9 Day Package – Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti, Lake Eyasi, Olduvai and Crater
Safari to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Eyasi Cultural Tourism, plus 2 nights’ accommodation at The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari in Arusha, and 2 airport transfers.
Day 1
Karibu – welcome – to Tanzania!
Our driver will meet you at the airport outside of Arrivals and bring you to The Vijiji Center for overnight.
Day 2
Maasai Homelands and Tarangire National Park
After an early breakfast at The Vijiji Center, you’ll travel west through Maasai homelands into the Great Rift Valley and Tarangire National Park. Spend the day on a game drive in the park, with a picnic lunch overlooking the Tarangire River. Leave the park late afternoon and travel to the town of Mto wa Mbu on the shores of Lake Manyara for dinner and overnight at Africa Safari Lake Manyara.
Day 3
Lake Manyara National Park
After a leisurely breakfast at camp, make the short drive to Lake Manyara National Park for your full-day game drive. Explore the forests, watching for the famous tree-climbing lions, large troops of baboons, as well as blue monkeys and green vervet monkeys. Picnic overlooking the lake, and continue safari in search of elephants, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and their friends. Leave the park in the late afternoon and visit a nearby Maasai Boma, to learn about their traditional way of life. Return to Africa Safari Lake Manyara for dinner and overnight.
Day 4
Ngorongoro Highlands to Serengeti
After an early breakfast at the lodge, travel from the Great Rift Valley up into the Ngorongoro Highlands as you make your way to the Serengeti. The trip takes approximately 5 hours, and with a stop at Olduvai Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to visit the interpretive center and have lunch. After lunch, continue to the Serengeti, with a brief stop at the park gates, and then safari en route to Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 5
Big Cat Game Drive
Rise with the sun today for an early morning game drive and a chance to spot the big cats with their prey. Return to camp late morning for a hot lunch and time to relax. Venture out again in the late afternoon for another game drive, returning before sunset for dinner and overnight at Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp.
Day 6
Full-Day Serengeti
Enjoy another full day exploring the sweeping grasslands, meandering rivers and lush wetlands of the Seronera region in search of wildebeest, zebra, hippos, giraffe, buffalo and of course, lions, leopards and cheetahs. The day starts with an early morning game drive, followed by a hot lunch back at camp and a late afternoon game drive. Return to Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp before sunset for dinner and overnight.
Day 7
Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast, safari en route out of the Serengeti and back into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. At the rim of the Crater, stop to enjoy the spectacular view and take a few photos before descending the steep slope to the Crater’s floor for your game drive. Enjoy a picnic lunch beside a large wetland, with plenty of hippos to entertain. In the late afternoon, ascend out of the Crater and travel to the nearby town of Karatu for dinner and overnight at Bougainvillea Safari Lodge.
Day 8
Lake Eyasi, Hadzabe, and Datoga
After breakfast, travel to the Lake Eyasi region for a day of cultural tourism and a chance to learn about some of the many tribes of Tanzania. This area is the traditional homeland of the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers, the Datoga blacksmiths and the Iraqw agriculturalists. The day begins with an early morning visit to the Hadzabe camp, to follow the men in a hunt, spend time with the women and children, and perhaps try your hand at shooting a bow and arrow. Then, drive a short distance to the home of a Datoga family for a metal-working demonstration and picnic lunch. There is an opportunity to purchase crafts from both the Hadzabe and the Datoga. After lunch, and time permitting, visit the Iraqw village and learn about their agricultural practices before returning to Arusha for overnight at The Vijiji Center.
Day 9
Karibu tena Tanzania!
After breakfast, relax at The Vijiji Center or, for an additional charge, take one of our cultural tours before our driver takes you to the airport for your return flight. Karibu tena Tanzania!
