Tour Introduction
This 7-day expedition creates a seamless journey through Tanzania’s most dramatic landscapes. Uniquely, the trip begins with an immediate immersion into the Ngorongoro Crater, allowing you to tick off the Big Five early in the adventure. From there, you will follow the path of the Great Migration (seasonally), driving from the predator-dense Central Serengeti to the remote Northern Serengeti. This route allows you to witness the dramatic change in terrain from endless plains to rolling hills and riverine woodlands. The grand finale is a scenic flight from the North back to Kilimanjaro, saving you two days of driving and offering a spectacular aerial farewell to the savannah.
Detailed Itinerary
Your Tanzanian adventure begins as you touch down at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), the gateway to the safari circuit. On a clear day, you may catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak from the tarmac. You will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel in Arusha, a vibrant city nestled at the foot of Mount Meru. Depending on your arrival time, you safari briefing may take place today or early tomorrow meaning.
Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: Four Points by Sheraton Arusha
You will start your safari with an early breakfast before driving to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Today is dedicated to the "Eighth Wonder of the World." You will descend 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater floor for a full game drive. This ancient volcanic caldera is a self-contained ecosystem teeming with wildlife, including the Big Five. You will have high chances of spotting lions, hyenas, and the critically endangered Black Rhino. After a picnic lunch near the hippo pool, you will ascend the steep walls in the late afternoon and head to your lodge on the crater rim for the evening, enjoying the cool highland air.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Lions Paw
After breakfast, you will depart the crater highlands and descend towards the Great Rift Valley, heading for the Serengeti. You will stop at the Naabi Hill Gate for lunch before entering the vast, short-grass plains. As you drive further north into the Central Serengeti (Seronera), the landscape changes to savannah woodlands dotted with kopjes (rocky outcrops). This drive serves as your first game drive in the Serengeti, offering opportunities to spot herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles before arriving at your camp in the late afternoon.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Malaika Seronera Luxury Camp
You have a full day dedicated to exploring the Seronera Valley, the vibrant heart of the Serengeti. This region is renowned for its year-round wildlife abundance, largely due to the permanent waters of the Seronera River. Your guide will help you track the Big Five, with a special focus on leopards, which are frequently spotted lounging in the branches of sausage trees along the riverbanks. You might also encounter cheetahs using termite mounds as vantage points to scout for prey, or massive prides of lions resting in the shade of kopjes.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Malaika Seronera Luxury Camp
Today, you will journey from the heart of the park to its remote northern reaches near the Kenyan border. As you drive north, the terrain becomes more rugged, characterized by rolling hills and rocky outcrops. This drive offers a chance to see different distinct habitats and the wildlife that resides within them, such as topis and elephants. By afternoon, you will arrive in the Northern Serengeti (Kogatende or Lamai areas). If traveling between July and October, this area is the stage for the Great Migration’s dramatic river crossings; otherwise, it remains a pristine wilderness with high densities of resident lion prides.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation:Malaika Mara Luxury camp
You have a full day dedicated to the Northern Serengeti. If you are traveling between July and October, this area is the stage for the Great Migration’s most dramatic chapter: the river crossings. You may spend hours by the riverbanks, hoping to witness the chaotic spectacle of wildebeest plunging into the water. Even outside of migration season, the North is spectacular; the landscape is lush and green for much of the year, and resident prides of lions and solitary leopards patrol the river lines. The sense of isolation here is profound compared to the busier southern sections of the park.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Malaika Mara Luxury camp
On your final morning, you will enjoy a short game drive en route to the Kogatende Airstrip. Instead of the long, two-day drive back to Arusha, you will board a light aircraft for a scenic flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). This flight offers a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the entire Serengeti ecosystem, the Ngorongoro Highlands, and the Great Rift Valley. You will land at JRO in good time to connect with your international departure flight, marking a seamless and stylish end to your Tanzanian safari.
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch
Includes/Excludes
What’s Included:
- All accommodations
- All transportation (Unless labelled as optional)
- Meals (As specified in the day- by-day section)
- Domestic Flight (Flight from Northern Serengeti to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Luggage allowance of 20kg inclusive of hand luggage)
- Taxes / VAT
- Activities (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Park fees
- Professional guide
What’s not included:
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- International flights
- Option Balloon Safari (On offer for US $ 550 per person)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$15.00 pp per day)
- Travel Insurance & Health Insurance
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
