Today, spend the day at leisure and get the chance acclimatize. After a relaxing morning you will have the opportunity to try local lunch and visit Arusha’s Cultural Heritage Center as well as Shanga Workshop which empowers Tanzanians with disabilities to create unique, high-quality, handmade jewelry, glassware and home wares. Get to know some of the people who call Tanzania home and who make a big difference in their communities.

A bustling and colorful safari town, Arusha is the gateway to the Northern safari circuit and there’s always an eclectic mix of people huddled in the cafes and restaurants. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Meru, close to the Kenyan border, the town has an altitude of 1500m and is pleasantly warm year-round with crisp, clean mountain air and surrounded by astonishingly green coffee plantations. Start your day with a cup of the good stuff amidst the rows of verdant bushes, watch the Maasai in their deep red shukas and barter for souvenirs at the gaudy market stalls. 

Accommodations: Kibo Palace Hotel 

Tucked away in Arusha, Kibo Palace Hotel is straddled between the gateway to some of the most enchanting safari destinations and Mount Kilimanjaro, whose highest point it is named after. This little paradise comes with all the amenities and access you would expect in a modern city right in the wild. 

Trade Arusha for baobab trees as you head straight into Tarangire National Park. This animal-packed park does not get the attention it deserves; thanks to its more diverse flora and numerous watering holes, you have just as many big fauna here as in the Serengeti. As you enter the park, it's time for some Big Five Bingo! Take in the sounds of the African bush, while spotting large herds of elephants, migratory wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, impala, and many more big and small animals!

Explore this beautiful park on game drives before you will make your way to your accommodation inside the park.

In the evening, after an early dinner, you will have the opportunity to go on a night game drive! A new world of nocturnal animal species awaits you on an exclusive night game drive excursion within the Tarangire National Park, as this area is considered an ideal location for this activity. Lake Manyara ecosystem close by, Tarangire National Park is a melting pot for all types of animals. Tarangire river is richly in the reliable waters year round and animals here are in prime conditions making wildlife viewing even better. The lesser seen animals are generally seen.

Accommodations: Tarangire Safari Lodge 

Tarangire Safari Lodge is a substantial family owned and managed lodge situated 10km inside the main gate of Tarangire National Park. It was originally built in 1970 making it the oldest lodge in the park, and its position on the escarpment ridge gives it impressive views over the baobab and acacia woodlands down to the Tarangire River – but also places it in the heart of the park's busiest area. 

The quintessential safari tents, with thatched roofs and large, mesh-screened windows, provide the perfect opportunity to connect with the sights and sounds of nature. Each tent has a comfortable verandah, ideal for bird and game viewing or reading your favorite book after a dusty safari. All tents are equipped with en-suite bathrooms with solar-heated showers, ample cupboard space for your gear, and a cultural touch of local textiles. 

After breakfast, depart with a packed lunch and make your way to the local farming village of Mto Wa Mbu where you will get to go on 1.5 hour stroll. This village is unique in Tanzania since it is home to over 120 different tribes from across Africa. The walk will take you to see local farms, schools, a kindergarten, local homes, the market and milling machines. In the afternoon, make your way to Southern Serengeti/Ndutu for dinner and overnight.

The Southern Serengeti is characterized by short grass plains stretching endlessly to the horizon. Here and there, rock kopjes break above the horizon to provide refuge to lion, leopard and cheetah, who take advantage of the high ground to get a good view of potential prey or to catch the breeze. In the far South, the Ndutu area is an area of acacia woodland and lakes, in clear contrast to the open plains. The Southern Serengeti is home to the wildebeest migration from December to April, when over two million wildebeest arrive to calve in the open. For the rest of the year, there are always good numbers of gazelle and predators about. 

Accommodations: Mbugani Migration Camp 

Situated in the south of Serengeti; with fantastic beautiful views to the African savannah; in the best spot to enjoy the migration from December to April. Mbugani Camps were created and are owned and operated by Barnabas Petro Raphael, a native of the Maasai Village of Longido in Tanzania. Barnabas built his career as a guide for thousands of safari-goers from the U.S., Europe, Australia, and more. Offering a camp that caters to your individual tastes while showcasing the delights of his native country is a dream come true for him and his family, and for his guests, too. Barnabas' guests enjoy his hospitality, humor, and deep knowledge of all things Tanzania. 

