Compare A Taste of Tanzania by Zama Tours & Safaris vs Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar 2022 by Tauck

Day 1: Arusha

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Arumeru River Lodge

Activity: Transfer to your hotel

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by our office representative and transferred to Arusha for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Oremiti Lodge

Activity: Game drive in Manyara

After breakfast, depart for Lake Manyara National Park with lunch box en-route. Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park is recognized for its incredible beauty. You can see many game animals such as buffalo, elephant, giraffe, impala, hippo and others. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing in search of the famous but rare tree climbing lion. From a sea of pink flamingos as far as the eye can see to bull elephants at close range, Lake Manyara showcases a superb variety of herd animals and birdlife. Dinner and overnight in a close-by tented lodge.

Day 3: Lake Manyara Area – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Pakulala Safari Camp

Activity: Game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater

The road from Manyara leads you through the Crater Forest and over the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Short stop at the viewpoint with breathtaking views over the crater, before descent onto the crater floor to emerge into this fishbowl of wildlife. On the grass steppe and in the acacia tree woods, you will find almost all species that are found in the East African savannah; with the exception of topis, Masai giraffes and impalas. Quite often you can observe the “Big Five” (lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinoceros and leopards) within a couple of hours. After an extensive wildlife tour and a picnic for lunch, just before sunset return close to the crater rim or highlands for dinner and overnight in a luxury tented camp.

Day 4: Ngorongoro – Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Nyumbani Serengeti Camp

Activity: Game drive in the Serengeti

Coming down from the height of the Ngorongoro, the vast extensions of the Serengeti plains before you will impress you and wanting you to explore this area in deep. In the Seronera Valley you will find wildebeest and zebras and often lions and other big cats such as leopards and cheetahs. The Migration, consisting of around 2 million animals, is on the move all year round. Depending on the season you may see this impressive phenomenon. Naturally it also attracts a mass of predators and you may be able to see a band of lionesses gather for a hunt. You will return to your lodge for a sumptuous lunch to gather strength for the afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight in a tented camp, luxury tents in the middle of the bush.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Nyumbani Serengeti Camp

Activity: Game drive in the Serengeti

You enjoy further exploration of the endless plains. The habitats are natural and we can game drive with a picnic lunch to explore further afield. It is also a perfect day and location to partake in the breath-taking Serengeti Balloon Safari (optional). Dinner and overnight in the same accommodation.

Day 6: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Nyumbani Serengeti Camp

Activity: Game drive in the Serengeti

A welcome change in your schedule is to take part in an early morning game drive before returning for lunch and resting. In the afternoon, you set off to see the nocturnal animals beginning their night’s work. Dinner, campfire and overnight for your last night in the Serengeti…

Day 7: Serengeti National Park – Olduvai Gorge – Tarangire Area

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Activity: Visit to Olduvai Gorge

Accommodation: Nimali Tented Lodge

A leisurely game drive out of the Serengeti takes you to the Olduvai Gorge. Enjoy a picnic lunch and a view of the archaeological sites (and visit the museum) where early human tools and fossils have been found. Over the Ngorongoro Crater rim, we set off into the direction of Tarangire National Park and arrive at your tented lodge for sunset. Dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Tarangire National Park – Arusha

Activity: Game drive in Tarangire

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Last but not least, a visit to the impressive Tarangire National Park, Tanzania’s third largest national park and sanctuary for an unusually large elephant population. Majestic baobab trees are an interesting feature of the park, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. Animals concentrate along the Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent water supply in the area. There is a great diversity of wildlife including lion, leopard, cheetah and up to six thousand elephant. Full game drive with lunch box, then continuation to Arusha for your flight home or further destination.

Day 1 Arrive Arusha, Tanzania

Tour begins: 12:00 PM, Arusha Serena Hotel. A transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha Serena Hotel, is included. Welcome to Tanzania and the start of your African safari; your hotel overlooks Lake Duluti. Although most flights land at Kilimanjaro International Airport after the sun has set, thoughts of Ernest Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" will come to mind as you journey the short distance from the airport to your hotel.

LODGING : Arusha Serena Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Arusha, Tanzania

Day 2 Maasai Village, Lake Manyara & on to Ngorongoro

Depart your hotel in Arusha for a visit to Isoito, a Maasai boma (village), for an opportunity to learn about the Maasai cultural traditions and have a bush lunch. Enjoy your first game viewing opportunity as you continue on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to Ngorongoro Crater, a wildlife mecca; your lodge is built on the dormant volcano's rim, with stunning views of the "lost world" below. Please join us for a welcome reception followed by dinner at the lodge this evening.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Day 3 Game drives & a picnic in Ngorongoro Crater

Spend today exploring Ngorongoro Crater, long regarded as Africa's "Garden of Eden." Within the crater lie grasslands, forests and a freshwater lake, inspiring a continual migration of animals. Riding in your four-wheel-drive safari vehicle, you'll have a chance to spot Africa's celebrated "Big Five" – buffalo, elephant, leopard, the black-maned lion and the rare black rhinoceros. Dig into a hot lunch as you picnic in the heart of the crater, sure to be a highlight of your African safari. Back at the lodge to enjoy dinner and local entertainment this evening, you'll be able to observe Ngorongoro's wildlife-rich caldera below from the comfort of your private terrace.

 

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Day 4 Visit Oldupai Gorge en route to the Serengeti

Set off this morning to explore Oldupai Gorge, where archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the fossilized remains of some of the earliest known human species, an estimated 1.8 million years old; learn more about the site's significance on a docent-led tour. Continue wildlife viewing while driving the rough dirt roads across the plains and grasslands of the Serengeti. Arrive at your safari lodge in the Central Serengeti, which was inspired by Maasai tribal dwellings. Have dinner at your leisure at the lodge, and enjoy some local entertainment in the lounge this evening.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

Day 5 Ballooning over the Serengeti & game viewing

Lift off on an exciting hot air balloon flight* as dawn breaks over the vast Serengeti grasslands; from aloft, observe wildlife in the first light of day, an African safari thrill – and enjoy another thrill upon your return where a champagne breakfast in the bush waits for you. A morning game drive on the Serengeti plains may yield sightings of wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinoceros, hippos, buffalo, jackals, and gazelles. This is also one of the best places on the African Continent to see prides of lions. Return to the lodge for lunch, then enjoy an afternoon at leisure (or a lecture by an expert), followed by a special sundowner this evening before dinner at the lodge.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

Day 6 On to the western Serengeti

Spot more wildlife as you travel to the Serengeti's remote Western Corridor, known for huge masses of migrating game animals thundering across the terrain. Arrive at Kirawira, your luxurious tented camp in the remote Grumeti River region for another unique African safari experience; animals you might see on an afternoon game drive across the treeless plains of the Serengeti include wildebeest, lion, buffalo, cheetah, warthogs, giraffes and zebra.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Kirawira Tented Camp

Day 7 Wildlife wonders on the Serengeti plains

After awakening in the heart of the wilderness in your luxurious tent – surrounded by Edwardian-era accents that evoke the classic safari camps of a century ago – your safari guide shares fascinating insights about the African bush on your early morning game drive, as you observe the struggle of species to survive in the "circle of life" within Serengeti National Park. Later, after lunch and another game drive, relax by the pool at Kirawira as the setting sun streaks the Tanzanian sky – a classic African safari doesn't get any better than this!

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Kirawira Tented Camp

Day 8 To Zanzibar & a Stone Town tour

Rise early for your final Serengeti game drive this morning, then fly midday to intriguing Zanzibar, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean that was once a wealthy trading center for spices. Upon arrival, set off with your local guide on a walking and driving tour of Stone Town, in the main port of Zanzibar City. Your home for the next two nights is a fabulous hotel overlooking the turquoise sea and white sand beaches.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Park Hyatt Zanzibar

PORTOFCALL : Stone Town, Zanzibar

Day 9 Cruise aboard a dhow on an Indian Ocean "safari" in Zanzibar

Traditional Arabian sailboats called dhows have plied the Indian Ocean waters of the Swahili Coast for millennia, trading and fishing from one island port to the next. Sail out to sea from Stone Town aboard a traditional dhow for an "Indian Ocean safari" off the coast of Zanzibar this morning, as the captain and crew help you spot dolphins frolicking in the ocean blue; cast anchor on a sandy beach for swimming and perhaps some snorkeling near beautiful coral reefs. After returning to shore, the afternoon is yours to check out more of fascinating Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on your own. Join us this evening for a farewell reception followed by a farewell dinner at your seaside hotel.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Park Hyatt Zanzibar

PORTOFCALL : Stone Town, Zanzibar

Day 10 Spice tour & Journey Home

Tour ends: Zanzibar. If you wish, join our local guides for a "spice tour" of Stone Town this morning, or just enjoy some time at leisure before checking out of your hotel. Fly late afternoon from Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, for your flight home. Allow 3½ hours for flight check-in. Note: International flights out should be booked after 9:00 PM.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Stone Town, Zanzibar