Overview
One week, four very different parks: the elephants and baobabs of Tarangire, the tree-climbing lions and birdlife of Lake Manyara, two full days on the Serengeti plains and a final day in the wildlife-packed Ngorongoro Crater.
Two days in the central Serengeti give you time to stay with a lion pride across several sightings or wait for a leopard in a riverside tree instead of taking one shot and driving on. Manyara adds groundwater forest and an alkaline lake with flamingos in season.
This is our mid-length photography safari, long enough to avoid rushing yet shorter than our longer migration trips. Migration timing changes the best areas of the Serengeti from month to month, so ask us what to expect on 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 (7 days)
ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO ARUSHA
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) at any time. On arrival, get your tourist visa (US$100 per person for US and Canadian passport holders, paid in exact cash). You will also need a yellow fever certificate, and your passport must be valid for six months beyond your return with blank pages. After immigration and customs, our representative meets you and drives you to your hotel in Arusha.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
You drive to Tarangire National Park, which has its own permanent water source and comes into its own in the dry season, when birds gather along the Tarangire River and giraffe, zebra, buffalo and above all elephants come to drink. Lions and leopards are also often seen. Tonight's lodge sits inside the park, with a lookout where you can enjoy a sundowner above the plains.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
You drive to Lake Manyara National Park, small but one of the most varied in Tanzania: two-thirds lake, backed by the Rift Valley wall, with groundwater forest, grassland, hot springs, woodland and steep slopes. With more than 350 bird species and its famous tree-climbing lions, it is a photographer's delight. After a picnic lunch you return to your lodge.
OLDUVAI GORGE AND INTO THE SERENGETI
You head for the Serengeti, with a chance to visit Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey made landmark discoveries about early humans in the 1950s; its small museum shows remains about 2.5 million years old. After lunch you enter the Serengeti for an afternoon on the plains dotted with acacias and kopjes. From December to February the migration is usually nearby, and giraffe, buffalo, elephant, lion, cheetah and leopard live here all year.
Overnight at a tented camp in the Serengeti.
FULL DAY IN THE CENTRAL SERENGETI
A whole day to work the central Serengeti at your own pace, following lion prides, searching riverside trees for leopards and watching cheetahs scan the plains, with time to wait for the right moment and the best light.
Overnight at your Serengeti tented camp.
NGORONGORO CRATER AND BACK TO ARUSHA
After an early game drive you head for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the Maasai graze their cattle alongside the wildlife. After a stop at the gate, you drive along the crater rim with views of the herds below, then descend to the floor, a natural sanctuary for lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and sometimes leopard. Giraffe are absent as the walls are too steep for them. In the late afternoon you return to your lodge 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.