Experience the highlights of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit on this family-friendly safari from Kilimanjaro International Airport, beginning with a wildlife-spotting adventure in Arusha National Park. Travel through the flamingo-filled Lake Manyara National Park where tree-climbing lions roam, then encounter the majestic beauty of Ngorongoro Crater and the archaeological site at Olduvai Gorge. End your journey game driving through the famous savannah of the Serengeti National Part, the launching point for the Great Migration.
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Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met by one of our representatives and transferred to the Mount Meru Game Lodge, which nestles between the peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. Head out on the open road as your safari truly begins, with an animal sanctuary located adjacent to the lodge where a range of wildlife and birds reside.
Spend the afternoon at your leisure or opt to visit the Game Sanctuary, which provides a safe haven for eland, ostriches, waterbucks, zebras and buffalo, as well as colobus monkeys and a diverse range of reptiles.
Day 2
Today you’ll head out on your first game drive through Arusha National Park, which encompasses the “Little Serengeti” plains in the south, as well as tropical mountain rainforests, stunning gorges and cascading waterfalls in the north. Back by the glacier-topped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro and the horseshoe-shaped cliffs of Mount Meru, it’s one of the most magnificent destinations in Tanzania. Encounter the diverse wildlife of the Momella Lakes, which are renowned for their flamingos, then discover the hidden haven of Ngurdoto Crater, which has been dubbed “Little Ngorongoro” for its spectacular beauty and wildlife abundance.
Day 3
After breakfast at Mount Meru Game Lodge, you’ll check out with a packed lunch and depart for Lake Manyara National Park, which nestles in the Great Rift Valley. Often overlooked by visitors, it was described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest place I have ever seen”, with a shallow, alkaline lake that’s often filled with flamingos. While small in size, Lake Manyara National Park boasts a diversity of wildlife, including large herds of buffalos and zebras that can be seen wandering the plains, not to mention prowling lions. Your guide will help you spot troops of baboons in the large tract of tropical jungle, with the jagged peaks of volcanoes your constant backdrop.
In the afternoon, depart the park and travel towards the Karatu area where you will visit a local school before driving to the Acacia Farm Lodge where you’ll spend the night.
Day 4
After breakfast at the Acacia Farm Lodge, check out with a packed lunch and drive towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ascend up the Crater Rim to soak up the spectacular views across its landscape, then drive around the rim and descend into the crater itself. The largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world, Ngorongoro Crater spans around 20 kilometers across and 600 meters in depth. It’s on the doorstep of Olduvai Gorge where early human footprints were discovered at Alaitole, reflecting the harmonious co-existence between people and wildlife for many years.
Now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ngorongoro’s high crater walls serve as a natural enclosure for an abundance of wildlife, offering a good chance of spotting the “Big Five”. It’s also an impressive bird-watching destination, with sightings of lammergeyer, Verreaux's eagle and Egyptian vulture, as well as rosy-breasted longclaw, lesser and greater flamingos, which sometimes visit the crater lakes.
After an exhilarating day wildlife spotting, you’ll depart the crater floor and make the return journey to Acacia Farm Lodge camp.
Day 5 and 6
After breakfast at Acacia Farm Lodge, it’s time to depart for the iconic Serengeti National Park, making a stop at Olduvai Gorge and a Masai village en route. Arrive at the Kubu Kubu Camp, which is located in the Central Serengeti region, where you’ll have the middle of the day to relax at your leisure.
As the cool of the afternoon sets in, head out on your first game drive in the Serengeti whose name translates as “endless plain” in the Masai language and is Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park. It’s the starting point of the annual Great Migration when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebras and opportunistic predators search for new pastures, creating one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth. Watch as golden-maned lions stalk the migrating herds or spot leopards lounging in the trees at dusk, with the opportunity to take a hot air balloon safari at dawn to watch the day’s first rays illuminate the landscape below.
Return to the Kubu Kubu Camp in the evening to relax while being immersed in the African bush.
Day 7
After breakfast at Serengeti Kubu Kubu Camp, you’ll be transferred the short distance to the airstrip for your scheduled flight to Arusha. Here you’ll be met by one of our drivers and travel to the Arusha Coffee Lodge “Shanga experience” for lunch, followed by a visit to the Shanga Shanga workshops. Enjoy a guided tour of the bead and glass workshops and learn how this wonderful project is helping to provide full-time employment and training for disabled Tanzanians. Get hands-on in trying to make your own or purchase a unique souvenir to take home.
Depending on the time of your international flight, your driver will meet you at reception and transfer you to the Kilimanjaro Airport.
Dates & Rates
Supplementary Information
Weekly departures every Sunday. Please note, all departures require a minimum of 2 guests
Included:
- Full board accommodation while on safari
- Scheduled flight as per the itinerary, luggage allowance 15kg per person
- Transfers to and from the airport
- A safari briefing at the start
- Lunch at the beginning and end of your safari
- All game drives viewing in a custom built 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser safari vehicle driven by a professional English Speaking driver guide.
- Excursions and scheduled activities as per the itinerary
- Park Entrance fees throughout
- Flying doctors medical evacuation cover
- I litre of water per person per day while in an Albatros safari vehicle
- Current Government taxes and levies
Not Included:
- International Airfares
- International and domestic departure tax
- Laundry services
- Meals and excursions not described in the itinerary above
- All Alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Drinks
- Entry Visas to the country
- Travel and health insurance
- Balloon flight in the Serengeti (additional charge USD515 per person)
- Any optional tours or excursions not mentioned in the itinerary above
- Gratuities (tips) to your guide, hotel staff and porters
- Any other items of a personal nature, such as drinks, laundry, telephone and postage
FAQ & More
Do I need a Visa?
Visas are the responsibility of the traveller. Some nationalities will have to obtain these prior to arrival and others will be able to obtain these on arrival at the port of entry. It is imperative that passports are valid for at least six months and have at least two blank pages, or four, if travelling to both Kenya and Tanzania.
While Tanzanian visas are available upon arrival, immigration queues at airports and border crossing can be long so we recommend applying in advance for the visa to save time. The cost for a tourist visa for US Citizens is $100 (Multiple entry) valid for one year, 90 Days at a time; for Canadian citizens, the cost is $50 (Single entry) for 90 Days or $100 (Double entry) for 90 Days each.
It is imperative to check visa requirements with your resident country embassy/consulate as visa requirements may vary according to your nationality.
What health requirements are there?
Both Tanzania and Kenya are malarial areas and therefore it is recommended that travellers start a malaria prophylactic before and during your visit. Most lodges have mosquito nets or mosquito resistant tents/rooms along with providing insect spray and repellent. However, be sure to bring your own personal repellent as well as long sleeves and pants for the evenings, as these are most effective in protecting you from bites when outdoors.
At present, Tanzania and Kenya require no vaccinations before entering the country except Yellow Fever when flying directly from an YF endemic country. Here is a list of these countries: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever#4728. As Kenya is on this list, you’ll need to present proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination if traveling from Kenya to Tanzania.
Regardless, you should consult your local health authorities prior to your holiday for any updates.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/kenya
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/tanzania
What is the luggage allowance for internal flights?
If travelling on a ‘flying safari’, the baggage allowance on small aircraft is 15kgs and all luggage is to be packed in soft duffel bags. This includes hand luggage and camera equipment. Only soft sided bags will be accepted, no wheels, no hard suitcases. This is essential to ensure that everything fits not only into the small aircraft but into the safari vehicles. Please note that any luggage you do not need while on safari will be stored at the office.
What clothing is required?
Rest assured, our team of Adventure Consultants will send you a full packing list prior to your adventure. However, as a general guide, comfortable, casual wash and wear clothes are recommended. The key is lightweight clothing in breathable materials for the day and warmer materials at night. Bush colours (khaki, brown, dark green) are also highly recommended. These will enable you to blend in with the environment and not draw attention to yourself when on game drives or bush walks.
What is the weather like?
Being located on or near the equator, East Africa boasts a fabulous tropical climate which is hot and humid on the coast while being dry and arid in the north and northeast and temperate inland. Though days are quite hot it can get pretty cold during the night in areas at altitude such as Nairobi.
There are however two separate wet seasons in Kenya and Tanzania with the longest being from March to May, and the shorter from November to December. Heavy rains can mean that road access becomes more limited making 4x4 more advisable during these periods.
What is the power source and outlet type?
The electricity supply in Kenya and Tanzania is 220/240 v 50hz. Plugs are 3 point square, British Type G plugs. If you are planning to bring any electrical device from USA or Canada, you will need a voltage and plug converter. Additionally, many safari lodges run on generators which are generally switched off between 2300hrs and 0600hrs. If you need to charge any electronics, this can be done in the office.
Wifi and mobile access?
Both Kenya and Tanzania have a good telephone and internet connection in the main cities and are in the process of improving the network further. Most lodges and hotels offer a fax, international telephone and internet service but make sure to check the rates beforehand as some lodges can impose a surcharge, particularly on international calls. More remote camps and lodges rely on radio for communication and mobile phone coverage is not extensive in most game parks.
When calling Kenya and Tanzania, the international dialling code is +254 and +255 respectively.
What is the currency in Tanzania?
The unit of currency in Kenya and Tanzania is the shilling, though the countries’ currencies do not share the same value. Kenya Shilling notes are available in the denominations of 1000, 500, 200, 100 and 50 and 10,000, 5000, 1000 and 500 in Tanzania. Banks generally offer a better rate of exchange than Foreign Exchange Bureaux and Hotels.
Please note duty free goods purchased at the airport can only be purchased in foreign currency and not in Kenya or Tanzanian Shillings. While US Dollars are widely accepted, please note that bills printed before the year 2000 will not be accepted.
Can I drink the water?
Tap water in Kenya and Tanzania is not drinkable and we therefore advise that you drink only sealed, bottled water. Lodges provide water in their safari vehicles. You will almost always find a flask of purified drinking water on your bedside table or in the bathroom.
Can I use my credit card?
A wide range of credit cards are accepted in Kenya and Tanzania, including American Express, Visa and Master Card. Please check with us before heading off on safari and we will confirm what cards are accepted where you are staying.
What are the tipping recommendations?
Tips are not included in the cost of the safari. Tipping is purely discretionary, however if you would like to show your appreciation we recommend $10 - $20 per guest per day for lodge/camp staff, paid in the communal tip box at reception. For guides, we recommend $10-$15 per day, paid directly to the guide. All tipping is in US dollars.