DETAILS

FULL LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
DAY 1 – Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater
This four-night itinerary visits the two major attractions of the Northern Safari Circuit in Tanzania. Starting from the ports of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar or Mombasa, your safari begins after a flight to either Kilimanjaro or Arusha, where you will immediately begin the journey to see the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater and the endless plains of the Serengeti National Park.

Upon arrival, luxury 4x4 safari landcruisers will be waiting to take you to Arusha, where you stop for lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge nestled in the middle of a working coffee estate in the shadow of Mount Meru. After lunch you will be driven to the Ngorongoro crater, a journey lasting approximately 3½ hours. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers 2286 square kilometres (892 square miles) and encompasses the volcanic area around the Ngorongoro Crater - including the still active volcano of Oldonyo Lengai and the famous Olduvai Gorge. Its centrepiece, the Ngorongoro Crater, is the largest unbroken caldera in the world and the first sight of it is breathtaking. The floor of the crater is only 100 square miles but is home to around 30,000 animals, with a high concentration of predators.

Arriving at your lodge, check in and have some time to relax before meeting the rest of the group for sundowners overlooking the crater, followed by dinner.

DAY 2 – Ngorongoro Crater
This morning you will descend into the crater for a tour with a picnic lunch. The safari on the crater floor lasts approximately 6 hours before you make your way back up to the crater rim. Before returning to your lodge you will visit an authentic Maasai Village. This village provides you with a unique opportunity to witness the Maasai way of life that has remained the same for hundreds of years. You will be entertained by traditional dances and ceremonies, including blood-letting from the cows, before returning to the lodge.

DAY 3 – Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti
This morning you board your vehicles for the approximate 1 hour journey to Olduvai Gorge en route to the Serengeti. This is the site of Dr. and Mrs. L.S.B. Leakey's discovery of Zinjanthropus bosei. The Gorge was discovered accidentally by a German butterfly collector, Professor Kattwinkle, in 1911, but it was not until 1959 that Dr. Mary Leakey unearthed the Zinj skull believed to be 1.8 million years old.

Once the tour of the museum is complete, begin your journey into the Serengeti. The Serengeti is arguably the most famous national park in the world; it perhaps defines the safari experience as surely as the wildlife that inhabits it. Established in 1951, and covering an area of almost 15,000 square kilometers (5850 square miles), an area comparable to the state of Connecticut or Northern Ireland, the Serengeti hosts a fantastically diverse eco-system. The famous short and long grass plains of the south slowly unfurl into the Acacia savannah of the central area, the hilly, more densely wooded areas of the north, and the extensive woodland in the western corridor, each with its own resident variations of African wildlife. The principal attraction of the Serengeti is the passing of the wildebeest migration: 1½ million wildebeest, and a retinue comprised of hundreds of thousands of zebra, gazelle and other plains game that follow close behind, stalked by the inevitable predators who make the most of the ‘feast’ close at hand. The Serengeti promises all that the first-time game-viewer or experienced safari-hand could ever hope to witness and it rarely, if ever, disappoints. Whilst driving to the lodge you will stop for a picnic lunch and have a game drive en route. Arrival at the lodge will be in the late afternoon with time to freshen up before dinner.

DAY 4 – Serengeti
After breakfast this morning board your vehicle and set out on a morning game drive. With mammals most active in the early hours of the morning, this is the ideal time to witness the Serengeti. Return to the lodge in time for lunch and have a few hours to rest in the afternoon. As the afternoon begins to cool, set out again on a game drive just as the mammals and predators begin to become active again. Before returning to the lodge, enjoy sundowners on a specially chosen spot in the park overlooking the vast Serengeti plains. As the sun goes down you will have a chance to reflect on the past few days’ game viewing and wildlife experiences. Dinner will be back at the lodge.

DAY 5 – Serengeti to Arusha
This morning take a short drive to the Serengeti airstrip to board your approximate 1¼ - hour flight to Arusha. Enjoy lunch in Arusha, after which you will be assisted with your onward travel arrangements.
 
SHORT LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
This four-night itinerary visits the two major attractions of the Northern Safari Circuit in Tanzania. Starting from the ports of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar or Mombasa, your safari begins after a flight to either Kilimanjaro or Arusha, from where you journey to see the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera in the world, and the endless plains of the Serengeti National Park teeming with African wildlife.
 
TIMING BREAKDOWN
DAY 1
11:30 – 12:00 Arrival and formalities at Arusha / Kilimanjaro
12:00 – 13:00 Drive to Arusha
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 17:30 Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
17:30 – 18:00 Check in
18:30 – 19:30 Sundowners
19:30 Dinner and overnight

DAY 2
09:00 – 15:00 Crater tour with picnic lunch
15:00 – 15:30 Drive to Maasai Village
15:30 – 16:30 Maasai Village Visit
16:30 – 17:00 Drive to Lodge
19:30 Dinner and overnight

DAY 3
08:30 – 09:00 Check out
09:00 – 10:00 Drive to Olduvai Gorge
10:00 – 10:45 Olduvai Gorge Museum Tour
10:45 – 16:00 Drive to Serengeti Lodge with game drive and a picnic lunch en route
16:00 – 16:30 Check in
19:30 Dinner and overnight

DAY 4
08:30 – 12:30 Morning game drive in the Serengeti
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 15:30 At leisure
15:30 – 18:00 Afternoon game drive in the Serengeti
18:00 – 19:00 Sundowners
19:00 – 19:15 Return to Lodge
19:30 Dinner and overnight

DAY 5
09:00 – 09:30 Check out
09:30 – 10:30 Drive to Serengeti Airstrip
11:00 – 12:15 Flight to Arusha
12:15 – 12:45 Drive to Hotel
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
 
OPERATIONAL NOTES
- This safari operates as either a pre- or post-cruise safari. Flights are available from Mombasa, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam to Arusha and vice versa
- The Tanzanian visa is available upon arrival for US and EU nationals with a current cost of USD 50 per person (subject to change)
- Our staff will be at the airport to assist guests
- Transportation will be with 6 seater 4x4 landcruisers
- Driver guides speak English and selected other languages (available on request)
- Itinerary includes 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners
- Activity level is moderate

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