9 days / 8 nights - Complete North
- Parks and reserves:
Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park - Activities included:
Wildlife safari (game drives) - Optional activities:
Hot air balloon, walking safari, canoeing safari, cultural walks, night game drive - Pre/post safari accommodation:
Included - Best months for this tour:
January to December - Commonly seen animals:
Elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, jackal, vulture, warthog, impala, ostrich, hyena, waterbuck, blue monkey - Occasionally seen animals:
Hyena, marabu, caracal, leopard - Rarely seen animals:
Cheetah, wild dog
Day 1 - Pre-safari arrival day
Direct arrival to Arusha for your overnight stay.
- Distance from previous location: None
- Expected game drive: None
- Optional activities: None
- Meals included: None
- Commonly seen: None
- Occasionally seen: None
- Rarely seen: None
Day 2 - Full day Arusha National Park, night at Outpost Lodge (Arusha)
Today you will start your safari in Arusha National Park, home of Tanzania's second highest peak Mount Meru. This is a relatively small park with various habitats and common animals to start your wildlife experience.
- Distance from previous location: 1 hour
- Expected game drive: En-route, Afternoon
- Optional activities: Olduvai Gorge Museum visit
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Commonly seen: Giraffe, buffalo, zebra, warthog, colobus monkey, blue monkey, flamingo. bushbuck.
- Occasionally seen: Elephant, hippo
- Rarely seen: Leopard, wildebeest, hyena
Day 3 - Outpost Lodge to Tarangire Campsite
Depart from Arusha in the morning to Tarangire National Park for your game drives. Tarangire is famous for it's herds of elephants and giant Babobab trees. You will camp at the Tarangire campsite today with meals prepared by your personal cook.
- Distance from previous location: 2-3 hours
- Expected game drive: Late morning, Afternoon
- Optional activities: Walking safari
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Commonly seen: Elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, jackal, vulture, warthog, impala, ostrich, hyena, waterbuck, blue monkey.
- Occasionally seen: Hyena, marabu, caracal, leopard.
- Rarely seen: Cheetah, wild dog.
Day 4 - Tarangire Campsite (Tarangire) to African Manyara Campsite (Mto wa Mbu)
Today you drive to Lake Manyara National park – situated at the bottom of the western wall of the spectacular Great Rift Valley. You will spend your day exploring this small safari park with a variety of habitats and slightly varied scenery to the usual savannah based parks. Later proceed towards your overnight location Mto wa Mbu.
- Distance from previous location: 1-2 hours
- Expected game drive: Morning, afternoon
- Optional activities: Cultural walks, night game drive
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Commonly seen: Elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, vulture, warthog, impala, flamingo, marabu, hyena, waterbuck, dik-dik, blue monkey.
- Occasionally seen: Lion, serval, mongoose.
- Rarely seen: Cheetah, leopard.
Day 5 - African Safari Manyara Campsite to Serengeti National Park to Seronera Campsite
Proceed for an en-route game drive in Serengeti National Park, the home of the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world. You will spend the afternoon exploring the central Serengeti plains and camp at Seronera campsite for the night.
- Approx driving distance: 3-4 hours
- Expected game drive: En-route, Afternoon
- Optional activities: Olduvai Gorge Museum visit
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Commonly seen: Elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, cheetah, hyena, warthog, kudu, leopard, ostrich, mongoose, hyrax, dik-dik.
- Occasionally seen: Crocodile, caracal, serval, klipspringer.
- Rarely seen: Black rhino, wild dog.
Day 6 - Full day Serengeti, night at Seronera campsite
You will spend a full day in Serengeti National Park searching for the big 5 in this world famous safari destination. The savannah is so vast that you likely will only explore a small portion of the park even in a couple of days.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Expected game drive: Morning, en-route
- Optional activities: Hot air balloon safari, Olduvai Gorge Museum visit
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Commonly seen: Elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, cheetah, hyena, warthog, kudu, leopard, ostrich, mongoose, hyrax, dik-dik.
