Our Tanzania safari combines a focus on the Great Migration with visits to some other true Northern Circuit highlights as we begin at beautiful Manyara and end at huge, Sandwiched in between are two of our country’s other ‘unmissable,’ namely the world-renowned Serengeti with its endless plains and seemingly endless animals and the incomparable, awe-inspiring Ngorongoro Conservation Area with its extraordinary volcanic crater.
Tour Duration:
09 days, 08 nights (02 nights in Arusha, 01 night in Lake Manyara, 02 nights Central Serengeti, 02 nights Northern Serengeti, 01 night in Ngorongoro.)
Tour Itinerary:
Day1: Arrival Day and Welcome to Tanzania
Whatever your arrival time at Kilimanjaro International Airport, your Tortilis Camps driver-guide will be waiting for you with a warm welcoming smile. Kick back and relax in your comfortable vehicle as he takes you to your hotel in Arusha, Tanzania’s self-styled ‘safari capital.’ On your journey to the hotel, you will get a brief impression of this large, bustling, commercial city.
Meal Plan Dinner at your hotel in Arusha: Comfort level: Kibo Palace under Full Board
Day2: Arusha to Arusha National Park
Tour Briefing
Unless your arrival time yesterday allowed time for your safari briefing, then this will take place after breakfast. We will provide you with all the essential information, before we set off to our first safari destination, the nearby Arusha National Park, where we will enjoy a walking safari before lunch, then first taking to the water for our canoeing safari and then an afternoon game drive. In the evening, we will return to your Arusha accommodation (see above) for your dinner, and to spend the night.
Journey: Arusha to Arusha National Park
From your Arusha accommodation, the journey to Arusha National Park will take around ½ hours (35km).
Day’s Highlight
With a walking safari, time on the water in a canoe and a game drive, there are plenty of highlights to chose from today!
Walking Safari in Arusha National Park
Accompanied by a park ranger, we will choose from a number of routes, depending on what this small but beautiful park has to offer today and how far you might want to walk. Your park ranger might show you the deep holes dug by aardvarks, or explain how an acacia tree emits a warning scent to other acacias! Be on the lookout for zebra, duiker, giraffe and hippo. The black-and-white colobus monkey is a favorite in this park, while in the skies, egrets and sacred ibis can often be observed. Even the trees have a story to tell. You might meet the aptly named strangler fig, which sucks the life out of other trees. You might encounter warthog and buffalo, often seen together, with the former possessing a good sense of sight and hearing, while the buffalo relies on smell to alert to impending danger. A perfect symbiosis.
You might also have the chance to visit one of the park’s picturesque waterfalls, such as Talulusia, as it plummets 30 metres down to a rocky base.
After our walking safari, we will enjoy our well-earned lunch, before our afternoon activities.
Canoeing Safari in Arusha National Park
As colourful dragonflies buzz around this small lake, a birdwatcher’s paradise you will take to the water for a different type of adventure. But it’s not insects, but hippos which are the big attraction here. Very territorial, they will let you know with a threatening bellow if your canoe gets too close! In the distance, magnificent Mount Meru might show its summit above the clouds. Perhaps a few flamingos might put on a little air display, taking off, circling seemingly pointlessly and then returning to the water surface. Everywhere, a sense of calm prevails…yet the thought of the giant three-tonne hippos being out there, somewhere, leaves us with a sense of nervousness.
Afternoon Game Drive in Arusha National Park
It may be small, but Arusha National Park can boast a number of highlights, which your morning activities will have demonstrated! But this afternoon, we will relax in our vehicle as your driver-guide shows you the rest of what this little gem has to offer.
And its areas are impressively different, with Mount Meru towering above the Momela Lakes, the montane forest area and the perfectly formed crater of Ngurdoto. In some ways, this is a Tanzania in miniature! Comfort level: Kibo Palace under Half Board
Day3: Arusha city – Lake Manyara National Park
Tour Briefing
Today, we will provide you with all the essential information, before we set off westwards to our first safari destination, Lake Manyara National Park.
Journey: Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park
Our two-hour journey takes us westwards from Arusha. Along the route, your eyes will be opened to all the colours and character of Tanzania: perhaps some Maasai herdsmen driving their flocks of goats to new pastures. You’ll get to know your driver-guide, amazed at his depth of knowledge as he effortlessly answers all your questions.
