Trip Overview
Trip Overview
- Stay on the lookout for Africa’s most iconic wildlife while on safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Serengeti National Parks.
- Meet with a researcher from the Serengeti Wildlife Research Centre to discuss ongoing studies in the famed reserve.
- Visit a Maasai village and spend time with Maasai women involved in the G Adventures–sponsored Clean Cookstoves Project.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Embark on an unforgettable adventure in Tanzania searching for the African “big five” and gaining insights into the culture of the indigenous Maasai. Discover the epic, wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater and the rippling golden plains of the Serengeti; tour a Maasai village; and explore the area around the Olduvai Gorge, which has been occupied by humans—and their earliest ancestors—for almost two million years.
This trip is operated in collaboration with G Adventures.
Day 1: Arusha
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.
Accommodations:Ilboru Safari Lodge (or similar)
Day 2: Arusha/Lake Manyara National Park
This morning, make your way to Mto wa Mbu village, a vibrant settlement of Tanzania’s diverse tribal groups. Take a guided walk through the village, visiting the local market and meeting artisans in their workshops; then sit down for a traditional lunch with a local family. Continue to the Rift Valley escarpment and settle into our safari camp, located at the edge of Lake Manyara National Park. Set out on our first safari drive to discover East Africa’s legendary wildlife, searching for lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, and more.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:Rift Valley Photographic Lodge (or similar)
Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park/Serengeti National Park
Travel through the breathtaking Rift Valley to a Maasai village. Here, we learn about the G Adventures–supported Clean Cookstoves Project, dedicated to providing clean-burning cookstoves to Maasai communities throughout Tanzania. Enjoy a presentation by a Masaai woman on the impact of the project, and take a guided tour of the village, visiting traditional homes or bomas and helping build a new stove. Continue to our safari camp in Serengeti National Park, stopping en route at the Olduvai Gorge Museum and Visitor’s Centre—located near the site where National Geographic archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered early hominid fossils and stone tools in 1960.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:Serengeti Tortilis Camp (or similar)
Day 4: Serengeti National Park
Immerse yourself in the splendor of the Serengeti, one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife reserves. Discover the park’s iconic creatures when you set out in a 4x4 on morning and afternoon safaris through the golden grasslands. With luck, spot all of Africa’s “big five”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo. Later, visit the Serengeti Wildlife Research Centre, and enjoy a talk by one of the visiting researchers.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:Serengeti Tortilis Camp (or similar)
Day 5: Serengeti National Park/Ngorongoro
Depart the Serengeti this morning, looking out for the park’s wild denizens along the drive. Check in to our comfortable tented camp near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and enjoy a fiery African sunset from the deck.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:Pembeni Rhotia (or similar)
Day 6: Ngorongoro/Arusha
Spanning more than 20 kilometres in diameter, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest non-flooded caldera in the world and is inhabited by some 25,000 animals. Descend into this green-walled paradise early in the morning on safari. As you ride past herds of zebra and flocks of flamingo, keep your eyes peeled for a pride of lions or a lone leopard. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the floor of the crater; then drive to Arusha.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations:Ilboru Safari Lodge (or similar)
Day 7: Arusha
Depart at any time.
Meals Included:Breakfast