Tanzania Safari Tour

.

Sorry you missed this tour! If you’re interested in joining a future trip to Africa, please contact us.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

HIGHLIGHTS of the Tanzania Safari Tour include:

* Game drives through the Serengeti for sightings of the Big Five and other African wildlife.
* A Ngorongoro Crater walk with a local guide to learn about the local flora and fauna.
* Two days in Tarangire National Park for wildlife viewing of elephants, giraffes, impalas and more.
* Seeing herds of wildebeest roaming wild.
* Overnighting in tented lodges and bungalows for a comfortable yet rustic experience.
* Visiting the Rhotia Valley Children’s Home where we’ll meet the orphans who live there.
* A 5% discount on land costs for returning WanderTours participants

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Note: Cancellation fees apply. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before registering.

The adventure starts in Arusha, Tanzania, on Feburary 1, 2019. Many international flights arrive late at night into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). If you can, consider arriving a day or two in advance of the trip in case of flight delays. This will also help you get over jet lag.

If you’re a hiker, consider joining the Mt. Kilimanjaro Trek prior to the safari. 

Tanzania Safari Itinerary

Day 1
Friday, February 1, 2019 – Arusha
Meals: n/a

For those not already in-country from the Mt. Kilimanjaro trek, you’ll be met upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) by a driver and transferred to the hotel in Arusha, about a 50-minute drive away. It’s likely that your international flight will arrive late so no meals are included on this day.

Overnight in Arusha at The African Tulip hotel or similar.

Day 2
Saturday, February 2, 2019 – Arusha
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We’ll spend the day sightseeing in Arusha. We’ll visit the fantastic Tanzanite Museum to find out how this gem is mined (and you can shop if you like!). We’ll also visit the amazing Cultural Heritage Center, where artists from around Africa are highlighted. It’s one of the best places in Tanzania to find souvenirs including trinkets, paintings, beautiful carvings and more tanzanite (of course!). We’ll wrap up the afternoon at the Shangha River House and Coffee Lodge, a craft store and coffee house that supports people with disabilities.

We’ll have dinner al fresco at a wonderful nearby restaurant serving international fare.

Overnight in Arusha at The African Tulip hotel or similar.

Day 3
Sunday, February 3, 2019 – Arusha – Ngorongoro Crater
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, we’ll head to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for a full day of wildlife viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater. Technically, this isn’t a crater but actually a caldera, the sunken cone of a volcano that collapsed about 2.5 million years ago. Before its collapse, it was believed to have surpassed 19,341-foot-high Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The crater’s vertical walls rise nearly 2,000 feet from a grassy floor. It’s home to some of the last remaining black rhinoceros as well as lions, hyenas, leopards, serval cats, wildebeests, zebras, elephants and hippos. Giraffes are noticeably absent as they cannot negotiate such steep walls.

We’ll ascend the crater late in the afternoon and then overnight on the south side.

Dinner and overnight at Rhino Lodge or similar.

HIGHLIGHT – Today’s drive through the crater will be the start of many days filled with a variety of wildlife sightings. While we may not be so lucky as to see a rhinoceros, you can count on many other animals (and lots of birds) that make the crater their home.

Day 4
Monday, February 4, 2019 – Ngorongoro Crater – Ndutu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’ll start the morning with an approximately 2.5-hour easy walk along the crater rim with a knowledgeable park guide. This will be a great way to get out and about, stretch our legs and get some great views of the crater.

We’ll be walking in an area where elephants and buffalo roam (though we may only see signs of them such as dung and broken twigs). Our guide will take time to provide information about the wildlife, plants and geology of the crater.

After lunch, we’ll drive about 2.5 hours from Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Ndutu, which borders Serengeti National Park. Note that this drive may be longer if we encounter wildlife. En route, we’ll stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit a small museum that houses some of the first fossils of early man discovered by Louis and Mary Leakey in the 60s and 70s!

This area is famous for its wildebeest migration. In addition to wildebeest, we’ll likely see zebras, which are often found with wildebeest.

Dinner and overnight at Savannah Camp or similar.

Day 5
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 – Ndutu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On this day, we’ll rise before dawn and enjoy a bit of caffeine and biscuits before heading out on an early game drive. Though it’s difficult to predict exactly what we’ll see, it’s possible we’ll find wildebeest giving birth, cheetahs hunting and leopards enjoying their previous night’s kill. We’ll return late morning for brunch and a rest.

In the late afternoon, we’ll head out for another game drive. The local guides will let us know what the best chances are for wildlife viewing, but this might include cheetahs, lions and leopards.

Dinner and overnight at Savannah Camp or similar.

HIGHLIGHT! Have your cameras (and long lenses!) ready for this day of exciting wildlife viewing.

Day 6
Wednesday, February 6, 2019 – Ndutu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today will be similar to yesterday as we enjoy another full game drive day exploring the central Serengeti. Again, we’ll follow our guide’s lead in terms of the best wildlife sightings.

We’ll spend a third and final night in Ndutu.

Dinner and overnight at Savannah Camp or similar.