Day’s Highlight
Your game drive in wonderful Lake Manyara, with the Rift Valley escarpment and the lake itself as the wonderful, natural backdrops.
Safari (Game Drive) in Lake Manyara National Park
After briefing, we jump in our vehicle to cover the highlights of this park. Set against the rugged Rift Valley escarpment, and characterized by its shimmering lake, Manyara is rich in vegetation and the wildlife that thrives here. Enjoy the tranquillity as majestic pink flamingos wade elegantly, picking out a meal of algae from the shallow, alkaline waters. On land, Manyara’s terrain is compact, yet boasts differing environments such as diverse forests fed by waters seeping from the nearby escarpment. Monkeys are abundant, but look out too for the lions, giraffe, warthog and grumpy Cape buffalo who all call this park ‘home’. Hold your nose when we reach the hippo pool, because these big lumps smell!
Meal plan
Lunch will be provided by driver guide and enjoyed while out on safari. Your dinner will be a full, cooked meal created by the team at the camp. Comfort level: Lake Manyara Tortilis Camp under Full Board
Day4: Lake Manyara - Central Serengeti
Journey: Lake Manyara – Central Serengeti
With Serengeti as our destination, and with your head full of magical memories of Manyara, we set off to the north and west, a 4.50-hour journey of around 205km, following the famous Rift Valley. On the journey, you will be enchanted by the colors of everyday Tanzanian life, the different faces of the tribesmen, their herds, the bustle of the transport, the vibrant roadside stalls and markets. Soon, however, the human habitation gives way to the Serengeti plains.
Day’s Highlight
Here’s a National Park which will offer you a whole variety of wildlife surprises over the next few days, but perhaps today’s highlight – certainly for first-time visitors - will simply be the Serengeti terrain itself. The sheer vastness, as the plains roll away in front of you into eternity, will leave you with a sense of awe.
Safari in Serengeti National Park
At last! Serengeti, the incomparable wonder of Tanzania, will be the stage for the natural animal theatrics which will be performed over the next few days. Your game drive here combines the known with the unknown, the certainty that you will be amazed by the uncertainty of exactly what you will see and when. Changing light, a changing cast of animal actors, ensuring that at every turn there is a new experience. Snap off some memorable photos, but don’t forget to simply take a deep breath and enjoy nature in its real-time, raw beauty.
Meal plan
Breakfast is served at the camp. Lunch will be prepared by the camp and enjoyed on the go. Your dinner will be a full, cooked meal created by the team at the Serengeti Accommodation.
Comfort level: Serengeti Tortilis Camp under Full Board
Day5: Central Serengeti – Northern Serengeti
Today on our trip-of-a-lifetime we turn north, driving to the very northern edge of the Serengeti, our world-famous national park and – of course - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Journey: Central to Northern Serengeti
After breakfast, our journey from Central Serengeti to Northern Serengeti will take around 5 hours, with plenty of changing landscapes and wildlife highlights to see along the route.
Day’s Highlight
The changing landscapes of Northern Serengeti and the wildlife surprises it will almost certainly provide. There are no guarantees, but a rhino sighting cannot be ruled out!
Afternoon game-Drive in Northern Serengeti National Park
The Northern Serengeti is a land of open woodland, extending from the Seronera in the south to the Mara river in the north, marking the frontier with neighboring Kenya. During your time here, you can get to grips with a whole new set of exotic names: Bolongonja, Kogatende, Lamai and of course, the legendary Mara river.
We are now following in the footsteps of the Great Migration, great herds of thousands of zebra and wildebeest getting ready to cross the Mara into Kenya, and back again. On a daily basis, crossings cannot be guaranteed, but our driver-guides know the most likely places to witness them, one of Nature’s most awe-inspiring sights. Patience is required! And if you’re not lucky enough to witness a crossing, there’s always tomorrow; and in Northern Serengeti, plenty more to see today.
