11-day safari northern tanzania

Day 1

Airport – Arusha

Today you fly to Kilimanjaro Airport close to Arusha and with nice clear weather you have a view of the Kilimanjaro from the plane. Your 11-day safari Northern Tanzania has started. Upon arrival at the airport you will be picked up and taken to your hotel. On the way you might also see the Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

Once you have arrived at your hotel you have time, depending on your arrival time, to walk around in this city.

Day 2

Arusha – Tarangire NP

After your breakfast you will be picked up by your driver / guide and you will go to your first National Park to make your first game drive. As soon as you leave Arusha you first pass coffee plantation. Then you will immediately see Mt Meru on your right, the second highest mountain in Tanzania. After that you drive through a typical Maasai area and you will notice that the surroundings change. The first acacia trees are spotted and just before entering the Tarangire National Park you can also see the typical African baobab trees. During a game drive you go to the lodge where you check in.

Tarangire NP is named after the river Tarangire which is the lifeline of the park. The area, which is about 2600 km², is very dry and therefore the animals are dependent on this river. This means that during the rain period, from November to May there are fewer animals in the park, because then they move to other areas where there is water.

In the dry season, the park is famous for its elephants who come to the river to drink, wash and play. You feel like you are part of a nature documentary if you look at it. Large herds of buffalo also come to the water. The big baobab trees inside the park are very impressive.

In addition to many species of gazelles that live in this park, you often see the eland antelope. The eland is the largest antelope in Africa and is very shy and in other parks you do not see it often.

You can also see lions, leopards and cheetahs here. Remember that it is never guaranteed to see these animals. Help your driver with spotting because multiple eyes often see several animals.

In the afternoon you will of course set off again for a game drive.

Day 3

Tarangire NP

Even today the theme is spotting animals. Both in the morning and in the afternoon you make a game drive in this beautiful park. Because you have a lot of time you will visit different areas in this park.

All meals are taken in the lodge.

Day 4

Tarangire NP via Lake Manyara NP to Mto wa Mbu

After an early breakfast a short game drive will take you out of the park. But a lot of time will not be spent during this game drive because you drive straight to Lake Manyara National Park, to make a morning game drive. This park is completely different from Tarangire NP and you will notice this immediately when you enter here. You come right into a rainforest and in this forest you will see different species of monkeys, such as the baboon, vervet monkey and the blue monkey.

In this park is a large lake, Lake Manyara and this lake is a soda lake. Here you can see large groups of flamingos depending on the season. Besides these elegant birds you will of course see many other species, such as herons, ibises, crowned eagle and beautiful big white naped ravens. You will also spot many hippos, waterbucks, gazelles, giraffes and wildebeest on the shores of this lake.

At lunchtime you drive out of the park again and you go to Mto Wa Mbu where you spend the night. This town is famous for the friendliness of the local population (all 120 tribes of Tanzania are represented in this town). In addition, this is the place to visit a banana plantation.

There are 5 different colors of bananas here! An optional organized walk gives you a glimpse into the daily life of different tribes. You can also see how the wooden statues are made manually and Mto Wa Mbu is famous for his Tinga-Tinga painting.

Day 5

Mto wa Mbu – Lake Natron

A beautiful drive to Lake Natron is on the program. This area is a less touristy area but no less beautiful! The ride takes you through a unique landscape that is sometimes called a ‘moon landscape’. This is also the habitat of the Maasai and you will certainly see Maasai boys walking around with their cattle. At a certain point you will see Lake Natron situated below you and you know where you are going. Just before lunch you arrive at your lodge and after checking in you will enjoy your lunch.

Lake Natron is a large soda lake that is visited a few months a year by millions of flamingos. This is the breeding ground of the largest group of the lesser flamingos in the world. Flamingos lay their eggs in the area where they were born, so every year this is a big spectacle. But even if there are hardly any flamingos, nature is overwhelming here.

You will have a stunning view of the holy mountain of the maasia Ol Donyo Lengai. It is believed that their god Lengai lives on this mountain and the Maasai often hold sacred rituals. Geologically, this mountain is also very special. It is an active volcano and the only one in the world that emits a high content of potassium carbonate.

In the afternoon you have time to do an optional excursion, such as a visit to a Maasai village.

For the fanatical hikers there is a possibility (optional) to climb the mountain Ol Donyo Lengai. It is a difficult walk but a unique experience. You leave around midnight so you are at the top of the holy mountain around sunrise. By clear weather you have a beautiful view of the surroundings and the crater of this volcano. Then you start your descent again and most people are back at the lodge around lunch time.

Day 6

Lake Natron

Today you have a day off and you can spend it as you wish. You can relax at your lodge and walk around for yourself. But you can also take an organized walk (optional) to a waterfall to take a refreshing dip.

Day 7

Lake Natron – Serengeti NP (North)

Through a beautiful route you drive to the northern entrance of the Serengeti National Park. The visit to this park will be a highlight of your safari. Serengeti means ‘endless plain’ in the language of the Masai and is a national park of approximately 14000 km². The park is famous for its many species of animals that you see here. You can also see the migration from approximately October to May. The migration migrates from one place to another, so it is never possible to say with certainty where it is going. But we do have a rough idea of this so if you want more information about this, please let us know.

In addition to the large savanna plains, ‘the Kopjes’ (large rocks that protrude from the landscape) are a beautiful nature phenomenon. Cats are often spotted here. You will also hear or see hyenas in this park and most probably also jackals. Even though you are not a birdwatcher, you will enjoy the colorful lilac-breasted roller that you often see here, the secretary bird and all kinds of vultures.

Most tourists enter the Serengeti via the entrance at Ngorongoro. Because we also use this entrance on our way to Ngorongoro, we have chosen to enter the Serengeti through the north. So you see more of this beautiful park and do not travel the same way twice. You will notice that it is not crowded in this part of the park. Along the way you will see the landscapes changing and you will often think ‘this scenery is familiar to me’. This is because you have probably seen many wildlife documentaries that have been recorded in this park. With large plains and their beautiful umbrella acacia.

You won’t forget the sunset either.

Day 8

Serengeti NP

Today, a whole day of game drive is on the program. You bring a lunchbox because we change hotel. Today you sleep more in the central part of Serengeti, called Seronera. Depending on where most animals are, you will make your game drives today.

Day 9

Serengeti NP – Ngorongoro CA

In the morning you make a final game drive in this special park. During the last stretch on the way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area you drive through the ‘endless plains’ from which the park derives its name. Kilometers long you see savannas with only grass. As a result, you can often see a fata morgana in this area, just pay attention. At the gate between Serengeti and Ngorongoro you can walk around and visit a viewpoint to take the last photos of the Serengeti. Here you will probably also enjoy your packed lunch.

Then you continue your way through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a unique area. This area is also called the ‘cradle of our existence’. The archaeologists Leykeys found excavations of various ‘ancestors’ at the Oldupai Gorge. Here you stop and visit this special place. Then you drive through a beautiful environment and you also see the landscapes constantly changing. The road is bumpy but you forget that soon. You will also see small manyatas in this area, settlements of the Maasai who are the only people allowed to live here. A beautiful colorful combination of people and surroundings. And then suddenly you drive over the famous rim of the Ngorongoro crater which you will visit tomorrow. You stop at a viewpoint to make a small impression and then go on your way to your hotel.

Day 10

Ngorongoro CA via the Ngorogoro crater to Karatu

Today you have your last game drive of this 11-day safari Northern Tanzania but it is not the least. You visit the famous Ngorongoro crater which is also known as ‘1 of the 8 nature world wonders’. This is because you visit the largest whole caldera in the world that is filled with animals. Everywhere you see wildebeests, zebras and gazelles. Hyenas are running in front of the car and warthogs are looking at you in amazement. Large elephants are often spotted in the swamp area and at the hippopotamus pond you can see these big giants floating and submerging. The black rhinoceros is found in the crater, but is usually not easy to spot.

This is another paradise for bird lovers but everyone is impressed by the kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world. The birds of prey are also easy to spot. A special game drive where you can study the animals from very close with the beautiful crater edge in the background. A wonderful conclusion to your safaris.

Day 11

Karatu – Airport / Arusha

After your breakfast drive to Arusha where your journey ends. Depending on your time, you can make a number of stops along the way. In any case, you will see some baobab trees along the way. You will have beautiful views over the Rift Valley. If time permits, stop at the local market in Mto Wa Mbu. A small town famous for its banana plantations. In clear weather you have a view of Mount Meru and the highest mountain in Africa, the Kilimanjaro.

You can look back on an unforgettable holiday of 11-day safari Northern Tanzania and you will never forget the beauty of these two countries.

Of course you can extend your trip with a few days Zanzibar Tanzania (beach and/or Stone Town), see our offer for this. You can also choose to visit the lesser known but beautiful parks in South Tanzania.

We can book the best safari lodges in Tanzania.

Kwaheri na safari njema

Goodbye and have a good trip.

11-day safari Northern Tanzania

Including:

• 10 nights in selected hotel and / or tented camps in a dbl room
• 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 9 dinners
• Private safari 4×4 car where the roof can go up
• Airport transfers
• All entrance fees for the parks as mentioned in the description
• All game drives as mentioned in the description
• English-speaking driver/guide
• Drinking water in the car for the daytime

Exclusive:

• International flights
• Visa
• All drinks
• Meals that are not mentioned in the program
• Optional excursions
• Souvenirs
• Additional costs that are not mentioned in the program
• Travel insurance
• Tip money for hotel staff and driver
•  

Prices are based on a double room in a middle class hotel, in low season.