$2,310 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Transfer from Arusha to Tarangire National Park – Overnight Karatu
Transfer from Arusha to Tarangire National Park – Overnight Karatu
You leave Arusha behind, the great Rift Valley escarpment rising on your left. Two hours later, you roll into Tarangire National Park and the first thing you see is a herd of elephants, maybe fifty of them, marching through a forest of baobab trees so ancient they look like they were planted by giants. Tarangire's secret is its river. In the dry season, the Tarangire River is the only water source for miles, and everything comes to it. Elephants, buffalo, lions, and the biggest herds of wildebeest and zebra you've ever seen are all packed into a landscape of dust, acacia, and those surreal baobabs. You spend the afternoon on game drives, weaving through the herds. The elephants here carry tusks so heavy they carve furrows in the earth. Lions doze in the shade, too full to move. And the light, as the sun drops behind the baobabs, turns everything the color of honey.
- Main Destination:
- Tarangire National Park
- Accommodation:
- Eileen's Trees Inn
Wildlife in Tarangire NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Full Day Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater – Overnight Karatu
Full Day Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater – Overnight Karatu
You wake before dawn. The crater rim is cold. You'll need layers but the reward is a sunrise that paints the caldera in gold and pink. You descend the switchback road into the crater floor, and within minutes, you're surrounded by wildlife. This is one of the few places on Earth where you can see the Big Five in a single morning. Lions sprawl across the roads, too lazy to move. Black rhinos are critically endangered and fiercely protected graze in the open grasslands. Hippos crowd the hippo pools, grunting and splashing. Elephants move through the fever trees. And leopards, if you're lucky, drape themselves across rocky outcrops. The crater floor is small, just 260 square kilometers but it holds over 25,000 large animals. The density is absurd. You'll take a picnic lunch by the Ngoitokitok Springs, watching hippos and flamingos in the same frame, and wonder if this is what paradise looked like before humans showed up.
- Main Destination:
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Accommodation:
- Eileen's Trees Inn
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Transfer from Karatu to Northern Serengeti
Transfer from Karatu to Northern Serengeti
After breakfast, you leave the Ngorongoro Highlands behind and drive west into the Serengeti. The landscape opens dramatically, the endless plains stretch to the horizon, dotted with acacia trees and termite mounds. You cross through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing through the famous Naabi Hill Gate, the official entrance to Serengeti National Park.
As you push north toward the Mara River, the terrain changes from open plains to riverine woodlands, kopjes, and rugged country. This is the front line of the Great Migration. Between July and October, more than a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras gather along the banks of the Mara River, preparing to cross. When you arrive in the Northern Serengeti in the late afternoon the Kogatende area is the prime crossing zone. The crocodiles wait below. The lions and hyenas patrol the far banks. The tension is palpable. Settle into your camp with the sound of the river in your ears.
- Main Destination:
- Northern Serengeti National Park
- Accommodation:
- Tukaone Hembe Camp
Wildlife in Serengeti NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Full Day Game Drive in Northern Serengeti
Full Day Game Drive in Northern Serengeti
Today is your first full day in the Northern Serengeti. Your guide positions the vehicle at strategic crossing points along the Mara River. The herds mill nervously, pacing the edge, pulling back, pacing again. You wait. The dust rises, the calls echo, and the anticipation is unbearable. And then if you're lucky the first wildebeest plunges in. The rest follow in a surge. Hooves churn the water. Crocodiles slide from the banks. Zebras scream. The crossing is chaos, blood, and raw instinct. You might see a crossing. You might not. The herds are wild, and they do as they please. But even without a crossing, the Northern Serengeti delivers. Lion prides of up to thirty individuals, cheetahs hunting on the open plains, leopards in the riverine trees. This is a predator country at its finest. You spend the full day exploring, with a picnic lunch on the plains. Return to camp as the sun drops behind the acacias.
- Main Destination:
- Northern Serengeti National Park
- Accommodation:
- Tukaone Hembe Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Full Day Game Drive in Northern Serengeti
Full Day Game Drive in Northern Serengeti
Another full day in the Northern Serengeti, another chance at a crossing, another morning of tension and hope. Your guide knows the best crossing points and will position you where the action is most likely. If the crossing happens, you'll watch in stunned silence. If it doesn't, you'll still have one of the greatest wildlife days on the planet. The northern Serengeti is home to massive herds of elephant, buffalo, and plains game, even when the migration has moved on.
Take advantage of the full day to explore the Kogatende and Lamai areas, known for resident lion prides and excellent sightings of cheetahs and leopards. The riverine forests host a variety of bird species, while the open plains offer endless wildlife viewing opportunities.
- Main Destination:
- Northern Serengeti National Park
- Accommodation:
- Tukaone Hembe Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Transfer from Northern Serengeti to Karatu
Transfer from Northern Serengeti to Karatu
After breakfast, you leave the Serengeti behind and begin the journey south toward Karatu. The drive takes you through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, crossing the stunning highlands with views of the crater in the distance.
This is a transfer day, but the scenery makes it worthwhile. You pass through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the Great Rift Valley, passing through Maasai villages and rolling green hills. Arrive in Karatu in the late afternoon, check into your lodge, and enjoy a relaxing evening.
- Main Destination:
- Karatu (Town)
- Accommodation:
- Eileen's Trees Inn
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Lake Eyasi, Hunting with the Hadzabe, Departure
Lake Eyasi, Hunting with the Hadzabe, Departure
On your final day, you drive to Lake Eyasi, a remote soda lake at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. Your destination is the Hadzabe tribe. One of the last remaining hunter-gatherer communities in Africa, the Hadzabe have lived in this region for tens of thousands of years, hunting with bows and poison-tipped arrows. You spend the morning with them. They show you their hunting techniques, their fire-making skills, and their language, a tongue full of clicks, one of the oldest on Earth. If you're lucky, you might join a group of Hadzabe hunters on a hunt, watching as they stalk game with astonishing precision. This is not a tourist show. This is a genuine encounter with one of the last hunter-gatherer societies on the planet. After the Hadzabe experience, visit the nearby Datoga tribe, known for their blacksmithing skills and intricate ironwork. After lunch, you'll be transferred back to Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight.
- Main Destination:
- Arusha Airport (Arusha)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
