DAILY ITINERARY

​

DAY 1: ARUSHA & WELCOME

 

Welcome to Tanzania! Upon arrival at Arusha's Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be greeted and escorted to your lakeside lodge, a serene escape in Tanzania's bustling city.

​

OVERNIGHT: LAKE DULUTI SERENA HOTEL

MEALS: ON OWN ACCOUNT

 

 

DAY 2: LAKE MANYARA

 

After breakfast, we drive to Lake Manyara National Park, viewing game en-route to our lodge and arriving in time for lunch. After getting settled in, set out for an afternoon game drive and hope to see the park’s famous tree- climbing lions. A wealth of bird life and large game roam the park and its lake, with the cliffs of the Great Rift Valley forming a stunning backdrop to it all. The lodge is perched high above the lake with magnificent views from your room and the grounds. Dinner and overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge.

 

The beautiful Lake Manyara covers two thirds of this national park; the rest consists of steep mountainside, swamps, dense woodlands, open grassy areas and hot springs. One of the many alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley, it was formed three million years ago and is quite shallow – perfect for the 350 species of birds including pelicans, ibises, storks, Egyptian geese, and flamingoes. Baboons and black monkeys can be heard chattering in the woodlands near the park’s entrance and a multitude of large game can be found traversing the low, grassy areas near the lake’s shore.

​

OVERNIGHT: LAKE MANYARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE

MEALS: B/L/D

 

 

DAY 3 & 4: THE SERENGETI

 

We set out after an early breakfast amongst the splendor of an African sunrise for a full day of game viewing. Negotiating the roads and tracks down from the lodge, you are transported into a world of timeless natural wonder; one where the sights, sounds, and pageantry of life continue on just as they have for thousands of years. As the day progresses, your driver’s deep knowledge of the land becomes apparent as he leads you to one spot of outstanding beauty after the next, allowing you to observe the wildlife quietly and at your leisure. As the animals take refuge from the hot mid-day sun, we find a secluded spot to stop and enjoy a picnic lunch before pressing on. You arrive back at the lodge at dusk, pleasantly tired after an exhilarating day. After a well-deserved hot shower, you head to the main lodge for dinner. Take your after-dinner drink on your verandah if you wish, watching the wildlife grazing nearby. The atmosphere is remarkably peaceful as night falls, leaving you with dreams of this diverse and wonderful country.

 

The Serengeti National Park, at 5,700 mi2, is larger than the state of Connecticut. Protected since the 19140s, the area was made a national park in 1951 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fantastic in its natural beauty and unequalled in its scientific value, this vast expanse of land is home to more than four million different types of animals. Large herds of antelope of every description can be found here: Patterson’s eland, klipspringer, dikdik, impala, zebra, gazelle, water buck, topi, kongoni, Cotton’s oribi, grey bush duiker, roan antelope, buffalo, and wildebeest. Storks, flamingoes, vultures, fish eagles, and ostrich are among the nearly five hundred species of birds that also call the Serengeti home. Include cheetah, lion, leopard, giraffe, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros, and there are precious few animals that cannot be seen in this ecological wonderland. From open grass plains in the south, savannah and scattered acacia in the center, hilly wooded grasslands in the north, and black clay plains in the west, the landscape is as varied as the wildlife that lives upon it. The Serengeti’s low vegetation means that game viewing is relatively easy. Small rivers, lakes, and swamps dot this magnificent landscape where animals roam in complete freedom. Vast herds of ungulates arrive from the Maasai Mara and begin to congregate in December, culminating in the calving of half a million wildebeest in early February. This southern portion of The Great Migration lasts from December until May, when the herds head out of the Serengeti and into the Mara once more.  

 

OVERNIGHT: SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE

MEALS: B/L/D

 

DAY 5: OLDUVAI GORGE & NGORONGORO CRATER

​

A morning game drive in the park is followed by a visit to Olduvai Gorge, the Cradle of Mankind, complete with a lunchtime lecture on the history of the famous excavations nearby. Arrive at Ngorongoro Crater in time to relax before dinner, taking in the grand view of the crater floor below.

​

OVERNIGHT: NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE

MEALS: B/L/D

 

 

DAY 6: NGORONGORO CRATER

 

Today, descend nearly 2,000 feet into the world’s largest unbroken crater for a full day of game drives. This wildlife paradise boasts one of the densest concentrations of animals anywhere in Africa and is a haven for many species, including the endangered black rhino.

 

OVERNIGHT: NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE

MEALS: B/L/D

 

 

DAY 7: TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

 

Open vistas are dotted with ancient baobab trees and populated with large families of elephant in this beautiful park situated alongside the winding Tarangire River. Herds of zebra, wildebeest, eland, and gazelle graze alongside towering termite mounds and are hunted by the park’s lions, cheetah and other predators. Enjoy a refreshing swim at the lodge after your afternoon game drive.

 

OVERNIGHT: TARANGIRE SOPA LODGE

MEALS: B/L/D

​

 

DAY 8: ARUSHA & FAREWELL

 

Enjoy one last Tanzanian sunrise and early morning game drive in Tarangire before the drive back to Arusha. Day rooms have been reserved so you can enjoy a relaxed lunch and a bit of rest before your evening flight home.

​

DAY ROOM: ARUSHA COFFEE LODGE

​

​