- Occasionally seen: Crocodile, caracal, serval, klipspringer.
- Rarely seen: Black rhino, wild dog.
Day 7 - Seronera Campsite (Serengeti) to Simba Campsite (Ngorongoro)
You will spend your morning today continuing to explore the central Serengeti plains. An optional early morning hot air balloon safari can be included to offer views of the Serengeti from up high. Towards the early afternoon you will start your journey back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and spend your night on the Ngorongoro Crater rim.
- Approx driving distance: 3-4 hours
- Expected game drive: Morning, en-route
- Optional activities: Hot air balloon safari, Olduvai Gorge Museum visit
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Commonly seen: Elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, cheetah, hyena, warthog, kudu, leopard, ostrich, mongoose, hyrax, dik-dik.
- Occasionally seen: Crocodile, caracal, serval, klipspringer.
- Rarely seen: Black rhino, wild dog.
Day 8 - Simba campsite (Ngorongoro) to Outpost Lodge (Arusha)
Your final day on safari starts with an early departure down into the Ngorongoro Crater where it's not uncommon to find all of the Big 5 in one day, and likely where you will spot a black Rhino (if you didn't catch one in Serengeti). You spend the morning exploring the crater floor and in the early afternoon you start your long drive back to your final destination (Arusha, Moshi or Kilimanjaro International Airport for late flights).
- Approx driving distance: 5-6 hours
- Expected game drive: Morning
- Optional activities: None
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
- Commonly seen: Elephant, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, hyena, jackal, vulture, warthog, impala, flamingo, ostrich, waterbuck.
- Occasionally seen: Black rhino, cheetah, dik-dik
- Rarely seen: Leopard, caracal, serval.
Day 9 - Post-safari departure day
After breakfast, your services with us end.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Expected game drive: None
- Optional activities: None
- Meals included: Breakfast
- Commonly seen: None
- Occasionally seen: None
- Rarely seen: None
Standard packages usually include:
- 1 Night accommodation at a base lodge on BB basis before trek
- 1 Night accommodation at a base lodge on BB basis after trek
- All National Park conservation, park entry, hut, ranger and rescue fees for itinerary
- Trained, certified and experienced English speaking mountain guide/s
- Mountain porters (1 x porter carrying personal mountain luggage of 12kg for Meru per 1 person)
- Chef/cook, waiter porter and eating utensils
- Meals indicated on the itineraries [B = breakfast, L = Hot lunch or packed lunch, D = dinner]
- 1 x transfer from a Moshi or Arusha based lodge to park gates; per group
- 1 x transfer back to a Moshi or Arusha based lodge to park gates; per group
- Boiled drinking water on trek (from 1st hut on-wards)
- Basic first aid kit per group
- 1 pulse oximeter per group for twice daily health checks with guide
Optional extras and comfort upgrades:
- Supplemental oxygen or emergency oxygen cylinders
- Comfort upgrades such as a personal porters for extra luggage, summit porters etc.
- Airport or other transfers
- Additional transfers from park gates to lodges
- Domestic flights
- Extra nights’ accommodation at a lodge
- Personal mountain equipment such as sleeping bags, walking poles, duffel bags etc.
Our standard packaged usually exclude:
- Tips / gratuities
- Beverages such as soft drinks, alcohol etc.
- International flights
- High altitude trekking insurance (visit recommended provider)
- Items of a personal nature
- Water on first day of trek
- Metal & hard plastic water bottles, water bladders etc. (note: soft plastics are not permitted on the mountain)
When to visit
These recommendations are based on weather predictions and trends.
Excellent time
January, February, July to October, December
Good time
March, June, November
Mixed time
April, May
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Why choose Shah Tours?
- 35+ years experience
- Family owned & operated
- High quality equipment and fleet
- Responsible and externally monitored
- Superior & experienced guides
- Safe, secure and reliable
- Over 100,000+ happy clients
- Supporting the local community
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