Spend five days exploring Tanzania’s northern circuit’s most spectacular parks on this unforgettable safari. Lake Manyara, known for its flamingos, and Tarangire National Park, known for its gigantic baobab trees and large African elephants, are just two of the areas you’ll be visiting. In addition to the “endless grasslands” of the Serengeti, you will travel to the World Heritage Site of Ngorongoro Crater. Your lodging options will include moderate hotels or tent campgrounds.
Details
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha
Your driver-guide or representative will be waiting for you when you land at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). Your journey will begin the next day, so you’ll stay the night in Arusha.
Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Leave your Arusha hotel after breakfast and head to Tarangire National Park. The park is home to Tanzania’s third-biggest elephant population and is among the country’s largest national parks. The park’s impressive baobab trees, which tower over the animals that dine below them, are a must-see. Because it’s the only reliable source of water, animals congregate near the Tarangire River. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, and as many as 6,000 elephants are just a few examples of the abundant wildlife. You’ll have a picnic lunch while out on a game drive. We’ll do a long game drive inside the park after lunch, and then we’ll head right to your lodging for the night.
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, head to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you can see wildlife as you descend into the crater. About 25,000 wild animals call the Ngorongoro Crater home, making it one of the world’s largest intact calderas. More prides may be found there than in any other country. The Ngorongoro Crater is the best spot in East Africa to witness the Big Five—lions, leopards, black rhinoceroses, elephants, and buffalo—in their natural habitat. It is the eighth wonder of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it one of the most impressive places on Earth. In the crater, the black rhino is very visible. There is no other ecosystem on Earth quite like it in terms of the variety of its landscapes, the abundance of its fauna, and the variety of its birdlife. Climb the crater in the afternoon, and then head straight to your lodging in Serengeti for the night.
Day 4: Serengeti National Park to Karatu
After a hearty breakfast, your day of big cat-spotting in the Serengeti’s huge, open grasslands will commence. The Serengeti is a famous safari destination in Africa because it is home to the world’s biggest mammal migration. Perhaps the most well-known thing about Serengeti is the annual migration. Every year between October and November, about a million wildebeest and around 200,000 zebras make the journey from the northern hills to the southern plains in anticipation of the short rains. After the heavy downpours of April, May, and June, they’ll turn west and north. No amount of drought, chasm, or crocodile-infested river can stop them from following their innate need to travel. You’ll have lunch, then head to your lodging in Karatu for the evening and overnight.
Day 5: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha
Leave your hotel after breakfast and head to Lake Manyara National Park for a day of game viewing and a picnic lunch. Several of Africa’s most iconic species call the park home, including the continent’s biggest concentration of elephants and the tree-climbing lions of Manyara. Large groups of flamingos will also be present, drawn to the lake’s algae. You’ll be having lunch at a picnic spot and then continuing your safari drive. In the evening, you’ll either return to Arusha via car or fly to your next destination.