Welcome to Tanzania, a country of volcanic highlands, vast savannahs and some of East Africa’s most celebrated wildlife regions. On arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, you’ll transfer to Lake Duluti Lodge. Set on a working coffee farm beside the volcanic crater lake of Duluti, with private chalets facing the grounds and indigenous trees, it offers a restful first base as you begin your journey through northern Tanzania. Before dinner, you may wish to join a tour of the coffee plantation to learn more about one of the region’s long-established crops. This evening, meet your Driver Guide and your group for dinner at the lodge and settle into your first night in East Africa.
Begin the day in Arusha with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Shanga, a social enterprise that trains and employs Tanzanians with disabilities through craft. As you walk through the workshop, you’ll watch weaving, glassblowing, beading, paper making and metalwork, with many pieces made using recycled materials. Continue to Tarangire National Park for lunch before heading out on an afternoon game drive. Named for the river that draws wildlife across its dry-season landscape, Tarangire is known for its elephant herds, baobab trees and strong game viewing. Later, continue to your camp for dinner and the evening in the park.
Head into Tarangire in the cooler morning hours, when the bush is beginning to stir and the first light reaches across the park’s open savannah and riverine woodland. Enjoy breakfast in the bush, a memorable way to begin the day surrounded by the sounds and scale of Tarangire. Return to camp for lunch and time at leisure before heading out again later in the day. As the light softens towards sunset, continue your exploration of the park and pause for a sundowner in the bush. There is also the opportunity to visit a Maasai village and gain insight into local traditions and community life.
Set out before sunrise for a final game drive in Tarangire, when the early light and cooler hours bring a different feel to the park before you continue towards the Ngorongoro Highlands. Stop at Gibb’s Farm for a Farm-to-Table lunch and a tour of the estate, where coffee, fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown on the fertile slopes outside Karatu. Later, settle into your hotel and explore more with Insight Choice. You may join a Swahili lesson with a Local Expert, or walk with your Driver Guide through Mto wa Mbu, a village known for its markets, farming and mix of communities. This evening, you may wish to relax at the lodge, take in the highland setting or enjoy the views across the coffee country around Oldeani.
Travel to Lake Eyasi, a seasonal soda lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, where today’s visits focus on two of northern Tanzania’s communities. Spend time with the Hadzabe, whose way of life remains closely tied to hunting, gathering and detailed knowledge of the surrounding bush. You’ll learn more about food preparation, daily skills and their distinctive click language, and may also try archery. After lunch, continue to the Datoga, a pastoral people known for cattle keeping and long-established blacksmithing traditions. Later, return to your lodge for dinner and the evening.
Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for a morning game drive across the floor of the world’s largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera, where year-round water and grazing support a high concentration of wildlife. Pause for a picnic lunch on the crater floor before continuing west towards Serengeti National Park. From the Maasai word Siringet, meaning “wide endless plains”, Serengeti is Tanzania’s first national park and one of Africa’s most recognized safari landscapes. Arrive at camp in time for dinner and a free evening. You may wish to settle in by the firepit, listen to the sounds of the bush after dark or simply take in your first night in the Serengeti.
Spend the day on game drive in Serengeti National Park, continuing your exploration of one of Africa’s most important wildlife areas. Look out for lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra and antelope as you move through the park, with each part of the day bringing different wildlife activity across the plains and around the kopjes. This evening, return to camp for dinner in a traditional boma setting, where the circular layout and fireside atmosphere draw on a style of enclosure long used across East Africa.
Transfer to the Serengeti airstrip for your flight to Arusha, with the chance to spot wildlife on the way as you make your final journey across the park. Lifting off from the Serengeti gives you a last view of the landscape that has shaped your safari, from open plains to winding tracks below. On arrival in Arusha, continue towards Kilimanjaro for a day room at an airport hotel where you’ll have time to freshen up and relax before your onward journey. You’ll transfer to Kilimanjaro International, where you’ll say goodbye to your Driver Guide and your Small Group as your Tanzania journey comes to an end (onward flights should not be booked to depart until after 5 pm). Please Note: The full duration of this itinerary is operated by a 4x4 safari vehicle, including all road travel and safari game drives. The trip will travel over a variety of terrains, resulting in some rough and bumpy journeys.
