Best Tanzania Safaris

3 Day Short Safari in Tanzania Northern Circuit

Safari Highlights

A short tour in which you visit the Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. Although it is short, you trace the big five, many different animals and birds species and stunningly beautiful landscapes.

Accommodation

Budget camp. Can be customised in need.

Safari Summary

• Duration: 3 days
• Countries: Tanzania
• Start: Arusha End: Arusha
• Tour Code: WATT008

Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire

You will be picked from your hotel and drive to Tarangire National park (120 km) with en-route views. Lunch packets will be served in the bush.

The Tarangire River is the centrepiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. In the dry season lots of animals congregate along the river. Drive into a landscape dotted with baobab trees and umbrella-thorn acacias. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra in addition to over 300 bird species. In the evening you will depart for Manyara area for overnight rest.

Overnight: Havvennature Safari Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 2: Manyara to Ngorongoro

After breakfast depart to tour the Ngorongoro Crater (50 km).

Descend into the crater for an in-depth exploration of this distinctive eco-system. Enjoy abundant wildlife viewing set against the impressive backdrop of the Ngorongoro Crater, the heart of the conservation area. These drives provide one of the best opportunities in Africa to view black rhino, which tend to spend their time on the crater floor. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles; its magical setting and abundant wildlife never fail to enthral visitors. For lunch, enjoy a picnic next to one of the hippo pools on the crater floor. Afterwards continue with the gamedrive throughout the various ecosystems of the crater, including woodland filled with zebra and baboon, plains that support scavenging hyena and a lake that is tinted pink with greater and lesser flamingos. Other game that you can see includes leopard, cheetah, hyena, other members of the antelope family, and small mammals.

After the tour you will spend the night in your camp outside the crater enjoying the magnificent view of the beautiful ecosystem.

Overnight: Havvennature Safari Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha

After breakfast you will drive to Lake Manyara with en-route views. Arrive early for early afternoon game drive.

Lake Manyara contains a diverse range of habitats and topographical features ranging from the rift wall, ground water forest, acacia woodlands and open grasslands to the shores of Lake Manyara and the lake itself.  There are some 350 different bird species in the park. The park provides sanctuary to a variety of animals such as the gazelle, impala, buffalo, wildebeest, hyena, baboon, giraffe, hippo and the famous tree-climbing lions that are unique to the lake. Picnic Lunch boxes will be served in the bush.

Later drive to Arusha (135 km) for overnight stay or in time for your international flight home.

Tour Price

Contact us for current pricing.

Inclusions

• Transport in a 4×4 land cruiser in Tanzania
• Services of a professional English speaking guide
• Game parks or national parks entry fees including government taxes
• Crater service fees/conservation fees
• Accommodations as specified in the itinerary
• Three meals per day whilst on safari
• Complimentary drinking water whilst on safari

Exclusions

• International/local flights
• Beverages and drinks
• Tipping
• Cultural visits to Maasai villages
• Personal effects
• Visas
• Hotel accommodation before and after the safari

5 Day Best of Northern Tanzania Safari

Safari Highlights

On this 5 day Tanzania lodging and camping safari, you will visit the Ngorongoro Crater the famous 7th wonder of the world, Tarangire National Park famous for its elephants, Lake Manyara famous for its tree climbing lions and the endless plains of the Serengeti National Park. The Best of Northern Tanzania Safari is considered one of the best Africa wildlife safari adventures and is one of our most popular.

Accommodation

A mix of lodges and tented camps. Can be customised in need.

Safari Summary

• Duration: 5 days
• Countries: Tanzania
• Start: Arusha End: Arusha
• Tour Code: WATT009

Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha – Lake Manyara/Tarangire

Today your safari guide drives you from Arusha (or Moshi) to Lake Manyara (December-March) or Tarangire (June-October) with lunch en-route for an afternoon game drive. Lunch will be served in a picnic spot in the bush with the rest of the evening spared for spotting animals. In the evening you will drive to your lodge or camp for overnight rest.

