On the premier Essence of Tanszania Safari, enjoy classic tented camps and plush colonial lodges at these iconic safari destinations plus adventurous options for off-road game drives and guided bush walks. You will visit three of the most prolific wildlife areas in Tanzania, beginning in southern Taragire, in a seculded, classic tented camp. From here, you will travel to the lush Ngorongoro Crater highlands where you experience huge herds of game, visit local markets and have a chance to visit Lake Manyara with its famous flamingos. The last stop on your Tanzania safari, will be to the famous Serengeti National Park where you spend your nights in a luxurious permanent, tented camp.
Day 1 Travel Day To Africa
Day 2 Arusha
Day 3 Tarangire National Park
Day 4 Tarangire National Park
Day 5 Ngorongoro Crater
Day 6 Ngorongoro Crater
Day 7 Serengeti National Park
Day 8 Serengeti National Park
Day 9 Your Journey Ends
- Small, classic tented camps
- Twice daily game drives
- Colonial coffee estates
- Guided bush walks
- Wilderness fly camping
- The Big Five
DAY 1 TRAVEL DAY – TO AFRICA
Your safari begins today as you board your international flight to Africa.
DAY 2 ARUSHA
Welcome to Africa! As you arrive in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Arusha Coffee Lodge for the evening.
About Arusha Coffee Lodge: This inviting lodge radiates the warmth and style of a colonial plantation home. Well-appointed accommodations surrounded by Tanzania’s largest coffee plantation make this a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate before or after your safari adventures.
Camp Type & Location: Safari lodge in Arusha, Tanzania surrounded by the country’s largest coffee plantation.
Guest Accommodations: Thirty invitingly furnished cottages are decorated in a palate of earth colors reflecting the land with split-level living areas, en-suite baths and private patios. The main plantation house features an ‘a la carte’ restaurant, intimate bar, cozy lounge (all with open log fireplaces), two boutiques, an enclosed swimming pool and a popular garden terrace.
Activities: Optional activities (some at extra cost) include coffee plantation tours, visits to the Museum of Natural History, shopping at a local Maasai market or for Tanzanite at the lodge’s Tanzanite gift shop.
Overnight: Arusha Coffee Lodge (B)
DAYS 3 & 4 TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, you will be met by your guide and driven through the pastoral Tanzania countryside to Tarangire National Park and adventurous Oliver’s Camp, your home for the next two nights. You will arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. The following day is devoted to experiencing Tarangire’s wildlife wonders.
About Oliver’s Camp: This classic little camp secluded in the remote south of Tarangire National Park offers off-road game drives in open vehicles, fly camping and guided walking safaris that allow you to track wildlife on foot like the first explorers. Guests can relax in the camp’s lounge/library tent and enjoy sundowners around the campfire after an exciting day in the Tarangire wilderness.
Camp Type & Location: Permanent tented camp in Tarangire National Park.
Guest Accommodations: Ten beautifully appointed guest tents offer excellent views over the adjacent marsh which is a magnet for wildlife. Tents are covered by traditional thatched roofs and feature outdoor showers and indoor flush toilets and vanities.
Activities: Off-road driving on morning and afternoon game drives in open safari vehicles, guided bush walks (a camp specialty) and fly camping in the wilderness. Bush walks can be combined with fly camping for an extended bush experience. Fly camping must be arranged prior to arrival.
Wildlife: During the June to November dry season the park is a refuge for large herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra, impala, gazelles, eland and buffalo. Lion, leopard and hyena are plentiful and Tarangire has one of widest varieties of bird species in East Africa.
About Tarangire National Park: Tarangire covers 1100 square miles of savannah grasslands, open acacia woodland and ancient Baobab trees in northern Tanzania. During the dry season, huge numbers of animals are drawn to the Tarangire River making it one of the most spectacular game locations in East Africa.
