A trip-of-a-lifetime awaits! Pack your camera and sense of adventure for this small group, all-inclusive African safari in Tanzania. This East African country boasts the largest concentration of wildlife per square kilometer, and there’s no better way to experience the rich biodiversity, singular beauty and cultural fascinations of Tanzania than with the leading providers of best-in-class travel from Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Manyara and beyond. Travel through baobab trees, dense bush and high grasses in Tarangire National Park in search of elephants, tree-climbing lions, olive baboons, and termite mounds. Espy wildebeest, zebras, elands and gazelles at Ngorongoro Crater, and spend a few days at Lake Manyara National Park, keeping on the lookout for its dizzying spectacle of over 400 bird species. All the while, enjoy the best in regional accommodations, delectable cuisine and Austin’s signature touch of inspired, thoughtful service as you indulge in the ultimate adventure of this exclusive African safari.
Serengeti National Park. Lake Manyara. Ngorongoro Crater. Each is a name synonymous with the best game-viewing on the planet. Step into a world of jaw-dropping scenery and prolific wildlife on this seven-day Tanzanian safari. Our expert guides handle every detail of this carefully-crafted itinerary, ensuring you have the best chances of experiencing up-close-and-personal encounters with some of Africa’s most iconic animals. At day’s end, indulge in the cozy comforts of fine wining, dining and ultimate relaxation.
Listen for the calls of baboons, monkeys, and canopy-dwelling birds at Lake Manyara, where lush forests, grassy plains, and 1,800-foot cliffs play home to (among others) elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, and the famous tree-climbing lion
Soak up an awesome spectacle of leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, aardwolves, serval cats, agama lizards, and rock hyraxes on the Serengeti Plain, one of the oldest ecosystems on earth
Get up-close with black rhinos, wildebeest, zebras, and elands on the floor of the ancient Ngorongoro Crater, a vast, 12-mile wide stretch of verdant plains, glistening lakes, and rolling mountains
Wrap up your day with a “sundowner” sipping cocktails as an orange sun sets over a baobab-flecked Serengeti horizon
A few more reasons why you've gotta go:
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The Ngorongoro Crater: This geological phenom is the result of a three-million-year-old extinct volcano which experts believe would have been the height of Kilimanjaro had it not collapsed when it erupted.
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The wildlife: One of the smaller parks in Tanzania, Lake Manyara National Park, is host to several animals, including giraffes and over 400 species of birds.
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Did we mention the wildlife? The Serengeti is considered to be the best wildlife reserve in Africa. Keep your eyes peeled for the Big Five (lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros)!
Jambo! Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport in Arusha, you will be met by a representative from Twiga Tours with champagne, wet towels, and some safari essentials. You’ll then be transferred to Tarangire National Park in time for lunch, leisure, and an afternoon game viewing drive in the park, followed by dinner.
About Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Completing the Northern Tanzania safari circuit, the lodge, built as a ‘low profile’ structure, nestles into a wooded hillside valley overlooking Tarangire Hill. The lodge can accommodate 160 guests in 75 suites with a private lounge and mini bar, a bedroom with two queen-size beds, an en-suite bathroom, and a private verandah which offers stunning views over the baobab studded landscape.
After breakfast, depart for the Ngorongoro Conservation area, stopping to enjoy breathtaking vistas along the way. Spend the afternoon relaxing at the lodge and enjoy the views of the crater below, the largest unbroken caldera in the world, and home to almost every species of African Plains mammal, including the endangered black rhino. We’ll have dinner at the lodge and call it a night.
About Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Spread out along the uppermost, eastern rim of the Ngorongoro World Heritage Site, the lodge offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. A day’s safari through this unique conservation area provides you with spectacular and memorable game viewing experiences.
Today we’ll descend some 600 meters into the crater for a full day of game-viewing with a picnic lunch. You’ll see prides of lions, herds of Cape buffalo, Thompson gazelles, rhinos, golden & black-backed jackals, zebras, cheetahs, leopards, and the spotted hyena all freely roaming the crater floor plains. Apart from its wildlife riches, the crater is also of great archaeological importance, with the remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors discovered in the area. Return to the lodge to rest up for tomorrow’s travels.
Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast then depart for the Serengeti National Park via Oldupai Gorge, where hominid footprints believed to be 3.6 million years old were found. We will enjoy an on-site talk on the interpretation of the gorge by the resident guide. After, we’ll arrive at the lodge for lunch before heading out for an afternoon game viewing drive in the park. Covering an area of 14,763 square kilometers, Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s oldest park and one of the world’s greatest wildlife refuges. The Serengeti ecosystem supports the largest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa, including more than three million large mammals. We’ll head back to Serengeti Sopa Lodge in time for dinner and a quiet evening to prepare for tomorrow’s adventure.
About Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Located on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the plains of the southwestern Serengeti National Park, home to many thousands of wild and rare animals, Serengeti Sopa Lodge lies within an area of outstanding natural beauty. An oasis of cool relaxation from the equatorial sun, the lodge allows its guests to experience magnificent sights and enjoy interaction with the land and animals difficult to find elsewhere, whilst at the same time enjoying the highest level of cuisine and hospitality.
This morning we depart with picnic lunch boxes for a full day of game viewing drives on the vast Serengeti Plains. In the early morning and evening light, the Serengeti landscape is stunningly beautiful. The rolling plains and grasslands, stretching far into the horizon, are home to the black-maned lion, the Savanna elephant, the Cape buffalo, and the Masai giraffe among many others. One is also spoilt by the variety of bird and wildlife species in this game reserve. Enjoy dinner and overnight at our lodge.
Optional activity: Dawn Balloon Safari over the Serengeti Plains ending with a champagne breakfast
After breakfast, we’ll depart on a pleasant drive to Lake Manyara National Park, known for its tree-climbing lions and abundance of birds. Arrive in time for lunch and some leisure time before heading out for an afternoon game viewing drive in this small but attractive park squeezed between the stunning Manyara soda lake and the steep rim of the rift valley. Return to the lodgings for dinner.
Optional activity: A cultural walk in the village of ‘Mto wa Mbu’
About Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Lake Manyara Serena Lodge is located at the edge of the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment and overlooks the Great Rift Valley and the Manyara soda lake. Each of the 67 spacious rooms has an en suite bathroom with shower facilities and a private veranda with spectacular views of Lake Manyara. Inspired by the abundant birdlife, the design of Manyara Serena Lodge is complimented by soft, geometric patterns and striking murals depicting bird migration patterns.
Wake up early with coffee or tea, and head off on your last trail of the African Savanna. Return to the lodge for breakfast before driving to Kilimanjaro International Airport where you can make your post-trip connections.
Meals Included
B
Departure Dates
Departs weekly.
Depart on Your Own Schedule / Custom Trip
Contact us for custom itineraries and departure dates
Your trip begins with your arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha, Tanzania, where you’ll be met by a Twiga Tours representative and transferred to Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
Activities
Hiking – Easy terrain, sightseeing walks accompanied by your guide.
Game Drives – Bring your camera and a keen set of eyes as your guide drives you around the area surrounding your lodge in search of big game, small creatures, and interesting African flora, geology, history, etc.
Cultural Discoveries
Come explore a country that has the largest concentration of wildlife animals per square mile, with more than 4 million wild animals and representatives of 430 species and subspecies! Listen to stories of the ancestors of Tanzania’s wild elephants, which didn’t roam the land but swam in the water! Were you aware that over 120 languages are spoken in Tanzania (most of these are Bantu languages)? Did you know that Tanzania is divided into 26 regions (mikoa) and further divided into 99 districts (wilaya)? Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed 7th worldwide wonder, the Serengeti, is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelles join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Located along the rusty gold, 2000-foot-high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park offers a wide array of wildlife as well as more than 400 species of birds! Even beginning birders have been known to observe over 100 species in a day! Scan Ngorongoro Crater for the large number of ungulates (hoofed animals) that call this place home (or at least migrate through the plains); among the animals you may see are wildebeest, zebras, elands, and gazelles. Come explore Tanzania with the experts in adventure travel!
Meals
The hallmark of an Austin Adventures vacation is our exceptional dining. Meals are included as indicated in the daily itinerary. (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner). Alcoholic beverages and related gratuities are not included in the trip price.
What's Included
Included in Trip Price
Double occupancy accommodations as stipulated in the itinerary.
Meals as indicated in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
Transportation on safari in a 4×4 land cruiser.
Services of a professional, English-speaking driver-guide.
Any necessary equipment – all safe and well maintained.
Park fees.
Austin Adventures T-shirt & luggage tags.
Pre-departure and packing information.
Not Included in Trip Price
Gratuities to camp staff and driver(s)/guide(s).
Soft and alcoholic beverages.
Visa fees.
Laundry services.
Pre-and post-trip accommodations and associated expenses.
Air and land transportation to/from host cities.
All types of personal insurance.
Personal expenses.
View the "Wow Factor" Included in Each Austin Adventure
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
1Easy (1)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
2Moderately Easy (2)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
3Moderate (3)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
4Moderate to Challenging (4)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
5Challenging (5)
Africa Expert
Carol Austin
Want to know how to fully experience the depth of beauty and culture in a place? Ask Carol Austin. A Montana native who treasures the land and people in her own backyard—be it Yellowstone, the Beartooths, or the family around her dinner table—Carol knows how to embrace any destination she explores, a feat at 40+ countries and counting. And with more than 20 years in the travel industry, she’s really good at helping guests plan—and fully enjoy—their adventure vacation, too. She co-founded Austin Adventures with her husband, Dan Austin.