Overnight: Whistling Thorns Camp or Kirurumu Tented Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 2: Manyara – Serengeti

We depart for the famous Olduvai Gorge where the Africanthorpus skull was found. Olduvai Gorge is an archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti Plains. The gorge is a very steep sided ravine roughly 48 kms long and 100 meters deep. Exposed deposits show rich fossil fauna, many hominid remains and items belonging to the one of the oldest stone tool technologies, called Olduwan. The time span of the objects recovered date from 2,100,000 to 15,000 years ago. Proceed to Serengeti National Park in time to be able to enjoy our 2nd game safari.

Overnight: Serengeti Halisi Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 3: Full Day Serengeti

The Serengeti National Park is most famous for its annual migration of over 1.5 million white bearded (or brindled) wildebeest and 250,000 zebra. Serengeti National Park is widely regarded as the best wildlife reserve in Africa due to its density of predators and prey. Early morning is an optional balloon safari (see below for details). Today is full day game drive with either a hot lunch at the camp or picnic lunch.

Overnight: Serengeti Halisi Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 4: Serengeti – Ngorongoro

After breakfast we travel to Ngorongoro Crater for a 6 hour game drive.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The jewel in Ngorongoro’s crown is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest unfolded and unbroken caldera in the world. About 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq. kms in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breath-taking natural wonder. The rich pasture and permanent water of the crater floor supports a large resident population of wildlife of up to 25,000 predominantly grazing animals. These include wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, eland, kongoni and warthogs. After the safari we visit (optional) a Masai village and meet folks from this famous warrior tribe before proceeding to for our overnight stay at the crater’s rim.

Overnight: Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Manyara – Arusha

After breakfast travel by road to Arusha via the Great Rift Valley and African village of Mto wa Mbu (optional). This a chance for you to go shopping and the driver will advise and take you to the best shops at no extra cost. Arrive Arusha and you are transferred to the airport for your flight.

Ideal opportunity to add a holiday to the historical spice island of Zanzibar.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and lunch.

* We are glad to offer one activity at no extra cost on this day i.e. mountain biking, village walk, canoeing in Lake Duluti. All these will be in respect with the day’s itinerary and flight time.

Tour Price

Contact us for current pricing.

Inclusions

• Transport in a 4×4 land cruiser with pop-up roof for game viewing
• Services of a professional English speaking guide
• Game parks or national parks entry fees
• Crater service fees/conservation fees
• Accommodations as specified in the itinerary
• Three meals per day whilst on safari
• Complimentary drinking water whilst in your safari vehicle

Exclusions

• International/local flights
• Beverages and drinks
• Tipping
• Cultural visits to Maasai villages
• Personal effects
• Visas
• Hotel accommodation before and after the safari
• Change in itinerary

7 Day Magical Encounter of the Big Five Safari

Safari Highlights

One of the best safaris to indulge in, traversing Tanzania’s best protected areas for Big Five viewing, from big herds of elephants in Tarangire, the tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara, big cats and the spectacular wildebeest migration in Serengeti, to the rare rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater. If you’re a wildlife and nature enthusiast at heart, this trip is definitely one you don’t want to miss! At the end you can add an extension, eg. a beach holiday on Zanzibar.

Accommodation

A mix of comfortable lodges and tented camps. Can be customised in need.

Safari Summary

• Duration: 7 days
• Countries: Tanzania
• Start: Arusha End: Arusha
• Tour Code: WATT010

Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha

Karibu Tanzania (Welcome to Tanzania). On arrival at the airport you will be met by one of our staff members. After a meet and greet he will escort you to your accommodation in Arusha ready for the safari tommorrow.

Overnight: Mt Meru Hotel.

Meal Plan: Breakfast.

Day 2: Exploring With the Elephants in Tarangire

In the morning after breakfast our driver/guide will meet you and, after a short briefing, we set off to Tarangire National Park (spproximately 175km), which of all Tanzanian parks boasts the largest number of savannah elephants. We will be warmly ushered in for check-in, followed by lunch at the campsite. Depending with time and activities we can arrange picnic lunch boxes to have more time for your game drive.

This afternoon is the moment we have been waiting for. We depart on a game viewing drive in the vast, wildlife rich Tarangire National Park. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry Tarangire river bed of underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. It’s the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem – a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry country antelope such as the stately fringe eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed.

