Trip Info
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this tour begins and terminates in Arusha.
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Pop-up roof 4x4 vehicle
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Not for solo travelers
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Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost
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Can start any day
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Mid-range, private tour
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English
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All meals included
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1
Overview
Embark on a thrilling 7-Day Tanzania Big Five Safari and witness Africa’s iconic wildlife up close. Explore top national parks like Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, and enjoy exciting game drives in search of the Big Five for an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Tanzania.
Discover Serengeti Smile’s 7 days and 7 nights day-to-day itinerary, showcasing the Big Five and superior accommodation. Experience the wilds of Tanzania and photograph nature while getting full-board meals per day. Enjoy Arusha-based support, an English-speaking guide and a private 4×4 Jeep vehicle featuring facility such as power sockets and a replenishable supply of mineral water.
Highlights
- Can start any day
- Private tour
- Mid-range tour
- Can be customized
- Not for solo travelers
- Minimum age of 1 year
- A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Itinerary
Vehicles will pick you up from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Airport for the beginning of the safari your guide Tobess will stay with you during the safari. Our guide will then pick you up from the airport and take you to the accommodation you will be spending the night in Arusha. Arusha: Arusha is known as the gateway to the northern circuit and is ideal as a starting point for most of your trip.
Depending on you arrival response you may visit the markets or just relax, prepare for the following safari adventure. Accommodation will be provided for a night in Arusha so you can regain your strength for the days that lie ahead.
Main Destination: Arusha (City)
Accommodation: Gold Crest Hotel Arusha
- Medium sized hotel that is situated in Arusha (City).
Meals & Drinks:
- Meals at own expense
- Drinks not included
Your day starts with a healthy breakfast at your Lodge/accommodation, after which we proceed to Tarangire National Park. When you leave for the Selous, you will travel through some of the most beautiful regions in Tanzania. You should keep on the look out for because there is a possibility of seeing some wild animals on the road especially if one has done some research and seen that this route has some wilderness and this feels like a real taste of the safari that one is going to come across. Next up is Tarangire National Park characterized by a unique concentration of the famous baobab trees and wide-open country.
As soon as you arrive, your first experience will be a game drive to familiarize with the park and view such animals as large herds of elephants. In the evening, you will stay in your accommodation in Karatu and you will be able to share stories of that day.
Main Destination: Tarangire National Park
The best time to visit: The Tarangire National Park is during the months between July and November when the animals come to the Tarangire River.
High Season: June to October (most crowded in the park)
Best Weather: June to October (Little rainfall)
Wildlife in Tarangire NP: Elephant, Giraffe, Lion, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hippo, Hyena, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog, White Rhino, Black Rhino
Accommodation: Marera Valley Lodge
- It is a mid-range lodge found in Karatu (Town).
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After a sumptuous breakfast, you will depart from Tarangire and proceed to the world famous Serengeti National Park. This journey will help you to get through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area that attracts tourists with the beautiful view of Tanzania. Once you arrive to the Serengeti, you will start your game drive and explore the vast savannah and many animals. This strip features grassland where you may capture lions, cheetahs, as well herds of wildebeest and zebras on the move.
Your options for the first night are to stay in a protected location inside the park so that you will hear the sounds of the African night. Accommodation: Overnight stay will be in a Lodge in Serengeti National Park.
Main Destination: Serengeti National Park
The ideal timing: It is in the months of January and February and June to October but depending on the area of interest.
High Season: July to March (Seronera area is busiest)
Best Weather: June to October (Little to no rainfall)
Wildlife in Serengeti NP: Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Hippo, Hyena, Leopard, Black Rhino, Wild Dog, White Rhino
Accommodation: Land of Nature Camp
- Tourist class Accommodation type Tented camp in the Central Serengeti National Park
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today we devote our day entirely to enjoy the spectacle of the Serengeti . In the morning and afternoon you go for game drives to increase the possibility of spotting the wildlife of the park after having your breakfast. The acacia woodlands of the Serengeti can provide amazing experiences whether it is watching (by car or on foot) the great migration (during season) or watching while the carnivores hunt their prey. There will be ample opportunity to photograph the tapestry of savannah dotted with doum palms, capture the rugged rocks that the giraffe use as look-out points for spotting predators. Your experienced guide also adds value to the trip by providing you with information about the park and various animals during the trip throughout the day.
At the end of the day, you will leave the park and retire to your accommodation in the Serengeti area where you can recount your experience. Accommodation for the night will be in this park, this is Serengeti National Park.
Main Destination: Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Land of Nature Camp
- Tourist class Accommodation type Tented camp in the Central Serengeti National Park
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
As you wake up to a hearty breakfast, it is time to start off packing and leave the tremendously beautiful Serengeti behind you and start heading to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. During the trip, you will be able to drive through the beautiful scenery of the Serengeti and there are high chances of coming across wild animals. When you visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you begin your descent into the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater which has often been called the “Eighth Natural Wonder of the World”. Here you will be able to have close encounters with wildlife with the added bonus of beautiful landscapes and stunning view of the sunset; you will have high chances to spot the “Big Five”. Spend the day discovering the flora on the floor of the crater including the acacia woodlands, Savannahs and the ashy, rather alkaline soda lake.
Early in the afternoon, as the sunlight gives the scenery a rich rusty look, you will ascend from the crater and proceed to Karatu to spend the night. Accommodation for one night will be spent in Karatu.
