This popular safari takes in all the main parks of Northern Tanzania, while enjoying a combination of lodges and permanent camps to truly experience the thrill of safari. You visit Lake Manyara, Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, travelling in a private 4x4 vehicle with your own driver-guide. There is also the chance to meet and learn about the Masai and visit Olduvai Gorge, home to the remains of some of mans oldest ancestors.

The camps and lodges are of a 4* standard, and staying under canvas (albeit luxuriously) really brings the excitement of safari alive.

You can extend your stay by flying to Zanzibar at the end of the safari. Please contact us for full details and prices.

This is a private tour (minimum 2 people). It can depart on any day you wish (subject to availability).

Please let us know your preferred dates and we will forward a full tailored itinerary with confirmed quotation to you by e-mail and/or post.

Day 1
Depart the UK.

Day 2
You are met by your guide and private vehicle and depart for Lake Manyara. You have the option of an afternoon walk in the area, stopping in the market town of Mto Wa Mbu or visiting a local school for Masai children en route. Overnight at Kirurumu Tented Lodge, perched on the lip of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment. As visitors enter Lake Manyara National Park they enter a lush ground water forest, whose tall trees are home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. Further along the forest opens up into woodlands, grasslands, swamps and finally to the soda lake itself, a sanctuary to over 350 species of bird including flamingo, storks, pelican, sacred ibis, cormorants and Egyptian geese. The park is also noted for its numerous buffalo, elephant, giraffe, impala, hippo and range of smaller animals. The most famous spectacle of the park are the tree-climbing lions which are sometimes found spread out on the branches of acacia trees 6 to 7 metres above the ground.

Day 3
After an early breakfast we carve our way through the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Highlands, en route to the Serengeti. On entering the park you game drive through the savannah to arrive at Mbuzi Mawe just before dusk.

Day 4
A full day to explore the Serengeti, one of the most famous National Parks in Africa. Your driver-guide will choose your route based on his extensive knowledge of the park and local conditions but the Serengeti rarely disappoints. You carry packed lunchs as to make the most of the day.

Day 5
After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro Crater with a final Serengeti game drive en-route. Later you stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit the site where Mary and Louis Leakey first discovered the remains of Zinjanthropus Bosei, a distant ancestor of man believed to be 1.8 million years old. Pack lunch en route to your lodge. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at Plantation Lodge.

Day 6
A full day in Ngorongoro Crater, with a picnic lunch, giving time to explore in detail this fascinating wildlife amphitheatre. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to nearly 25,000 animals. Here you have a very real chance of spotting the big five: lion, elephant, endangered black rhino, buffalo and leopard plus countless other African mammals. Formed by an extinct volcano, Ngorongoro plays host to a unique cross-section of eco-systems, from soda lake to savannah. Return to Plantation Lodge for the night.

Day 7
After breakfast you leave for Tarangire National Park. This is classic Africa with shimmering acacia stands, old baobab trees, Masai herds and herds of elephant. On entering the park you game drive towards Maramboi lodge, arriving for lunch. In the afternoon you head off game-viewing and in the dry-season of July-October, Tarangire National Park surpasses the Serengeti in terms of animal concentration as big herds begin to congregate around the permanent waters of the Tarangire River. It is not uncommon to see herds of 50+ elephant as well as every other mammal species including the rare Kudu and Oryx. The park is also noted for its prolific bird life and the occasional sighting of cheetah and the rare African Hunting Dog. Dinner and overnight at Maramboi Lodge.

Day 8
After breakfast you return to Arusha in time for lunch and the use of a dayroom. You then transfer to the airport for your onward flight to the UK or Zanzibar. For beach options please contact us.

Day 9
Arrive UK.