Overnight: Oliver’s Camp (B, L, D, Beverages)
DAYS 5 & 6 NGORONGORO CRATER
After a morning game drive and brunch, you will be driven to Ngorongoro Plantation Lodge for your next two nights with a stop along the way at scenic Lake Manyara National Park. Tomorrow is a full day exploration of Ngorongoro Crater.
About Ngorongoro Plantation Lodge: The lodge rests among soft, red-brown hills amid the rich farming country of Tanzania’s Crater Highlands. Everywhere you look, you can see and feel the personal attention lavished on this owner-run lodge decorated and furnished in the style of a lavish colonial estate.
Camp Type & Location:Safari lodge located at the foot of the southern flank of Ngorongoro Crater.
Guest AccommodationsSixteen rooms lie generously distributed throughout the plantation’s flowering gardens. Each room is individually decorated with private en-suite baths, some with private verandas.
Activities: Full day game drive in Ngorongoro Crater. Optional activities (extra cost) include bird watching, coffee plantation tour and expert massage.
Wildlife: Ngorongoro Crater is home to all of Africa’s Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – plus hyena, jackal, eland, wildebeest, zebra, impala, gazelle and hundreds of bird species including seasonal flocks of flamingos on Lake Magadi.
About Lake Manyara National Park: Lake Manyara is a scenic park in northern Tanzania whose majestic forests and lakeside plains are set at the foot of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment. It is home to an unusual range of habitats and is famous for its elephants, tree climbing lions and seasonal flocks of hundreds of thousands of flamingos.
About Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is a 100 square mile natural amphitheater in northern Tanzania created 2 million years ago when a volcano imploded leaving a 12 mile wide crater surrounded by an unbroken 2,000-foot high rim. It is home to 30,000 wild animals and provides outstanding game viewing in every season in a spectacular natural setting.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Plantation Lodge (B, L, D)
DAYS 7 & 8 SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast you will transfer to Serengeti National Park and magnificent Sayari Camp enjoying excellent game viewing en-route and a stop at Olduvai Gorge, the site of Louis and Mary Leakey’s discovery of the remains of some the earliest ancestors of modern humans. You will arrive at Sayari for your final two nights on safari in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. Tomorrow is devoted to a full day exploration of the Serengeti.
About Sayari Camp: Sayari means “universe” in Swahili and it aptly describes the vast plains and endless skies that is the universe of Sayari Camp. Set in the Serengeti’s remote north, the camp is perfectly positioned to witness one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet – the Great Migration of over a million wildebeest crossing the treacherous Mara River. It is also one of the very few places in the Serengeti that offer off-road game drives and guided walking safaris. The camps chic blend of wood and canvas features an infinity pool, library, bar and lounge.
Camp Type & Location: Mobile tented camp located in the northern section of Serengeti National Park.
Guest Accommodations: The 15 luxury guest tents blend perfectly into the majestic Serengeti landscape. Both wings have a separate mess and dining area to ensure intimacy and personal service. Each tent has a king size bed (twins also available) and a large, private veranda overlooking the plains. The en-suite bathrooms have flush toilets, a double sink, shower and bath with a view.
Activities: Morning and afternoon game drives in traditional safari vehicles with off-road opportunities. Optional activities (extra cost) include bush breakfasts, guided walking safaris and spa services.
Wildlife: The Serengeti is host to the spectacular annual migration of millions of wildebeest and tens of thousands of zebra and gazelle. The park’s resident wildlife includes all the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – plus cheetah, hyena, jackal, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, topi, hartebeest, waterbuck, impala, bushbuck, eland, warthog and hundreds of bird species.
About Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is Africa’s most famous national park. It covers 5700 square miles in northwestern Tanzania stretching all the way to the Kenya border. Its vast grassland plains and acacia woodlands are home to the annual Great Migration where over a million wildebeest and tens of thousands of zebra and gazelle move throughout the year in search of fresh grazing.
Overnight: Sayari Camp (B, L, D, Beverages & Laundry)
Day 9 Your Journey Ends
This morning, your Tanzania safari comes to an end as you transfer to the airstrip for your light aircraft flight back to Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will connect with your international flight back to the USA.
