21 Days Ultimate Tanzania Safari

This Ultimate Tanzania Safari itinerary is for those of you that wants to experience something unique. This safari takes you to untouched landscapes unknown to most people. You will hike the slopes of Mt Meru, visit coffee cooperatives, do walking safaris with armed ranger, walk on crater floors, visit maasai villages, watch pink flamingos and much more.

Day 1: Arrival

Your driver/guide and our representative will meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport. We’ll transport you to Meru View Lodge or River Tree Country Inn. You will be greeted by our safari manager and given a thorough briefing about Ultimate Tanzania Safari. Dinner is on us.

Day 2: Nkoaronga Village

Visit the nearby fair trade coffee cooperative, Nkoaranga Village, for the first part of your full-day Ultimate Tanzania Safari. To establish a fair trade, organic, and sustainable coffee company, a collection of small-scale coffee growers collaborate. See the various stages in the coffee-growing process by visiting the plantations. Study about the picking, grinding, roasting, packaging, and processing of coffee beans. With the first organic bean harvest anticipated in the next two years, all proceeds from coffee sales support the efforts of nearby farmers who are investing in and expanding their organic farming enterprise. Along with taking a stroll through the village, you’ll also get a glimpse into the daily routine of the local farmers by going to the school or orphanage. After lunch in the village, you’ll head back to your hotel. Overnight at River Tree Country Inn or Meru View Lodge. All meals iincluded.

Day 3: Arusha National Park

Drive to Arusha National Park after breakfast, traveling through savannah herds of buffalo, giraffe, and zebra. Savor a picnic lunch at Momella Lake, which is well-known for its views of the magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro and large flocks of vibrant flamingos.

Experience the various habitats of this incredibly gorgeous park on a game drive. There are secretive forest duikers, leopards, large herds of antelope, Sykes’s and vervet monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys, which are peculiar to this park in northern Tanzania. You will hike on the slopes of Mount Meru under the guidance of an armed ranger. You will first traverse a buffalo meadow and then go through dense woodland up to some hidden waterfalls near the rim of Ngurdoto Crater. Overnight at River Tree Country Inn or Meru View Lodge. All meals iincluded.

Day 4: Tarangire

Following breakfast, you head into Tarangire, the third-largest national park in Northern Tanzania and home to an exceptionally big number of elephants. The park’s majestic baobab trees, which dwarf the creatures that graze beneath them, are another intriguing aspect. Since the Tarangire River is the region’s sole reliable source of water, animals congregate along its banks. The wildlife is quite diverse and includes up to 6,000 elephants, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Overnight at a campsite at Tarangire. All meals included.

Day 5: Ngorongoro

After breakfast, continue to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the crater for a wonderful game drive (with picnic lunch) in the Ngorongoro Crater – often described as one of the wonders of the world. It is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world and a natural sanctuary for some of Africa’s densest animal populations. It is one of the few places where the rare black rhinoceros can be observed in its natural environment. Since very few animals migrate in and out of the crater with its 2,000-foot walls, you can expect to see lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, flamingos, jackals, rhinos, antelopes, many birds and other species. With a bit of luck, the “Big Five” can be spotted during a game drive. Overnight at a campsite at Ngrongoro. All meals included.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater – Olmoti

Get an early start for your five-day walking safari across the Northern Highlands, escorted by both armed rangers and local Masai guides (until Naiyobi, when the armed ranger will drop you off).

Prior to beginning your walk to Olmoti, you drive to Lemala Gate. About noon, you arrive at your camp. Following lunch and camp setup, you go exploring Olmoti Crater. The Munge river rises in this grassy, shallow crater and flows through a valley in the rim to the Ngorongoro crater, where it cascades in a breathtaking waterfall. Scale the Crater Rim to reach the Crater Floor by foot. Overnight at Olmoti Campsite. All meals included

Day 7: Olmoti – Bulati

You can walk over the wide plains of the Embulbul Depression, home to antelopes, wildebeests, and zebras, after descending the outer hills of the Great Rift Valley from Olmoti. You arrive in Bulati, a traditional Maasai village, in the late afternoon, and spend the night at the Bulati Campsite. Every meal is served.

Day 8: Bulati – Empakai

You hike through Bulati Village and up the Bulati Ranges after leaving Bulati Campsite, arriving at Empakai Crater about lunchtime. Following the crater rim, you get a distant view of Oldonyo Lengai and Kerimasi Mountain. You arrive at your campground, which is situated high above Empakai Crater, in the afternoon. Buffalos and hyenas live in the undergrowth around them. You may reach the crater floor, which is mostly covered by a salt lake, by descending the forested crater slopes after setting up your tent and having a cup of tea. As they migrate between the crater lakes of Ngorongoro and Lake Natron, one can observe a large number of water birds including flamingos. Strolling around the lakeshore is also a pleasure. Overnight at one of the campsites at the Crater Rim at an altitude of some 3200 m). All meals included.

