At the airport or your accommodation your safari guide picks you up, then you travel southwest to Tarangire National Park. Allow about 1 to 2 hours for this scenic trip over the rolling hills and rural countryside of northern Tanzania.

At the park gate your first full-day game drive begins in one of Tanzania’s most overlooked treasures. Tarangire is famed for its towering baobabs, wide savannahs and the biggest gathering of elephants in northern Tanzania. In the dry season the Tarangire River pulls in animals like a magnet, so you could see huge herds of zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and giraffes, along with lions and leopards.

Around noon you pause at a designated picnic site for a bush lunch accompanied by the sounds of nature. Through the afternoon you cross the park's varied habitats, looking for elusive animals like cheetahs and even pythons that climb trees. While the sun sets behind the baobabs, you exit the park and travel to your charming lodge close by.

Overnight at Heart and soul lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you head for Lake Manyara National Park, a scenic jewel at the foot of the steep Great Rift Valley escarpment. The park is small, yet its range of wildlife is striking, and it is best known for tree-climbing lions, pink flamingos and more than 400 bird species.

Your morning game drive winds through groundwater forest, acacia woodland and open plains. Beside the lake you could see elephants, hippos, baboons and a dazzling array of birds. You stop for a picnic lunch inside the park, and the afternoon safari carries on until early evening.

Afterwards you head back to Suricata Boma Lodge to relax, or opt for a guided nature walk or a cultural visit to a Maasai village nearby for deeper immersion.
Accommodation: Heart and soul
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following an early breakfast, you depart the Manyara lodge and head for the world-famous Serengeti National Park. The route crosses the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the road follows the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater and gives you stunning views of the ancient volcanic caldera.

Your descent ends on the Serengeti's wide grasslands, called “endless plains” in Maasai. Few parks rival its reputation as a wildlife sanctuary, thanks to the Great Migration and a resident Big Five of lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard and elephant.

Your first Serengeti game drive

You picnic in the bush at the Serengeti gate, after which your first exciting game drive in the park gets under way. Have your camera ready for golden grasslands filled with wildebeest and zebras, graceful giraffes, basking hippos and prowling predators. By late afternoon you arrive at your safari-style accommodation in the heart of the Serengeti, with time to freshen up before a delicious dinner under the stars.

Night at Serengeti Heritage lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Rise to the sounds of the wild and eat an early breakfast at camp ahead of a game drive lasting the entire day through the iconic Serengeti. As you cross the vast plains, you search for the Big Five, cheetahs, giraffes and large herds of wildebeest and zebra. Every turn in the Serengeti uncovers fresh wildlife scenes and stunning landscapes.

At lunchtime you stop for a scenic picnic in the bush, then explore other parts of the park, following the rhythm of the wildlife. As the sun sinks you head back to camp for a warm shower, a delicious dinner and tales around the campfire beneath the stars.

Overnight Serengeti Heritage lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

At dawn you have the option of a hot air balloon safari over the Serengeti (booking required, extra cost). You rise with the sun above the golden plains, while below long shadows stretch across wildebeest and antelope herds, and possibly a pride of lions beginning its day.

Whether you flew in the balloon or took a slower morning, a hearty breakfast awaits at camp. You then set out on a last morning game drive in the Serengeti, a final opportunity to spot wildlife you may have missed, while the shifting landscape reveals fresh surprises.

In the afternoon the route heads south-east to the Ngorongoro Highlands, passing through the fertile countryside of the conservation area. Parched grassland gives way to lush green hills, Maasai villages and terraced farms. You arrive in the early evening, when the cool highland air and peaceful setting contrast nicely with the untamed Serengeti. After checking in to your lodge, you enjoy a freshly prepared dinner and unwind after a busy day.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Rise early and make for the Ngorongoro Crater, widely nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World". A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this vast and unbroken caldera is home to an astonishing density of wildlife, among them lions, elephants, hyenas, hippos, flamingos and even the rare black rhino.

Descending 600 meters into the crater, you enter a wildlife sanctuary unlike any other, a natural amphitheater where the drama of the African savannah plays out around you. At lunchtime you picnic at a scenic spot beside a hippo pool, and the game drive continues until mid-afternoon.

Once your crater adventure ends, we drive you back to Arusha, where you can freshen up if needed. You then continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your booked flight.