14 DAYS TANZANIA WILDLIFE, CULTURAL AND PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI

Overview

During this 14-day Tanzania wildlife, cultural, and photography safari, you will visit many locations throughout Tanzania, including national parks such as Tarangire, the Ngorongoro crater, the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and Arusha. There will be game drives in the morning and afternoon, as well as nature walks and community visits. This 15-day Tanzania tour begins and ends in Arusha.

Highlights of this 14 days Tanzania safari

• Nature stroll along the rim of Ngorongoro Crater
• Visit the vibrant village of Mto wa Mbu and Olduvai Gorge
• Witness the Great Wildebeest Migration.
• Explore the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
• A visit to a Masai village will teach you about their customs.
• Wonderful wildlife and photography.
• Arusha Town Walking Tour
• Daily thrilling encounter drives
• Tarangire is home to massive elephant populations.
• Locate the Big 5 (Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Leopard, & Buffalo)
• Witness thrilling chases of the Big Cats (Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs).

Detailed Itinerary of 14 Days Tanzania Safari

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to the hotel

Upon arrival, your guide will welcome you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transport you to a comfortable Arusha accommodation facility. This 14-day safari trip will be briefed to you.

Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 2: Transfer to Tarangire National Park

After an early breakfast, your tour driver will pick you up from you’re Arusha lodging and give you an orientation before you drive for about two and a half hours to the magnificent Tarangire National Park in the southwest.

Arrive at your lodging in time for brunch. After lunch, take some time to relax before embarking on a game drive in quest of fascinating species. Tarangire’s grassy plains are dotted with magnificent massive Baobabs, Africa’s biggest trees and a haven for a wide variety of species. Elephants are abundant in this area, with some groups numbering up to 300 individuals. Search for herds of Zebras, Giraffes, Elands, Gazelles, Buffalos, Impalas, Wildebeests, Hartebeests, and Waterbuck, as well as Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, and Cheetahs that prey on them, and over 500 bird species, including dazzling Yellow-collared lovebirds, the world’s largest bird, and the Kori Bustard, the heaviest flying bird. Return to the lodge for the evening and night rest

Meal Plan: All meals included

Day 3: Full-day game drives at Tarangire National Park

After a leisurely breakfast, you will embark on a full-day game drive in the stunning Tarangire National Park. Enjoy early and afternoon game drives before returning to camp/lodge for lunch and a brief rest in the heat of the day. Tarangire National Park is a beautiful park with granite ridges, river valleys, varied vegetation, and swamps.

It is one of the few places in Tanzania in which rare dry-country antelopes like the Beisa Oryx and the long-necked Gerenuk can be seen on a daily basis. Impala, Waterbuck, Olive Baboon, Cheetah, Caracal, Honey Badger, African wild dogs, and Dwarf Mongoose can also be found in the area. Return to your lodge in the evening for relaxation, dinner and night stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 4: Transfer to the Ngorongoro Crater area

Following an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the Ngorongoro Crater area in a four-hour, 160-kilometer trip. You reach at your lodge just in time for lunch before descending two thousand feet to the crater floor. Learn a few fascinating facts about this extraordinary natural marvel of Africa on the way into the crater.

A massive volcano exploded and fell on itself about 2.5 million years ago, forming the Ngorongoro Crater. It is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera on Earth, and it has become a sealed ecosystem and a World Heritage Site! The crater’s grasslands are home to 25,000 large mammals and are one of the best locations in East Africa for spotting the big five: lion, rhino, leopard, buffalo, and elephant. You return to your lodge for dinner and night

Meal Plan: Break, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater Rim Walk and Masai Village tour

This day will start with a relaxing breakfast at the hotel, after that, take a guided nature stroll around the crater rim to capture dramatic crater photos. Hike through beautiful greenery filled with vibrant birds, wildflowers, and lush trees. Learn about the different plants’ traditional medicinal applications, as well as the tracks of animals and scat.

Return to your lodge for rest and lunch after the treks. Explore a Masai community in the Ngorongoro highlands in the afternoon. Enjoy time with the locals, learn about their culture, and participate in their lively singing and dancing. There is a chance to acquire knowledge regarding some of the traditional techniques, like fire-making and beadwork. After your visit to the village, you will be transported back to the lodge for relaxation, supper, and overnight.

Meal Plan: All meals are included

Day 6: Transfer from Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park

After a hearty breakfast, travel north for 2 to 3 hours to the Serengeti, among Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders known due to its huge lion population and home to the world’s largest terrestrial mammal migration, the Wildebeest Migration. Take the scenic route through the Rift Valley and Maasai communities. Explore 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. Arrive in Serengeti around noon and check in your hotel for lunch.

