Itinerary
- Day 1
Arusha to Arusha National Park
Your Tanzanian safari kicks off in Arusha National Park, starting with an early morning game drive. The park sits right on the outskirts of Arusha town, so you'll get to your first wildlife viewing fairly quickly after settling in. Look for giraffes, zebras, and various bird species as you drive through the parkland terrain. By afternoon, you'll head back to your lodge for lunch and rest before an evening game drive if energy permits. The landscape here feels intimate compared to what's coming next, with forest areas mixed alongside open grassland, so it's a good warm-up for the bigger parks ahead.
- Start point
- Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (Main Enterance, 00:00 - 00:00)
Included Activities
- Game drive in Arusha National Park
Landmarks Arusha National Park - Day 2
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, you'll travel from Arusha toward Tarangire National Park, which takes a couple hours by vehicle. The drive itself passes through farmland and small towns before you enter the park gates. Once there, your afternoon game drive starts along the Tarangire River, where elephants congregate during the dry season. You'll see herds of wildebeest, buffalo, and various antelope species throughout the day. The park gets less crowded than some other northern circuit parks, so wildlife viewing feels more peaceful. Later, you'll settle into your lodge for dinner and prepare for tomorrow's early start.
Included Activities
- Game drive in Tarangire National Park
Landmarks Tarangire National Park 
- Day 3
Tarangire to Lake Manyara National Park
The drive to Lake Manyara National Park takes you north through open country, and you'll arrive mid-morning for a full afternoon of exploration. The lake itself dominates the landscape here with its alkaline waters stretching across the valley floor. You'll spot flamingos gathered along the shoreline, plus elephants and buffalo moving through the acacia forests. The tree-climbing lions here are what make this park special, though spotting them requires some luck. Your guide will navigate the park roads looking for these unique big cats in the branches. Evening brings you back to lodge for meals and time to relax before the next part of your journey.
Included Activities
- Game drive in Lake Manyara National Park
Landmarks Lake Manyara National Park - Day 4
Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park
Today involves a full day of driving from Lake Manyara toward the Serengeti, a journey of several hours across changing terrain. You'll pass through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before reaching the Serengeti's southern entrance. The landscape transforms as you go, with grasslands becoming wider and more open. Once you arrive at your Serengeti lodge in the afternoon, you might squeeze in a short game drive before sunset to see the park's vast plains and first wildlife sightings. The Serengeti's scale takes a moment to process, the horizons seem to stretch forever. Dinner at the lodge lets you hear more about what to expect during your full days here.
Included Activities
- Game drive in Serengeti National Park
Landmarks Serengeti National Park 
- Day 5
Serengeti National Park
You'll spend the entire day on game drives across the Serengeti, with early morning starting before sunrise around 5:30 AM or 6:00 AM. Your guide knows which areas have the most activity depending on the season and migration patterns. The morning drive covers several hours, then you'll break for lunch at the lodge around midday. The afternoon game drive takes you back out until around 5:00 PM or 5:30 PM when light gets too low for wildlife spotting. Throughout the day you'll see various predators, prey animals, and birds. The sheer number and variety of wildlife here is what sets the Serengeti apart, so your guide can explain behaviors and ecology as you drive.
Included Activities
- Full day game drive in Serengeti National Park
Landmarks Serengeti National Park 
- Day 6
Serengeti to Ngorongoro
The drive from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro takes most of the day, traveling eastward through the conservation area. You'll get a final morning game drive in the Serengeti before heading out, then the journey itself becomes your transport. The landscape gradually shifts as you climb toward higher elevations where it gets cooler and greener. By afternoon you'll reach the crater rim, and the views down into Ngorongoro Crater come into focus. The crater's scale is hard to grasp at first, a massive caldera containing its own complete ecosystem. You'll settle into your crater lodge perched on the rim, and evening light bathes the whole landscape in warm tones.
Included Activities
- Game drive en route to Ngorongoro
Landmarks Ngorongoro Crater - Day 7
Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Eyasi
Early morning brings a descent into Ngorongoro Crater itself for a game drive along the crater floor. The drive down takes about 30 minutes on narrow roads, then you spend several hours viewing wildlife in this enclosed environment. Lions, hyenas, zebras, and wildebeest inhabit the crater floor, and the soda lake attracts flamingos and other water birds. Around midday you'll climb back out of the crater and drive toward Lake Eyasi, heading south for a couple hours. Lake Eyasi has a different feel than the other parks, less formal and more remote. You'll settle in near the lake for the evening, and the landscape here feels distinctly different from the northern circuit.
Included Activities
- Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
Landmarks Ngorongoro Crater Lake Eyasi - Day 8
Lake Eyasi to Mto wa Mmbu Village
This morning you'll drive from Lake Eyasi to Mto wa Mmbu Village, a journey of roughly an hour on local roads. The village sits between Lake Manyara and the rift valley, and your arrival marks a shift from pure wildlife viewing to cultural experience. Locals still farm the area using traditional methods, growing bananas, vegetables, and other crops. You'll meet community members and learn about daily village life, perhaps visiting homes, farms, or local markets. The pace slows considerably compared to game drives, and interaction replaces wildlife spotting. Lunch is typically a communal meal prepared locally, and the afternoon continues with more village exploration before settling into your accommodation.
Landmarks Mto wa Mmbu Village - Day 9
Mto wa Mmbu to Lake Natron
You'll start with a guided walking tour through Mto wa Mmbu Village in the early morning, before heat builds. Your guide introduces you to residents, explains agricultural practices, and walks through farmland showing seasonal crops. Later, you'll drive north toward Lake Natron, a journey of several hours on rough roads. The landscape becomes increasingly arid and sparse as you approach the lake. Lake Natron's distinctive pink and red coloring comes from algae and minerals, creating an otherworldly appearance. Flamingos congregate here in large numbers, and the environment feels almost lunar. You'll have time for exploration and photography as light permits, then settle in for the evening at your lodge on the lake's edge.
Included Activities
- Walking safari in Mto wa Mmbu
- Cultural tour in Mto wa Mmbu
Landmarks Mto wa Mmbu Village Lake Natron - Day 10
Lake Natron to Arusha
Your final day involves the drive back to Arusha from Lake Natron, a journey of around 3 to 4 hours depending on road conditions. You'll leave early morning, passing back through the increasingly green landscape as you descend from the rift valley. The drive gives time to reflect on your 10 days traveling through Tanzania's major parks and cultural areas. You'll arrive in Arusha by midday, and the town feels like civilization again after days in remote areas. Your tour ends with drop-off at the airport or your hotel in Arusha, depending on your flight arrangements. Many people feel amazed and exhausted in equal measure after experiencing this much wildlife and landscape in such a short time.
Landmarks Lake Natron