HIGHLIGHT! The wildebeest migration here is the second largest migration of animals on the planet—second only to the caribou in Alaska! We will likely be early for the full migration, but we’ll still see thousands of these animals.

Day 7
Thursday, February 7, 2019 – Ndutu – Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today will be a long drive (six hours) retracing our route through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Karatu.

Karatu is a farming area in the Ngorongoro Highlands and the perfect place to break up our journey between Ndutu and Tarangire National Park.

We’ll stop to visit a Maasai village where we’ll see their bomas (homes) and also get to enjoy  traditional music and dance. We’ll arrive in time to visit the market in Karatu that only happens twice a month!

Dinner and overnight at Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge or similar.

Day 8
Friday, February 8, 2019 – Lake Manyara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, we’ll depart for a day trip to Lake Manyara National Park. We’ll arrive in time to enjoy a bush lunch.

Known for its tree-climbing lions, this park is small, beautiful and exceptionally green. Located at the foot of the western wall of the Great Rift Valley, this area has towering trees and a long and narrow soda lake. The road ascends on the way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park.

We’ll return to Rhotia Valley in time to have a tour of this wonderful home for children!

Dinner and overnight at Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge or similar.

HIGHLIGHT! Located a short walk from our accommodations, we’ll stop by the Rhotia Children’s Home where we’ll get a tour of the home and meet some of the children who live there. These kids (mostly orphans) have to cope with HIV, malnourishment and family issues. We’ll provide a donation through WanderTours’ giving program, the WanderWorld Foundation.

Day 9
Saturday, February 9, 2019 – Karatu – Tarangire National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’ll start with a leisurely breakfast and then a chance to explore the local craft market at Mto wa Mbu, located just a short drive from Karatu. This will be one of our few market/souvenir shopping experiences during our game drive days.

We’ll have lunch on the way and then drive about 2.5 hours to Tarangire where we’ll check in to our lodge. Depending on our arrival time, we may take a guided walking tour to the lake where we’ll likely see flamingos!

Dinner and overnight at Lake Burunge Tented Camp or similar.

Day 10
Sunday, February 10, 2019 – Tarangire National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depending on the wildlife viewing and our energy levels, we may either take a guided walk today, do a short game drive or relax at the lodge. As on previous days, we’ll follow the suggestion of our guide(s) in terms of that day’s best wildlife sightings.

Dinner and overnight at Lake Burunge Tented Camp or similar.

HIGHLIGHT! Tarangire is one of the most scenic of the northern parks, due to its grassland, acacia woodlands and rocky hills. It’s best known for its large resident population of elephants because of the year-round availability of water in the Tarangire River. Some of the other wildlife we’ll see in the area include giraffes, impalas and waterbucks.

Day 11
Monday, February 11, 2019 – Tarangire National Park – Departure home
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today is our sad departure out of Tanzania. Inter-continental flights leave out of Kilimanjaro International Airport (a three-hour drive) while flights bound for other African destinations depart from Arusha Municipal Airport (a two-hour drive).

We may depart the park in time to do some last minute shopping in Arusha before our flights.

** Most international flights out of JRO depart at night, in which case your transfer cost is included in the tour cost. If you have an onward flight (particularly domestic) that leaves early, there may be an extra cost for your airport transfer. 

** Itinerary subject to change without notice.

________________________________________________________________

Sorry you missed this tour! If you’re interested in joining a future trip to Africa, please contact us.

Costs

Tour:
Single supplement:

Interested in sharing the cost with another fabulous traveler? We do our best to pair up our tour participants so you can avoid the single supplement. However, priority is given to the first deposits received. If you’re interested in sharing, please send in your deposit as soon as possible in order to take advantage of this benefit. (Why a single supplement? See this FAQ page for an explanation.)

Booking and Payment Details

Price includes: Accommodation, 28 meals, land transportation, local guides, tips.

Price does not include: Flights to and from Tanzania, visa, evacuation insurance (recommended), and purchases of personal nature such as souvenirs, tips and beverages.

This trip is limited to 15 people and requires an $800 deposit to secure your spot.

Minimum bookings required: 8 people (if minimum not reached, tour will still “go” with local guides only, rather than a tour escort such as Beth)

Final payment is due no later than December 1, 2018.

We love checks as it helps keep our costs down by avoiding pesky credit card fees. If you’re able to pay the deposit or full amount by check or wire transfer, we’ll not only love you more but we’ll send you a free copy of one of Beth’s books (your choice which one). ** U.S. residents receive a print copy; international residents receive a PDF.

Here’s our mailing address:

WanderTours
PO Box 16102
Seattle, WA 98116

Of course, you can pay by credit card as well. Simply click on the Register Now button below and you’ll be taken to PayPal where you add your debit or credit card information for the $800 deposit. Though this goes through PayPal, you do not need a PayPal account. Subsequent payments may be made through PayPal or by check (see above for our wonderful offer!). 🙂

Register now via PayPal by clicking on the Register Now button. You can sign in as a guest and do not need a PayPal account.

Note: Cancellation fees apply. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before registering.