Day 9: Empakaai – Nairobi

Your walk round the Empakaai Crater Rim from Empakaai, offering consistently breathtaking views of the lake and crater bottom. Porcupines and buffalos live in the nearby forest. You will say goodbye to your armed ranger when you arrive in Naiyobi Town, a charming Maasai village on the edge of the Ngoronoro Conservation Area, around midday.

Together with your Maasai Guide you will proceed to the Acacia Forest behind Naiyobi Village for overnight at Acacia Campsite. All meals included

Day 10: Naiyobi – Lake Natron 

Your journey culminates in a lengthier descent toward the Rift Valley Escarpment’s edge. After hiking through volcanic landscapes created by Oldonyo Lengai’s most recent eruption in 2008, you will arrive at Pembe ya Swala, a notable landmark that will take you on a precipitous fall to the plains around Lake Natron. As you make your way to Lake Natron for the night at Ngare Sero Campsite, you are treated to breathtaking views of Mount Kerimasi and the Lengai volcano, known as Ol doinyo Lengai to the Maasai. Every meal is served.

Day 11: Lake Natron

Today you’ll explore the highlights around Lake Natron, known for its high levels of sodium carbonate, algae and zooplankton for a large number of flamingos and other water birds. A guide will take you there and show you the flamingo nesting places. You can also hike to the Ngare Sero River, which flows in Lake Natron. In contrast to the surrounding dry landscape, you will find a small paradise here. After a strenuous walk up the stream you reach the source of the river, where the river gushes out of the mountain in cascading waterfalls. It is an excellent and inviting swim in the pools beneath the falls to cool off from the hot sun. There may be baboons or other wildlife in the gorge. Overnight at Ngare Sero Campsite at Lake Natron. All meals included

Day 12: Longido

We go for Longido with the car after breakfast, traveling 4 hours along a mostly uneven and sandy route. Many Maasai settlements, termite mounds, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, baboons, bee boxes, and vultures, ostriches, starlings, Cory Bustards, and kites are among the sights to be seen along the way.

You may see a project in Longido that was started by the SNV, a group dedicated to developing ecotourism and encouraging locals to travel. You wander around Longido Mountain’s vast plains with its beautiful woods for the remainder of the day, learning about the locals’ traditional African lifestyle. Overnight at the campsite at Longido.  All meals included.

Day 13: Longido – Arusha

Following breakfast, you can choose to go for another stroll or, if you’d like, make your way back to Arusha while shopping for mementos. Savor a delectable supper at a classy Arusha restaurant. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon at your lodge by the pool or in the spacious tropical garden. Overnight at Ilboru Safari Lodge. All meals included 

Day 14: Arusha – Zanzibar

Walking safari comes to an end. We take you to Kilimanjaro Airport for your trip to Zanzibar after breakfast. Transfer to Ngalawa Zanzibar Village or The Zanzibari Hotel; breakfast, supper, and lunch are included (at Ngalawa).

Day 15-18: Zanzibar Zanzibar

Relax and enjoy the Zanzibares of Zanzibar. Breakfast and dinner  included (at Ngalawa also lunch included)

Day 19: Spice Tour

Proceed to Stone Town after breakfast. We’ll take the well-known Spice Tour while traveling. We’ve created a unique Spice Tour that includes comprehensive information not just on spices but also about herbs produced organically and their historical use in cooking, cosmetics, and medicine. We welcome you to a sumptuous meal at the residence of our guides following the trip, where you may sample the fruits and spices. You have some free time in the afternoon. Overnight Tembo Hotel or Dhow Palace Hotel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 20: Stone Town

We will give you a tour of Stone Town on our Historical Stone Town Tour in the morning. This journey takes you through the storied town of Stone Town, where time seems to have stood still. It is an intriguing look at the core of Zanzibar, including excursions to the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum (People’s Palace), and the Arab Fort, among other places. You will see the vibrant market, narrow streets, elaborately carved and studded doors, two churches, and an endless number of mosques in Zanzibar! Spend the remainder of the day relaxing and exploring on your own. 2^nd overnight Tembo Hotel or Dhow Palace Hotel  Breakfast included 

Day 21: Departure

Departure transfer to Zanzibar Airport for departure.  Breakfast included

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