8 days - Tarangire to the Serengeti
Eight days for two from Tarangire and Lake Manyara to Lake Eyasi, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, with an optional hot-air balloon flight over the plains.
The journey
Warm, green and mostly dry. The crater is excellent, Tarangire is fresh and its elephants are spread through the park, and the Serengeti plains fill with herds as the calving season approaches.
Elephants and baobabs, then tree-climbing lions on the way to the Ngorongoro highlands.
From Arusha, drive to Tarangire National Park, about two hours away, passing traditional Maasai settlements on the road. Tarangire is known for its large elephant population, the Tarangire River and the baobab trees scattered across the landscape.
After a day of game drives you transfer to your lodge for a restful evening.
After breakfast, enjoy a final game drive in Tarangire, then continue to Lake Manyara. The park is known for its tree-climbing lions, which rest in the acacias, as well as large troops of baboons and the flamingos that gather on the lake.
After a full day of exploring, you drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for the night, ready for tomorrow.
A morning with the Hadzabe and the Datoga, then a full day on the crater floor.
An early start brings two very different communities.
The Hadza are one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in Tanzania, numbering about a thousand. They live with very few possessions and take only what they need from the bush: honey from the trees, leaves for their medicinal properties and, occasionally, small animals.
The Datoga are nomadic pastoralists whose diet rests on the milk and meat of their cattle and goats. Datoga women make their own jewellery and wear colourful traditional dress, and the bracelets on their wrists and ankles keep the beat for singing and dancing.
You return to the lodge for lunch and spend the afternoon resting by the pool.
After breakfast you drive to the Ngorongoro Crater, often called the Eighth Wonder of the World. The first view of the vast, green caldera from the viewpoint on the rim shows why.
From your open-top vehicle you can watch and photograph some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife on the crater floor.
Lunch is a relaxed affair by the hippo pool.
Three nights of game drives, with an optional balloon flight, before the flight out.
After an early breakfast you set off for the Serengeti National Park. The drive takes about three hours, and we suggest a stop at a Maasai village on the way to learn about the life of the community.
On arrival you have a hot lunch, then head straight out on an afternoon game drive. You return to your lodge before 18:00.
After an early breakfast, set out across the plains. You follow herds of zebra and wildebeest, look for lions resting on the rocks and leopards in the acacias, and watch elephants and giraffes grazing across the plains.
As an alternative to the game drive, you can take a hot-air balloon flight. The flight lasts one hour, starting at sunrise, and gives you a bird’s-eye view of the wildlife. Afterwards you have a champagne breakfast in the shade of the acacias and receive a certificate to mark the flight.
Start with a sunrise game drive at 6:00 am, when the animals are most active and sightings are best. You return to the lodge around 9:00 am for breakfast and a rest. Later in the day you can choose another game drive or a quiet afternoon at the lodge.
Enjoy a final game drive before you are taken to the Serengeti (SEU) airstrip for your onward flight.
The detail
Eight days for two across northern Tanzania, from the elephants and baobabs of Tarangire to Lake Manyara, a morning with the Hadzabe and the Datoga at Lake Eyasi, a full day in the Ngorongoro Crater and three nights in the Serengeti.
The pace leaves room for slow mornings, lunch by the hippo pool and a pool afternoon at the lodge, and you can swap a game drive for a sunrise balloon flight over the plains. If you want a beach to finish, a Zanzibar extension can be added.
Good to know
Photographs from the route, not stock library scenery.
Work down the list. Each step depends on the one above it.
The practical detail that decides whether a trip runs smoothly.
The Ngorongoro highlands sit high, and the rim can be cold and misty at breakfast, even when the crater floor is warm. Pack a fleece and a windproof layer.
Day three starts early, and the visits are on foot in the heat of the bush. Wear closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and ask before photographing anyone.
Most of the crater day is spent on the floor in an open-top vehicle. Arrive early, as the light is best and the roads quieter before mid-morning.
Game drives in the Serengeti return to the lodge before 18:00, so plan the evening around dinner and an early night before sunrise drives.
If you choose the balloon, pick-up is before dawn and the flight depends on the weather. Dress in layers and tell us about any mobility or health concerns.
A 100 to 400mm zoom covers Tarangire, the crater and the Serengeti plains. Bring spare batteries and cards, and a dust cover for the dry months.
Your guide, driver and the lodge staff will expect a tip at the end of your stay. Ask us for current guidance, and bring small notes.
Plan this journey
Every journey is planned around your dates and your party. Tell us who is travelling and when, and a specialist will come back with a tailored itinerary and a quote. Payment is by invoice.
