$2,185 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park – Karatu
Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park – Karatu
After breakfast, you will leave Arusha and drive west across the floor of the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. Although smaller than other parks, Manyara is incredibly diverse. You will enter through a lush groundwater forest resembling a tropical jungle and teeming with baboons and blue monkeys before the landscape opens up into grassy floodplains and the alkali lake itself. Keep your eyes peeled for the park’s legendary tree-climbing lions resting in the acacia branches and the pink flocks of flamingos along the shoreline. In the late afternoon, you will exit the park and ascend the Great Rift Valley escarpment to the town of Karatu, a cool, green agricultural hub where you will spend the night.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Accommodation:
- Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge
Wildlife in Lake Manyara NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Karatu - Central Serengeti
Karatu - Central Serengeti
Today involves a scenic drive as you traverse the cool, misty highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will stop at the crater rim viewpoint for a breathtaking look at the caldera before descending onto the vast plains of the Serengeti. As you pass Naabi Hill Gate, the trees disappear, replaced by the "endless plains" that give the park its name. You will enjoy a game drive en route to the Central Serengeti (Seronera), arriving at your camp in the late afternoon. This area is predator central, and you might spot your first pride of lions or a cheetah scanning the horizon before dinner.
- Main Destination:
- Central Serengeti National Park
- Accommodation:
- Meliá Serengeti Lodge
Wildlife in Serengeti NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Central Serengeti - Ngorongoro
Central Serengeti - Ngorongoro
After a final morning game drive in the Serengeti to track any wildlife you may have missed, you will bid farewell to the plains and drive back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This return journey offers a second chance to spot wildlife across the plains, such as hyenas and jackals. You will ascend into the crater highlands, arriving at your lodge on the crater rim in the late afternoon. The evening is spent relaxing and enjoying the spectacular views, preparing for the descent into the crater the next day.
- Main Destination:
- Central Serengeti National Park
- Accommodation:
- Ngorongoro Lodge Meliá Collection
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha
Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha
You will start this final day very early to maximize your time in the crater. It is a short drive from Karatu to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate, where you will descend 600 meters to the crater floor. This ancient volcanic caldera is a self-contained ecosystem teeming with wildlife, including the Big Five. You will spend the morning exploring the crater floor, with high chances of spotting lions, hyenas, and the critically endangered Black Rhino. After a picnic lunch near the hippo pool, you will ascend the steep walls and begin the drive back to Arusha.
- Main Destination:
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater
- Meals & Drinks:
