Duration(in days): 9
From: Kilimanjaro
To:
See more ideas for: Tanzania
Beginning at the base of Mt Kilimanjaro, you'll drive part way up the mountain for spectacular views and a tour of a coffee plantation. Then you'll make a day hike up to the first camp where climbers ascending to the summit usually stay. You'll be hiking through the jungle so been on the lookout for elephants and giraffes amongst the lush vegetation.
Next stop is Lake Manyara, famous for the clouds of pink flamingos that swarm above the lake, as well as the lions climbing the low trees around the edge of the water. Then you'll move on to Serengeti National Park, one of the most famous areas in the whole of Africa and home to wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelles. Watch giraffes nibble from the lush acacia trees, silhouetted against the famous African sunset.
Take an early morning game drive before breakfast then return for your final game drive in the Serengeti before heading to Ngorongoro Crater, where Masaai pastoralists breed their cattle alongside the wild animals that inhabit this spectacular area. Finally, you'll visit Tarangire National Park where it's 3,000 elephants are the main attraction. Spot giraffes, cheetahs and even the elusive leopards on a good day!
When you land in Kilimanjaro International Airport you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in Moshi where you’ll check in for 3 nights.
After breakfast, you’ll drive to Uru, a small village situated 1700 metres high up on the slopes of the mountain from which you’ll have fantastic views down onto the plateau. You’ll have a 3 hour tour of the coffee co-operative in the area, learning about how it is grown, harvested and roasted before meeting the farmers who produce some of the finest coffee in Africa on the inhabited slopes of Kilimanjaro. After a delicious lunch, head back to Moshi and spend the evening at leisure, relaxing under the shadow of the highest mountain in Africa.
After breakfast you’ll take a day hike through the national park, up to the first camp (Mandara Hut)for those who are climbing to the peak of Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route . Hike through the jungle and spot elephants and giraffes amongst the lush vegetation. After a tasty picnic lunch you’ll walk to Maundi Crater before descending back to the gate with stunning views of the plains beneath you.
This morning you’ll depart for Lake Manyara National Park where you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch and a game drive amongst the vast amounts of wildlife that inhabit the area. Tucked beneath the Rift Valley wall, Lake Manyara is famous for the clouds of pink flamingos that swarm above the lake, as well as the lions climbing the low trees around the edge of the water. It’s a great place to spot other birds – over 400 species live here from White Pelicans to Red-Billed Quelea. In the evening, check into your lodge for 2 nights and enjoy dinner before an early night, ready for a busy day tomorrow.
After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the Serengeti National Park, one of the most famous areas in the whole of Africa. Serengeti, meaning ‘endless plains’, is home to more than a million wildebeest , as well as zebra and Thompson’s gazelles, all of whom undertake their long trek from Kenya to Tanzania during the Great Migration. Watch giraffes as they wander along the river to nibble from the lush acacia trees, silhouetted against the famous African sunset. Check into your lodge for 2 nights in the midst of this stunning wilderness.
You’ll have a day to enjoy the stunning wildlife and landscapes of the Serengeti; taking long game drives through the park, between the towering termite mounds where aardvarks gobble up their prey at night and low-lying kopjes, where lions laze around as their cubs scamper up and down the rocks. There’s plenty of birdlife to admire as well, from tiny sunbirds to colourful storks and spoonbills.
After an early morning game drive in the park, spotting wildlife through the misty morning haze, you’ll return for breakfast before embarking on your final game drive in the Serengeti. After lunch you’ll be driven to the Ngorongoro Crater, where Masaai pastoralists breed their cattle alongside the wild animals that inhabit this spectacular area of Tanzania before checking into your camp for one night.
Surrounded by the lush walls of the crater, thousands of animals make the grasslands their home, whilst many more pass through it during the Great Migration. You’ll spend 6 hours touring Ngorongoro, taking in the magnificent views of wildlife, including Tanzania’s remaining black rhino population. You could spot hippos lounging in the water whilst elephant cool off by splashing themselves as zebras snort at each other and cheetahs dangle from trees in the bright sunlight.
On your final day in Tanzania you’ll drive to Tarangire National Park, an often overlooked park close by to the Serengeti. Elephants are the main attraction here, with over 3000 of them playing in the water but you can spot lanky giraffes, strutting cheetahs and even the elusive leopards on a good day! In the dry season, hundreds of thirty antelope trek to the Tarangire River for a drink, bringing their predators along with them. In the afternoon you’ll be driven back to the airport ready for your onwards flight.
The most popular time to visit Tanzania is from the months of June to September, hotels in popular areas are full at this time with high season prices, the weather is cooler and dry. From October to February the weather is hot particularly from December to February, prices will increase over the Christmas & New Year period. Heavy rains can affect travel from March to May with some areas becoming inaccessible. This can be cheaper time to travel however, rains rarely fall all day and the landscape is very green.
All of our itineraries are tailor-made to give you an idea of just some of what is possible; this means we can adjust as necessary to completely suit your needs! Let your travel consultant know how long you plan to spend away, what you like to do, what properties you like to stay in and an idea of your budget and we will do the rest!
9 nights accommodation in simple, clean & comfortable hotels & permanent tented camps.
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