Your Tanzanian adventure begins with a warm welcome at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and a private transfer to the comfortable Greenside Hotel in Arusha. The expectation for today is simple: settle in, unwind, and prepare for the incredible week ahead. After a refreshing welcome drink, your professional guide from Tanzania Songbirds Safaris will conduct a detailed safari briefing, ensuring your camera batteries are charged, your questions are answered, and your anticipation for the wilderness is soaring. Tonight, you’ll enjoy a relaxed dinner, looking forward to the start of the adventure tomorrow.

Accommodaction; Greenside Hotel

Following an early breakfast, we begin the scenic drive to Tarangire National Park, a park famed for its high density of elephants and the ancient, majestic baobab trees that dot its landscape. Your full-day game drive will focus on following the dry riverbeds, which act as vital wildlife corridors, especially during the dry season. We expect to encounter colossal herds of elephants often digging for water, along with a wide variety of plains game and predators. Lunch will be a picturesque affair, served picnic-style at the beautiful Matete Picnic Site, giving you a chance to stretch your legs before the afternoon’s game viewing. In the late afternoon, we drive to the nearby Karatu area for overnight at the charming Marera Valley Lodge.

Accommodaction; Marera Valley Lodge

A substantial morning drive takes you from the highlands of Karatu into the legendary plains of the Central Serengeti National Park (Seronera region). After arriving and checking in at the comfortable Embalakai Serengeti Camp, your first Serengeti game drive begins. This region is famous year-round for its resident wildlife, particularly its large prides of lions, leopards frequently found resting in sausage trees, and cheetahs hunting on the open savanna. This day serves as a magnificent warm-up, offering the expectation of multiple big-cat sightings before we head north to the Migration. You’ll retire to your luxury tented camp for a delicious dinner under the stars, listening to the sounds of the African night.

Accommodaction; Embalakai Serengeti Camp

Today marks a critical transition as we drive deep into the Northern Serengeti, focusing specifically on the remote Kogatende area, close to the Mara River. The entire day is a game drive in itself, as the terrain changes and the search for the mega-herds intensifies. Upon arrival at the Sero Tented Camp, and after a quick check-in, we head immediately to the river banks. This afternoon, the expectation is high: we will be scouting for the huge columns of wildebeest and zebra gathering at the river’s edge. “The air is electric with anticipation,” is the feeling you will share with your guide as you await the first signs of the famous Mara crossing. Lunch is taken en route at a suitable, designated picnic spot, often a quiet kopje overlooking the vast plains.

Accommodaction; Sero Tented Camp

This is the day dedicated to the spectacle. You will spend a full day exploring the Mara River’s crossing points. Patience is the key today, but the reward is unparalleled. Your expert guide will use their knowledge to position you perfectly to capture the raw power and emotion of the Trek of Terror. The anticipation is palpable, but when the moment comes, “The chaos, the dust, the sheer numbers it is unlike anything you have ever seen.” We aim to witness the hundreds of thousands of animals plunging into the crocodile-infested waters. Your picnic lunch will be enjoyed near the river, often at the Kogatende Picnic Site or a scenic overlook, keeping you close to the action. After a day of unparalleled drama, you return to Sero Tented Camp, your camp fire conversations filled with the day’s incredible sightings.

Accommodaction; Sero Tented Camp

After a final, exhilarating game drive in the Northern Serengeti, we begin our leisurely game drive back south towards the Central Seronera region. This journey is often extremely productive as we follow the path of the resident and remaining migratory animals, transitioning from the tall grasses of the north to the more open plains of the center. The drive offers excellent predator opportunities, as the movement of game keeps the lions, leopards, and cheetahs on high alert. You will enjoy a final picnic lunch deep within the plains before arriving back at the familiar and welcoming Embalakai Serengeti Camp for a comfortable final night on the Serengeti plains.

Accommodaction; Embalakai Serengeti Camp

An early start sees you driving out of the Serengeti and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, making the rapid descent into the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater. This day is a concentrated burst of wildlife viewing, as the crater floor harbors an estimated 30,000 animals, offering the best chance to spot the ‘Big Five,’ including the elusive Black Rhino. Expect an astonishing array of birdlife, hippo pools, and large lion prides. Lunch is served at the idyllic Hippo Pool Picnic Site, providing a brief respite while you watch the large pods of hippos wallow in the mud. In the late afternoon, you ascend the crater rim and drive to the nearby Marera Valley Lodge for a well-deserved night of relaxation.

Accommodaction; Marera Valley Lodge

Your final day begins with a short drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a final morning game drive. This park offers a dramatically different ecosystem, from the lush groundwater forest to the shimmering, soda ash lake. Famous for its troops of baboons and, occasionally, its tree-climbing lions, Manyara is also a birder’s paradise. We will enjoy our final safari picnic lunch at the scenic Majimoto Picnic Site before beginning the final drive back to Arusha. Upon arrival in Arusha, your guide will transfer you either to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or to your next accommodation in Arusha, marking the end of your phenomenal safari adventure. Thank you for traveling with Tanzania Songbirds Safaris!