The overview of 14 days Tanzania wildlife tour safari
This 14-day Tanzania wildlife tour begins and ends in Arusha and takes you to most of Tanzania’s iconic tourist destinations, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Natron, Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park, Tangarire National Park, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater, with a variety of activities to choose from or participate in as explained in the day-to-day itinerary.
The highlights of the safari
- Guided nature walk in Lake Natron to see the pink flamingos
- Hiking of lower parts of Mount Kilimanjaro
- Masai cultural encounter
- Unlimited game drives with experienced guides
- Looking for Manyara’s flamingos and tree-climbing lions
- Exploring Olduvai Gorge (the cradle of mankind)
- Driving through Tanzania’s traditional rural landscape & Maasai villages
- Beautiful scenery viewing & great photographic opportunities
- A guided walk along the Ngorongoro Crater rim
- Fantastic Big Cats (Cheetahs, Leopards, & Lions) sightings in Serengeti
- Opportunity to witness the Great Wildebeest & Zebra Migration
The day-to-day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to the hotel in Arusha
This safari begins with your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where our representative will greet you and transport you to a pleasant accommodation in Arusha. In the evening, you will receive a briefing at the lodge in preparation for your epic Mount Kilimanjaro climbing expedition next day. Depending on the time of your arrival, you may choose to relax or go on an Arusha city excursion; we may arrange a city tour for you. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Meal plan: Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Mountain to hike from Marangu Gate (1,860m) To Mandara Hut (2,700m)
After breakfast, you will be transported from Arusha to the Marangu Park gate to complete the appropriate paperwork. You begin the climbs through the magnificent tropical rain forest, arriving in Mandara hut for dinner and overnight after 5-6 hours of walking.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 3: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut (3,720m) and descend back to Marangu gate
Mandara Hut serves an early breakfast. After that, begin a moderate journey through the upper rainforest zone until you reach the moorland zone. Plants in this zone can reach incredible heights, such as the gigantic lobelia and giant groundsel, which can reach up to 5m (16ft). Take in the vegetation and ravines of the semi-alpine zone. When you get at the Horombo hut, you will be treated to views of both Kibo and Mawenzi volcanoes. You will then have lunch before descending back to Marangu gate, where the driver will transport you back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Transfer from Arusha to Lake Natron
After an early breakfast, depart for a trip to Lake Natron. Arrive at the lodge in time for lunch. Relax before embarking on an easy guided walk in the late afternoon to visit the southern part of Lake Natron and experience the biological diversity and stunning flamingo nesting locations. A variety of pink flamingos can be found here. During your trip, you will also pass through a woodland where you will witness a number of giraffes. As you return at the end of the day, you will be delighted to spectacular sunsets. Then you’ll go to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 5: Cultural encounter and Transfer to Serengeti national park
After breakfast at the lodge, depart to discover Maasai traditional life, cultures, and traditions, as well as see their Bomas. Interact with the local Maasai community and participate in activities such as cow milking. After that, take a 7-hour drive to the Serengeti plains. Leaving the cliff ridges behind, you travel through magnificent terrain, meeting local residents and their lovely cattle along the route. The environment changes significantly as you enter the Serengeti through Klein’s Gate into vast savannah with huge herds of grazing animals… and the ferocious carnivores that follow them. Arrive at the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 6: Full-day game drive in Serengeti
Take a full-day game drive in the Serengeti grasslands. The Masai phrase for the Serengeti is “place where the land runs forever.” The Serengeti has a characteristic “Out of Africa” atmosphere, with great swathes of grassland interrupted by flat-topped Acacia trees. The plains have the highest concentration of plains animals anywhere on the planet. African Wild Dog packs, Lion prides, Cheetah, Leopard, and Spotted Hyaena pride, as well as bands of Buffalo, Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Elephant, and Impala, can all be seen trailing bands of Buffalo, Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Elephant, and Impala.
Furthermore, the Serengeti National Park is home to 500 bird species, including the ostrich, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill, Secretary bird, and others. Dinner and an overnight stay at the resort
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 7: Another full day game drive in Serengeti plains
After breakfast at your Serengeti National Park lodge on your safari, you will go on a morning game viewing excursion. Then return to your lodge for lunch before going on an afternoon wildlife drive.