Spend two full days in the Ndutu Plains of the Southern Serengeti where you will witness the Great Migration. Being in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) you will be able to drive off road - a great advantage for getting up close to Africa's large mammals! There is so much to see - witness the Great Migration giving birth to thousands of calves, and the predators always searching for their next meal!

The Ndutu region forms part of the northern section of Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stretches to the unfenced southern reaches of the Serengeti National Park, a meeting point between these two incredible wilderness areas. This section of the park is made up of rolling grasslands peppered with alkaline lakes that attract flocks of flamingos, as well as acacia woodlands.

Accommodations: Mbugani Migration Camp 

Situated in the south of Serengeti; with fantastic beautiful views to the African savannah; in the best spot to enjoy the migration from December to April. Mbugani Camps were created and are owned and operated by Barnabas Petro Raphael, a native of the Maasai Village of Longido in Tanzania. Barnabas built his career as a guide for thousands of safari-goers from the U.S., Europe, Australia, and more. Offering a camp that caters to your individual tastes while showcasing the delights of his native country is a dream come true for him and his family, and for his guests, too. Barnabas' guests enjoy his hospitality, humor, and deep knowledge of all things Tanzania. 

On day 7, you will enjoy game drives in Ndutu in the morning before you make your way to the Ngorongoro Crater where you will check in at your accommodation on the crater rim in the afternoon. Along the way you will stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, and visit the museum. The museum was founded by Mary Leakey and is dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of the Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli fossil sites. 

The Ngorongoro Crater is game viewing gone crazy and it is not surprising that it is one of Tanzania’s major tourist drawcards. It is considered one of the natural wonders of the world and is a world heritage site. It is a natural enclosure supporting 20,000-30,000 animals at any one time making it virtually a Noah's ark and inhabiting almost every species of wildlife that is indigenous to East Africa. Within the crater rim a daily wildlife drama is played out as large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby lions, leopards, elephants and black rhinos. Outside of the crater a similar drama continues in a more spread out manner with Maasai herdsmen thrown into the mix. 

Accommodations: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge 

Perched on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, the magnificent Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge is the only property on the eastern rim of this World Heritage Site. Accommodating guests in its spacious en-suite bedrooms, the Lodge has its own private road to the crater floor. It is perfectly situated to explore the abundant game in what is often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Its location offers awe-inspiring views over the crater and some of the most breathtaking sunsets to be seen in Tanzania. Each suite has a private lounge with mini-bar, en-suite bathroom, central heating and a private solarium. The Lodge has telephone facilities, satellite TV, a conference room, and a swimming pool situated on the very edge of the rim. 

 After an early breakfast, you will be one of the first vehicles descending the six hundred meters (2,000ft) into Ngorongoro Crater for superb game viewing with picnic lunch boxes. Wildlife wonderlands don’t get much better than the Ngorongoro Crater, possibly one of the most iconic animal-viewing areas in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site (and with very good reason), the cavernous bowl-shaped crater is in fact a caldera, formed two to three million years ago when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself. Today, the flat floor is covered in nutritious grasses and home to an unprecedented number of black rhino as well as black-maned lion, magnificent tuskers and smaller plains game, but surprisingly no giraffe. We’ll leave you to ponder why when you visit! In the afternoon you will climb out of the crater and make your way to Lake Eyasi for dinner and overnight.

Accommodations: Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge 

Located on a gentle slope overlooking the lake, Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge offers stunning views over the seasonal soda lake and up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. All 14 spacious rooms are scattered within the vast property and are tastefully furnished with great attention to detail, the décor blends elements from the surrounding landscape with modern comfort, and have private veranda overlooking the lake. 

Today will be all about local tribes and their way of life! Get up before sunrise and visit the Hadzabe bushmen, one of the world’s last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes, and let them teach you all about their time-honored hunting techniques, survival skills, food preparation and cultural norms. You will get the chance to go on an exciting morning hunt with them! This is one of the most sensitive cultural encounters available in the world today. Afterwards, visit the Datoga and Blacksmith tribe and distribute solar lights to a family with no electricity. Make a tangible difference in their lives! In the afternoon make your way to West Kilimanjaro where you will end your safari at Africa Amini Maasai Lodge – a truly special place! 

Lake Eyasi basin is a remote, dry area of desolate beauty, which offers a great natural experience. Across the shallow lake and the dry salt beds, the dramatic Alipi escarpment wall rises 650 meters up into the Endulen area of the Ngorongoro conservation area. To the north of the Alkaline lake, springs surrounded by ground water forest and woodland abound, supporting a new influx of Tanzanian farmers growing onions and beans, while the hill ridges surrounding the Lake valley to the east and north support a wild and scenic area dominated by ancient Baobabs, Gnarled Commiphoras and huge rock kopjes. The area is the home to a group of traditional tribes, offering an intriguing chance to glimpse their lifestyles. The pastoralist Datoga people in their traditional mud huts, their women decorated with beautifying facial scarification and the young and fierce warriors who stand guard over their herds, are easily visited, as are the traditional Hadzabe, a nomadic tribe that hangs on tenaciously to their hunting and gathering life style. Apart from cultural activities, the area offers superb hiking, bird watching and scenic beauty. 

Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge 

Africa Amini Maasai Lodge is a magical place where you immediately will come to rest and reflect on the essentials. At the foot of Kilimanjaro and in the middle of the wilderness of the Maasai steppe are bungalows with hand crafted furniture with great views of Kilimanjaro. Behind it is the savannah, home to the Maasai people. This is the right place to get to know them and their traditions and rituals, together with a slowing-down of your own life’s pace. It‘s all about being together, sharing traditions, stories and learning from each other. Stay in a traditional Maasai Boma, experience cultural activities and learn about the Maasai customs and traditions. 

You will have the opportunity to experience several cultural activities or you can simply sit back and take full advantage of the amenities this magical place has to offer. In the morning, go on a nature walk through Maasailand, and take part in a spear throwing competition in the evening before joining the Maasai for storytelling at the campfire. Get to know the Maasai on a deeper, authentic level. You will also have the chance to visit Africa Amini Alama’s projects such as their elementary and secondary schools, if you wish. Witness the positive change this organization has brought to an entire community.

Located to the north of Mount Meru in the northeast of Tanzania, West Kilimanjaro is a wilderness area to the west of Mount Kilimanjaro and South of Kenya's Amboseli National Park. This remote, off-the-beaten-track destination combines Maasai culture and wildlife viewing in a spectacularly scenic environment. The area is remarkably uncrowded and unspoiled as it often overlooked by travelers in the rush to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Those discerning enough to visit will discover incredible open and empty stretches of savannah dotted with acacia woodland and wild bush, with plenty of wildlife. 

Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge 

Africa Amini Maasai Lodge is a magical place where you immediately will come to rest and reflect on the essentials. At the foot of Kilimanjaro and in the middle of the wilderness of the Maasai steppe are bungalows with hand crafted furniture with great views of Kilimanjaro. Behind it is the savannah, home to the Maasai people. This is the right place to get to know them and their traditions and rituals, together with a slowing-down of your own life’s pace. It‘s all about being together, sharing traditions, stories and learning from each other. Stay in a traditional Maasai Boma, experience cultural activities and learn about the Maasai customs and traditions. 

Africa Amini Maasai Lodge is built on 400 acres of protected wildlife territory which was gifted by the villagers of Ngabobo to honor the organization (Africa Amini Alama) for their constant charity work. The main purpose of the lodge is to empower the community and generate income for the social, educational, conservation and medical projects. As an authentic Maasai project, the lodge offers people from all over the world a unique and in-depth Maasai experience. The Maasai themselves consider the lodge as an essential part of their village and like to warmly welcome tourists into their home.