Compare Tanzania Adventure by Great Safaris vs Tanzania Wildlife Encounters by Encounters Travel

Day 1: Depart USA for Tanzania

Mondays and Wednesdays

The adventure begins! Fly to Africa.

Day 2: Arrive Arusha, Tanzania (1 night)

Welcome to Africa! Unwind at your hotel for your first relaxing night.

Day 3: Lake Manyara (1 night)

Your first day of safari you head out towards Lake Manyara National Park. As you travel through beautiful grassland and rolling hills, you may see the Masai herding their cattle and goats. In Lake Manyara National Park, the park is a bird watcher’s paradise. Expect to see a variety of animals such as impala, elephant, dikdik, bush buck, hippo and if you’re lucky see the famous tree-climbing lions of Manyara.

Day 4: Serengeti National Park (2 nights)

Start with a game drive and then head up the amazing Rift Valley escarpment with beautiful views of Lake Manyara. Then on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – gate way to the Serengeti. Visit the archaeological site of Olduvai Gorge, famous for the Laetoli hominid footprints and many other archaeological discoveries. Two days of glorious game drives in the land of endless plains.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Lunch 

Morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti National Park. All meals are served at the lodge, however; at the driver/guides’ discretion, a picnic lunch may be taken to maximize game viewing. A range of different habitats provides many different animals. Look for lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, elephant, hippo, impala, zebra, wildebeest, grants gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle and many others. Also there is a large variety of bird life. The sheer size of this park and its amazing changing scenery make this a day to remember.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater (2 nights)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast you depart for Ngorongoro, viewing game as  you transfer across the vast Serengeti plains. After a picnic lunch you continue to your lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. You will have time to freshen up before enjoying a delicious dinner, followed by a well-deserved night’s rest.

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

A highlight awaits you this morning as you depart to explore what is commonly referred to as the world’s largest wildlife zoo. After breakfast, you’ll descend through the early morning mist and 2,000 feet into the crater. Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. With more than 30,000 resident animals, it is an awe-inspiring wildlife experience. You return to the lodge for a late lunch and then have the afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the lodge.

Day 8: Tarangire National Park (1 night)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Departing Ngorongoro Crater after breakfast you continue to Tarangire National Park. You drive through the highlands and the Karatu district, viewing the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations here before journeying down the spectacular escarpment where you turn south onto the main Arusha – Dodoma Road and into the park. From here to the lodge, you’ll enjoy a game drive en route to your lodge. After lunch and perhaps a swim, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent on a game drive. Dinner at the lodge.

Day 9: Depart Arusha

Meals: Breakfast

Depart after breakfast and head north east to Arusha. You then transfer on to Kilimanjaro to commence your departure flight.

Day 10: Arrive USA

Wednesdays and Fridays

Arrive home with memories to last a lifetime!

Day 1: Arusha to the Ngorongoro Crater The tour starts this morning with departure
from Arusha at 09.00am (final arrangements for pick up / meeting points will be advised after booking). We'll then head straight to the Ngorongoro Crater where we'll spend the afternoon exploring the crater floor in search of the animals which roam the plains. The Ngorongoro Crater is world famous for its huge abundance of different wildlife and beautiful scenery and there will be lots to see today. Late in the afternoon we leave the crater to overnight in Karatu, situated in Tanzania's highland coffee growing areas. | OVERNIGHT: Ngorongoro Farm House or Farm House Valley | MEALS: Lunch, Dinner | EXTRAS: Single room supplement (compulsory for solo travellers) Day 2: Serengeti National Park We'll start early today and drive into the Serengeti, stopping to admire the scenery on the way. We'll have lunch and an afternoon game drive in the park. We will explore various parts of the National Park, depending on the movement of the animals, to view wildebeest, zebra and of course the big cat species.The next two nights will be spent at Kati Kati mobile camp, or Serengeti Sopa during April and May. | OVERNIGHT: Kati Kati mobile camp (Serengeti Sopa in April & May) | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 3: Serengeti National Park We have another full day of game driving ahead of us as we continue our exploration of the Serengeti National Park. The game viewing routes chosen on the day by your guide may vary especially after heavy rains. We'll watch out for Leopards amongst the riverine forest, marvel at the huge herds of Zebra and Wildebeest out on the plains, and try and spot Lions and Cheetahs lurking around the rocky Kopjes. | OVERNIGHT: Kati Kati mobile camp (Serengeti Sopa in April & May) | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 4: Lake Manyara National Park It is another safari filled day as we venture towards our second national park of our tour, Lake Manyara National Park. While the famous tree-climbing Lions are present in the park and we will keep our eyes open for them, today is also about the lake and the birds that reside here. Records show that over 390 bird species have been documented in the park and most notably, Lake Manyara is famous for the flocks of thousands of Flamingos that feed along the edge of the lake during the wet season. We'll also look out for Hippo and Giraffes. | OVERNIGHT: Kirurumu Manyara or Marera Valley lodge | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 5: Tarangire National Park This morning we drive to Tarangire, where after lunch we have our final game drive. The park is famous for its Elephants and unusual landscape, dotted with Baobab trees that give it an almost pre-historic look. We'll spend time exploring the park, witha a special focus on the Elephants, particularly along the river in the dry season, though we'll also keep an eye out for the wild cats that are present in the park. | OVERNIGHT: Lake Burunge tented lodge or similar | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 6: Return to Arusha Wrapping up our time surrounded by nature, we drive back to Arusha this morning where the tour finishes in Arusha town. Additional transfers may be booked or arranged locally to the airport or if your hotel is located outside Arusha town. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast