Trip overview
This 5-day expedition is a premium, time efficient journey designed to deliver the very best of Tanzania’s wildlife without the fatigue of long return drives. You will begin by exploring the elephant-rich woodlands of Tarangire and the prehistoric floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. The adventure then moves to the world-famous Central Serengeti, where you will spend two nights in the heart of big cat territory. A key feature of this itinerary is the scenic flight on the final day, whisking you from the savannah straight to the international airport. This aerial transfer not only offers breathtaking views of the Rift Valley but also saves you a full day of driving, ensuring your safari ends on a high note of comfort and style.
Itinerary
Your Tanzanian adventure begins as you touch down at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), the gateway to the safari circuit. On a clear day, you may catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak from the tarmac. You will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel in Arusha, a vibrant city nestled at the foot of Mount Meru. Depending on your arrival time, you safari briefing may take place today or early tomorrow meaning.
Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: Gran Melia Arusha – Deluxe City View
After breakfast, you will leave Arusha and drive southwest towards Tarangire National Park. As you enter the park, the landscape transforms into a dramatic vista of grassy savannah dotted with ancient, bulbous baobab trees and termite mounds. Known as the "Elephant Playground," this park hosts the largest concentration of elephants in the region. You will spend the day game driving, watching family herds dig for water in the riverbeds and spotting other residents like giraffes, wildebeest, and the rare fringe-eared oryx. 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.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge
You will start the day early to descend 600 meters down into the Ngorongoro 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, you will ascend the crater rim and continue your journey northwest. You will descend onto the vast plains of the Serengeti, passing through the Naabi Hill Gate. The drive to the Central Serengeti (Seronera) serves as your first game drive in the park, arriving at your camp in the late afternoon.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Melia Serengeti Lodge – Lagoon View
You have a full day dedicated to exploring the Seronera Valley, the vibrant heart of the Serengeti. This region is renowned for its year-round wildlife abundance, largely due to the permanent waters of the Seronera River. Your guide will help you track the Big Five, with a special focus on leopards, which are frequently spotted lounging in the branches of sausage trees along the riverbanks. You might also encounter cheetahs using termite mounds as vantage points to scout for prey, or massive prides of lions resting in the shade of kopjes (rocky outcrops). A picnic lunch in the bush allows you to maximize your time viewing the complex interactions of this ancient ecosystem.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Melia Serengeti Lodge – Lagoon View
On your final morning, you will enjoy a short game drive en route to the Seronera Airstrip. Instead of the long, dusty drive back to Arusha, you will board a light aircraft for a scenic flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). This flight offers a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the Serengeti plains, the Ngorongoro Highlands, and the Great Rift Valley. You will land at JRO in good time to connect with your international departure flight, marking a seamless and memorable end to your Tanzanian safari.
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch
Includes/Excludes
Cost included
- All accommodations
- All transportation (Unless labelled as optional)
- Meals (As specified in the day- by-day section)
- Taxes / VAT
- Activities (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Park fees
- Professional guide
Cost Excluded
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- International & Domestic flights
- Option Balloon Safari (On offer for US $ 550 per person)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$15.00 pp per day)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees