7 Days Serengeti & Ngorongoro Signature Safari

Morning/Afternoon:

• Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Meet your professional safari guide and transfer to Arusha (approximately 1 hour drive)
• Check into your luxury accommodation
• Refresh and settle into your room

Afternoon:

• Relax and enjoy the lodge facilities - explore the gardens, take a dip in the pool
• Comprehensive safari briefing with your guide
• Review the exciting itinerary ahead and discuss wildlife expectations
• Optional activities: Visit a local coffee plantation tour or browse Arusha's cultural heritage center

Evening:

• Welcome dinner at your lodge
• Meet fellow travelers if joining a group safari
• Early night to rest before tomorrow's adventure begins

Overnight: Gran Meliá Arusha or Rivertrees Country Inn

Meals: Dinner

Early Morning:

• Wake-up call at 6:00 AM
• Hearty breakfast at the lodge (6:30 AM)
• Load luggage and depart for Tarangire National Park

Morning:

• Scenic 2-hour drive through rural Tanzania
• Arrive at Tarangire gate and complete park formalities
• Begin your first thrilling game drive immediately upon entry
• Spot your first wildlife - elephants often visible near the entrance

Midday:

• Picnic lunch under the shade of ancient baobab trees
• Watch elephants and other wildlife from your lunch spot
• Continue game drive through diverse habitats

Afternoon:

• Explore the Tarangire River area - the lifeline of the park
• Witness massive elephant herds (some of Africa's largest) gathering at the river
• Spot lions resting in acacia trees, giraffes browsing, zebras, wildebeest
• Photograph the iconic baobab trees against the African sky
• Over 550 bird species to observe including yellow-collared lovebirds

Late Afternoon:

• Drive to your luxury tented camp
• Arrive around 4:30-5:00 PM
• Check-in and settle into your elegant safari tent

Evening:

• Freshen up and relax
• Sundowners on the deck overlooking the wilderness (6:00 PM)
• Dinner under the stars with sounds of the African night
• Optional: Night drive to spot nocturnal wildlife

Overnight: Sanctuary Swala Camp, Oliver's Camp, or Chem Chem Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early Morning:

• Optional early morning walking safari with armed ranger (5:30 AM departure)
• OR sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast

Morning:

• Depart for full-day game drive (7:00 AM) with packed breakfast
• Bush breakfast in a scenic location watching wildlife
• Explore the southern areas of the park - less visited but wildlife-rich
• Track predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas
• Visit the swamps which remain green year-round and attract abundant wildlife

Midday:

• Option 1: Continue game driving with picnic lunch in the bush
• Option 2: Return to lodge for lunch, siesta, and pool time (11:30 AM - 3:30 PM)

Afternoon:

• Afternoon game drive (4:00 PM if you returned to lodge)
• Golden hour photography - elephants silhouetted against baobabs
• Watch wildlife become more active as temperatures cool
• Possible sightings: python in trees, tree-climbing lions, eland, oryx

Evening:

• Return to camp for sunset (6:30 PM)
• Hot shower and relaxation time
• Dinner in the bush or at camp
• Campfire stories with your guide about wildlife behavior
• Stargazing - the African sky is spectacular

Overnight: Sanctuary Swala Camp, Oliver's Camp, or Chem Chem Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early Morning:

• Wake-up call at 6:00 AM
• Breakfast and check out (7:00 AM)
• Depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Morning:

• Scenic 3-hour drive through the Great Rift Valley
• Pass Maasai villages and witness traditional pastoral life
• Stop at viewpoints for photos and to stretch
• Arrive at Ngorongoro Crater rim (around 10:30 AM)

Late Morning:

• Descend 600 meters down the crater wall (spectacular views!)
• The road winds through lush forest before opening to the crater floor
• Begin game drive immediately on the crater floor (around 11:00 AM)

Midday:

• Picnic lunch by the hippo pool (Ngoitoktok Springs)
• Watch hippos wallowing while you eat
• Continue exploring this UNESCO World Heritage Site

Afternoon:

• Extensive game drive across the 260 km² crater floor
• Search for the Big Five - this is one of the best places in Africa to see all five in one day!
• Spot endangered black rhinos (crater has about 30 individuals)
• Watch massive tusker elephants - bulls with huge tusks
• Lion prides often visible on the crater floor
• Buffalo herds numbering in the thousands
• Leopards in the forested areas
• Visit Lake Magadi to see thousands of flamingos and other water birds
• Observe golden and black-backed jackals, hyenas, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles

Late Afternoon:

• Ascend the steep crater wall back to the rim (around 4:30 PM)
• Drive to your luxury lodge perched on the crater rim
• Check in and enjoy panoramic crater views from your room

Evening:

• Sundowners on the rim with breathtaking views
• Gourmet dinner with crater views
• Discuss the incredible wildlife sightings of the day

Overnight: andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, The Highlands, or Lemala Ngorongoro Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early Morning:

• Wake-up call at 6:00 AM
• Breakfast with sunrise views over the crater (6:30 AM)
• Check out and depart for Serengeti (7:30 AM)

Morning:

• Drive through Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Maasai lands)
• Watch for Maasai herders with their cattle, sheep, and goats
• Optional stop at Olduvai Gorge Museum - "Cradle of Mankind" (30-45 minutes)
  • See archaeological findings from early human ancestors
  • Learn about discoveries by Mary and Louis Leakey
• Game viewing en route through the conservation area

Midday:

• Enter Serengeti National Park at Naabi Hill Gate (around 12:00 PM)
• Picnic lunch at the gate with views over the plains
• Begin game drive through the southern Serengeti plains
• The name "Serengeti" means "endless plains" in Maasai language

Afternoon:

• Continue driving north toward central Serengeti
• Game viewing throughout the journey
• Spot large herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles
• Watch for cheetahs on the open plains - this is prime cheetah territory
• See giraffes, topi, hartebeest, and eland
• Lions often rest under acacia trees or on rocky kopjes

Late Afternoon:

• Arrive at your Serengeti camp (around 4:30-5:00 PM)
• Check into your luxury tented accommodation
• Settle in and enjoy camp facilities

Evening:

• Sundowners on the Serengeti plains - unforgettable experience
• Watch the African sunset paint the sky orange and pink
• Dinner at camp
• Listen to the sounds of the Serengeti night - lions roaring, hyenas calling

Overnight: Dunia Camp, Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp, or Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pre-Dawn (Optional):

• Hot air balloon safari at dawn (extra cost: approximately $550 per person)
• Float silently over the Serengeti at sunrise
• Champagne bush breakfast after landing
• This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience - highly recommended!

Early Morning:

• Early morning game drive (6:00 AM)
• Watch predators returning from night hunts
• Best time to see active wildlife and dramatic lighting
• Bush breakfast in the wilderness (around 8:30 AM)

Morning:

• Continue game drive exploring different areas
• Track the Great Migration herds (seasonal - typically July-October in northern Serengeti, December-March in southern Serengeti)
• Search for river crossings if during migration season (July-September)
• Visit rocky kopjes - excellent for spotting leopards and lions
• These granite outcrops are islands of life on the plains

Midday:

• Option 1: Full-day game drive with picnic lunch in the bush
• Option 2: Return to camp for lunch, rest, and pool time (11:30 AM - 3:30 PM)
  • Relax in your tent
  • Enjoy spa treatments if available
  • Read a book with Serengeti views

Afternoon:

• Afternoon game drive (4:00 PM)
• Explore different habitats: grasslands, woodlands, riverine forests, and kopjes
• Watch for leopards in sausage trees or lounging on kopje rocks
• See more cheetahs, lions, elephants, buffalo
• Observe hippo pools along the rivers
• Golden hour photography opportunities are spectacular

Late Afternoon/Evening:

• Stop at a scenic viewpoint for sundowners (around 6:00 PM)
• Watch the sun set over the endless plains
• Return to camp as darkness falls (6:30 PM)

Evening:

• Final celebratory safari dinner
• Share favorite moments and wildlife sightings
• Gather around the campfire under the stars
• Toast to an incredible safari adventure

Overnight: Dunia Camp, Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp, or Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early Morning:

• Wake-up call at 5:30 AM
• Quick breakfast (6:00 AM)
• Final early morning game drive en route to airstrip
• Last chance to spot wildlife you may have missed

Morning:

• Option A - Fly:
  • Arrive at airstrip (around 8:00 AM)
  • Fly from Serengeti to Arusha (flight time: 1.5 hours)
  • Scenic flight over the parks
  • Arrive Arusha around 11:00 AM
• Option B - Drive:
  • Depart for Arusha by road (6-7 hour drive)
  • Game viewing along the way
  • Stop for lunch en route
  • Arrive Arusha late afternoon

Midday (if flying):

• Arrive in Arusha
• Day room at Gran Meliá Arusha (if needed for afternoon rest/shower)
• Lunch at hotel restaurant
• Time for last-minute activities:
  • Souvenir shopping at local markets or craft centers
  • Visit Maasai Market for handmade crafts, jewelry, textiles
  • Cultural Museum visit if time permits

Afternoon:

• Freshen up and prepare for departure
• Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (1 hour drive)
• Arrive at airport 3 hours before international flight

Evening:

• Check in for your international flight
• Depart Tanzania with incredible memories, thousands of photos, and stories to last a lifetime

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (if day room booked)