The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. On drier ground you may find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird, the stocking thighed ostrich, the world’s largest bird and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. Other birds include the yellow collared lovebird, drabber rufous-tailed weaver and the ashy starling – all endemic to the dry savannah of north central Tanzania.

Overnight: Tarangire Safari Lodge or similar.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 3: Tree Climbing Lions & Pink Flamingoes of Lake Manyara

After breakfast you depart for Lake Manyara National Park (approx 90 Km) with en-route views.

Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara contains a diverse range of habitats and topographical features ranging from the rift wall, ground water forest, acacia woodlands and open grasslands to the shores of Lake Manyara and the lake itself. Have afternoon game viewing in the park searching for the diverse flora and fauna of the park.

There are some 350 different bird species in the park. The park provides sanctuary to a variety of animals such as the gazelle, impala, buffalo, wildebeest, hyena, baboon, giraffe, hippo and the famous tree-climbing lions that are unique to the Lake. The park is generally recognised for its incredible beauty.

Overnight: Kirurumu Tented Camp or similar.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 4: Drive and Explore the Endless Plains of the Serengeti

Early in the morning you drive to Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (approx 210 Km). Picnic lunch packets will be served on the way.

We arrive in Serengeti in time for an exciting game viewing drive in one of the best game parks in Tanzania. Covering an area of 14,763 square kilometres, the world famous Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s oldest park and one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges. It stretches as far as Lake Victoria to the West. Its name comes from the Masai word Siringet, meaning ‘endless plains’.

Overnight: Kati Kati Tented Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Follow the Migation Paths in Serengeti

If you rise early you can take a morning game drive through the park to see the nocturnal predators returning from their nightly hunt and very active animals waking up in the early morning light. Depending on the time of year and the migration of the herds, you can expect to see wildebeest, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, rhinos, antelopes, birds and other species.

We enjoy morning and afternoon game viewing drives on the vast Serengeti plains. In the early morning and evening light, the Serengeti landscape is stunningly beautiful. The Serengeti ecosystem supports the greatest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa, including more than three million large mammals. The park is one that can never disappoint. One is spoilt by the variety of bird and wildlife species in this game reserve.

Overnight: Kati Kati Tented Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 6: A Day in the ‘African Garden of Eden’ – Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast we descend some 610 metres into the crater, which is home to an abundance of wildlife and a photogenic paradise, for a full day of game viewing drive with picnic lunch at a private scenic site (hippos pool).

Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact caldera in the world teams with an abundance of wildlife permanently resident on the crater floor. Prides of lions, herds of Cape buffalo, impala, Thompson’s gazelles, rhino, golden and black backed jackal, zebra, cheetah, leopard and the spotted hyena freely roam on the crater floor plains. Unmatched for its natural variety and breath taking beauty, there are few places on earth where such a tremendous diversity of landscapes exist inside a region this size. Apart from its wildlife riches, the crater is also of great archaeological importance, with the remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors discovered in the area and also a home to hundreds of bird species, refreshing in the small lakes in the crater floor.

Overnight: Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 7: Ngorongoro – Arusha

Today we break the camp in the morning and drive to Arusha. Depending with your next plans we can stop on the way for views and for shopping. Later we drive to Arusha in time for your flight to the next plans (We are glad to book an extra night in Arusha) or an extension to Zanzibar.

Tour Price

Contact us for current pricing.

Inclusions

• Transport in a custom-made tour van and 4×4 land cruiser in Tanzania
• Services of a professional English speaking guide
• Game parks or national parks entry fees including government taxes
• Crater service fees/conservation fees
• Accommodations as specified in the itinerary

1 night accommodation in Arusha on half board basis

• Three meals per day whilst on safari
• Complimentary drinking water whilst on safari

Exclusions

• International/local flights
• Beverages and drinks
• Tipping
• Cultural visits to Maasai villages
• Personal effects
• Visas
• Hotel accommodation before and after the safari

11 Day Ultimate Tanzania and Zanzibar Safari

Safari Highlights

This 11 day safari brings you to the highlights of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit: Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. At the end you will relax and enjoy the white, calm beaches of Zanzibar.

Accommodation

Comfortable lodges, tented camps. Beach hotel/resort on Zanzibar.

Safari Summary

• Duration: 11 days
• Countries: Tanzania
• Start: Arusha End: Dar es Salaam
• Tour Code: WATT011

Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania

Karibu (Welcome)!

