Overview
Tanzania is known for its wild animals – elephants, big cats, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and so many more. Join Wilderness Inquiry to experience some of the last remaining true wilderness in the world. Our local safari guides are a fount of knowledge about local wildlife, culture and conservation issues. By the end of your trip, you’ll know many of the elephants by name. Travel by four-wheel drive in Toyota Land Cruisers to places like Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the eighth wonder of the world. Experience a day of traditional hunting and gathering with the Hadzabe Bushmen, a nomadic tribe. You will enjoy trying to learn the names of plants and animals in their click language. Meet extraordinary people and see ‘the Big Five’ on this exciting African adventure.
Sample Itinerary
Expand All FieldsDay 1: Welcome to Tanzania! Meet your group and settle into your accommodations.
Our guides will meet you at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), and bring you to your hotel in Arusha for a night of rest before the safaris begin.
Day 2: Begin your safari with a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park.
After an early breakfast, we’ll take a short drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Manyara, a relatively small but diverse park, is named for the shallow salt lake that occupies seventy percent of the park’s lands. Flooding and drying seasonally, this lake is home to thousands of flamingos and over 500 other bird species. During your exploration of the park, you’ll spot monkeys, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffalo and elephants. With some luck, you may see lions lounging on trees.
Day 3: Take in cultural excursions near Lake Eyasi.
Visit the Hadzabe (Bushmen) who are Tanzania's last hunter-gatherers. You’ll learn about their ways of life and practice shooting a bow and arrow. After eating breakfast in the bush, you’ll rest at the lodge before visiting a Datoga tribe. This tribe is known for their excellent metalworking skills as they make items out of iron such as weapons, jewelry, and tools.
Day 4: Explore the Ndutu Area.
The Ndutu Region forms part of the northern section of Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stretches to the unfenced southern reaches of the Serengeti National Park, a meeting point between these two incredible wilderness areas. This section of the park is made up of rolling grasslands peppered with alkaline lakes that attract flocks of flamingos, as well as acacia woodlands.
Day 5: Embark on a full-day game drive to see gathered herds.
After breakfast you will enjoy a full-day game drive in the Ndutu Area exploring a great range of various habitats such as swamps, woodland, soda lakes and the world-famous Serengeti short grass plains. The prime game viewing spot in the Ndutu Region is around Lake Ndutu, where enormous herds congregate between December and March to graze and calve. The forests and granite kopjes around Lake Ndutu are also home to lots of game outside of the migration months. Return to the lodge for a hot lunch and have an afternoon section of game drive until evening.
Day 6: Enjoy your first day in the world famous Serengeti National Park.
After an early breakfast, depart for the Serengeti. Driving into the park will be an unforgettable moment for anyone seeing it for the first time. As you progress well into the Serengeti, you will see why the name means“endless plains”. It is home to the Great Migration including 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras, and many varieties of antelopes. As for Big Cats and large predators, it is the place of choice to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and more. You’ll spend your first night in a tent camp surrounded by the plains and even animals right outside your door!
Day 7: Enjoy another day of game drives as you search for some of the world's most fascinating creatures.
Enjoy your second day of game drives in the world-famous Serengeti National Park. Take in spectacular views as you travel through the park in comfortable open-air safari jeeps. If you are into photography, you will take hundreds of photos on this day alone.
Day 8: Spot the rare black rhino and explore the wonder of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the eighth wonder of the world, Ngorongoro Crater, for an afternoon of game viewing. This unique 'fish bowl' of nature is home to four resident prides of lions and your best chance of seeing rare black rhino in the wild.
Day 9: Hike to a spectacular waterfall and see elephant caves.
Hike to the Endoro waterfall in the Ngorongoro Northern Highland Forest Reserve. Along the way, check out cave-like structures created by elephants digging up the earth to ingest the mineral-rich soil. Elephants migrate to this place from up to 500 miles away. In the afternoon, visit a traditional Iraqw home and learn about the tribe's unique culture from one of their elders.
Day 10: Travel to the village of Karatu and learn about Tanzania's culture and unique tribal system.
In Karatu, visit Kilimatembo Secondary School where you’ll have a chance to learn about Tanzania's education system and interact with the students. After lunch, visit a curio shop before continuing to the Mto Wa Mbo area for a cultural tour.
Day 11: Search for elephants, birds, and more in Tarangire National Park.
Make the morning drive to Tarangire National Park. View the incredible landscapes, animals, especially elephants, as well as spectacular birds, and giant baobab trees. You will see hundreds of elephants here—up close!
Day 12: Return to Arusha after shopping for a few souvenirs.
After a leisurely breakfast at your lodge in the morning, you will make your way back to Arusha for your flight home. On the way back, the group may stop at a local cultural market including Shanga, an Arusha based non-profit that employs people with disabilities to create unique, high-quality, handicrafts. Say goodbye to your new friends and make your way to the airport for your flight home.
What to Expect
TERRAIN/ROUTE: Tanzania has an incredible variety of ecosystems, ranging from desert plain to fertile rain forest to snow capped mountains. Land outside major cities is largely undeveloped and thus we’ll travel on some bumpy and dusty roads, and hike on some uneven terrain that will involve moderate elevation changes.
Read more »Frequently Asked Questions:
Where do we meet?
Standard Meeting Places and Times
Start: Kilimanjaro International Airport at 8:00 PM (local time)
End: Kilimanjaro International Airport at 7:00 PM (local time)
Transportation
This trip begins at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where Wilderness Inquiry will meet you around 8 PM, or whenever your flight arrives. You will be driven around in a WI van/jeep throughout the trip and then returned to the Kilimanjaro International Airport in the early evening on the last day. At the Kilimanjaro International Airport, there are daily flights from various European cities, South Africa, and sometimes New York. The most popular flights arrive in the evening. We plan to meet outside baggage claim and leave once everyone has made it through. This is usually around 8 PM but rest assured we won't leave without you even if you have a later arrival. Custom pickups outside this meeting time can also be arranged for a small fee. Detailed meeting place instructions will be sent to you when you are confirmed for the trip.
Are your safari trips accessible for a person who uses a manual wheelchair?
We have had participants who use manual wheelchairs successfully join us on safari in Kenya and Tanzania. The basic activity of riding in a vehicle for game drives is very accessible, but persons using wheelchairs will most likely need assistance transferring in and out of the vehicles. Also, most of East Africa was not designed for people who use wheelchairs. We have a variety of ways to make each trip more accessible, like using our "Rick-shaw" device to help on hiking trails, but the reality is it will be more difficult than getting around in the States. For this reason, we may ask you to bring a "Trip Assistant" to help with transfers and some physical issues, and we will ask for your patience as there may be situations that are just not practical for persons who use wheelchairs to participate in -- like a steep climb to a waterfall. Flexibility is key! Please call us to discuss.
Which immunizations do you recommend when traveling to an international destination?
Prior to departure, we recommend that you check with your doctor as early as possible to ensure you are up to date on your standard immunizations. Your doctor is in the best position to recommend specific vaccinations to specific destinations.
Will I have access to electricity in Tanzania?
Yes! All lodges on our Tanzania safari have access to electricity.
Do you have a single supplement for Tanzania Safari Adventure?
You can elect to guarantee a single room for the duration of the trip for $1200 during the registration process.