Main Destination: Ngorongoro Crater
How to get here? Chance of rains: Best to avoid the place between December and April: Lay of the land: Best time to visit: June to October (best time for wildlife viewing)
High Season: People take their holiday during this period, from July to March.
The best time to visit: It is during the dry season, which is from June to October because the rain is rare.
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater: Black Rhino, Lion, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hyena, Elephant, Hippo, Leopard, Giraffe, White Rhino, Cheetah, Wild Dog
Accommodation: Marera Valley Lodge
- It is a mid-range lodge situated within a 1- 2 hours’ drive from the Ngorongoro Crater.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today we proceed for Masai mara game drive followed by packed lunch then proceed for our full day game drive to Lake Manyara National park which is famous for its beautiful landscape and varied vegetation. In the morning after breakfast, you will proceed into the park as the shores of Manyara provide a perfect set the stage for wildlife interactions. Watch out for pink flamingos flitting about the shallow waters accompanied by famous tree climbing lions and some hippos lazing around. Varying terrains within the park with the prospects of groundwater forests for example and the savannah you can sight some of the major animals like elephants, giraffes and baboons.
At the end of the day you will come back to Arusha for a night stay in the accommodation you will have booked. As a climax to your safari adventure, this is the perfect time to reflect on the experiences as you pack to leave. Accommodation will be prepared in Arusha, which will be spent on the first night of the tour.
Main Destination: Lake Manyara National Park
Best time to Visit: A good time to visit is late June through October when animals are easier to view.
Peak Season: The Peak Season is from July to March while the entire North is busy.
Best WeatherJune to October (Little rainfall)
Wildlife in Lake Manyara NP: Elephant, Giraffe, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hippo, Lion, Hyena, Leopard, Wild Dog, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Cheetah
Accommodation: Gold Crest Hotel Arusha
- Accommodation facility in the Arusha (City) category of hotels.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
On the last day on your Tanzania safari, you will have a grand breakfast at the lodge or hotel where you are booked in Arusha to bring your experience to a close. According to your flight tym, you will be tourned to the airport to say good bye to Tanzania but with sweet memories which will ever remain in your mind.
When you leave right now, memories and experiences etched in your mind, heart and soul, the desire to see more of Africa’s incredible wildlife will spur you on.
Main Destination: No major destination visited
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
- Drinks not included
End of tour
- Extra accommodation arrangements can also be made if need be at an extra cost.
- You will be taken to the airport.
Includes/Excludes
Cost Includes
- • Park fees (For non-residents)
- • All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- • All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- • A professional driver/guide
- • All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- • All Taxes/VAT
- • Roundtrip airport transfer
- • Meals (As listed in the day-by-day section)
- • Meals and Non-alcoholic Beverages (As stated in the day by day description.)
Cost Excludes
- • International flights (From/to home)
- • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- • Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- • Other expenses (Mementos, travel insurance, Visa expenses, etc.)
- • Increase in taxes and/or park fees as implemented by the government
- • Certain foods that are critical for performance (listed on a day-by-day basis)
FAQs
Activities included are accommodation and meals as per the itinerary, Tanzania park fees, shared game drives using a 4×4 safari van, Tanzania’s Big Five Odyssey comes with an English-speaking guide, and transfers to/from airport/airport. It also includes Tarangire National Park as well as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Park. Transportation, meals, and accommodation, visas, and travel insurance are not covered by the above cost estimates.
The option of 7 Days Tanzania’s Big Five Odyssey lets you see the famous African Big Five animals, which include lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos. Attractions in the Tarangire National Park include large numbers of elephants and landscapes with baobab trees. Being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, Serengeti National Park is best known for predators and the wildebeest migration. Ngorongoro Crater offers great opportunities to view the black rhino, while the famous tree-climbing lions and thousands of birds are present in the Lake Manyara National Park.
It is a 7-day package that takes you through the Tanzania’s Big five and the option between lodges or tented camps means that you get the comfort you desire but blended with the experience of a real safari. Depending on the package the price is for midrange to luxury lodges that have been well positioned to offer the best wildlife viewing opportunities. The facilities feature private bathrooms and kitchens and offer spectacular scenic views of the Tanzanian natural landscape.
Deciding the best time to embark on the 7-Day Tanzania’s Big Five Odyssey depends with your interest in different species of wildlife. The most optimal season to spot wildlife is in the dry season especially from the month of June to October since animals concentrate around water pans and rivers. The best times to see the migration is from December to July if you want to see the spectacle in the Serengeti. The tourist high season is during the green season, which lasts from November to May, when the landscapes are green, there are few people, and birds are easily observable.
Tanzania’s 7 Days Big Five Odyssey is not rigorous with regards to physical demanding activities although the long drives at the parks may prove tiring. Many of them include staying inside a safari car and visiting several parks. Some places may need walking and some of them may take one or two hours of walking but no hiking is involved. Most travellers, such as couples, families or older people will find it convenient to use it. If you have any medical conditions or any health issues at all, is advisable to seek medical advice from your doctor before any voyage.
When packing for the 7-Day Tanzania’s big five odyssey, clothes should be light-colored and should allow free breathing. Game drives early in the morning require warm clothes and a comfortable jacket to wear all day. Some advice before the hike includes good walking shoes, wearing a cap, shades, and carry sunscreen. Bring binoculars to enhance your view of the wildlife and a camera for photography of the beautiful sceneries. Just, do not forget to pack your insect repellent, toothbrush, tooth paste, and any other inevitable medical necessities. A small daypack is ideal to carry some of the main items when going for game drives.
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