12 Days Tanzania Active Safari
Moshi - Lake Duluti - Tarangire Nationalpark -
Lake Manyara Nationalpark - Lake Eyasi - Ngorongoro Crater -
Ngorongoro Conservation Area -
Serengeti National Park - Lake Natron - Arusha
Highlights
Tanzania offers a natural and cultural heritage that is unique in the world. The safari country owes its fame to the numerous, important national parks, the nature reserves and the many protected areas. During game drives you will discover this unique animal world. Learn more about the Hadzabe culture and go hunting with them. Experience nature up close on a short hike in the Olduvai Gorge. Immerse yourself in the country’s traditions and experience Tanzania on this unforgettable safari. You spend the night in impressive lodges and comfortable living tents surrounded by typical African nature. On this Tanzania safari you can expect an authentic nature experience with easy hikes.
Karibu sana! Warmly Welcome in Tanzania!
Individual arrival to Kilimanjaro Airport. Airport pickup and accommodation transfer to Moshi town. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Accommodation: Bed&Breakfast in Moshi
Meals: 1x dinner
Early in the morning you set off on a bike tour with a local, English-speaking guide. The path takes you on your bike through beautiful landscapes: African bushland with dry riverbeds, baobab trees, acacias and sugar cane plantations. Your destination is a Maasai village. During the visit you will have the opportunity to chat and interact with the Maasai. Your guide will help you communicate and translate into the Maasai language – Kimaasai, as the Maasai themselves mostly do not speak any other languages. As you walk through the village with your guide, you will learn more about the culture of the people. This also includes a lesson in traditional Maasai medicine and the opportunity to taste the local Maasai tea. You also have the opportunity to visit a Maasai house.
Afterwards, leave the village and continue cycling to the Hot springs near Rundugai village. The hot springs are certainly one of the most beautiful places in the area – surrounded by fig trees, palm trees and tangled roots, the hot springs are a true hidden paradise. The crystal clear, turquoise water invites you to take a refreshing swim. It is called a hot spring, the water in the Hot Springs is not actually hot, but rather refreshing as it comes directly from Kilimanjaro. After swimming, enjoy lunch. In the late afternoon you return to Moshi well-rested.
Driving distance: approx. 28 km
Accommodation: Bed&Breakfast in Moshi
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch 1x dinner
Today we continue our activity with a hike and a canoe trip at Lake Duluti. Lake Duluti is an idyllic crater lake east of Arusha, beautifully situated amidst green, lush forests. The forest area is home to numerous species of reptiles and birds. Enjoy a hike through the Duluti forest and then a canoe ride on the lake. A shady path leads through the forest. During the guided hike around the lake, you will learn more about the interesting history of the lake and its animal and plant diversity from an experienced guide. After a picnic lunch, we go out on the lake by canoe. During the canoe tour, you paddle through the calm waters of the lake and enjoy the views of the surrounding landscape. Discover the local wildlife, such as the osprey circling above the lake and the numerous species of birds that nest on the lake’s shores.
In the afternoon you will travel in the vehicle towards Tarangire National Park and to your accommodation.
Accommodation: Tented Lodge
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
An extensive game drive is on the program in Tarangire National Park. With its characterful landscape, this animal paradise differs significantly from the other parks in the north. The landscape appears unspoilt and is characterized by sparse tree savannahs with baobab trees and doum palms as well as wide swampy plains. The Tarangire River valley is of unique beauty, especially in the dry season, and can be overrun with wildlife. The river is then the only permanent source of water and is therefore the destination of huge herds of elephants, but also of wildebeest, zebras, giraffes and many other animal species. The park’s hilly topography allows for wonderful views of the varied landscape.
Accommodation: Tented Lodge
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
A full-day game drive immerses you in the unique atmosphere of Lake Manyara. Nestled in one of the most spectacular landscapes in northern Tanzania, this park lies at the foot of the East African Rift Valley. The park is a scenic gem with its lush groundwater forests, open grasslands and pristine lakeshores. Two thirds of the park is occupied by the alkaline lake, which is populated by tens of thousands of flamingos during the rainy season. There is a remarkable wealth of animals in a small area. Large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra congregate on these green plains. The sprawling branches of the acacia trees are the preferred habitat of the legendary tree lions. Elephants, giraffes, hippos and numerous antelope species can also be spotted. Lake Manyara is also a bird paradise – over 400 species are represented here.
After extensively exploring the national park, drive to your lodge. This is located in a rural area near Karatu.
Accommodation: Lodge in Karatu
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
Today you’ll take a trip to Lake Eyasi, where you’ll have the opportunity to visit two of Africa’s oldest surviving ethnic groups: the Hadzabe and the Datoga. The Hadzabe are traditionally hunters and gatherers and one of the last ethnic groups to still use stone tools until recently. They feed on hunting and collecting berries and honey. We continue to the Datoga, who are skilled blacksmiths and, among other things, make the arrowheads for the Hadzabe. The tribes live in and from nature and in complete harmony with it.
Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon you will visit the Ngila Coffee Estate, one of the most beautifully situated farms in all of Tanzania. Over 120 tons of the best Arabica highland coffee are harvested every year on over a hundred hectares with around 150.000 coffee trees. Animals from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area regularly roam the farm. The farm belongs to the Meyer family, who constantly improve the quality of the coffee with a lot of love. Today, the Ngila Coffee Estate works with proven and experienced Tanzanian employees to produce highland coffee that meets the high demands of quality-conscious roasters and coffee lovers, which you can see for yourself during the subsequent coffee tasting.
