10 – Days (Group Joining) Tour to Arusha NP, Tarangire, Manyara, Lake Natron, Serengeti (4 nights) & Ngorongoro

Day 1 – Arusha to Arusha National Park. Game drives and walking tour in the park. Overnight at Africa Safari Arusha Lodge.

Today our safari begins! Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in or around Arusha between 8 to 8:30 AM and take you to Arusha National Park. This is a scenic park with a decent number of animals. The park is at the base of Mount Meru and has a range of habitats including forest – home to the black-and-white colobus monkey – and is excellent for birding. Lakes here often host flocks of flamingo. The park’s appeal is mainly its scenery. After short game drives, we explore the park on foot where you might come across giraffes, buffalos and other animals from a distance. At the end of the day, we will take you to Africa Safari Arusha Lodge, Arusha or similar where you can relax by the pool.

Day 2 – Transfer from Arusha to Tarangire. Game drives in Tarangire for rest of the day. Overnight at Nsya lodge (Safari Bungalow) or similar.

We start at around 6:30 AM from Arusha and drive to Tarangire National park with packed lunch boxes. Tarangire gate will be about 2.5 hours drive away. Once we reach the park, we start game drives here. Tarangire National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra. We will have a lunch break at a picnic scenic picnic spot. Post lunch, we will continue with game drives till around 5:00 PM or so and after the game drive, we will drive to our accommodation – Nsya lodge (Safari Bungalow) at Mto Wa Mbu or similar. This drive can take 45-60 min. Dinner and overnight at this lodge.

Day 3 – Transfer to Lake Manyara (Game drives – full day). Overnight at Nysa lodge (Safari Bungalow).

We start at around 8:30 AM from hotel after breakfast and drive to Manyara National park with packed lunch boxes. Manyara gate will be about 30 min drive away. Once we reach the park, we start game drives here. As you enter the national park, lush forests of Acacia and Mahogany trees begin to set the mood for what is waiting ahead and with a small break for picnic lunch. During the game drive in Lake Manyara watch out for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, baboons and the blue monkey, tree climbing lions, however spotting them is a game of luck. In the right season, you can see the shoreline turning pink with millions of flamingos flocking there. And you will head to your hotel, have dinner and rest.

Optional add-on tours this day: Hiking at Rift valley for 1.5 hours in morning ($35 per client), Canoeing at Lake Manyara for about 2.5 hours ($76 per person).

Day 4 – Transfer to Lake Natron for Bird Watching/Flamingo Walk. Overnight at Africa Safari Lake Natron (Safari comfort).

Your day will begin after breakfast by about 8:00 AM. We depart with packed lunch boxes towards Lake Natron. Located about 3.5 hours drive away from Mto Wa Mbu/Manyara, Lake Natron is a surreal destination and unique natural spectacle. Its waters are highly alkaline and are unusually shallow, averaging just one meter in depth. After checking into your lodge and a short break, put your walking shoes on as a Maasai tribesman takes you on a walk around the shores of Lake Natron on the lookout for birds, especially the lesser flamingos. Lake Natron is the most important and regular breeding site for lesser flamingos in East Africa hosting up to 2 million of them during the breeding season. The majority of egg-laying and hatching takes place from September to January. After the hike, you will head back to your lodge for a well deserved dinner and rest.

Day 5 -Lake Natron (Ngare Sero waterfalls visit) and transfer to Northern Serengeti. Overnight stay at Tanzania Bush camps, North Serengeti.

Your day starts early. Around 6:00 AM, accompanied by a Maasai guide, enjoy some light hiking to the nearby Ngare Sero waterfalls and relax in the cool spray of water cascading down the rocks of this scenic ravine. Make sure to bring your shoes! We return to accommodation by 8:30 AM and finishing up a good breakfast, will head out towards the Serengeti National Park. This road trip takes through variety of sites: towns and villages, savannah and forest, and you’ll be able to spot animals like antelope, wildebeest and zebra. We enter Serengeti in the afternoon and drive towards North Serengeti. You will have an afternoon game drive in the endless plains of the Serengeti for a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles or a pride of lions lounging in the shade. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long game drive itself. The eventful day comes to an end with dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 6 – North Serengeti – Full day game drives. Overnight stay at Tanzania Bush camps, North Serengeti.

We depart for full day game drives around 8:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart on an afternoon game drive with packed lunch. In the months between mid june to september the migration can be found in this region. From mid June to September, the Mara River in this region offers the most dramatic river crossing of the great migration. Fierce,deep and heavily rain fed the river takes an enormous toll on the migrating wildebeest. Watching the wildebeest surging through the torrential flow, some drowning and a few falling prey to lurking crocodiles is an unforgettable sight. If it’s your lucky day you will be able to witness this natural wonder and watch nature take its course. Tracing the great migration you might even move towards the Lobo valley. The pristine lobo valley is scattered with woodlands, plains, hills and famous granite Kopjes.It offers an enormous amount of bigcat game with lions, leopards and cheetah in plenty. During the dry season the permanent water sources in the valley attract plenty of resident and migratory animals, resulting in excellent game viewing. During the full day game drive, you will have a stop where you can have your picnic lunch. The day comes to an end with a tasty dinner and a good rest in your choice of accommodation.

Day 7 – Morning game drives in North Serengeti and transfer to Central Serengeti. Overnight stay at Tukaone camps.

We start after the breakfast and depart for game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch or depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart to Central Serengeti with packed lunch. The four hour drive to the center will offer mild enroute game. The drive south from the Mara river valley takes you through hill country, the Lobo area, woodlands and then back into Seronera terrain. The central portion of the Serengeti – known as Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s’ species. As you make your way into the Seronera region, you will begin to notice the hilly and broken terrain altering into plain grasslands. In Seronera one must really look out for the many lion prides that thrive in this region.The interactions and survival of these lion prides provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long drive itself. The eventful day comes to an end with a dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 8 – Central Serengeti – full day game drives. Overnight stay at Tukaone camps.

We depart around 8:00 AM after breakfast, with packed lunch boxes for full day game drives that last for about 8-9 hours in Central Serengeti. We return to camp around 5:30 PM. Overnight at Tukaone camps or similar.

Optional add-on tours this day: Hot Balloon Safari in the morning ($500 per person) or Walking safari for 3-4 hours ($45 per person sharing or $60 for solo client) in Central Serengeti

Day 9 – Morning game drives in Serengeti and afternoon transfer to accommodation at Karatu. Overnight at Omega view hotel.

After early breakfast, we depart at around 6:30 AM and will have game drives till around noon in Central Serengeti. Later depart for accommodation in Karatu, crossing Ngorongoro conservation area. Overnight at Omega view hotel.

Day 10 – Ngorongoro crater tour (5 hours) in the morning and afternoon transfer to Arusha. End of Tour.

After an early breakfast, descend to the crater floor for game drive(5 hours). You can expect to see lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, hyenas, Jackals, rhinos and many birds. The birds seen here include eagle, vulture, flamingos in the Crater Lake, storks, giant vulture and many more. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascend to the top exit of the crater. With a 3.5hrs drive left, you will be dropped off at Arusha to end this beautiful safari before 06:00 PM.