Arusha - Tarangire National Park

You'll depart from Arusha after breakfast for the approximately two hour drive to Tarangire National Park. Along the way you'll pass bustling Masai villages and the vast, open plains that have become synonymous with images of Africa. Once you've entered Tarangire, you'll begin your game drive across a rich vista of endless golden savannah that surrounds the Tarangire River. The river itself runs throughout the year and is a vital source of water for the animals of the region during the dry season. Lined with acacia and Baobab trees, the river is regularly visited by the park's large elephant population as well as other herbivores such as zebras and antelopes. A picnic lunch with a view of the river is a great way to take it all in, but you'll have to keep on your toes as the local monkey population does its best to separate you from your lunch! Driving through the park you'll also have the opportunity to see lions, leopards, cape buffalo, and a huge variety of antelopes. If you're particularly lucky, you might even see endangered animals such as the Greater Kudu or the Fringe-Eared Oryx. After your day's drive is done, you'll retire to your accommodation for the evening.

• Figtree Lodge & Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tarangire - Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast you'll enter Lake Manyara National Park. The park is truly a photographer's playground and offers some of the best game viewing in the world. You can expect to see many of Africa's most well-known animals, with the tree-climbing lions a particular treat. These proud predators lounge in acacia trees practically begging to be photographed. Bird-watchers will find Lake Manyara is an absolute delight, with a huge variety of birds on display in the park. Even the novice can expect to be amazed by large flamingo flocks, circling birds of prey, and the brightly colored lilac breasted roller.

• Figtree Lodge & Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lake Manyara - Lake Eyasi

You'll be up before breakfast today, as you'll be joining the Hadzabe Bushmen for the opportunity to hunt for your own food! One of the last true bushman tribes in Africa, the Hadzabe live very much as they always have despite the rapid development of Tanzania. With only 2,000 members, the Hadzabe tribe are a fascinating people who offer us a window into how life in Tanzania was in the past. The local hunters will prepare a demonstration of hunting techniques just for us. Far from being a mere performance, this display reveals a great deal about their everyday lives when they must hunt for animals to feed their families. You will see firsthand how the Hadzabe use distinctive motions and even the body parts of certain animals to lure their prey close enough that they can be brought down with hand-crafted poisons. After a late breakfast, you'll have the opportunity for a drive around Lake Eyasi proper. While this shallow soda lake is not home to the same variety of wildlife you'll find in a national park, you'll have the chance to spot a variety of bird and mammal life. On occasion, flamingos and hippos even call the lake home. You'll also have time to meet with the Datoga people. Mostly farmers and cattle breeders, these fascinating people offer another insight into tribal life in Tanzania. Once your day's activities have been completed, you'll make your way to Karatu Town

• Kudu Safari Lodge & Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast, you'll depart for Ngorongoro Crater; considered by some to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. When you get your first glimpse of this vast, verdant caldera from the panoramic viewpoint, you'll soon understand why it has earned such a lofty reputation. Home to over 120 species of mammal including the fabled Big Five, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most sought after safari destinations in the world. It's a particularly good place to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a lonely meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see large numbers of hippopotamus enjoying the cool water. From the comfort of your open-top vehicle, you'll be able to observe and photograph some of Africa's most recognizable faces. The crater is home to a large number of predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas, as well as a large population of wildebeest, zebras, antelope, cape buffalo, and more. It is truly one of Africa's premier safari destinations.

• Ngorongoro Simba Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Embakai Crater

You'll start your day with an early breakfast before heading out for your adventure at Empaakai Crater. Hiking through forested hills that come to some 300 metres above the crater floor, you'll be rewarded with an absolutely stunning view when you reach the top. Empaakai Crater offers unparalleled views of Ol Doinyo Lengai, a still active volcano. There's also the opportunity to see Lake Natron, the Great Rift Valley, and even distant Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day. You'll then trek down into the crater itself towards the shores of Lake Empaakai, where you'll see animals such as bushbucks, buffaloes, waterbucks, elands, and countless different species of bird. Taking a picnic within the park offers you the chance to soak in its utter tranquility before you hike back to the car for your return journey to the crater rim.

• Ngorongoro Simba Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - Serengeti

We'll take an early breakfast, as we've got a big day of exploration and adventure ahead of us! We'll begin the day with the scenic drive towards the Serengeti. Along the way we'll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you might be lucky enough to glimpse cape buffalo, baboons, or even elephants and leopards in the dense undergrowth. It's a nearly four-hour drive to the Serengeti park gates, but you can choose to break up the drive with one or both of the below optional activities:

Oldupai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Oldupai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you can see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Oldupai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.

Maasai boma visit: Pay a visit to one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you'll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.

Both of the above activities attract an additional cost. Speak with your safari expert about adding them to your itinerary.

After a delicious lunch at the Serengeti National Park picnic area, it’s time to explore the Serengeti itself. Witness Africa’s iconic savannah landscape and be amazed by the sheer number of animals that roam these grassy plains.

• Seronera Public Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Serengeti National Park

We start your day early by getting up before dawn to embark on a sunrise game drive. Accompanied by the melodic singing of the birds, you'll spend your morning searching for leopards and lions hunting for their morning meal and spying the contrastingly calm hippos returning to their watery homes with their families. At approximately 9 am, we will return to your accommodation for a late and leisurely breakfast before continuing the game drive at 10.30. Your driver will select the best possible route based upon the time of year and the kind of animals you'd like to see, catering your day so that your opportunities to see the Serengeti's diverse wildlife are maximized.

• Lobo Public Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Serengeti National Park - Lake Natron

You'll enjoy a leisurely morning game drive around Serengeti to Lake Natron and it surrounds. Known both for its unique volcanic landscape and the large flocks of brightly colored flamingos that call it home, Lake Natron's isolation also means that you have a good chance of having the area to yourself. You can expect to see wildlife such as zebra, wildebeest, oryx, ostriches, kudu, gerenuk, and jackals in addition to the lake's resident flamingos, but it is the area's distinct mix of ravines, craters, and lakes that makes it such a unique location. You'll want an early night tonight, as you'll be up in the wee hours to begin your Ol Doinyo Lengai climb.

• Lake Natron Public Camp
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Ol Doinyo Lengai - Arusha

One of the few volcanoes in the world to emit sodium carbonate and potassium, still-active Ol Doinyo Lengai is a strikingly beautiful volcano that photographers and hikers alike love. Due to the intense heat the volcano emits, it can only be climbed at night when the air is cooler, so we will depart at around 3 or 4 am to begin our ascent. As the only active volcano in East Africa, climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai is an invigorating experience that rewards successful climbers with an astounding view of the surrounding lands and distant Lake Natron. Returning to camp at around lunch time, you will dine before returning to Arusha.

• None/On Reguest
• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch