Set Departure Safari

Essence of Tanzania – 6 Night Safari

“A 6 Night scheduled safari visiting the Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro”

Price 0 USD * (See price tab)

Country

Tanzania

Duration

6 Nights

Safari Type

Lodge and Canvas

Location

Northern Tanzania

Kids Min Age

Safari Rating

adventure

wilderness

wildlife

comfort

photographic

guiding

From untouched Tarangire, to the world famous Serengeti, Ngorongoro National Parks and the Lake Manyara National Park, this safari is run at a leisurely pace, allowing one ample time to discover the wild spirit of Tanzania.

A set departure safari that is designed to showcase the highlights of Northern Tanzania. Travelling on group departures allows for couples or single travellers to make the most of group travel rates!

The safari starts from Arusha and heads to Tarangire National Park for a day’s worth of game drives in Elephant heaven! Tarangire is well known for its diversity of wildlife, its huge elephant population and scenic landscape. After Tarangire, continue to the small but enchanting Lake Manyara National Park, best known for its large flamingo population. The next day you will explore the Ngorongoro Crater on a full day game drive, which is guaranteed to be full of wildlife and even likely to see 4 of the Big 5! After Ngorongoro, it’s time to head to the Serengeti! Depending on the time of the year it will determine the camp you will be staying in, so as to coincide with the annual wildebeest migration! Spending 4 nights in the Serengeti will ensure you make of the most of this wildlife heaven. Witnessing the annual Wildebeest migration is the core of this safari and is a sure to be the highlight of this trip.

highlights map and overview start dates detailed itinerary accommodation price additional information

highlights

Join a small group of like-minded travellers and enjoy group rates!
Explore Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti!
High standard of English-speaking safari guides!
Accommodation in a classic luxury tented camp!
Outstanding wildlife sightings, especially predators!
Camps located close to the annual Wildebeest migration!

map and overview

Day 1: From Arusha, depart early and drive to Tarangire National Park. Balance of day enjoying game drives in the area, with picnic lunch included.
Overnight in a tented camp in Tarangire.

Day 2: You will start the day with an early game drive in Tarangire and continue to the highlands of Karatu, stopping on the way to view Manyara and the escarpment below.
Overnight Bougainvillea Lodge or similar.

Day 3: Today you will enjoy a day in the Ngorongoro Crater, often seeing four of the big five with ease. From Ngorongoro highlands we drive down to the Serengeti. Picnic lunch en route enjoying game drives along the way. Overnight at Serengeti Wilderness Camp (or Ndutu / Serengeti North Wilderness Camp depending on time of year)

Day 4: Full day exploring the Serengeti. Overnight at a Serengeti Wilderness Camp. Balloon safari optional – enquire at the time of booking.

Day 5: Depending on the time of year, you may move camps to stay close to the migration. Day exploring the Serengeti. Overnight at a Serengeti Wilderness Camp.

Day 6: A further day in the Serengeti. Overnight at a Serengeti Wilderness Camp.

Day 7: From Serengeti central/Ndutu either drive back to Arusha OR from Serengeti NORTH, compulsory flight to Arusha/Kilimanjaro.

start dates

16 December 2023 - 22 December 2023

5 January 2024 - 12 January 2024

17 February 2024 - 24 February 2024

26 February 2024 - 4 March 2024

30 March 2024 - 6 April 2024

4 May 2024 - 11 May 2024

22 June 2024 - 29 June 2024

13 July 2024 - 20 July 2024

3 August 2024 - 10 August 2024

7 September 2024 - 14 September 2024

28 September 2024 - 5 October 2024

26 October 2024 - 2 November 2024

9 November 2024 - 16 November 2024

14 December 2024 - 21 December 2024

detailed itinerary

Day 1: Tarangire National Park

An early morning briefing at your Arusha hotel kick starts your safari, before we head off away from the main safari route of the Northern Circuit, to Tarangire National Park, a true hidden gem.

Highly underated, yet bursting with a dense wildlife population, it won’t take you long to appreciate just why we love Tarangire. It’s a special park, virtually untouched, with far fewer visitors than the world famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

During the dry season (June to September) thousands of animals including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, and the rarely seen oryx migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water. Lion, leopard and other predators follow, so be sure to be sure to charge your camera battery and empty your memory stick as some unique memories are waiting to be made. With impressive landscapes dominated by baobab trees, an enormous elephant population and over 550 varieties of bird, Tarangire offers secluded game viewing and loads of game – a winning combination in anyone’s book!

Overnight at a tented camp, Tarangire.

Day 2: Lake Manyara

The day starts with an early game drive through Tarangire National Park to take in the beauty of this park once again before continuing towards the highlands of Karatu.

On the way we will stop at Lake Manyara National Park. This beautiful park is home to the famous tree-climbing lions. It is also home to many other species of wildlife such as thousands of flamingos, forest-dwelling elephants and one of the highest baboon populations in all of Africa.

Overnight Bougainvillea, or similar.

Day 3 : Ngorongoro

Incredible and unforgettable, today is surely one you’ve been itching to tick off your African travel bucket list. One of the natural wonders of the world, the volcanic caldera of Ngorongoro Crater offers spectacular game viewing in the crater. We can almost guarantee you four of the Big Five will show up, as well as a rich variety of birds, all viewed against the splendid backdrop of the thickly forested crater walls. Our picnic lunch on the crater floor will forever remain a unique memory.

Varied terrains and dramatic landscapes consisting of forest, grasslands and both freshwater and soda lakes make the Ngorongoro Crater a true marvel of creation.

After an exciting day in the crater, we will continue to the Serengeti.

Overnight Serengeti Wilderness Camp or Ndutu/North Wilderness camp, the base from which to explore the Serengeti for the next three days.

Days 4,5 & 6: Serengeti

Relax with three full days in the Serengeti, home to more than three million large mammals spread over vast endless plains. It is here that we may encounter the fascinating spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game.

From January to March the herds can largely be found birthing their young in the southern area around Ndutu, before proceeding north through the centre and Western Corridor during June and July, eventually splitting to the west and north as they continue their way toward the Mara River. August to October sees dramatic river crossings which can only be considered Africa’s “greatest leap of faith”, before the herds return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

Day 7: Arusha

Morning transfer to the Seronera/Ndutu for your optional flight back to Arusha – or return by road. If you are staying up North, a flight back from Kogatende airstrip is compulsory. It is an exceptionally scenic flight (weather dependent) across the sweeping expanse of the Rift Valley escarpments and the highlands of Ngorongoro.

accommodation

Ndutu Wilderness Camp

Serengeti Wilderness Camp

Serengeti North Wilderness Camp

price

2023 Rates

Jan – Feb 2023:
(including park/camp fees of USD 912)
USD 4575 per person sharing
USD 570 single room supplement

June 2023 :
(including park/camp fees of USD 912)
USD 4480 per person sharing
USD 705 single room supplement

July – October 2023:
(including park/camp fees of USD 886
Excluding compulsory flight +/- USD 410)
USD 4760 per person sharing
USD 655 single room supplement

December 2023:
(including park/camp fees of USD 912)
USD 4480 per person sharing
USD 475 single room supplement

One way flight:
SER-ARS: USD 315 – 350 (Ngo transit fee of USD 71 to be deducted)

KOGA-ARS: USD 370 – 395

NDUTU-ARS: USD 315 – 350 (Ngo transit fee of USD 71 to be deducted)

2024 Rates

January – mid March (HIGH Season) and mid December 2024: USD 4269 pps (including park/camp fees of USD 804) / Single Supplement = USD 550
Mid March, May, June & November: USD 3407 pps (including park/camp fees of USD 826) / Single Supplement = USD 40
Mid June – October (PEAK Season): USD 4667 pps (including park/camp fees of USD 862) / INCLUDING flight +/- USD 405 / Single Supplement = USD 750

One way flight:

(Prices depend on airline used and should be used as as a guideline only)

SER-ARS = USD 265 / 330

JRO KOGA-ARS/JRO = USD 370 / 405

NDUTU-ARS/JRO = USD 345 / 415

Note – Airfare is based on a seat on plane basis, and not a private charter

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Services of a professional safari guide
Accommodation at quality lodges/ tented camps as set out above
Meals as specified above
Serengeti Wilderness Camp/ Ndutu/ Serengeti North Wilderness Camp all include local beer, house wine and soft drinks in the Full board rate
Park and camp/ concession fees ( listed separately above)
Game viewing activities as indicated
Bottled water for game drives / in vehicle (not at hotels/lodges)

PACKAGE EXCLUDES:

International flights, one way flight from Serengeti to Arusha (listed above), visas, travel insurance, health requirements, gratuities, drinks, all items of a personal nature and any service not specified. There is a cash bar at the Serengeti Wilderness camps.

additional information

Charging facilities while on safari:

There are charging facilities at the lodges/camps as well as in the safari vehicles for camera batteries, mobile phones etc. Two-pin plugs as well as the round three-square pin plug points.

Weather:

Tanzania is a land without winter. Temperatures in northern Tanzania range between 15-21C during the day and 4-10C at night, from May to October. From November to March the daytime temperature varies from 21-32C and from 15-23C at night. However, if you are travelling to high altitude areas like Ngorongoro Crater and Kilimanjaro, the temperature drops substantially.

The Migration explained:

The following should be used as a guideline when planning your safari to East Africa – movement of wildlife depends on a great many aspects. The following migration calendar helps to explain the seasonality of game viewing. Remember there is resident game throughout the year in the Serengeti/Ngorongoro eco-systems.

JAN/FEB/MARCH

The large herds of wildebeest are generally in the southern plains of the Serengeti eco-system, calving takes place over approximately two weeks. An abundance of predators, good visibility of game, mix of open plains and some woodland.

APRIL / MAY

The herds start moving toward central Serengeti. This is typically the rainy season, however, game viewing is still excellent and there are some great discounts available at lodges and camps. It generally doesn’t rain all day. Conditions for photography are generally superb with moody skies and good depth of colour.

JUNE / JULY / AUGUST

The wildebeest move from the central area and split to the west and north, continuing their trek toward the Mara River. River crossings may be seen in both the western corridor (Grumeti area) and north (Mara River) within the Serengeti.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

Whilst some of the wildebeest successfully reach the Masai Mara, there are still hundreds of thousands remaining in the northern region of Serengeti, offering those with guests with loads of patience the chance to see exciting river crossings (the Mara River runs through the Serengeti).

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER

The massive herds start to return from the north, to the southern plains, before the cycle repeats again!