Activities: Airport transfer and lodge check-in

Overnight: Arusha lodge or boutique hotel

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport where your guide will welcome you. Transfer to your lodge in Arusha for rest and preparation. Depending on arrival time, enjoy a city tour or relax at your accommodation.

Highlight: Optional visit to local markets or Arusha Coffee Lodge.

Drive time: ~1 hour

Activities: Walking safari or canoeing, game drive

Overnight: Arusha lodge

Explore the often-overlooked Arusha National Park, home to Mount Meru, Ngurdoto Crater, and Momella Lakes. Enjoy a walking safari with a ranger or take a canoe ride surrounded by giraffes, colobus monkeys, and flamingos.

Highlight: Walking among wildlife and canoeing beneath Mount Meru.

Drive time: ~2.5 hours

Activities: Full-day game drive

Overnight: Tarangire lodge or tented camp

Head south to Tarangire National Park, famed for its towering baobabs, river systems, and elephant herds. Game drive through varied terrain and enjoy sightings of lions, leopards, wildebeest, and over 500 bird species.

Highlight: Sunset over the Tarangire River with elephants silhouetted against baobab trees.

Drive time: ~1.5 hours

Activities: Village tour, afternoon game drive

Overnight: Lodge near Lake Manyara

Spend the morning in Mto wa Mbu, a vibrant village known for its cultural diversity. Enjoy a guided tour including banana farms, local markets, and traditional lunch. In the afternoon, explore Lake Manyara National Park, home to flamingos, elephants, baboons, and tree-climbing lions.

Highlight: Meeting locals during the cultural tour and game spotting along the lake.

Drive time: ~2.5 hours

Activities: Full-day crater descent

Overnight: Lodge near the crater rim or in the highlands

Descend into the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater, home to around 25,000 animals including black rhinos, lions, buffalo, and hippos. Enjoy a picnic lunch by a hippo pool before ascending to your crater lodge.

Highlight: The chance to spot the Big Five in a single day in a breathtaking setting.

Drive time: ~4–5 hours

Activities: Game drive en route

Overnight: Serengeti lodge or tented camp

Travel into the heart of the Serengeti, stopping along the way for wildlife viewing in the Ndutu or Seronera region. The plains come alive with wildebeest, zebras, and predators year-round.

Highlight: Wildlife-packed drive through the central Serengeti plains.

Drive time: ~3–4 hours

Activities: Full-day safari

Overnight: Camp near the Mara River (seasonal)

Head north to the Mara River, where from July to October, you may witness dramatic river crossings during the Great Migration. Even outside migration season, this area teems with elephants, giraffes, and big cats.

Highlight: Watching wildebeest brave crocodile-infested river crossings (seasonal).

Drive time: ~5–6 hours via Wasso or Loliondo

Activities: Cultural visit, scenic drive

Overnight: Eco-camp near Lake Natron

Leave the Serengeti and journey east to Lake Natron, stopping en route for a Maasai boma visit. Engage with one of Tanzania’s most iconic tribes and learn about their traditions. Continue on a dramatic drive through the Rift Valley.

Highlight: Experiencing Maasai culture and arriving at the surreal shores of Lake Natron.

Drive time: ~6–7 hours

Activities: Sunrise walk or waterfall hike, transfer to airport

Start the day with a sunrise walk near Lake Natron, home to thousands of flamingos and overlooked by Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s only active volcano. After breakfast, drive back to Arusha, arriving in time for your flight or optional overnight.

Highlight: Final walk among flamingos and volcanic scenery before departure.