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west. Overnight at one of our Wild Camps (with lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

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Day 05

Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

• Enjoy a morning game drive in the Serengeti before your transfer to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, part of the southern Serengeti ecosystem.
• Most of the wildebeest migration can normally be found on the short-grass plains from December to April. The area is usually heavily populated with elephants, birds, and resident game. Check in at the lodge, followed by an afternoon game drive. Overnight at St. Catherine Monastery or similar (with lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

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Day 06

Full-Day Game Drive in the Ndutu Area

• Enjoy a full-day game drive in the Ndutu area. Explore a range of habitats, including swamps, woodland, soda lakes, and the world-famous Serengeti short-grass plains. See great herds of wildebeest and zebra roaming, and if the timing is right, you can witness calves running just minutes after birth.
• This is also the time of year with the best predator action. The marshes and lakes support a variety of birdlife and the resident lion pride. Cheetahs are abundant on the plains, and the wooded ridges are always worth a look. Overnight at Ngorongoro St. Catherine Monastery or similar (with lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

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Day 07

Ngorongoro Crater Exploration

• This morning, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for game driving and exploration. The crater is 600 m deep, 16 km across, and 265 sq km in area. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the world's eighth wonder. Many of Tanzania's last remaining black rhinos can be seen grazing on the open grassland of the crater floor, surrounded by some of the 20,000 large animals that occupy the crater, including lion, cheetah, eland, zebra, and gazelle. Flamingos, among other bird species, can often be seen feeding at Makat Soda Lake.
• In the afternoon, drive to Arusha for your overnight stay at Kizumba House or similar (with lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

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Day 08

Departure from Kilimanjaro

• Enjoy a leisurely morning before your transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight home.