Small Group Tanzania Safari

Arrive in Arusha and transfer to your lodge, set on a working coffee plantation. Your private chalet near Mount Meru features a log fireplace and a balcony.

This morning, begin your safari adventure by enjoying one of these Design Your Day activities. Visit Ilboru Primary School, a project supported by A&K Philanthropy, to meet students facing special challenges. Explore Arusha on a Walking Tour, meeting resident entrepreneurs on an active introduction to local culture. Tour the Shanga Workshop with a private guide to learn about the handmade jewelry and homeware created there. Return to your lodge for lunch, and then fly to Tarangire National Park, where open grasslands, acacia trees and the Tarangire River paint the wild landscape. This afternoon, set out on a game drive. Tonight, gather with fellow guests for a welcome dinner.

Today, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in search of eland, oryx, wildebeest and zebra as well as the park’s large elephant population. Your local expert driver-guide draws on years of experience in the bush to locate the best wildlife viewing opportunities right as they happen. After lunch, you may wish to take advantage of activities available at an additional cost.

As you cross the Great Rift Valley, stop for a market visit in Mto wa Mbu, where stalls brim with vibrant local produce. Then, see the village from a different perspective as you Ride Like a Local on a tuk-tuk, viewing the local community and rice fields as you go. Next, take a scenic drive to tranquil Gibb’s Farm, where you stop for a lunch made with organic, just-picked ingredients. Later, arrive at the natural amphitheater of Ngorongoro Crater, a 2,000-foot-deep caldera. A fascinating microcosm of East African wildlife — including buffalo, flamingo, lion and leopard — resides inside. Climb the outer wall, passing through dense vegetation until a breathtaking view across the crater floor appears. Arrive at your camp, nestled in a wooded area with easy access to the crater floor and featuring elegant, tented accommodations adorned with handwoven rugs, comfortable beds with crisp linens and en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets. Relax on your veranda to view the panoramic natural wonderland.

This morning, descend into the crater, arriving ahead of most visitors — thanks to the closer proximity of your ideally located accommodations — to view the resident wildlife at its most active time of day. This afternoon, visit with an elder at a Maasai village, where you learn about the tribe’s traditional, nomadic lifestyle and coexistence with wildlife. Later, witness a dance performance at your tented camp. Sense the incomparable spirit of this pastoral, nomadic people who have kept their tribal traditions alive through countless generations of life in East Africa.

Fly to the fabled Serengeti National Park and settle into your remote, authentic camp. Then, set out on the boundless Serengeti, one of the oldest and least-changed ecosystems on earth, where the circle of life plays out every day. It is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of wildlife, with lion, hyena and leopard all roaming free. For a portion of each year, dictated by weather patterns and the unpredictable nature of wild animals, vast herds of wildebeest and zebra move through the Serengeti in search of grass and water as part of the year-round Great Migration cycle. This evening, sip a cocktail and reflect on the majesty of Africa during a relaxing Scenic Sundowner experience.

Venture out on a morning game drive in the protected Serengeti refuge, where flowing rivers support a plethora of species. In addition to lion, elephant, Cape buffalo and leopard, keep your camera handy for sights such as a cheetah bolting after a fleet-footed Thomson’s gazelle. Take a break for a private lunch in the bush — an Hidaya Africa Tours & Travel luxury safari specialty — savoring fine food and drink as a symphony of wildlife sounds envelops you. On this afternoon’s game drive, once again enjoy ideal game viewing as your highly experienced driver-guide strives continually to keep you in the heart of the action. Tonight, gather for a memorable farewell dinner.

Fly to Arusha and enjoy lunch. Relax in a comfortable dayroom before transferring to the airport for your flight home.