Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival

   • Arrive anytime at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), and there will be a private transfer waiting at the airport to pick you up to Arusha, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

   • Stay at the African Tulip Hotel, which is beautifully located on the slope of Mount Meru and is a perfect place to prepare for your safari.

   • Gather in the evening at the hotel for a pre-safari briefing and an equipment check.

   Dinner and overnight at African Tulip Hotel or similar: Bed and Breakfast.

2. Day 2: Tarangire National Park

   • Drive to Tarangire National Park to view its outstanding game and wildlife. In the dry seasons, Tarangire will come alive as wildlife and birdlife congregate on the Tarangire River.

   • Spend the night in the beautiful lodge nestled inside the park with gorgeous views and an exotic atmosphere.

   Dinner and overnight at Nsya Lodge: All meals included.

3. Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park

   • Drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives. This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience! The lakeshore at Manyara swarms with birdlife, and while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions! There are a surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop.

   • Later that afternoon, make a short journey from the park to the luxury lodge.

   Dinner and overnight at Eileen's Tree Inn Lodge: All meals included.

4. Day 4: Serengeti National Park

   • Head towards the Serengeti National Park.

   • En route, there is an opportunity to visit Olduvai Gorge. In this steep-sided ravine, Louis and Mary Leakey made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries in the 1950s. Here is a small museum where we can see evidence of our ancestors that have been dated back 2.5 million years.

   • After lunch, drive into the Serengeti. The rest of the afternoon is spent game viewing in the vast plains broken only by stands of acacia trees and the occasional kopje. You will normally meet the migration in December, January and February with large herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle. See plenty of resident wildlife, such as giraffes, buffalo, and elephants, and many large predators, such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards.

   • Return to the camp. 

   Dinner and overnight at Kananga Special Tented Camp: All meals included.

5. Day 5: Serengeti Balloon Safari

   • The Serengeti Balloon Safari is probably the most beautiful balloon flight in the world and the ultimate safari experience, allowing you to enjoy the most beautiful migration of wildebeests through the endless plain of Serengeti.

   • At 5:00 a.m., Serengeti Balloon Safaris will collect you from your central Serengeti lodge or camp and transfer you by Landrover to the launch site near Masai Kopjes.

   • Meet your pilot, receive a briefing, and watch the inflation of your balloon.

   • At dawn, take off, rising with the sun and float in whichever direction the morning winds take you. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon, sometimes flying at treetop height or lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.

   • After breakfast, be taken to the rendezvous point to meet with your Tanzanian safari guide/driver and continue your full-day game drives.

   Dinner and overnight at Kananga Special Tented Camp: All meals included.

6. Day 6: Ngorongoro Conservation Area

   • Start the day with an early morning game drive before heading to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – meaning the whole area is managed for the animals and the local Masai people who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife.

   • During the drive-in Ngorongoro, you have a glimpse of the Masai way of life.

   • After stopping at the entrance gate, where you will learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape, you will drive around the rim of the Crater itself, and from here, you can look down and see the herd of wildebeest and buffaloes.

   Dinner and overnight at Rhino Lodge: All meals included.

7. Day 7: Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater

   • The Ngorongoro Crater provides great game viewing all year round! The wildlife here makes up a permanent population because grazing and water supplies are plentiful throughout the seasons.

   • Finally, descend into the crater. The crater walls provide a natural sanctuary for the animals, which means there is plenty to see: lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, and leopards (if you are lucky).

   • Later that afternoon, travel just outside of Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Arusha.

   Dinner and overnight at African Tulip Hotel: Bed and Breakfast

8. Day 8: Departure

   • Take a private transfer to the airport to fly back home.