A 7-day private safari will take you to northern Tanzania’s top four areas for wildlife viewing. The extra time over shorter safaris gives you more options, with more time to relax a little, and more wildlife viewing opportunities. Lake Manyara is ideal for viewing birdlife with over 400 species. Tarangire is a beautiful park filled with baobabs and Acacias with a large variety of game such as zebras, elephants, giraffes, and waterbuck. Ngorongoro is the largest intact crater in the world abundant with wild game including elephants, rhinos, wildebeest, and hyenas. You will also visit the Serengeti, Tanzania’s most famous and largest national park and one of the most spectacular parks in the world. The “endless plains” cover some 14,763 square kilometers including large plains, short grass plains, kopjes, and lakes.

This safari is private, with a private safari guide and private custom Land Cruiser, with an itinerary you can customize to best suit your specific needs and interests. While we list a few of our recommended safari lodges under “accommodations,” we book all the lodges, and you can request specific alternatives and we’ll re-quote and organize the trip accordingly

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1: Drive to Lake Manyara or Tarangire, afternoon game drive

Day 2: Game drives, guided walk, or biking

Day 3: Drive to the Serengeti, afternoon game drive

Day 4: Serengeti, full-day game drive

Day 5: Serengeti, full-day game drive

Day 6: Drive to Ngorongoro, optional visits to Olduvai Gorge and Maasai village

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater, half-day game drive, Return to Arusha/Moshi/Airport

Day 1: Drive to Lake Manyara or Tarangire, afternoon game drive

Drive from Moshi or Arusha to either Lake Manyara National Park or Tarangire National Park with a picnic lunch en route and an afternoon game drive. Both parks are outstanding with many photography opportunities. On this 7-day safari, you have the built-in opportunity to see both reserves no matter what time of year you go.

Lake Manyara National Park, rimmed by the scenic 600-meter cliffs of the Rift Valley escarpment, protects a large alkaline lake and is home to a wildlife-rich savannah-forest mix. It makes an outstanding introduction to Africa’s wildlife, with elephants, wildebeest, giraffes, buffalo, zebra, impala, waterbuck, and waterbuck roaming the park in healthy numbers while lions are also present.

Tarangire National Park is famous for its huge herds of elephant and baobab trees. Throughout the dry season, thirsty antelope and elephants trek hundreds of kilometers to drink at the Tarangire River.

Meals included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Game drives, guided walks, or biking 

Today explore more of the area, either on a full-day game drive with your Tarimo Expeditions safari guide into either Tarangire or Lake Manyara, or try an active or cultural half-day activity.

Local activities include a Zipline, cultural hike, biking to the Lake Manyara shoreline, Mto wa Mbu village tour, Tinga Tinga painting class, or a coffee tour. Ideally, these are done as a half-day morning tour with a relaxing afternoon.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Drive to the Serengeti, afternoon game drive 

Drive 3-4 hours to the Serengeti. Once through the park gate, begin your afternoon game drive. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Visitor’s Center. See all the great wildlife that makes the Serengeti so understandably famous, then arrive at your safari lodge in time to freshen up, relax a little, and have dinner.

Arguably Africa’s greatest national park, the Serengeti (meaning “endless plains”) is a massive park and home to a yearly migration of more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle undertaking their long trek to new grazing grounds. In return, a wealth of predators including lions, leopards, cheetah and hyena also inhabit the region.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Serengeti, full-day game drive 

Today enjoy a full-day game drive in the Serengeti or a morning and afternoon game drive with a break and rest in between back at your safari lodge. You also have the option of a scenic hot air balloon safari early this morning at extra cost.

The fabulous Serengeti is a singular safari destination in Africa. The oldest and largest intact land-based ecosystem in the world, the Serengeti is celebrated for its wealth of leopard and lion. Serengeti, meaning ‘endless plains,’ is home to the largest annual overland migration of mammals in the world, with over a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelles along with a range of other antelope species gradually undergoing an over 800-km long trek seeking new grazing grounds.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Serengeti, full-day game drive 

Today explore more of this famous wildlife reserve with your safari guide. The Serengeti provides incredible wildlife viewing year-round with the “great migration”.

The crucial characteristics of the Serengeti ecosystem have changed little in over a million years. Serengeti’s boundless plains are sprinkled with wooded hills, towering termite mounds, rocky kopjes and rivers lined with acacia trees. Big cats and a huge host of grazing animals roam freely, but here you also can see other unique species like mongoose, hyrax, warthog, bat-eared fox, jackals, bushbabies, monkeys, baboons, and much more.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Drive to Ngorongoro, optional visits to Olduvai Gorge and Maasai village 

This morning, drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands, enjoying wildlife viewing within the Serengeti National Park as you gradually make your exit. Departing the park, you have several optional visits available at extra cost, either to the Olduvai Gorge or a Maasai village (or both). Continue onwards to your lodge tonight situated near the Crater or on the Crater rim itself.

The Olduvai Gorge delivers substantial evidence of the earliest signs of humankind, with rare hominid footprints preserved in solid rock from 3,600,000 years ago.

There are many authentic Masaai villages in the area to visit. Here you have a chance to get to know authentic Maasai families and see how real life is like for the locals. You can visit homes, watch traditional dances, and purchase homemade jewelry.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater, half-day game drive, Return to Arusha/Moshi/Airport 

Wake early and join your guide for a sunrise game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater. Due to official park regulations, game drives are limited to about 6 hours, but this gives us plenty of time to take in the sweeping scenery and impressive wildlife found here.

The Ngorongoro Crater is akin to a fishbowl of classic African wildlife, with herds of giraffe, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, and a variety of antelopes calling the Crater floor home. Huge elephants dot the distance while endangered black rhino still graze freely here. We suggest enjoying a picnic lunch inside the Crater while overlooking the hippo pool, where we also usually find a great variety of interesting wetland birds too.

From here, drive to your choice of Moshi, Arusha, or Kilimanjaro Airport in time for your evening international departure. Farewell Tanzania!

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch