Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, your driver will meet you at the exit of the arrivals area, to transfer you to the luxurious Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha. This hotel is located on the foothills of Mount Meru. Settle into your accommodation, relax and enjoy dinner, before your safari starts in the morning.
Day 2: Arusha – Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast we drive in about 3 hours to the beautiful Ngorongoro Crater. This enormous crater is a natural wonder and often called the ‘Garden of Eden’. If you stand on the rim and look below, the majesty of nature lays out before you. The burst of colours is mind-blowing: a large blue lake with pink flamingos, yellow acacias, dense green jungle, fluffy white clouds in a sky that changes from blue, to pink, to orange. This spectacular arena is home to the Big Five and the densest population predators found anywhere in Africa. In the afternoon we drive to the Ngorongoro Sopa lodge for dinner and overnight. This lodge is set high on the crater rim with quick access down to the crater floor.
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater
Today you can enjoy another day of game drives at the Ngorongoro crater and discover why it is chosen as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. Leopards, lions, hyenas and jackals can be found on the crater floor as well as elephants, buffaloes, wildebeest, zebras, ostriches, rhinos and so much more. In the afternoon we return to Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge for dinner and overnight. Relax at the outdoor swimming pool or grab a drink while watching the spectacular sunset views over the crater.
Day 4 : Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti National Park
In the morning we drive to Africa’s most famous national park, Serengeti. Flat-topped acacia trees and rivers dot the landscape. We head to the central area of the park, also called Seronera. Due to its unique ecosystem, Seronera supports a much greater diversity of wildlife than anywhere else in the Serengeti. The large amount of prey also draws the highest population of predators. It is one of the best places in Africa to spot large predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. Elephants, zebras, elephants, giraffes, wildebeest and many other species can be seen here on any given day. We arrive in time for picnic lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in this area of Serengeti National Park. Dinner and overnight will be at Serengeti Sopa lodge.
Day 5: Serengeti (Seronera)
Another day of spectacular game drives in the central part of the Serengeti. Although wildlife viewing is good here all year-round, the best time to see the Great Wildebeest Migration in Seronera is around April and May. At this time the Seronera is really crowded and you can see huge columns of hundreds of thousands wildebeest, zebras and gazelles. It’s truly an impressive sight to witness millions of mammals thunder across the plains in search of fresh grass and water. In the afternoon we return to Serengeti Sopa lodge for dinner and overnight. This lodge is located on the edge of the Rift Valley Escarpment with great views across the Serengeti plains.
Day 6: Serengeti – Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast we depart for a half day game drive in the Serengeti, where there is so much to see and keep you occupied. Another highlight of this central area are the Moro Kopjes, which is the best place to spot a black rhino. These rock formations (kopjes) dot the landscape and provide shade and great viewpoints for many animals, including lions, leopards and cheetahs. Retina Hippo pool is a great place to see about 200 splashing, playing hippos. In the afternoon we leave Serengeti National Park and drive to Manyara Wildlife Lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Lake Manyara National Park – Arusha
Enjoy your last safari day in Lake Manyara National Park. This park is not dominated by savannah, but by an enormous soda lake with huge flocks of flamingos. You can spot hundreds of olive baboons, elephants, hippos and if you are lucky Manyara’s tree climbing lions. It is also a perfect place to see the spectacular 400 meter high Rift Valley Escarpment. After this memorable game drive, your safari adventure has come to an end. We drive back to Arusha and bring you to Kilimanjaro Airport for you flight home.
Note. We can create a customized itinerary exactly the way you wish. You like to add other parks or extend your safari with a beach holiday on Zanzibar? Contact us to design your ideal safari.
Check our Travel Tips:
What to wear on safari in Africa
Best things to see and do in Serengeti National Park
Best time to see the Serengeti Migration