Tanzania Wildlife Week - 7 days

Kilimanjaro - Arusha. On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be met by your driver guide for the short transfer to your lodge, nestled between the peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure or visit the Game Sanctuary that has for many years provided a safe haven to African plains game.

Arusha - Tarangire - Lake Manyara. This morning, wake to the views of Mt Meru before heading down to breakfast. We will then be collected by our driver guide and will traverse the floor of the Great Rift Valley as we head to Tarangire National Park for a game drive.

Tarangire National Park; named after the river that crosses through the park, is Tanzania’s sixth largest park and home to large herds of elephants. Spend the afternoon exploring the park before making your way towards Kirurumu Tented Lodge for dinner and overnight. The lodge is located on the edge of the escarpment wall overlooking Lake Manyara.

Lake Manyara - Serengeti National Park. Today we have a long drive through arguably the best game park in the world. We will head to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and then descend into the endless plains of the Serengeti. The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park. Its name means 'endless plain' in the Masai language. It is from here that massive concentrations of wildebeest, zebras and other animals commence the annual Great Migration in search of pastures new, providing one of the greatest natural spectacles to be found anywhere in the world. We can watch golden-maned lions stalking the migrating herds, spot leopards at rest in trees at dusk and there's the option to enjoy a hot-air balloon ride at dawn as the sun’s golden rays illuminate the land. We meander our way through this famous park with fantastic game viewing as we head towards our tented camp in central Serengeti. The intimate camp offers tranquillity, spectacular wildlife sighting and no better place to take in one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles!

The Serengeti at sunrise is a beautiful sight and one not to be missed. This is also the best time for spotting animals so take advantage of the morning hours for the first game drive of the day. After a morning out, the smell of a cooked breakfast is welcomed as we enjoy a morning under the shade of the trees. Afternoons are normally a lazy affair that end in the late afternoon when the temperatures cool down and the animals start to be active again. Today is no different and we will head out for an evening drive before returning to camp in time to sit around the fire with our dinner.

Serengeti - Karatu. After the thrills of the Serengeti, we head out on a full day’s game drive through the Serengeti towards the Ngorongoro Crater, pausing along the way to visit one of the world's most important prehistoric sites - Olduvai Gorge. Here, we learn how the gorge earned its name 'Cradle of Mankind'. On arrival to the Ngorongoro Crater we have the opportunity to drive through the Crater Rim and see the Crater in all its glory. We arrive at the lodge in time for a relaxing drink and a delicious dinner in the lush surroundings.

Karatu - Ngorongoro Crater - Karatu. This morning the Ngorongoro Crater awaits us. The Crater is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 180km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. After an early breakfast, we will head out towards the Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera, where we experience an amazing game drive on the crater floor filled with wildlife and said to be one of the most thrilling game spotting experiences. The crater won’t leave you disappointed. Back at the lodge it’s time to enjoy our last African sunset and dinner.

Karatu - Lake Manyara - Arusha. This morning we visit Lake Manyara National Park whose shores are a shimmer of pink, due to the large flamingo population and it was once dubbed as the ‘loveliest lake in Africa’ by Ernest Hemingway. We spend our final morning in the park on a game drive and if we're lucky we'll see the tree climbing lions that the park is famous for. After eating our lunch boxes, we make our way back to Arusha and depending on your flight details transfer to Arusha Airport. Alternatively a transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport can be arranged for an additional supplement upon request. Please make sure that international onward flights from Kilimanjaro Airport are booked AFTER 6pm, or 5pm for domestic flights. Or you can connect onto the beautiful island of Zanzibar for some blissful rest and relaxation.