Lodge-to-lodge road trip through the heart of Tanzania’s national parks

Welcome to Tanzania! On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), a transfer will take you to your accommodation in Arusha, where you’ll spend the first night of your trip.

Depending on what time you arrive, you may still have time to relax and get ready for your safari. Tomorrow, you’ll set off for Tarangire with your local driver-guide.

In the morning, your local driver-guide picks you up from your hotel in Arusha. After a short briefing, you’ll head to Tarangire National Park, your first safari park. Your roadbook includes extra information about the route and the places you’ll visit along the way.

Tarangire is known for its impressive baobab trees, open savannahs and large population of elephants. During the dry season in particular, many animals gather around the river. From your 4x4, you’ll set out with your driver-guide to spot wildlife and explore the park at a relaxed pace.

After the safari, you’ll spend the night in an atmospheric lodge with a swimming pool, close to Lake Manyara.

You start the day around Mto wa Mbu, near Lake Manyara. This lively town is a unique cultural crossroads, home to people from more than a hundred different ethnic groups across Tanzania.

Today, you continue on to Ndutu. Along the way, you climb from the lush Rift Valley into the highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The landscape is constantly changing, from forested slopes to vast plains dotted with acacia trees.

Your driver-guide takes you through this remarkable wildlife area as you keep an eye out for animals along the way. By the end of the day, you’ll reach your safari camp in the Ndutu region, where you’ll spend the night in the heart of the savannah.

Today, you’ll explore the vast plains of Serengeti National Park. Together with your driver-guide, you’ll search for wildlife among the tall grass, acacia trees and distinctive rock formations.

You’ll take your time to observe. You might see lions resting on a rock, zebras crossing the plains or a leopard hidden among the branches. Your guide will help you spot wildlife and tell you more about the animals’ behaviour.

At the end of the day, you’ll travel to Ikoma, where you’ll spend the night at a safari camp outside the national park.

Today, you head back into the Serengeti for a second day on safari. With more time in the park, you’ll discover different landscapes and have new opportunities to spot wildlife. Your driver-guide will help you look for animals and share more about tracks, animal behaviour and life on the savannah along the way.

After the safari, you’ll travel back to the Ndutu region, on the border between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Your final night awaits at a safari camp in the heart of the savannah.

As the light softens and evening sounds fill the savannah, you’ll get one last chance to enjoy this special place in the wild.

Today, you leave the open plains of Ndutu behind for one of Tanzania’s most impressive landscapes: the Ngorongoro Crater. From the lush green crater rim, you’ll look out over a vast natural bowl surrounded by steep volcanic walls.

With your driver-guide, you’ll descend to the crater floor for a memorable safari. Grasslands, water and wooded areas lie close together here, creating a habitat for all kinds of wildlife. Keep an eye out for lions, buffalo, zebras and perhaps even the rare black rhino.

After the safari, you’ll leave the crater behind and continue to the lush highlands around Karatu, where you’ll enjoy dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.

After breakfast, you’ll travel from the Karatu area back to Arusha. Along the way, watch the landscape change once again, from lush highlands to the lively villages along the route.

In Arusha, you’ll spend the last night of the Tanzania Nomads programme. Take some time to relax and look back on your safari. For dinner, choose a restaurant or eat at your accommodation.

Today, your Tanzania Nomads safari comes to an end. Depending on your onward travel plans, you’ll still have time to relax or explore Arusha.

Flying home from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)? The included transfer will take you to the airport.

Have you decided to extend your trip, for example with a few days on Zanzibar? Then the next part of your adventure starts today. This extension is not part of the Tanzania Nomads programme. Let us know your onward plans in advance, so we can work out which transfer you need.