7-Day Lodge Safari: Wildlife Essentials & Culture Tour
Answer the call of the wild in the windswept plains of Northern Tanzania’s wildlife parks, and encounter the ancient cultures of the Lake Eyasi region on this 7-day adventure!
Not only is northern Tanzania a must for any safari enthusiast, it’s also a unique opportunity to discover the country’s age-old culture and traditions. Experience the best of both on this once in a lifetime safari that will take you to Tanzania’s most famous and scenically diverse national parks, before heading on to the Lake Eyasi region - the homeland of the Hadzabe and Datoga people.
A safari fully adaptable to your needs
As with all of our safari packages, this suggested itinerary can be adapted to suit your own personal preferences. Departure dates are also completely flexible.
Accommodation
On this safari, you will spend your six nights in 4-star lodges or tented lodges on the outskirts of the national parks or inside the national parks, depending on availability and itinerary.
Please note however that we have something to offer for every budget, from basic campsites, to mid-range accommodation, to superior and luxury tented camps and lodges.
If you wish to enquire about the price for another category of accommodation for this safari package, or add any other adventures to this itinerary (ex. hot air balloon flight over Serengeti or Tarangire National Parks), please do not hesitate to contact us.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arusha or Moshi - Tarangire National Park
Activities: Travel to Tarangire National Park (2 hrs from Arusha or 4 hrs from Moshi) / Half-day game drive in Tarangire
Meals: Lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
Meet your professional tour guide/driver in Moshi or Arusha and receive a short briefing about your safari before starting your journey in direction of Tarangire National Park.
We will arrive at Tarangire around noon and immediately head out on our first game drive in this beautiful reserve. Tarangire National Park runs along the Tarangire River and is made up of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. The park is defined by lush grasslands studded with giant baobab trees and sun-baked termite hills. Tourists who prefer to visit its more famous neighbours often ignore this lesser-known game reserve; yet during the dry season, it has a greater concentration of wildlife per square kilometre than any other park in Tanzania. The huge swamp areas in the south attract large numbers of animals such as zebras, wildebeest, buffalos and giraffes, to name just a few. Moreover, the reserve is not only notorious for having some of the largest elephant herds in Africa, but also for being home to three very rare species that are almost impossible to find in other Tanzanian parks – the Oryx, the Elk and the Greater Kudu.
We will then have a late lunch at a picnic area inside the park, before our exploration of Tarangire continues. Our game drive will end at sundown when we retire to our lodge for a good dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2
Tarangire National Park - Karatu town
Activities: Half-day game drive in Tarangire / Travel to Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
After breakfast at the lodge, will will head out on another half-day game drive that will take us to regions of Tarangire National Park that we did not explore the previous day. For lunch, we will go to one of the most beautiful picnic sites in the park. Here we will have a beautiful view over the Tarangire River and surrounding acacia covered plains while enjoying a copious meal.
After lunch, we will head towards the exit of the park in order to make our way to the town of Karatu where we will be spending the night.
On the picturesque drive to Karatu, we will be passing through the verdant hills of the highlands. You will see the vast fields that cover the slopes of the Ol Deani volcano, as well as the many farms and coffee plantations that surround Karatu. The cool climate and beauty of the region make this area very popular among locals and farmers, with coffee being one of the main crops grown for export. Karatu offers magnificent views of the northern highlands and is a popular overnight stop for travellers on their way to the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti.
We will arrive at our lodge in the early evening for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3
Karatu - Serengeti
Activities: Travel to Serengeti (4 hours) with en-route game drive / Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
After breakfast at the lodge we will hit the road for our drive to Serengeti National Park. As we leave the highlands behind us, we will descend into the heart of wild Africa where we will see endless plains rolling into the distance, as well as varied landscapes such as swamps, lakes, savannahs, and mountains as we drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. These sublime landscapes are home to the Maasai herdsmen who live in relative harmony alongside the region’s abundant wildlife. You will also see animals here, as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife, including Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, giraffes, wildebeest, zebra and large herds of buffalo.
