The Ultimate Tanzania Safari- 8 days.
This ultimate Tanzania safari in the northern circuit that covers the legendary Serengeti and much sought after Ngorongoro Crater, offers an unforgettable experience of why Tanzania is perhaps the best safari destination in Africa. The 8 days safari itinerary combines beautiful luxury lodge accommodation in dramatic settings, with prolific game viewing, wildlife, the great migration, and the Ngorongoro Crater- one of the natural wonders of the world. To save on travelling time and safari fatigue, we have thrown in a domestic charter flight to get you back to Arusha from Serengeti on the last day of the safari journey.
You will spend time in both central and western Serengeti. You will follow the wild migration depending on the time of the year of your safari. You will have full day game drives in the legendary Ngorongoro Crater area, with picnic lunch so that you maximise chances of spotting the big five and other wildlife plus birdlife that is abundant on the floor of the crater.
• Arusha: 1 night
• Lake Manyara: 1
night
• Ngorongoro: 2
nights
• Serengeti
(central): 1 night
• Serengeti
(western corridor): 2 nights
Lodges accommodation on safari.
The accommodations on safari are in Serena’s lodges, hotels and camps. The Serena properties are the epitome of luxury with tonnes of culture, dramatic views, serene locations, luxury furnishings with a high sense of local culture and character designs. Lake Duluti Serena Hotel just outside Arusha, Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge and Kirawira Serena Tented Camp are all beautiful luxury properties. We have chosen the best safari accommodations for this norther circuit Tanzania safari holiday.
Day 1: Arusha
On arrival to either Kilimanjaro Airport JRO or Arusha Airport, you will be met by our expert driver guide who will transfer you to Lake Duluti Serena Hotel on the outskirts of Arusha. After checking into the hotel, you will spend the rest of the day at leisure on the serene shores of Lake Duluti. In the evening you will be invited to a sumptuous dinner where you will be briefed about your safari for the next few days in the game rich Tanzania northern circuit. Lake Duluti Serena Hotel is perched on the foot of Mount Meru. The hotel was beautifully constructed on the site of a colonial coffee farm. It consists of traditional thatched cottages, with luxury bathrooms and spacious rooms.
Dinner and overnight: Lake Duluti Serena Hotel
Day 2: Arusha to Lake Manyara
On this 2nd day of the safari, after breakfast you will depart for Lake Manyara National Park. The drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara is a very scenic one passing through local villages, banana and coffee plantations. You will pass by locals going about their daily lives. Lake Manyara National Park is situated at the base of the great rift valley escarpment with Lake Manyara that attracts abundant game that comes down to drink. By Tanzania standards, Lake Manyara National Park is a small bit richly game populated park. It is home to baobab trees, lions, elephants, baboons, hippos and pink flamingos.
You will arrive and check in at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge for lunch. After lunch you will head out into the park for a game drive that will last until well in the evening before you return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Approx. journey time Arusha to Lake Manyara : 2 hours. Stay: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 3: Depart Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro
On day 3 of the safari, you will after breakfast, set off on a morning game drive in Lake Manyara Park. Afterwards you will depart for Ngorongoro stopping enroute for lunch at Gibb’s Farm. You will then proceed to Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, your accommodation for the next 2 nights as you explore the game rich Ngorongoro Crater.
Approx. journey time: 2 hours. Stay: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge B, L, D.
Day 4: Day in Ngorongoro
Today you will spend an entire day in the Ngorongoro Crater. You will depart from the lodge with packed picnic lunch boxes. You will descend into the base of the crater 600m down to the rim of the UNESCO world heritage site, to explore the dramatic crater, all the resident game, animals, wildlife and abundant birdlife that calls the Ngorongoro Crater home. You will discover lakes, vast open savannah plains, forests and spot a large number of wildlife including large herds of the big five of elephants, lions, buffalos, Rhinos and leopards. The crater is inarguably home to the densest concentration of wildlife and game in Africa.
You’ll later return to Ngorongoro Serena Lodge late in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge B, L, D.
Day 5: Depart Ngorongoro to Central Serengeti.
After breakfast, on your way to the popular and vast Serengeti National Park, you will get a chance to visit the Olduvai Gorge, one of the world’s richest and best-preserved archeological sites. In the Serengeti, you will be spoilt for choice in sighting the big five, big cats and other wildlife plus birdlife.
Enjoy unlimited game drives in the vast Serengeti before retiring to Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge. The lodge has stunning picturesque views across the Serengeti plains. This is luxury accommodation at its best in African-style rondavels amidst acacia trees that give one a total feel of privacy and comfort in the middle of the African bush.
Approx. journey time 5 hours. Stay: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (or similar). B, L, D.
Day 6: Central Serengeti to Western Serengeti
Today we depart from Serengeti Central to the Serengeti western corridor which is perhaps the most strategic location in the vast Serengeti for witnessing the annual great migration. You will have a series of game drives in the park in search of big cats and other wildlife in addition to witnessing one of the natural wonders of the world-the great wildebeest and zebras migration.
Accommodation is at the luxury, epitome of luxury Kirawira Serena Tented Camp. The camp is in colonial style lodging that will wow you. We have saved the best for last. Kirawira Serena Tented Camp belongs to a club of the small luxury hotels of the world. It is composed of 25 tents raised on timber platforms, with stunning views over the Serengeti plains and offer a luxury classic tented African safari tented experience to remember for a very long time.
Stay: Kirawira Serena Tented Camp (or similar). B, L, D.
Day 7: Serengeti
You will spend another day in Serengeti. There is never enough time to appreciate the vastness and abundant gamelife of the Serengeti. Today, you will have a chance of taking an optional air balloon safari (US$600 per person). It is quite pricey but well worth considering as it gives you the chance to spot the wildlife from the air, up-close and personal with some of the most stunning views of the Serengeti plains. You will otherwise have more game drives in search of the big cats, big five and all the animals, birds and game resident in this part of Serengeti.
Stay: Kirawira Serena Tented Camp (or similar). B, L, D.
Day 8: Depart Serengeti to Arusha.
It is sadly time to bid our goodbyes to Serengeti and all the wonderful people at Kirawira Serena Tented Camp. All good things do come to an end after all. You will be transferred to the Grumeti Airstrip for your charter flight back to Arusha.
Approx. journey time: 3 hours. On arrival to Arusha you will, be met by our airport representative and driver guide who will arrange lunch for you at a hotel in Arusha and then transfer you to Kilimanjaro airport for your outbound departure flight B, L.
Stay longer-Safari Holiday extension to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar 4 nights: Accommodation at Matlai Boutique Hotel.
Zanzibar is just a short 1.5hours flight from Kilimanjaro. Zanzibar and its white sandy beaches make Zanzibar Island, an exotic vacation destination and a natural extension to your Tanzania safari. After an exhilarating safari in the Serengeti, why not spend a few holidays relaxing on the beaches of Zanzibar before heading back home to loved ones.
Some parts of Zanzibar and Stone Town are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites. Stone Town is a melting pot and cultural mix of various cultural influences, lined up with ancient alleyways, palaces, listed buildings, vibrant Arabic markets and buildings with mesmerizing architectural details. During your stay in Zanzibar do not miss a visit further afield to the spice growing areas which grow cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and lots of other spices that have influenced the local cuisine over the years.
Take endless strolls along the beach, top up on your vitamin D, soak in the cool breeze of the Indian Ocean, try snorkeling, luxury spa treatments, scuba diving and a whole host of other water sports.
You will simply fall in love with Zanzibar.