7 Days Explore Ngorongoro Craters

After clearing baggage claim and customs meet your safari representative and head to the Kilimanjaro Halisi Retreat near the gate of Mount Kilimanjaro. Settle in after your long journey for an exciting week ahead!

Rise early this morning and set out for Lake Manyara National Park, watching out for game en route. Spot the elusive tree-climbing lion, or watch for the twitch of a leopard’s tail as you make your way to camp.

After breakfast you will take a game drive en route to Serengeti National Park, a world heritage site, stopping along the way to watch any animals you may encounter. Renowned for its wealth of lions and leopards, the Serengeti is the quintessential safari destination. Derived from the Maasai word ‘sirinetu’ meaning ‘endless plains’, the Serengeti plays host to more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras, and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle during the annual migration.

Today, head back out for a full day of game drives, examining one of the oldest ecosystems on earth. Little has changed in the Serengeti over the past million or so years. Here you still find the renowned plains intermingled with wooded hills, massive termite mounds, rocky kopjes, and acacia tree-lined rivers. Depending on the time of year you may be able to witness the Wildebeest Migration (Dec-July), or an abundance of predators (June-Oct).

Take an early morning game drive and return to camp in time for breakfast. Proceed with another game drive until lunch and then head to the Ngorongoro Crater. You may opt for a visit en route to Oldupai Gorge. This site provides evidence of the earliest signs of mankind, showcasing hominid footprints preserved in volcanic rock that date back 3.6 million years.

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater today for a six-hour tour. As the world’s largest caldera (nearly 100 square miles), Ngorongoro boasts over 20,000 large animals, including Tanzania’s remaining black rhino. Living alongside the abundance of wildlife you will find 40,000 Maasai pastoralists with their cattle, goats, and sheep. The conservation gives you a rare look into how people harmoniously lived with nature and wildlife in ancient times. Return to Tarangire Safari Lodge for your last night in Tanzania.

The better part of today is spent on a game drive in the Tarangire National Park. The park is known for its enormous herds of elephants, ancient baobab trees, and the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti. During the dry season (June-Sept), animals flock from hundreds of miles to drink from the Tarangire River. You are dropped off at either Arusha, Moshi, or the airport for your onward journey.