Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha - Lake Manyara National Park

You'll be picked up from your hotel in Arusha and begin a beautiful journey across the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. Although small in dimension (205 sq. miles), the park has breathtaking scenery and is well famous for its lush acacia forest, giant figs and mahogany trees, as well as to a growing population of baboons and blue monkeys. Permanent residents of this park include giraffes, elephants, impalas and a huge number of buffaloes. The lake is also home to a large number of hippos. The landscapes of Lake Manyara are something that cannot be described with words, and the game drives along the lake provide stunning photo opportunities. You have giraffes and buffaloes in the foreground and the lake in the background. Some extra tours are possible, including a bike tour or a boat excursion. In the late afternoon, return to the camp for relaxation and prepare for dinner.

NOTE: You can replace this park with Tarangire National Park or add an extra day and visit both.

Dinner and overnight at Escarpment Luxury Lodge or Farm of Dreams Lodge.

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park - Serengeti National Park

After an early breakfast, depart towards the most famous national park in the world, the Serengeti. The driving itself, although long, is spectacular. This will be an unforgettable moment for anyone seeing it for the first time. As you progress well into the Serengeti, you will see why the name means, in local language, "endless plains". The park has 6,900 sq miles (18,000 sq km) and for most of it, the plains will stretch to the horizon defying your senses and perception of distances. It is the home of the Great Migration and to 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras and all kinds of antelopes. As for big cats and large predators, it's the place of choice to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, with many television scenes like the famous River Crossings having been filmed in this park.

NOTE: You can choose to add an extra day in Serengeti.

Dinner and overnight at Acacia Central Camp.

Day 3: Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro

On this day, we will suggest a very early wake-up call-in order to do an early morning game drive (when the animals are more active) and to see one of the best sunrises you'll ever witness. After the game drive, we'll return to the camp for a rewarding brunch, and then we'll proceed to Ngorongoro, the 8th Wonder of the Natural World. The crater spreads for 102 sq. miles and has 2,000 ft. high walls, making it virtually Noah's ark and inhabiting almost every species of wildlife that is indigenous to East Africa. It's one of the very rare locations in the whole continent where you can witness the black rhino. The crater has a river, several swamps, and a soda lake with a great concentration of flamingos, a forest and open plains. It's also famous for its elephants which are the largest in the world and have huge tusks. You will reach Ngorongoro in time for a sundowner. There is a possibility to upgrade your accommodation level.

Dinner and overnight at either Pakulala Safari Camp or Octagon Lodge.

Day 4: Ngorongoro - Arusha

We will start the day very early and descend into the crater floor for an incredible morning of wildlife in one of the most stunning places on earth. After the game drive, there will be time for a picnic lunch near the beautiful Hippo Lake. After lunch, we will have time for a short game drive and then ascend the crater and exit Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards Arusha. Expect to be back in Arusha at around 5 pm although we are flexible in case there is a flight to catch or another situation.

Key: L Lunch, D Dinner, B Breakfast.