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Tanzania Safari

Program Overview

Journey to the majestic grasslands of Africa’s premier safari destination to observe one of Earth’s greatest spectacles — the annual Great Migration of vast herds of wildebeest followed by zebra, gazelle and Cape buffalo. This incredible 11-night land program features immersive game drives in three of Tanzania’s most prestigious game parks — Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park and Serengeti National Park — as well as the UNESCO-inscribed Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

*Select departures operate in the reverse direction. 

Program Details

January 28 to February 8, 2025* February 5 to 16, 2025 February 13 to 24, 2025* February 21 to March 4, 2025 March 1 to 12, 2025*
From $7,595* plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Exclusive journey to Tanzania with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take in the awe-inspiring Great Migration, the annual trek made by almost two million wildebeest in search of water and grassy plains.
  • Created in our tradition of innovative programming and educational travel.
  • Revel in amazing encounters with magnificent animals and birdlife at close range on guided game drives within four of Tanzania's most scenic wildlife reserves, all in the care of expert local driver/guides.
  • A full day of exploration in the stunning Ngorongoro Crater, a lush, majestic caldera, home to more than 25,000 animals, including the Big Five: the elephant, leopard, lion, cape buffalo and black rhino.
  • Specially arranged visit to the Kibaoni Primary School to meet the students and learn about their educational program.
  • Two UNESCO World Heritage sites — Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park.

Day 1      Depart home city

Day 2     Arusha

Day 3     Arusha/Maramboi

Day 4     Tarangire National Park

Day 5     Lake Manyara/Lake Manyara National Park

Day 6     Karatu/Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Day 7     Ngorongoro Crater/Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Day 8     Olduvai Gorge/Serengeti National Park

Day 9     Serengeti National Park

Day 10   Serengeti National Park

Day 11    Serengeti National Park/Fly to Arusha/Arusha/Depart for home city

Day 12    Arrive home city

This program also runs in the reverse direction.

View detailed program itinerary >

Serena Hotels and Safari Lodges

This program features the deluxe, award-winning Serena Hotels and Safari Lodges that have provided deluxe accommodations for over 40 years. Ideally located in the heart of game reserves and lush mountain villages, these lodges immerse you in the largest concentration of wildlife and offer a unique local experience with tasteful, modern facilities. You will stay in Serena Hotels and Safari Lodges in Arusha, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti.

Maramboi Tented Camp

Located on the southern shore of Lake Manyara and just outside of the Tarangire National Park, the Maramboi Tented Camp offers stellar views of the Great Rift Valley in classic, luxury-safari style. You'll have your own beautiful tent upon raised wood platforms with a private terrace where you might encounter giraffes, gazelles, warthogs, or zebras. All tents have lovely bathrooms with showers.

Balloon Safari

Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime, bird’s eye view of the Serengeti’s magnificent plains and wildlife during an optional early morning hot air balloon flight. Take in an unmatched panorama as far as the eye can see as you glide over vast terrain. On landing, enjoy an English breakfast served with sparkling white wine.

The Optional Excursion is available at an additional cost. Space is limited. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

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Program Itinerary

Day 1 and 2 Depart Home City / Arusha, Tanzania

Depart your home city for an overnight flight to Arusha, Tanzania. Please check your bags from your gateway city to your arrival city.

Arrive the next day at the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, Tanzania. Check in to the Arusha Serena Hotel & Spa, located on the shore of Lake Duluti in the safari town of Arusha — the gateway to Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit.

Day 3 Arusha / Maramboi

Wake up this morning and enjoy breakfast at the hotel, followed by a briefing from your Safari Travel Director. From there, a scenic drive will take you to the Arusha Coffee Plantation. Surrounded by evergreen coffee bushes, the historic coffee lodge is a fascinating feast for the senses.

Enjoy an aromatic garden lunch here before traveling to the Maramboi Tented Lodge, where safari tents provide comfort beneath the palm trees. Check in to your one-bedroom, one-bathroom tent, which is on a raised wood platform with a private terrace and views of Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley.

Attend a Swahili lesson and admire the wildlife in your midst.

Welcome Reception: Join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception followed by a buffet dinner at the lodge this evening.

Day 4 Tarangire National Park

Rise with the African sun for a morning game drive in Tarangire National Park after breakfast.

Tarangire National Park. The sixth largest national park in Tanzania’s Manyara region, Tarangire National Park gets its name from the river that runs through it. Home to one of the largest population of elephants in Africa, the swamps and low-lying water that feed off its tributaries set the scene for an annual wildlife migration during the dry season. Among its abundant population of lions, leopard and Thomson’s gazelle, you may also be able to spot animals on Africa’s “Little Five” list — elephant shrew, ant lion, rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver and leopard tortoise.

A lunch of international home-style cuisine will be served at the Tarangire Safari Lodge’s open-air dining room.

Get your cameras ready for an afternoon photo safari and game drive. Be on the lookout for large herds of elephants gathering under the massive baobab trees and migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, gazelle and eland antelope across the land.

Return to the Maramboi Tented Lodge this evening for a buffet dinner.

Day 5 Lake Manyara / Lake Manyara National Park

Enjoy coffee and pastries at the camp early this morning before embarking on a walking safari to the banks of Lake Manyara. Check out of the lodge after breakfast for a panoramic journey to the tranquil Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, where you will have a buffet lunch and check in to your room.

