DAY 1: Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), meet with our Safari guide, they will transfer you from the airport to your hotel in Arusha, the rest of this day is at leisure. On the way to the hotel you might get a glimpse of the beautiful Mount Meru and if the weather permits you will see Mount Kilimanjaro the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest free standing mountain in the world.

We will also confirm that you have the appropriate mandatory medical coverage and travel insurance. After dinner you will rest and prepare for the next day’s safari.

DAY 2: Tarangire National Park

After breakfast at the hotel your guide will pick you up to start the drive to The Tarangire National Park. The park derived its name from the mighty Tarangire River that crosses through its beautiful landscape. This amazing park known as “the Paradise of Elephants” is very unique, on your voyage you will get to see a few masai villages along the way as well as some wildlife.

An often-overlooked gem, Tarangire’s characteristic skyline, framed by the stubby branches of fat baobab trees, is the backdrop for superb game viewing, particularly in the winter months of the peak season. Its marshes, which dry out into verdant grassy fields during the dry season, draw great herds of elephant, buffalo, antelope and other plains game.

Lion and other predators are frequently spotted. The park boasts over 500 species of birds, including some species endemic to Tanzania. Away from the busier north, the southern end of the park is home to camps that specialize in walking safaris, allowing their guests to immerse their senses in the experience of exploring the African bush on foot.

DAY 3: The Ngorongoro Crater (Conservation Area)

After breakfast you will depart with packed lunches to The Ngorongoro Crater (Conservation Area). Did you know that about three million years ago, Ngorongoro Crater was once a massive super volcano that stood higher and mightier than its neighbor, Mount Kilimanjaro?

The mountain’s slopes were so vast that they had their own water flow and weather patterns. One day, it erupted violently, enraged. Its ferocious eruption made an implosion, creating a vast caldera that’s 2,000 feet deep.

After a million years, the caldera began to procure life. Water filled its cavity, but not to the point of creating a lake or some sort. It caused vegetation to develop and prosper over the years and as time passed by, wildlife discovered its glory. Abundant water and grasses attracted countless of species and due to its enclosed terrain plus its sheer sustenance, many animals would never leave.

Once you pass through the entry gates you will descend into the crater and spend the rest of the day on an amazing game drive. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest volcanic caldera. It is almost 20 km wide, approximately 600 m deep and is known for its large variety of wildlife. In addition to viewing the Big Five (Rhinos, Leopards, Lions, Buffalo and Elephants) various springs attract animals such as Wildebeests, Gazelles, Reedbucks and countless bird species.

You will stop to have lunch at a beautiful designated picnic area around noon. The Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most important protected areas in Africa, with a diverse eco-system, which boasts to be the home of 2-3 million wild animals. Ngorongoro is beautifully located with lakes, grasslands, swamps and forests on the escarpment, which give an impressive panoramic view of animals and scenery.

DAY 4 &5: The Serengeti National Park

The 15 000 square kilometer Serengeti is the oldest national park in Tanzania and is the habitat for an abundance of wildlife, such as Elephants, Impalas, Buffalo, Crocodiles, Hippos and more… but is more well-known for its great migrating herds of Zebras and Wildebeest. The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year.

In November and December the animals move from the northern region, dominated by woodlands and hills, to the grassy plains of the south. During the longer rainy season from April to June, they begin their return to the north and continue migrating northwards during July and August.

Apart from the migrating herds, you will most likely see an amazing array of animals including predators such as Leopards, Cheetahs and Lions. 90% of all African wildlife documentaries are filmed in the Serengeti as it is the most densely animal populated park in the world.

The great Serengeti Wildebeest migration is the movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti’s Wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of Zebra, and smaller numbers of Grant’s Gazelles, Thomson’s Gazelles, Eland and Impalas. The migrating animals move in an annual pattern, which is fairly predictable, as they are constantly seeking fresh grazing lands and better quality water.

The precise timing of the Serengeti wildebeest migration is entirely dependent on the rainfall patterns each year. The Mara River crossing normally starts in late June to early July, which moves towards August and proceeds towards the Ndutu area in February. In Tanzania you can find The Great Migration all year round as opposed to Kenya where parts the migration is only there for 2 months of the year.

DAY 6: Lake Eyasi (Bushmen and Datoga)

Lake Eyasi is a very scenic soda lake found on the southern border of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This less visited lake lies at the base of the Eyasi escarpment on the western rift valley wall. This Morning you will be introduced to the extraordinary people who belong to an indigenous tribe known as the ‘Hadzabe’ (hunter-gatherer bushmen).

The tribe inhabits the shores of Lake Eyasi as do the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe. You will visit these tribes, which will include a visit to their homesteads, learn about their way of life, animal tracking, medicinal plants, and much more. Some wildlife and a wide range of bird species can be viewed during walks around the lake, which can be arranged. After the activities you will drive back to Arusha for you departure by flight to Zanzibar, You will meet our guide at the airport for a transfer to the hotel in stone town.

On arrival if time allows, option of taking a Stone Town tour or enjoying a fabulous seafood lunch/dinner before spending the afternoon soaking up the sun and adjusting to the relaxed pace of life on the island. We encourage guests to explore the fascinating network of cobbled streets, peppered with cafes and vendors that make up Stone Town.

Stone Town has been a World Heritage Site since the year 2000 and is a mesmerizing maze of narrow alleys with countless shops and stands. Buildings here date back to the 19th century; you will be enchanted by the city’s beautiful mixture of Arabian and African architecture. Stone Town is at the heart of the Ungunja Island, which the largest island iswithhas a population of just over 1 million people.

A local guide will show you remarkable places in town like the central market, the former slave market, the Anglican Cathedral, the Tippu Tip House, the House of Wonders, the Old Fort, the Palace Museum and traditional carved Zanzibar doors.

DAY 7: Zanzibar Beach

Zanzibar enchants and beguiles with its oriental mystique and forgotten exoticism — the very name evokes the Spice Islands and the dhow trade, sultans and palaces built of limestone and corals against the palm trees and the crashing surf. But there’s more to the islands of Tanzania than just Zanzibar.

Throughout the Swahili Coast, diving, swimming, and snorkeling offer superb vistas of thriving coral and marine life.

Whether you’re content to stay on the mainland coast, or want to venture off into the atolls and islands of the Indian Ocean, the Tanzanian coast is a place of untouched beauty and enchantment.

Throughout the archipelago, deserted islands and sandbars beckon and abound. Some have slave caves and colonial graves; others have the ruins of sultan’s palaces and stately plantations. In Pemba, villages steeped in culture and traditions which preserve the Swahili way of life, almost oblivious to the world around them.

DAY 8: Zanzibar – Airport

After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and head to the Zanzibar airport, where we will bid you farewell as you depart home or to your next destination, concluding your trip with us.