Day 1: Arrival day - Overnight in homestay in Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be met by our English-speaking guide and driven to Arusha for your first evening in Tanzania. The transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to West Kilimanjaro will take about 1 hour, so you can sit back and enjoy the ride before arriving for a well-deserved night's sleep.

You will spend your night at a local homestay, where you will have the chance to immerse yourself in the Tanzanian culture, see the way of life of the local people and eat delicious homemade food.

Day 2: Arusha - Tarangire

After breakfast, you are met by our tour guide/driver, who will deliver a short safari briefing. After briefing you will be transferred to Tarangire National Park with your picnic lunch. Tarangire derived its name from the Tarangire River which crosses along the center of the park and which provide permanent water for the wildlife and birdlife of the park round the year. It is here where a large group of different species of animal concentrate during the dry season and the best place to take many pictures.

Its natural vegetation mainly consists of Acacia woodland and giant African Baobab trees, with huge swamp areas in the south. The Tarangire National Park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. Also it is in Tarangire by chance you can see the tree climbing African pythons.

Tarangire National Park accommodated migratory and resident birdlife and believed to be a paradise of birdwatchers as more that 350 different species have been recorded todate. Other wildlife that Tarangire accommodates includes the rare Oryx, impala, giraffe, zebra, lion, leopard and different types of gazelles.

We will enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park and do two exciting morning and afternoon game drives, along the Tarangire River. Late afternoon you will be transferred to the lodge/campsite for hot shower, dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Mto wa Mbu - Lake Natron

This morning, you will visit the markets of Mto Wa Mbu by car or bicycle. Here you will meet the inhabitants of this charming little town, located near Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. You can also take the opportunity to discover gastronomy and have a meal on-site.

All bicycles are of good quality and a rescue team is available on site in case of problems. The bike ride will allow you to cross part of the Manyara forest and meet the small herds of wild animals on the shore of the lake.

After lunch, you will be driven to Lake Natron for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Lake Natron

After breakfast you will visit Lake Natron: one of the most alkaline lakes in the world. Home to millions of tiny crustaceans, the lake is a haven for thousands of lesser flamingos and is one of the most important flamingo breeding grounds on earth. The area around the lake is dry and desolate. The strangely beautiful landscape is the attraction in this area.

In the afternoon, you can take a long walk to the Ngare Sero river. After a strenuous walk up the stream, you will reach the source of the river, in cascading waterfalls the river gushes out of the mountains. You will enjoy a refreshing swim in the river and under the waterfalls for a nice cool-down from the hot sun. There may be baboons or other wildlife in the gorge. You will return to camp where your cook would have prepared you dinner. Enjoy your meal under the stars before retiring for the night.

Please note that Lake Natron is very hot. It is therefore strongly recommended to bring protective clothing, hat and sunscreen. We also recommend bringing water shoes, or shoes you don't mind immersing in water for the hike through the river.

Day 5 Lake Natron - Serengeti

Enjoy a half-day drive across Tanzania’s heartland, passing red-robed Maasai herding their cattle. Arrive at the famous Serengeti National Park in time for an afternoon game drive, enjoying the mystical, blazing orange sunset as you head to the lodge/campsite. As well as the migration of ungulates, the Serengeti National Park is well known for its healthy stock of other resident wildlife, particularly the "Big Five", named for the five most prized trophies taken by hunters (lion, leopard, elephant, black rhinoceros and buffalo).

Day 6 Serengeti

In the morning after breakfast you will meet your tour guide for starting a game drive to Serengeti National Park for a full day game drive. Serengeti is the largest national park in Tanzania covering more than 14,000 square kilometers. The park is having numerous numbers of unique features and attractions among them include: The annual great wildebeest migration (whereby wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migrates from Serengeti National Park to Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and come back later in the year), the park is famous for its endless plains and the savannah vegetation that it owns, balloon safari and been the richest park full of wildlife and birdlife elsewhere in Africa.

The park also supports many species of wildlife including Lion, African Leopard, African Elephant, cheetah, African Buffalo, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, topi, eland, water buck, hyena, baboon, impala, African wild dog and giraffe. The park also boasts about 500 bird species, including ostrich, secretary bird, Kori bustard, crowned crane, marabou stork, martial eagle, lovebirds and many species of vultures.

Your tour guide will therefore take you back late in the afternoon at your lodge/campsite for a hot shower, dinner and overnight.

Day 7 Serengeti - Ngorongoro Crater - Karatu

In the morning after breakfast, you will meet your driver-guide and been transfer to the crater gate with your picnic lunch ready for a full day crater tour, explore the crater which is famous for its great concentration of wildlife and birdlife. This is probably the most enjoyable day as you can witness how wildlife wakes up and start their daily activities. If you’re lucky enough you can see a predator hunting a prey or any adventure of your lifetime that Ngorongoro crater has for you. Ngorongoro crater is famous for its different attraction which includes alkaline lakes, forest, and different vegetation, hot springs, different kinds of wildlife and birdlife and its landscape.

Among the common wildlife in the crater includes; lion, leopard, zebra, elephant, African buffalo, warthog, hyena, wild dogs, the rare black rhino, wildebeest and varieties of migratory and resident birdlife whereby more than 350 different species have been recorded.

In the afternoon you will ascend the crater floor and be transferred to Karatu for your dinner and overnight.

Day 8 Karatu – Arusha

Today you have a free leisure day in Karatu. Depending on your wishes, Karatu offers many different activities, such as cycling from Mto wa Mbu to Lake Manyara, hiking on the Great Rift Valley, or Maasai cultural visits. Or you can simply relax in your camp or hotel. You can ask your guide for advice!

In the middle of the afternoon, you will drive back to Arusha and be dropped off at your hotel or at the airport depending on your itinerary.