In the afternoon, embark on a game drive to see the park’s varied species. The River Seronera Valley represents one of the best areas in Africa to observe Big Cats (lions, leopards, and cheetahs) on spectacular hunts and is part of the Great Migration. In the evening, return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 7: Full-day game drive in Serengeti plains

You’ll start the day with an early breakfast. After breakfast, embark on a full-day gam drive through the Serengeti’s vast grasslands. You’ll retreat to your camp for lunch and some downtime before heading out on an afternoon game drive in quest of more animals and birds. You’ll leave just before dawn to go on a sunrise Serengeti tour. Because few predators hunt during the day, early morning is the best time to witness the thrill of the pursuit. It’s also an enchanted period in the Serengeti National Park, with gentle sunlight dappling the landscape, birds waking up, and a feeling of adventure beginning to emerge. Spend the entire day searching for creatures such as hippos, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, lions, hyenas, cheetahs, antelopes, hartebeest, and zebras, to name a few. Return to the lodge for supper and stay overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 8: Another full day at Serengeti

Today is a further extended day in the Serengeti. Breakfast and lunch will be served at the lodge, early and afternoon game drives are offered. In Masai, Serengeti means “Endless Plains.” The Serengeti has a typical “Out of Africa” feel with vast areas of grassland sprinkled with flat-topped Acacia trees. Several individuals believe that the sunsets in the Serengeti are among the most beautiful on the planet.

The Serengeti National Park also has the world’s highest number of plains animals. With Massive groups of Buffalo, Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Elephant, Impala, and waterbuck are frequently seen, subsequently followed by packs of African Wild Dog, Prides of Lion, Cheetah, Jackals, Leopards, and Spotted Hyaena. Over 500 bird species live in the area, including the Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Secretary bird, and many others. Return to the lodge for leisure time, supper, and overnight after a full-day game drive.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park and afternoon game drive

Check out of the lodge after a leisurely breakfast and leave for Lake Manyara National Park. It’s a 4 to 5 hour journey, but you’ll arrive in time for lunch and check into your lodge. In the afternoon, go on a game trip.

Lake Manyara is a spectacular section of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, with a wide range of natural habitats focused on the soda lake, which is home to clouds of flamingos and other water birds. This is a birdwatcher’s paradise! The forested slopes and wide savannah expanses are home to elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and several antelope species. There are fewer carnivores, but Lake Manyara’s tree-climbing lions are the most common. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Meal Plan: All meals are included

Day 10: Morning game drive and Mto WA Mbu village tour

Following an early breakfast, you will embark on a morning game excursion in Lake Manyara National Park. The shallow, alkaline lake covers roughly 70 percent of the 325km2 territory of Lake Manyara National Park. The area, however, is a lot more than just the lake. Acacia trees, wet woods, Baobab-covered cliffs, hot springs, wetlands, and the body of water itself are among its habitats. It has approximately 670 different kinds of flowering plants and over 400 different bird species, including Pink Flamingos. Hippos, Buffalos, Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Gazelles, Impala, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Warthog, Dik-dik, Leopard, Hyena, Jackals, Honey Badger, Clawless Otter, and Egyptian mongoose can also be found in Lake Manyara National Park. You will return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.

In the afternoon, you will take a tour to the vibrant village of Mto WA Mbu, one of the few locations in Tanzania where individuals from all 120 tribes coexist peacefully. Experience the very social aspect of Africa’s country life in Tanzania during the walk, from tiny farms to schools and markets. Observe the Makonde tribe’s meticulous wood carving and tribal art skills, as well as how the Chagga tribe makes their traditional banana and millet beer, “Mbege.” Return to your lodge for supper and a night’s stay after the village tour.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 11: Canopy walks and guided nature walks

After a leisurely breakfast, you will go for a canopy walk on 370 meters of firm suspended bridges with thick netting on the sides, reaching a height of 18 meters off the ground. Each bridge leads to a viewing platform built around tree trunks.  It provides a distinct view on the world around you. Take in the breathtaking scenery and the monkeys, butterflies, and birds that encircle you. If you’re fortunate, you might even see elephants, mongooses, bushbucks, and hornbills.

Following that, you will go on nature walks with a game guard guide, following various paths and enjoying the gorgeous scenery in the national park, as well as seeing various sights at the location such as Lake Manyara. The nature walks along one of the paths include a steep forest hike. You will come across the rich flora and fauna of Lake Manyara National Park, as well as amazing scenic beauty due to the sweeping views of the Great Rift Valley, while taking your nature walk in Lake Manyara National Park. Return to the lodge for dinner, relaxation and night stay

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 12: Transfer to Arusha National Park

After a hearty breakfast, take a scenic three-hour journey to Arusha National Park. Check into your lodge for lunch and leisure upon arrival. In the afternoon, go on a game drive to see the animals of Arusha National Park. This quaint, 137 square kilometers park is beautiful, peaceful, and home to a variety of animals and amazing birdlife. You will pass by the Momella Lakes and Ngurdoto Crater during your wildlife drive through the park. You will get to see magnificent views of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, two enormous summits. The agile Colobus monkeys, Zebras, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Elephants, Hippos, and pink Flamingos will all be visible to you. Return to lodge for supper and night stay.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 13: Game drive and community walk tour

After a leisurely breakfast, go on a game drive, you are unlikely to see all of the “big five” animals (elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo, and rhino) there, but the park does have the world’s biggest giraffe population! Other animals include zebras, buffalos, elephants, flamingos, hippos, primates, and others.

Return to your lodge for lunch and some downtime after your wildlife drive. In the afternoon, go on a community walk and experience the vibrant local markets to get a sense of African life. Everything from Masai crafts and jewellery to fresh fruit, spices, carvings, and native textiles can be found here. If you have the strength, you can go on a 2-hour cycling tour of Arusha’s outskirts. You will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 14: Transfer to the airport for the departure flight

You will have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel in Arusha as you prepare for the drive to the airport for your departure flight, which will put this tour safari to a close.

Meal Plan: Breakfast