Overview
This is our longest and most complete photography expedition. It covers the northern parks from Tarangire to the Ngorongoro Crater, including the Mara River area at Kogatende, and adds three days of cultural documentary work with the Hadzabe and Datoga around Lake Eyasi.
With this much time, the trip does not depend on a single day's weather or wildlife. It is built for serious photographers planning one major journey rather than several short ones. Contact us to plan your dates.
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (13 days)
ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO ARUSHA
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) at any time. Get your tourist visa on arrival (US$100 per person for US and Canadian passport holders, paid in exact cash); you also need a yellow fever certificate and a passport valid for six months beyond your return with blank pages. Our representative meets you after immigration and drives you to your hotel in Arusha.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
A game drive in Tarangire National Park, where the permanent river attracts birds, giraffe, zebra, buffalo and huge elephant herds in the dry season, and lions and leopards are regularly seen. Your lodge inside the park has a lookout for sundowners.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
A day in Lake Manyara National Park, with its lake, groundwater forest, grassland, hot springs and woodland below the Rift Valley wall, more than 350 bird species and famous tree-climbing lions. After a picnic lunch you return to your lodge.
OLDUVAI GORGE AND INTO THE CENTRAL SERENGETI
You drive to the Serengeti, with a chance to visit Olduvai Gorge and its museum of early human finds, then spend the afternoon on the plains looking for resident wildlife and big cats.
Overnight at a tented camp in the Serengeti.
NORTH TO KOGATENDE
After breakfast you head north to Kogatende with a picnic lunch, game viewing much of the way and arriving at camp in the late afternoon.
Overnight at a tented camp in the northern Serengeti.
MARA RIVER CROSSINGS AT KOGATENDE
A full day following the migration along the Mara River, where resident wildlife is also plentiful around Wagakuria. Herds may cross north one day and back south a few days later, though crossings take patience and luck. The kopjes, woodland and open plains here are very like Kenya's Masai Mara.
Overnight at your northern Serengeti camp.
BACK TO THE CENTRAL SERENGETI
A full day in the central Serengeti from early morning, following lion prides, searching the kopjes for predators and spending time with the herds, with birds from secretary birds to ostriches along the way.
Overnight at a tented camp in the Serengeti.
SERENGETI TO THE NGORONGORO RIM
After a final morning game drive in the Serengeti, you drive into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and up to the crater rim for the night.
FULL DAY IN THE NGORONGORO CRATER
A full day in the Ngorongoro Crater. After driving along the rim, you descend to the crater floor, a natural sanctuary for lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and sometimes leopard, though never giraffe, as the walls are too steep. In the late afternoon you drive to your lodge.
LAKE EYASI: TIME WITH THE HADZABE
A day dedicated to a carefully guided visit with the Hadzabe around Lake Eyasi, where some of the most powerful images of the trip can come from. The focus is on respect and pace: observing quietly, photographing with awareness and giving real moments time to unfold. Photography focus: environmental portraits, gesture, movement, connection, story and place.
A SECOND DAY AT LAKE EYASI
A second full day adds depth that many cultural trips lack. With more time and familiarity, you can work patiently towards more meaningful portraits, quieter storytelling and a fuller picture of daily life around Lake Eyasi. Photography focus: deeper portrait work, repeated observation, daily rhythm and stronger visual stories.
Overnight in the Lake Eyasi area.
DATOGA COMMUNITY AND RETURN TO ARUSHA
This morning you visit the Datoga community, adding a different visual story to your work: their crafts, homes, textures, blacksmithing and everyday life, which complete the cultural picture of the Lake Eyasi region. Afterwards you return to Arusha, or continue on an optional extension to the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. Photography focus: crafts, blacksmith detail, portraits, texture, home life and social context.
Overnight in Arusha.
DEPARTURE
Depending on your flight time, you are transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Rates Per Person
The Overview tab explains the accommodation and meal options. Send us your dates and group size for an exact price.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Serengeti National Park and ends in Olduvai Gorge.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport or Mwanza Airport is the most common arrival point for this trip.
Transfer Information
We meet you at the airport and handle every transfer between destinations throughout your trip.
Accommodation Before/After
Want an extra night in Arusha, Moshi or Zanzibar before or after your trip? Just ask and we will arrange it.