Overview
The 9 days adventure safari in Tanzania is an all-round African experience that summarizes the best of Tanzania. It involves game drive experiences across various safari destinations, encountering various animals like the Big 5. The top safari destinations to explore include Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. The adventure also includes cultural tours among many other activities. Below is a day-by-day rundown of activities.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and head to Arusha
At the time of your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, our professional guide will be there to usher you into the country. Hit the road to Arusha later on after a short briefing on how your safari adventure is set to run. Arrive at your booked hotel in Arusha shortly before nightfall, have dinner, and rest.
Day 2: Drive to Tarangire National Park and game drive exploration
Arise with the morning glory birds as you prepare for a delicious heavy breakfast at the hotel. Drive for 2 hours to Tarangire National Park and, after a few registrations, enter the park. Explore the park on a short game drive, encountering various wildlife species, with the notable ones being the large herds of elephants. Spot the unique giant baobab trees that are a popular flora species and a landmark in the park. Proceed and head to the lodge in time for lunch and check-in.
In the afternoon, continue with a game drive to further explore the park and its inhabitants. The elephants are the face of Tarangire, known to be among the largest. The park’s arid red sand makes the park very unique. Other wildlife species to spot include lions, buffaloes, antelopes, leopards, etc. A game drive in Tarangire National Park appears as a strip from outer space with its giant baobab trees and the surface. Return to the lodge later in the evening for dinner and rest.
Day 3: Visit Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive
This fateful day begins with an early breakfast and check out from your lodge. Drive to Lake Manyara National Park, a 2-hour drive. The iconic Lake Manyara National Park holds something special up its sleeve; be sure to discover it on a game drive. Venture into the vast lands of Lake Manyara National Park, encountering various species like leopards, elephants, buffaloes, lions, hyenas, and various birds, among others. After your lunch at the lodge, drive to the other side of the park to uncover the iconic tree-climbing lions. The tree-climbing lions are unique to this park and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. This tree-climbing nature is not a common trait in lions but rather leopards. Therefore, offers an incredible experience after spotting these lions resting high up on tree branches. Later, head back to the lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 4: Transfer to Serengeti National Park and evening game drive
Transfer to Serengeti National Park early in the morning immediately after breakfast and check out of the lodge. Drive through the Ngorongoro plains dotted with scenic views of wildlife. Proceed for about 5-6 hours to the park, arriving and checking in at your lodge in time for lunch. Embark on an afternoon game drive in the vast Serengeti National Park savannah, spotting wildlife including lions, leopards, elephants, cheetahs, wildebeest, gazelles, buffaloes, and hyenas, among other animals. There is no dull day in Serengeti as the park continues to deliver incredible tales of predator-prey action. Head back to the lodge by dusk in time for dinner and rest.
Day 5: Full-day game drive in Central Serengeti
Kick off the day with an early breakfast ahead of your exploration of the Serengeti. The vast nature of Serengeti National Park, as one of the best safari destinations in the world, requires extensive exploration. This is why a full-day game drive in the Seronera River Valley, a rich wildlife region, is an amazing experience. There is a reason why Serengeti is known as the endless plains, and it’s simply because of its vast fields of wildlife. The park hosts one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in the world. By noon, you will have a picnic lunch in the presence of wildlife.
Venture still in the wild plains, meeting a variety of wildlife roaming these plains. If you happen to visit during a month of the Great Wildebeest Migration, then the adventure has just begun. Spot one of the 7 wonders of the world as more than a million wildebeest, gazelles, zebras, etc., follow the rains to Maasai Mara. Witness as a million wildebeests take on the dangerous Mara River to cross into Maasai Mara under constant watch from predators. Spot the predator-prey action at its best before leaving the park by dusk. Have dinner at the lodge and rest.
Day 6: Morning game drive and set off to Ngorongoro
At the sound of the morning glory birds, rush out of bed for breakfast and check out with your packed lunch. Proceed to Ngorongoro for a morning game drive in Serengeti. Wave off your time in Serengeti National Park with an early morning game drive to capture the lions in their early hunts. Rest among the large herds of elephants and buffaloes, enjoying an early graze. Spot the opportunistic hyenas rounding up the lions to steal a carcass. Watch the springers, cheetahs, and wild dogs in their hunts and leopards’ agility and strength hoisting prey above reach. By noon, prepare to head out of the Serengeti as you enjoy your packed lunch. Drive through the plains as you head to Ngorongoro, arriving at your lodge shortly by evening. Enjoy dinner and rest for the night ahead.
Day 7: Full-day exploration of Ngorongoro Crater
Wake with the sounds of the early birds and the aroma of breakfast, and head out. Begin your full-day exploration in the Ngorongoro Crater on a game drive. The vast crater bed houses one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in the world. The crater is well-drained with a variety of pasture, thus inviting various animals. As the grazers follow the evergreen fields of Ngorongoro, the predators lag. This crater is an untamed destination of unlimited wildlife experiences.
The flat surface of the crater is a perfect playground for swift hunters like cheetahs, leopards, and wild dogs to hunt for prey. The lions, as stealth hunters, utilize the cover of the bush to sneak up on unsuspecting prey. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, elands, etc., are some of the notable grazers among the many. The full-day game drive means you will have lunch in the depths of the Ngorongoro plains. Expand your exploration adventure in the afternoon. Enjoy the scenic beauty of Ngorongoro and discover its secrets as an undisputed safari destination. Return to the lodge later in the evening for dinner and rest.
Day 8: Visit Olduvai Gorge and Maasai cultural tours
The adventures of Ngorongoro don’t seem to stop as you embark on another after breakfast. Head to the Olduvai Gorge, an historical site in Ngorongoro that reflects on the ancient history of mankind. Olduvai Gorge is the place where Doctor Leakey discovered a large human skull in 1959, dating back to over 1.8 million years. This is why this gorge is known as the Cradle of Mankind. This discovery affirmed that all human beings originated from Africa. Enjoy lunch later at your lodge.
Explore the culture of the Maasai people in their villages at the edges of Ngorongoro. Witness their courage through their warrior stories and traditions. Spot their cattle herding practices in their bomas. Learn their culture and traditions, such as beliefs, dress code, songs, and dances, etc., at the Mto wa Mbu cultural sites. Return to the lodge by evening in time for dinner and rest. This climaxes your Ngorongoro adventure.
Day 9: Departure
The final day of your 9 days adventure safari in Tanzania is reserved as a day for departure. It kicks off with a delicious breakfast at the lodge and a quick check-out. Transfer to Arusha with epic views of the countryside through the vast plains of Ngorongoro waving you on as you exit the safari. Drive for the next 4-5 hours to Arusha for your departing flight back home. This is the end of your 9 days safari.