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For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni
For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni 
Meet friendly Tanzania locals like these members of the Hadzabe tribewhen you take a tailor-made holiday with Alfred&.

Ultimate Tanzania

By Helen Austin
Purchasing Manager for Alfred&

Experience Tanzania’s diverse heritage and landscapes on this 13-day itinerary. You’ll travel from the elephant-spotted plains of Tarangire and ancient Ngoronogoro Crater to the world-famous Serengeti. Highlights include meeting some of Tanzania’s oldest ethnic groups, staying in African inspired-lodges and visiting the multi-cultural trading town of Mto wa Mbu.

Places

Length
13 days
Guide price range
from £8,595 pp
including international flights.
Best months to go
January to March, June to October

Top Experiences
Itinerary Highlights

The Serengeti

Spend a day exploring the world-famous Serengeti

The Serengeti is one of the world’s most incredible natural gifts, home to the Great Migration and African Big Five ...

Lake Eyasi

Visit Lake Eyasi and its ancient Datoga community

Meet one of Tanzania's oldest ethnic groups, who live on the shores of beautiful Lake Eyasi...

Lake Manyara

Experience real Tanzanian village life in Mto wa Mbu

Mto wa Mbu is a great place for guests to get a taste of local culture and farming traditions....

Day by day
Itinerary in detail

1

Arrival in Arusha

Welcome to Tanzania. Upon arrival in Arusha, a local representative will be waiting for you at the airport. You’ll transfer to your comfortable hotel with uninterrupted views of Mount Meru, the second-highest mountain in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro. The rest of the day is free to relax ahead of your safari adventure. Overnight at Mount Meru Hotel (or similar).

Things to do:

2

Arusha & Tarangire

After breakfast, head off on a tour of Arusha National Park, dominated by a beautiful backdrop of Mount Meru. Although often overlooked, this park is filled with wildlife, alkaline lakes and waterfall-peppered forests. Game drives feel wild and untamed here. You’ll visit the volcanic Ngurudoto Crater and the Momella lakes, home to a wealth of water birds including flamingos, Egyptian geese, and fowls. Return to Arusha for lunch, then drive for 2.5-hours to Tarangire National Park. You’ll enjoy a game drive on the way to your lodge, which blends harmoniously with its surroundings amidst grassland and ancient baobab trees. Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

3

Tarangire

Today you’ll explore Tarangire, Tanzania’s sixth-largest national park. The landscape is a mix of woodland, lakes and swamps and is covered in striking baobab trees. Tarangire is most famous for its vast elephant population, but the park is also home to all kinds of animals, from herds of zebra, impala and gazelle to big cats and rare species like oryx, gerenuk and wild dogs. Also keep an eye out for the park’s tree-climbing lions. You’ll enjoy morning and late afternoon game drives, with time to relax at the lodge in between. Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge (or similar).

4

Tarangire & Lake Eyasi

After breakfast, drive for 3.5-hours to Lake Eyasi, a scenic soda lake on the southern border of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As well as flocks of great white pelicans and yellow-billed storks, the region is home to some of Tanzania’s most ancient tribes who cling to their centuries-old hunter-gatherer traditions. Here you’ll meet the people of the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe, visiting their homesteads and learning about their fascinating way of life. You’ll spend the night at a natural safari camp with simple thatched tents, on a 200-acre family-owned farm on the edge of the lake. Overnight at Kisima Ngeda Camp (or similar).

Things to do:

5

Lake Eyasi & Ngorongoro

Today you’ll visit a local village to meet the nomadic Hadzabe tribe, who depend on foraging for plants and hunting small game such as squirrels to survive. You’ll learn about their history, culture and daily life, including how to use traditional handmade bows. You’ll then drive for 1.5-hours over the Ngorongoro Highlands to your lodge, located on the western rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Enjoy lunch, with glorious views over the crater, followed by an afternoon of relaxation at the lodge. Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

6

Ngorongoro

Wake early for breakfast before descending 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic amphitheatre that’s home to over 30,000 animals. Within the steep walls of this UNESCO World Heritage Site there’s the opportunity of spotting big cats, spotted hyenas, giant-tusked elephants or even endangered black rhinos who thrive here. Make the most of this unique location with a full-day game drive, including a lovely picnic lunch on the crater floor. Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