This afternoon you will take a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park.

Lake Manyara National Park. Located in the Rift Valley in northern Tanzania, Lake Manyara National Park is known for its tree-climbing lions and breathtaking views. Two-thirds of the park is covered by the shallow waters of Lake Manyara, which rise and fall according to the season. The alkaline lake is home to more than 300 migratory birds, famously attracting pink flamingoes to its shores. You may also see hippos grazing on the shallow part of the river that runs through the park. Other wildlife to watch for includes elephants, wildebeests, giraffes and buffalo.

Return to the lodge for dinner, followed by an evening at leisure to enjoy the natural beauty around you.

Day 6 Lake Manyara / Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Check out of the lodge this morning after breakfast for a scenic drive to Ngorongoro Crater. You will get a firsthand view of Tanzania’s educational system when we stop at the Kibaoni Primary School on the edge of the Rift Valley. Meet the principal and see the school children at work in the classrooms.

From there, travel to the historic Gibb’s Farm — an organic farm and coffee plantation that spans more than 80 acres on the outer slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater. Enjoy lunch at this spectacular property and learn more about the generations of families that built what is today the oldest guesthouse in northern Tanzania.

Continue driving to the very edge of Ngorongoro Crater, where you will check in to the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge. Rooms in this spectacular property are looped around the crater rim, each with a rock-enclosed balcony and uninterrupted views of the natural amphitheater below.

Enjoy dinner at the lodge this evening.

Day 7 Ngorongoro Crater / Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Wake early today for breakfast at the lodge before boarding a four-wheel drive vehicle for a 5,000-feet descent into the prehistoric Ngorongoro Crater.

Ngorongoro Crater. Known as the Eighth Wonder of the World, Ngorongoro Crater contains the largest concentration of animals in Africa. The world’s largest caldera, this UNESCO World Heritage site is where prides of lion, black rhino and elephants co-exist with Maasai tribesman amid savanna woodlands and forests. According to UNESCO, the site has “global significance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other animals into the northern plains.”

You will have a day to remember traversing the floor of the crater, tracking animals and exploring one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles. A picnic lunch will be served in the crater during this thrilling excursion.

Return to the lodge this afternoon with time on your own to relax before joining the group for dinner this evening. Finish the night watching wildlife from the lodge’s viewing terrace, right on the crater’s rim.

Day 8 Olduvai Gorge / Serengeti National Park

Check out of the lodge after breakfast this morning and embark on a picturesque drive to Serengeti National Park. Halfway through the journey, we will stop at Olduvai Gorge, the most famous archaeological site in Africa, if not the world.

Olduvai Gorge. This UNESCO World Heritage site is noted for having revealed the oldest evidence of human evolution. Located in the Great Rift Valley between Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park, it is here that English archaeologist Mary Leakey discovered remains of a prehistoric hominid skull in 1959. She and husband, Louis — a Kenyan-British paleoanthropologist and archaeologist — established and developed an excavation and research program at Olduvai Gorge that has since revealed fossils and stone tools that date back millions of years.

Learn more about the Leakeys and their findings on a guided visit to the Olduvai Gorge Site Museum, which offers exhibits related to the Gorge's history and recent discoveries. From there, continue to the legendary Serengeti for a safari and picnic lunch.

Serengeti National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this national park spans the sprawling Serengeti plains. Inhabited by more than two million ungulates, 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopard, 550 cheetah and around 500 bird species, every year vast herds of wildebeest followed by zebra, gazelle and Cape buffalo make their Great Migration across this majestic landscape in search of water and fresh grass. Often called “the cradle of human life,” the Serengeti’s untouched wilderness is truly a sight to behold.

Arrive at the award-winning Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge and check in. Savor a traditional buffet dinner at the African-style lodge and enjoy an evening at leisure to relax by the infinity pool or watch for wildlife across the grasslands of the Serengeti.

Day 9 and 10 Serengeti National Park

Early risers may choose to take a balloon safari flight over the Serengeti this morning. This optional excursion, which includes a breakfast in the bush with sparkling white wine, departs at 5 a.m. and is available for an additional cost.

If you choose to stay back at the lodge, breakfast will be served at 6:30 a.m., following by an 8 a.m. game drive through the legendary Serengeti National Park. Return to the lodge for lunch, followed by another game drive later in the afternoon. You will then return to the lodge for time at leisure before dinner this evening. Later, sit outside to savor the night sky in the heart of the Serengeti.

Start the next day with an early morning game drive, followed by breakfast at the lodge and some time at leisure. Take this opportunity to relax and soak in the natural beauty from your balcony or patio. After lunch you will head out for an afternoon game drive to watch the wonder around you.

Farewell Reception: Join your fellow travelers for a Farewell Reception and buffet dinner this evening. Enjoy your last night in this spectacular setting.

Day 11 Serengeti National Park / Fly to Arusha / Arusha / Depart for home city

Wake up early this morning for another incredible morning game drive in the Serengeti. Check out of the lodge after breakfast and take a short flight to Arusha.

Arrive in Arusha and check in to the Arusha Serena Hotel & Spa, where you can relax with day-room accommodations before transferring to the airport for your return flight later this evening. A late lunch will be served for the group. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Day 12 Arrive in home city

Arrive in your home city after an overnight flight and go through immigration and customs.