10 Days Tanzania Northern Circuit Luxury Safari

Day 1 ARRIVE IN TANZANIA

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming safari. All the basic information about your safari will be given to you by a safari guide, and the rest of the day is at leisure. You stay at Silver Palm  Hotel on BB., which is the perfect place to prepare for your adventure.

Day 2 GAME DRIVE IN LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK:

Today we drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives. There is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience. The lakeshore at Manyara teems with birdlife, and while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions. A surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. In the late afternoon, we make a short journey from the park to our particular wilderness lodge.

Dinner and overnight at Serena Safari Lodge: Full board

Day 3 SERENGETI WILDEBEEST MIGRATION TRACKING SAFARI

We head towards the Serengeti National Park. En route, there is an opportunity to visit Olduvai Gorge. Within this steep-sided ravine, Louis and Mary Leakey made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries in the 1950s. Here is a small museum; we can see evidence of our ancestors dating back 2.5 million years. After lunch, we drive into the Serengeti itself, and the rest of the afternoon is spent game viewing in the vast plains that are broken only by stands of acacia trees and the occasional kopje. In December, February, and March, we will generally meet the migration with large herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle. There are always plenty of resident animals, such as giraffes, buffalo, elephants, and many large predators such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards. We return to our luxury lodge for the night.

Dinner and overnight at Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 4 SERENGETI WILDEBEEST MIGRATION TRACKING SAFARI

We have another full day in this beautiful park, rising early to make the most of our time. Our guides will choose the best spotting locations for the time of year; we can spend time at the Hippo pool watching these majestic animals laze about in the cool water happily living alongside the crocodiles, watching an immense pride of lions, being in the middle of the migration, sometimes surrounded by wildebeest, sometimes by zebras, which travel with the wildebeest. We journey from the wide-open plains to the kopjes. These rocky volcanic outcrops provide protection and shelter for a wide variety of animals, and from the top, we can look out across the vast grasslands of the Serengeti. This diverse and exciting landscape will provide us with the ultimate in game viewing; we will hopefully see all of the simple games; elephants, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, lions, and if you are lucky, the elusive leopard and cheetah, as well as vast amounts of exciting birdlife, from the elegant secretary birds to the flightless ostrich. We return to our luxury lodge for the night.

Dinner and overnight at Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 5 SERENGETI WILDEBEEST MIGRATION TRACKING SAFARI

After breakfast, we will take the packed lunch with us and proceed with the game drive in the Serengeti National Park. The migration can be seen on a long chain approximately 40 Km heading in the southwestern direction, around 1230 and 1300 break for your lunch. After having our lunch, we will proceed with our game viewing following the move of the migrants to the southwest of the park. Approximately 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000 gazelles, and 200,000 Zebras have been recorded sharing the short grass.

Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 6 NDUTU WILDEBEEST MIGRATION TRACKING SAFARI

After breakfast, we will start at 8:30 am for a full day Ndutu area. A striking characteristic of this area is the stunning acacia woodland, which is immediately surrounded by short grass plains. Within this wooded area is Lake Ndutu – one of the Rift Valley’s soda lakes. At the height of the wildebeest migration, and when heavy rains have fallen, we often can see lines of wildebeest crossing the lake. Accompanying the wildebeest are large numbers of zebra and Thomson gazelles. Tanzania is spoilt because of migration. No other African county has a game like it. In the dry season, the game around Ndutu is much like game viewing in any of the southern African countries. In some cases, it is still better, and you can never take away the feeling of space and wonder that the Serengeti evokes.

Dinner and overnight at Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 7 GAME DRIVE IN NGORONGORO CRATER

We start the day with an early morning game drive before heading to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro is a special place in that it is a Conservation Area, not a National Park; this means that the whole area is managed for both the animals and the local Masai people who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife. During the drive-in Ngorongoro, we have a chance to glimpse something of the Masai way of life. After stopping at the entrance gate, where there is a chance to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape, we will drive around the rim of the Crater itself, and from here, we can look down and see the herd of wildebeest or buffalos. Finally, we descend into the Crater. The crater walls provide a natural sanctuary for the animals, which means there is plenty to see: lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, and leopards (if you are lucky). The only animal you won’t see in here is a giraffe, whose long legs cannot cope with the steep sides of the Crater. In the late afternoon, we travel just outside of the Crater to our unique luxury lodge.

Dinner and overnight at Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 8 GAME DRIVE IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Today we drive to Tarangire National Park for excellent game viewing. Tarangire is a small park that offers some excellent sights. Generally, in the dry seasons, Tarangire comes alive as wildlife and birdlife congregate on the Tarangire River, a permanent water source. We spend the night in our lodge beautifully set inside the park with stunning views and a unique atmosphere.

Dinner and overnight at Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 9 TARANGIRE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE TOUR

Morning breakfast at Tarangire Safari Lodge the rest of the day is free to relax and or explore the Maasai cultural experience; you will go on a walk to visit Datoga tribes. The Maasai live in the areas as well as the Datoga. Learning about their history is as fascinating as the breathtaking from several hilltop peaks in the area.

Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge: Full board.

Day 10 TARANGIRE TO KIA AIRPORT

This lovely lodge is located near the airport, and your accommodations will be in one of the 40 charming bungalows set among the gardens. The open-air bar has a magnificent view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Relax the remainder of the day by the pool, or soak in the view from your bungalow. A late dinner buffet for those flying in late is provided.

Dinner and overnight at Kia Lodge: Half board.