Accommodation: Lodge in Karatu
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x lunch, 1x dinner
Today you explore a little gem among all the incomparable national parks in northern Tanzania: you drive down to the bottom of the Ngorongoro Crater. This massive Ngorongoro caldera is a wonder of the world. In fact, there is hardly any place on earth comparable in terms of biodiversity and population numbers. In just a few hours you have the opportunity to see almost all of Africa’s important animals in a relatively small area. A narrow track leads down the steep crater walls, which eventually merge into the rolling grasslands of the crater floor. In addition to lions, wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes and elephants, there is a great chance of seeing the rare black rhinoceros. After the crater tour, you leave Ngorongoro and enjoy the unique view from the crater rim again.
Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Lodge in Karatu
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
In the morning you will go on a hike along the Ngorongoro Crater rim accompanied by an armed ranger. On this crater rim hike, enjoy spectacular views of the mighty Ngorongoro Crater and look for a variety of forest birds, wildlife and native plants. After driving to the scenic starting point, the hike takes you along the crater rim through magnificent foliage, past colorful wildflowers and lush trees that can only be found in the Ngorongoro Highlands. On this hike you can spot mountain forest birds and also larger animals such as giraffes, zebras and elephants (that’s why you are always accompanied by an experienced guide and armed rangers). During the hike, your guide will tell you about the traditional medicinal uses of different plants and show you animal tracks. The approximately two-hour hike leads over uneven terrain and through bushes, but is not very strenuous and only requires an average level of fitness.
After the picnic lunch we continue towards Serengeti. In the afternoon you reach the seemingly endless plains of the southern Serengeti. Covering almost 15.000 square kilometers, the Serengeti is dominated by vast open plains teeming with wildlife. You head into the heart of the Serengeti and on the way you can observe many wild animals in the seemingly endless plains and on the kopjes. Your lodge is located in the heart of the Serengeti. The cozy tented camp in the middle of the African savannah makes African dreams come true! Enjoy the evening around the campfire under the starry sky!
Accommodation: Tented Camp
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
Today you go on a full day game drive in the Serengeti. Undoubtedly the most famous nature reserve on earth, it offers unparalleled natural beauty and a stunning diversity of wildlife. The Serengeti is home to the largest wild concentration of ungulates in Africa such as wildebeest, antelope, buffalo and zebra, which are regularly spotted in the vast plains of the Serengeti. Lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas are also always present and regularly patrol the open savannah. The African wild dogs, which hunt in packs, are a special feature. A safari in the Serengeti is one of the untamed wilderness experiences in Africa. The Serengeti has become famous for the ‘Great Migration’, the seasonal migration of animal herds – the largest animal show on earth! In search of water and pasture, millions of wildebeest, zebras and various gazelles cross the entire Serengeti from the south north to the Masai Mara in Kenya and back again in a seasonal cycle. The herds instinctively follow the rain and are on a never-ending journey. At the end of the day, enjoy a good meal at camp and listen to the sounds of the wilderness.
Accommodation: Tented Camp
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
Today starts very early. You cross the Serengeti in a northern direction and further exciting animal observations await you. You leave the national park via the remote northern route. Adventurous slopes take you to the crater highlands and Lake Natron. On the way you have wonderful views of the Rift Valley and from far you can see striking mountains such as Ol Doinyo Lengai. You reach Lake Natron and the sight of the lake with the thousands upon thousands of flamingos that seasonally populate the lake’s surface is fascinating.
Accommodation: Lodge
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
This day will be spent exploring Lake Natron, a secluded and unique area. You will go on a guided hike to the lake, Ngare Sero waterfall and a local Maasai village.
Lake Natron is located at the lowest point of the Great Rift Valley at an altitude of 600 m above sea level. The lake is fed by natural springs from the surrounding volcanoes and is rich in a mix of salts and minerals. These minerals appear when the water level drops in the dry season, forming a purple crust on the surface of the lake. Salt-loving microorganisms thrive here, giving the lake its deep red color. The warm water can reach temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius and is highly alkaline. From June to November, over 2 million lesser flamingos gather at the lake to breed. The flamingos nest on the small salt islands that form in the dry season and feed on the algae that grow in the salt water.
Before breakfast, take a stroll to the shores of Lake Natron. At this time the light is at its most beautiful and the flamingos have not yet retreated to the middle of the lake. After breakfast, our Maasai guide will lead you through the gorge to the nearby waterfall. The hike takes about 1.5 hours and at the finish you will be rewarded with a wonderful view and a wonderful swim in the natural pool at the foot of the waterfall. Have lunch as a picnic at the foot of the waterfall. In the late afternoon you take a short trip to the 120.000 year old fossilized footprints in cooled lava. Recent research has confirmed that these well-preserved human footprints represent the oldest Homo sapiens footprints ever found.
Accommodation: Lodge
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch, 1x dinner
In the morning you will make your way back to Arusha. The drive to the main road near Lake Manyara leads along an unpaved road and along the way you have magnificent views of the fascinating volcanic landscape. Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. Individual return or onward journey.
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x packed lunch
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Active trip according to the program
- Experienced English speaking safari guide, local guides and rangers on activities
- Transport in a special 4×4 safari jeep landcruiser with an opening roof
- Excursions, activities and sightseeing as per itinerary
- National park fees
- Game drives in all national parks
- Guided mountain bike tour from/to Moshi to a Maasai village and hot springs (including rental bike, helmet, snacks, water and packed lunch)
- Hike and canoe trip on Lake Duluti
- Trip to Lake Eyasi
- Tour of Ngila Coffee Farm in Karatu
- Guided hike along the Ngorongoro crater rim
- Activities at Lake Natron (visit the lake, hike to the waterfall)
- All meals, Lunch is served on the way in the form of a picnic with lunch boxes
- 1 bottle (1.5 liters) of mineral water per person/day
NOT INCLUDED
- Meals and drinks not mentioned
- Optional excursions and activities
- Personal expenses, tips