Day-by-day itinerary

What the operator has planned, day by day, across 11 days.

1. Day 1

   Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, welcome by your guide, transfer to Arusha

   Your guide will meet you at Kilimanjaro Airport and drive with you to Arusha. Arusha is the starting point for your safari through northern Tanzania. After checking in at your accommodation you can rest and settle in at your own pace. The same vehicle and guide stay with you for the entire trip.

2. Day 2

   Drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park, first game drive in the baobab savannah

   After breakfast you drive with your guide from Arusha to Tarangire National Park. The route covers around 110 kilometres. Mighty baobabs characterise the savannah, and in the dry season the Tarangire River attracts large herds of elephants. On your first game drive you keep a lookout for elephants, buffalo, zebra and lions.

3. Day 3

   Full-day game drive along the Tarangire River, elephants, picnic in the park

   A full day is devoted to Tarangire National Park. With your guide you follow the Tarangire River, which, as the region's most important year-round water source, attracts animals even in the dry season. With a bit of luck you will see herds of elephants drinking and bathing, as well as giraffes, greater kudu and leopards resting on acacias. Lunch is served as a picnic in the park.

4. Day 4

   Onward journey from Tarangire to Karatu near the Ngorongoro Crater

   After two days in Tarangire, the journey continues to Karatu. The town lies near the Ngorongoro Crater; from there you descend into the crater the next morning. In the afternoon you reach your accommodation.

5. Day 5

   Descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, full-day game drive on the crater floor

   Early in the morning you descend with your guide to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. On the crater floor, grassland, swamps, patches of woodland and an alkaline lake alternate, and the density of wildlife is among the highest in Africa. On the full-day game drive you have good chances of seeing lions, buffalo, zebra and hippos; the endangered black rhino is also at home here. In the evening you are back at your accommodation.

6. Day 6

   Drive from Karatu to the central Serengeti, the region around Seronera

   Today you drive with your guide from Karatu to the central Serengeti. Around Seronera, river valleys, acacia landscapes and striking rock formations alternate, and a particularly large number of animals are at home here all year round. The Serengeti is Tanzania's best-known national park and borders the Masai Mara in Kenya to the north. In the evening you reach your accommodation in the Seronera region.

7. Day 7

   Full-day game drive in the central Serengeti, predators around Seronera

   A full day in the central Serengeti. In the early morning and late afternoon you are out on game drives, when the light is soft and the animals are particularly active. Many animals are resident around Seronera all year round: lions on the plains, leopards by rivers and rock formations, cheetahs in the open grassland. There are also elephants, herds of buffalo and giraffes.

8. Day 8

   Second day in the central Serengeti, river valleys, birdlife and time to observe

   The second day is also spent in the central Serengeti. Your guide drives you into the river valleys around Seronera, where hippos and Nile crocodiles lie in the water. On the plains you will see topis, hartebeests and gazelles, and hyenas and jackals are also frequently on the move. More than 500 bird species are recorded in the park, including martial eagles, secretary birds, ostriches and crowned cranes. At each sighting, you can take your time and watch.

9. Day 9

   Onward journey to the northern Serengeti, route based on the position of the herds

   The drive takes you from the central to the northern Serengeti. The north is hillier and bushier, and between July and October the herds of wildebeest and zebras move through here on their migration. Your guide plans the route according to the current position of the herds, not according to the calendar. The destination is the region around the Mara River, where the river crossings take centre stage.

10. Day 10

    Game drives along the Mara River, searching for the herds' river crossings

    You spend the whole day at the Mara River in the north of the Serengeti. You drive along the river with your guide in search of the herds of wildebeest and zebras. Between July and October, the river crossings take centre stage here, and with a bit of luck you will see the wildebeest leap from the bank into the river. Nile crocodiles and hippos live in the river.

11. Day 11

    Transfer to Kogatende Airstrip, flight to Arusha, journey home

    In the morning, your guide takes you to Kogatende Airstrip in the northern Serengeti. From there you fly back to Arusha and on to Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you begin your journey home. If you would like to stay longer, the team in Arusha will be happy to add further days or a stay on Zanzibar to your safari.