Upon arrival at the airport, one of our representatives will meet and greet you, then bring you to your accommodation in town for dinner and overnight rest.

Overnight: Ilboru Safari Lodge.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 2: Arusha – Tarangire

After breakfast you start your journey!

You will drive to Tarangire National Park with game views en-route. Perfectly in time for lunch you arrive in your lodge and have an interesting game drive in the afternoon. Tarangire is famous for the largest elephant herds in Africa and around the Tarangire River you will find many different animals.

Overnight: Whistling Thorns Tented Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 3: Tarangire – Manyara

After breakfast you drive to Lake Manyara National Park and find lots of different animals on the way.

After arrival in the national park you go out for another game drive. This will fill the whole day, but in between you take your lunch in the hotel. In Lake Manyara National Park there are the tree-climbing lions – something really special. And another highlight are the hundreds of flamingos on the lake.

Overnight: Coutry Lodge Karatu.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 4: Manyara – Serengeti

Early in the morning you start the trip to Serengeti via Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Your lunch will be a picnic in the fascinating nature – enjoy the silence.

On the way you also visit the Olduvai Gorge which is a very important historical and archaeological site. After arriving in your lodge you take your dinner and rest.

Overnight: Kati Kati Tented Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

This day is for game drives only: the first one early in the morning and then later in the afternoon again. In between you take breakfast and lunch. The morning game drive is perfect for taking photos in a golden light. Many animals are active now, because the sun is not shining too hot yet. Maybe you can observe a lion hunting for food.

The flora and fauna in the Serengeti is really unique and you will find many different animals and birds.

If you are there at the right time you will witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, a wildlife show you will find nowhere else in this world.

Overnight: Kati Kati Tented Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 6: Sernegeti – Ngorongoro Crater

We drive from Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater. one of the Wonders of the World!

Your lunch will be enjoyed as a picnic at the “hippo pool” and afterwards you have another game drive until early evening before you return to your lodge.

The landscape is so unique and beautiful – you will see why people call it Heaven on Earth! In the afternoon you can relax in your lodge, take a meal and you can watch the animals from your veranda.

Overnight: Rhino Ngorongoro Lodge.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 7: Village Nature – Biking Around Mto wa Mbu – Flight to Zanzibar

After breakfast you will drive south as you say goodbye to this spectacular park. You arrive in the Mto wa Mbu area (close to Lake Manyara) where you will make your bike ready. With a guide you will start to cycle around the mountainous rugged village overlooking Lake Manyara; the topography is spectacular. At some point you may encounter some wild animals like antelopes. There are a lot of bird species and a camera should not be forgotten. A picnic lunch packet will be served. If you wish you can also go for African delicacies near Mto wa Mbu. For meat lovers, this is the best time to try swahili barbecue (nyama choma).

In the afternoon you will drive to Arusha for an afternoon flight to Zanzibar. The flight takes approximately 1 hours and upon arrival our representative will meet you and escort you to your beach resort and check-in.

Overnight: Ras Michamvi Beach Resort.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 8-10: Zanzibar

The next 3 days are free and you may choose a programme of your own. The hotels offer some of the best activities that you can do in Zanzibar from a central point. Spice tours, dolphin tours, kayaking, safari blue and other activities can be arranged. Alternatively you might choose to just sit, relax, unwind and forget all the hustle and instead have free time in the hotel.

Overnight: Ras Michamvi Beach Resort.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 11: Good Bye Tanzania

Today you will be escorted to the airport/harbour in time for your flight/boat to the main land to connect with your international flight.

Tour Price

Contact us for current pricing.

Inclusions

• Transport in a air-conditioned 4×4 land cruiser with pop-up roof for game viewing
• Services of a professional English speaking guide
• Transfers in Arusha and in Zanzibar
• Full board accommodation whilst on safari
• Half board accommodation whilst on Zanzibar
• One night before safari in Arusha on a half board basis
• Game parks or national parks entry fees including government taxes
• Complimentary drinking water in your vehicle whilst on safari

Exclusions

• International/local flights
• Airport arrival or departure taxes
• Lunches in Zanzibar and Arussha hotel
• Tipping
• Personal items