Expedition Overview
Expedition Overview
SPECIAL OFFERS
- Limited Time Offer – Returning Guests Save on Select Trips!
For a limited time, past National Geographic Expeditions travelers can save on their next exciting trip! Book by May 31, 2023 and save $500 per person on select departures. Take advantage of this special offer by calling (877) 728-7282, contacting your Travel Agent or booking online with code BPOSL24.
Available Departures- Aug 16-24, 2023
- Sep 2-10, 2023
- Sep 20-28, 2023
- Oct 5-13, 2023
- Dec 6-14, 2023
- Dec 27, 2023 - Jan 4, 2024
- 2024 Early Booking Offer – Select Signature Land & River Cruise Departures
For a limited time, save $400 per person on North America itineraries or save $500 per person on international itineraries when you book select 2024 National Geographic Signature Land departures by April 7, 2023. Or, save $750 per person when you book a 2024 River Cruise by April 7, 2023.*
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Available Departures- Jan 23-31, 2024
- Mar 12-20, 2024
- Meet Louise Leakey or Fidelis Masao for a private tour of Olduvai Gorge, where Homo habilis was discovered on a National Geographic-sponsored expedition.
- Seek out the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, and spot spectacular wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater.
- A renowned wildlife biologist accompanies each trip to interpret the flora and fauna we encounter on safari and to give fascinating lectures about animal behavior.
- A Maasai chief invites us to witness a traditional ceremony and learn firsthand about the culture.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Go in search of the thundering herds of the legendary wildebeest migration on a wildlife safari in Tanzania. Experience the power of the migration up close in the vast savannas of the northern or southern Serengeti, depending on the season. Take in extraordinary vistas of the Great Rift Valley, and descend into the Ngorongoro Crater to spot lions, cheetahs, elephants, and more.
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Arusha this evening and transfer to our hotel.
Drive to Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its elephants, hippos, giraffes, flamingos, and tree-climbing lions. Set out on our first safari to discover East Africa’s legendary wildlife amid the stunning Rift Valley landscape.
On a morning game drive, observe the wildlife that congregates on the shores of Lake Manyara. Enjoy a guided walk around the lodge’s grounds and gardens before hiking to a nearby coffee plantation. Meet with a conservationist from KopeLion to learn about National Geographic-funded work aimed at preventing human-lion conflict in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. KopeLion was founded by National Geographic grantee Ingela Jansson, a field biologist who has studied lions in northern Tanzania for more than 10 years.
After breakfast, travel to the Ngorongoro Highlands, where we will meet with Maasai community members. Far from the tourist circuit, enjoy a rare opportunity to view traditional singing and dancing, witness an initiation ritual, and learn about this fascinating culture from the village chief and his wives. After lunch, descend 2,000 feet to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, where volcanic slopes shelter almost 25,000 animals. Observe the interactions between predator and prey; spot colorful birdlife, from superb starlings to crowned cranes; and track elephants, rare black rhinos, cheetahs, and more.
Return to the crater floor for breakfast and a morning safari. Enjoy an afternoon to relax and watch the sun set over the crater from the lodge. Tonight, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Louise Leakey or Dr. Fidelis Masao, co-director of the Olduvai Landscape Paleoarchaeology Project, joins us for dinner and a discussion about the groundbreaking paleontological finds in the region.
Drive to the Olduvai Gorge, where, on a National Geographic-sponsored expedition in 1960, Louis and Mary Leakey discovered Homo habilis, one of the earliest members of the human genus. This morning, Louise (the Leakeys’ granddaughter) or Dr. Masao will discuss the family’s legacy and ongoing work at Olduvai Gorge. Then take a private tour of the site, or accompany Dr. Masao on a walk through the area where much of his life’s research has been conducted. This afternoon, drive to our lodge in the southern Serengeti, looking for lions, giraffes, and leopards along the way.
Rise early for a morning game drive before flying to the northern Serengeti. With luck, we will witness the dramatic river crossings of the wildebeest migration. Great herds of wildebeests and zebras eye predators warily as crocodile snouts break the surface of the Mara River. Take in the region’s spectacular array of wildlife on morning and afternoon game drives. On our last evening, gather for a candlelit farewell dinner in the bush.
After a final early-morning safari, fly back to Arusha. Relax at our hotel before transferring to the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to connect with your flight home.