7

Ngorongoro & Central Serengeti

Leaving Ngorongoro after breakfast, drive for 3.5-hours to the world-famous Serengeti National Park, visiting Olduvai Gorge en route. This steep-sided ravine is one of the world’s richest and best preserved archaeological and paleontological sites. Stay in the heart of the Serengeti, in a lodge inspired by traditional African villages. The two-storey stone rondavels have thatched roofs, like a Maasai house. Spend the remainder of the day unwinding and enjoying panoramic views across the grasslands. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

8

Central Serengeti

Today you’ll enjoy a full day game drive in the Serengeti, but first there’s the opportunity to take a thrilling hot-air balloon safari to gain a whole new perspective of the landscape. Wake early and watch as the balloon is prepared, then take flight and drift upwards as the sun rises. The bright pink-orange haze is visible for miles across the vast savannah, as wildlife roam below. After breakfast, head into the national park in search of the big cats, rhino, buffalo and giraffe that inhabit its vast open plains. Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch while admiring the monumental panorama and seemingly endless horizon. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

9

Central Serengeti & Serengeti Western Corridor

The Serengeti is broadly divided into four areas, with the annual great wildebeest migration passing through at different times of year. Today you’ll get to appreciate the vastness of the park on a leisurely 1.5-hour game drive on the way to the Serengeti’s famous western corridor. Arrive in time for lunch at your charming camp, with panoramic views of the Serengeti plains and the seasonal Mbalageti River. The afternoon will be spent on a game drive exploring a region boasting one of the highest densities of wildlife in the world. Overnight at Mbalageti Serengeti (or similar).

11

Serengeti Western Corridor

Head out on a full-day game drive in the wildlife-rich western corridor, close to the Grumeti River. A protected UNESCO site, the Serengeti offers sightings of the Big Five in their fast-disappearing natural habitat and front-row seats to the Great Migration. A picnic will ensure that you make the most of the incredible wildlife-viewing opportunities, only returning to the lodge in time for sundowners at the end of a memorable day. Overnight at Mbalageti Serengeti (or similar).

Things to do:

11

Serengeti Western Corridor & Lake Manyara

After breakfast, drive for 4.5-hours via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Lake Manyara. The lake draws over 400 species of bird, from hornbills to herons, but is also a sanctuary for plenty of other wildlife. Hundreds of hippo wallow in its depths, egrets perched on their protruding backs, and a cacophony of animals grace its banks. Arrive at your rustic-luxe lodge in the late afternoon, with time for a dip in the rim-flow pool, with stunning views over Lake Manyara. Overnight at Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

12

Lake Manyara

Set off on a half-day game drive through Lake Manyara National Park, an impressive landscape mixing dense forest, small open plains, and lush waterside grasses. Search for buffalo, hippos, elephants, flamingos and the tree-climbing lions that the park is famous for. After lunch, visit the colourful market town of Mto wa Mbu which has been used as a trading post by local tribes for centuries. It’s the only place where you can hear the four major African language groups spoken in the same area. Learn all about the town, and its residents, on a guided tour visiting local homes, farmlands, a school and a church. Overnight at Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge (or similar).

Things to do:

13

Lake Manyara & Departure

Drive for 2 hours back to Arusha for lunch, then transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK or onward travel.

Another stop?

We recommend finishing your African adventure with a beach stay on the white sands of Zanzibar, or its small sister island of Pemba.

Extensions

Extensions

Holiday Budget
Guide price information

Private itinerary

This itinerary is only operating on a private basis in 2024. This option is ideal for families or groups of friends, as the price per person reduces as the size of your group increases.

£8,595

Alfred & Helen Austin

Helen was fascinated by travel from an early age, avidly watching holiday programmes and dreaming of future travel plans. Fantasy became reality when she joined Kuoni just over 20 years ago, and she has continued to explore ever since. She fell in love with Africa on her first safari experience in Zambia, watching an elephant herd meander across a dusty track as the sun set dramatically. Subsequent trips to South Africa, Namibia, and Kenya have further fuelled her passion for the wildlife, diverse cultures, and beautiful landscapes of her favourite continent.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Gemma, who's travelled extensively in Tanzania. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it on their own. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the rangers who'll ensure you'll spot the best wildlife, the village chiefs who'll give you a genuine insight into local life and the camp managers who can recommend the very best spot to enjoy your sundowner.

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