We will arrive at Serengeti National Park's Nabi Gate at around 1:30 p.m. Here we will have lunch before embarking on our first game drive that will take us to the Seronera region (home of big cats!) in the central Serengeti area. Seronera is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. Here, the Seronera River provides a valuable water source to the area and therefore attracts an abundance of wildlife, well representative of most of the species common to Serengeti.
After our wonderful afternoon exploring East Africa's most beautiful wildlife park, we will head to our lodge just after sunset for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 4
Serengeti National Park
Activity: Full-day game drive
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
Today we will embark an a sunrise game drive in the central Serengeti area. After approximately 2 hours, we will head back to our lodge for a late breakfast before continuing our explorations along the Sogore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River. This area is good for spotting lions, Thomson gazelle, topis, ostriches and cheetahs among other animals.
We will also discover the Kopjes Circuit which goes anti-clockwise around the Maasai Kopjes. Kopjes are weathered granite outcrops scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rocks after the rains. This makes the kopjes particularly good for spotting wildlife as the animals come here to drink - while the lions wait for their unsuspecting prey...
Our game drive will end just after sunset when we return to our lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Optional: Be one of the fortunate few to glide in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti Plains at sunrise, floating silently above the awakening bush, across rivers and over numerous small villages while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing Tanzanian scenery. (Available at an additional cost / pre-booking is required).
Day 5
Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro region
Activity: Game drive in Serengeti / Travel (2 hours) to the Ngorongoro area
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
After breakfast we will enjoy another game drive in Serengeti, this time discovering the Goru area in the eastern part of the park. Here, large numbers of cheetah will be waiting to hunt the many gazelles, impalas and other animals in the area while the herds of wildebeest graze in the savannah. The eastern part of the park offers very diverse wildlife sightings as well as spectacular nature views. It is also the part of Serengeti that sees tens of thousands of migrant animals returning from the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya in the months of October and November.
We will have lunch inside the park and then head off to our lodge in the Ngorongoro Crater area. The drive will take approximately 2 hours and will be punctuated by wonderful views of the scenery, as well as wildlife sightings.
We will arrive at our lodge in time for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 6
Ngorongoro Crater - Lake Eyasi Culture Tour
Activity: Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater / Travel (2.5 hours) to the Lake Eyasi region
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
After breakfast, we will enter the majestic Ngorongoro Crater - the world’s largest intact and unfilled caldera - for an incredible adventure.
The crater alone is home to approximately 25,000 game animals, all of which live together in this natural enclosure including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos. Here you will spot the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros) as well as a multitude of other wild animals, from the pink flamingos of Lake Makat, to large herds of wildebeest, zebras, buffaloes, elands, and warthogs. Another big attraction in this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which includes hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-fleeting leopard, which often requires a trained eye to spot.
We will have lunch inside the park before heading to the Lake Eyasi region where you will have a unique opportunity to visit the homeland of the Hadzabe people, one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes in the world, and to meet their neighbours, the Dotoga people.
Here you will learn about the traditions and daily life of the Hadzabe, as well as have an opportunity to practice your bow and arrow skills with the men, gather wild plants with the women and purchase crafts made by the families. With the Datoga tribe you will learn about the ancient art of blacksmithing while watching the men smelt metal and form it into arrowheads, utensils and jewellery using age-old techniques, as well as visit their homes.
At sundown we will head to our lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 7
Lake Eyasi Region - Arusha or Moshi
Activity: Travel (6 hrs to Arusha or 8 hrs to Moshi) and visit a traditional Maasai village on the way
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Today is mainly a travel day, as the distance back to Arusha / Moshi is quite far. Along the way, we will stop at a traditional Maasai village to learn about their culture and way of life, as well as partake in a traditional dance ceremony and discover the Maasai arts and crafts.
Included in package
- Professional English speaking driver/guide
- Pick-up at Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport if arriving the day before the start of your safari
- Pick-up at your hotel in Moshi or Arusha on Day 1
- Drop-off at your hotel in Moshi or Arusha or at Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport on Day 7
- All meals except breakfast on Day 1 & dinner on Day 7
- Bottled water
- Mid-range lodge accommodation
Not included in package
- Flight tickets
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, soft drinks, juice or alcoholic beverages, any other items of a personal nature)
- Tip for your safari guide (suggested amount: $30 per day per vehicle)