8-Day Tanzania Cultural Safari with Maasai Villages and Ngorongoro

• Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport.
• Drive to Olpopongi in the West Kilimanjaro region, 74 kilometres from the airport, passing through the beautiful outback of West Kilimanjaro. Depending on the season, you may see wildlife such as zebras and elephants. On a clear day, you will also enjoy amazing views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.
• Upon arrival at Olpopongi Maasai Village, a Maasai village, the Village Chief will welcome you with refreshments.

Overnight at the village. Full board meals.

• After breakfast, go on a walking safari where your guide will explain the past and contemporary life of the Tanzania Maasai. Learn more about Maasai culinary culture while sampling traditional tea (chai) prepared over a wood fire. A tasty lunch featuring a variety of local food highlights will conclude the activities inside the village.
• Maasai warriors will guide you along their paths and explain typical medicinal plants, extraordinary trees, tracks, and the local wildlife. You will also learn to use local tools, hunting techniques, and fire preparation as part of your bush excursion.
• At sunset, a group of Maasai men and women will gather for a traditional singing and dance performance. A great BBQ buffet around the campfire will provide an unforgettable evening under the starry sky.

Overnight at a private Maasai house with traditional beds. Full board meals.

• After breakfast, depart for Tengeru for a day of cultural touring. In the village, there are two primary schools - one for handicapped children and the other a teaching practice primary school. You will have the chance to play with the children and get to know their way of life.
• You will also visit an old stone quarry site developed after WWII, where more than 100 refugees from Poland were brought to Arusha. Many of them died of malaria and influenza and were buried in this area.
• In the evening, drive back to Arusha for accommodation and an overnight stay at Mount Meru Hotel.

Full board meals.

• After breakfast, depart from Arusha with picnic lunch boxes and drive to Monduli.
• Begin walking through a forest where an armed ranger will guide you. Buffalos, elephants, and other wildlife can be seen in this forest.
• After lunch, proceed to the summit of Monduli Mountain and enjoy the great views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Overnight at Enguik Village. Full board meals.

• After breakfast, travel along the rough road to Lake Eyasi, another soda lake in the Rift Valley.
• Arrive in the afternoon for a cultural interaction with the Datoga tribe, a very interesting community. Your Datoga guide in the village will lead the tour.
• Explore the dry and rugged landscape on foot, which is still inhabited by a small group of bushmen: the Hadzabe, or Watindiga. These tribes still live in bands, hunting with bows and arrows and gathering roots, tubers, and wild fruits, much as humans did to survive 10,000 years ago. Another interesting tribe in this area is the Datoga, also called the Barabaig or Mang'ati. Historically, they had strong rivalry with the Maasai over grazing land.

Overnight at Kisimangeda Tented Lodge. Full board meals.

• Start early in the morning for a hunting tour with the bushmen, then return to the lodge for breakfast.
• Afterward, depart for Ngorongoro Crater, spotting wildlife along the way.
• Stop briefly at one of the viewpoints on the crater rim to enjoy the splendid views.

Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. Full board meals.

• Drive to the Maasai village, with an optional stop at Olduvai Gorge - a famous historical site. Here, a resident anthropologist will give a lecture about human evolution and life in this place 20 million years ago.

Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on the rim of the crater. Full board meals.

• After breakfast, drive to Mto Wa Mbu for a cultural tour. Mto Wa Mbu Village has a very active cultural program that seeks to show visitors the traditional way of life of the villagers through various activities, as well as a range of community projects in place.
• You can visit top spots in the area, taste Tanzanian foods, and enjoy authentic cultural interaction. There are also a number of excellent walking, hiking, and biking tours offered in the village, ranging in length from a couple of hours to a full day.
• In the afternoon, drive back to Arusha, Moshi, or directly to the airport, depending on your schedule.