Discover the Serengeti’s heart, the breathtaking Seronera River Valley, during game drives. This pristine valley’s gorgeous environment is simply breathtaking. Beyond the horizon, endless savannas extend. Beyond the horizon, endless savannas extend. Rivers meander past ponds, seasonal wetlands, and open fields. The dark outlines of umbrella-shaped acacia trees tower over the plains, while huge granite kopjes loom in the distance, creating a timeless vision of Africa. Return to your lodge for dinner and the night after the game drives.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 8: Transfer from Serengeti plains Ngorongoro crater area
After breakfast, depart on a 2- to 3-hour drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a stopover at the Olduvai Gorge Museum in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is situated near the spot in which archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey uncovered fossilized remains of Homo habilis, one among the earliest members of the human species genus, in the 1960s, afterwards continue to Ngorongoro where you will explore the world’s largest Caldera and encounter several mammals including Rhinos, Elephants, Lions, Zebras, buffaloes, Leopards, Hyenas, and many more, not to mention an encounter with the local Masai People who live in harmony with the wildlife while grazing their livestock. You’ll settle into the lodge for lunch before travelling into the crater for a game drive before the sun goes down. Return to your lodge for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 9: Ngorongoro Crater Rim Walk and Masai Village tour
Have a leisurely breakfast before embarking on a guided nature walk around the crater rim to get amazing crater photographs. Hike through lush nature teeming with vivid birds, wildflowers, and trees. Learn about the traditional medical benefits of several plants, as well as animal and scat traces.
After the treks, return to your accommodation for rest and lunch. In the afternoon, visit a Masai settlement in the Ngorongoro Crater. Spend time with the locals, learn about their culture, and join in on their energetic singing and dancing. There is an opportunity to learn about certain traditional methods, such as fire-making and beading. Following your excursion to the village, you will be returned to the lodge for relaxation, supper, and an overnight stay.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Manyara and do afternoon game drive
After a leisurely breakfast at the lodge, take a 2-hour journey to Lake Manyara National Park, which is approximately 70 kilometers long. Ernest Hemingway described Lake Manyara National Park as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.” Lake Manyara National Park provides a compact game watching circuit, with Lake Manyara accounting for two-thirds of the park’s total area. The Great Rift Valley provides a breathtaking backdrop. Check into the lodge and unwind while you wait for lunch. In the afternoon, embark on an incredible wildlife drive to view the famous tree climbing lions and enormous groups of pink flamingos. Dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 11: Morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park and Cultural Tour of Mto WA Mbu Village
After an early breakfast, go on a half-day game drive through the national park, taking in the scenery and getting up close and personal with the animals. After the game drive, return to your lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, visit Mto wa Wambu village in Tanzania, where representatives from all 120 tribes coexist together. Continue with a village tour to explore the very social side of Africa’s rural life in Tanzania, from modest farms to schools and markets. Observe the Makonde tribe’s amazing wood carving and tribal painting techniques, as well as how the Chagga tribe produces its traditional banana and millet beer, “Mbege.” Dinner and an overnight stay at the resort
Meal pan: All meals are included
Day 12: Transfer to Tarangire National Park and do afternoon game drive
After a hearty breakfast, you will be driven to Tarangire National Park for a 2-hour journey. Upon arrival, check into your lodge for lunch and relaxation. Tarangire National Park is a beautiful, calm park in Northern Tanzania known for its elephant migration, birdwatching, and real safari feel. The bulk of visitors to the region either skip Tarangire entirely or visit the park for only a few hours, leaving parts of the park largely unspoiled.
After relaxing in the late afternoon, embark on an evening game drive in Tarangire National Park to spot various wildlife species such as elephants, buffalos, antelopes, zebras, lions, and leopards, among others. In the evening, when the sun has baked all water from the surrounding landscapes, massive herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra, and impala, folk in large numbers to the receding banks of the river. Giraffe, buffalo, hartebeest, and gazelles swarm around the receding waterholes. Predators such as lions, hyenas, and leopards are lured to this feast of concentrated prey like a magnet. You will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay following the wildlife drive.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 13: Morning guided nature walk and Transfer to Arusha national park
After breakfast, go on a guided walking safari through Tarangire National Park, following animal tracks of elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, antelopes, elands, impalas, giraffes, and other species. You will appreciate getting up close and personal with the creatures. Spot various bird species since the park also has approximately 600 bird species, including the vibrant Yellow-collared Lovebird, the Common Ostrich (the world’s largest bird), and the Kori Bustard (the world’s heaviest flying bird). Raptors can also be found in the Park. Bateleur Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Long-Crested Eagle, Martial Eagle, Fish Eagle, and Spotted Eagle Owl are all common raptors.
In the afternoon, embark on a 3-hour drive to Arusha national park where you will check in the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Meal plan: All meals are included
Day 14: Morning nature walk and game drive, transfer to the airport for departure
After breakfast, go on a morning walking safari with armed rangers to explore and discover the spectacular terrain of Arusha National Park, followed by a game drive via the park’s monuments such as the Ngurdoto Crater and Momella Lakes. You will be treated to breathtaking vistas of Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro. You may see acrobatic Colobus Monkeys, Zebras, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Elephants, Hippos, and pink Flamingos. This picturesque 137-square-kilometer park is quite calm and home to a diverse range of animals and exceptional wildlife. Return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation after your game drive.
In the afternoon, the driver will take you to the airport for your departure depending on its schedule or remain to the lodge for leisurely bringing this safari to an end.
Meal plan: Breakfast and lunch