Meal plan
Breakfast is enjoyed at the Serengeti Tortilis Camp. Lunch will be a nutritious and balanced meal, also provided by the camp for you to take out on safari. Your dinner will be a full, cooked meal provided by the Camp. Comfort level: Nyikani Kogatende Camp under Full Board
Day6: Northern Serengeti
Day’s Highlight
If you’re lucky today, perhaps a rare, black rhino might cross your path…
Morning Safari (Game Drive) in Northern Serengeti
As you awake for a second day in Northern Serengeti, you can contemplate that parts of this northern area can easily match the Southern Serengeti for the abundance of wildlife viewing, especially between July and October. After your breakfast, you will embark with your driver-guide on a full-day game drive, looking out for elephants and buffalo, eland and gazelle. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to spot something really special: perhaps a cheetah, or even a rare black rhino, of which a small population are resident here. Afternoon Safari (Game Drive) in Northern Serengeti
Depending on what your driver-guide found for you yesterday and this morning, this afternoon we’ll set out to see something new. If a Mara River crossing has escaped you, perhaps the conditions this afternoon will suggest that a crossing could take place. Our driver-guides have intimate knowledge of where and when they might occur. As well as the migrating herds, the Northern Serengeti is an area where you might easily see giraffe, elephant and dik - dik: with many resident species, there’s never a dull moment.
Meal plan
Breakfast will be provided by your Northern Serengeti accommodation. Lunch will be provided by the accommodation, to be enjoyed while out on safari. Your evening meal will be a full, cooked dinner, to be enjoyed at your Northern Serengeti accommodation. Comfort level: Nyikani Kogatende Camp under Full Board
Day7: Northern Serengeti - Central Serengeti
Journey: Northern to Central Serengeti
After breakfast, and a morning game-drive in the north, we set off back to our next destination, the Central Serengeti, a journey of around 115km with an expected time of around 5 hours. There will be plenty to see on the way. On arrival, we take lunch and have an afternoon game drive.
Day’s Highlight
As we reach the Central Serengeti, you will soon realize why this is often known as the ‘wildlife hub’ of the Serengeti. There are animals everywhere, graceful, quirky, dangerous. Safe inside your vehicle, you will see them all here. Your driver-guide will find you a highlight.
Morning Safari in Northern Serengeti/ Afternoon Safari (Game-drive) in Central Serengeti
Before leaving the Northern Serengeti, we take the opportunity this morning to enjoy another game drive in this incredible location. This allows us further time to wonder at the migratory herds and the dangers and challenges they face each year in their battle for survival. As well as the herd animals, you can look to the skies, perhaps finding a majestic martial eagle or one of the other birds that populate this area. As well as the thousands of migrating animals, this area also has a good population of resident wildlife, so you will never be disappointed. In the afternoon, we take the short drive to the central part of Serengeti, where after lunch a game-drive will help us explore further this busy area. Finally, you will go to your chosen accommodation for relaxation and your evening meal.
Meal plan
Breakfast is served at your Northern Serengeti accommodation, which will also prepare your lunch to be enjoyed by you out on safari. Your dinner will be a full, cooked meal created by the team at the Serengeti Tortilis Camp. Comfort level: Serengeti Tortilis Camp under Full Board
Day8: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro
Journey: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After a morning game drive and lunch, this afternoon we will head south-east towards Ngorongoro, a distance of 145km which will take us around 3 ½ hours.
Day’s Highlight
Today, we will get our first sight of the spectacular, incomparable Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and the heart of the Conservation Area of the same name. But before that, we have another morning game drive in amazing Serengeti, marveling at its animal inhabitants. Another day of adventure, another day to enjoy the wildlife.
Safari in Serengeti National Park
With its informative visitor centre, the Seronera area of Central Serengeti is the national park’s most popular area. And it is very popular with the wildlife, too. The Seronera river enjoys year-round water flow, so there is always something of interest to observe. Several game drives can be undertaken here and might reveal lions in sizeable prides, hippo or herds of elephants - whose populations in the park have risen in recent times. Depending on other attractions, we may choose to call in at the Serengeti Visitor Centre, where there is an excellent explanation of the park’s eco - system and a chance to understand the history of conservation in this area. In particular, you will find out about the work of Bernhard Grzimek and the Frankfurt Zoological Society who had the foresighted vision of preserving the Serengeti’s eco - system. Even at the center, you may well find wildlife: populations of hyrax and mongoose, as well as many small bird species.
After lunch, we head south-east towards Ngorongoro. If it has not already struck you with its vastness, Serengeti’s ‘endless plains’ will make a deep impression on you as we take the long, straight road which passes Simba Kopjes (famous from ‘The Lion King’) to reach Naabi Hill Gate, close to the divide between Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Here you can gather information at the gate’s visitor center, clamber up the hill for superb views back over the plains, or look out for a colorful agama lizard among the rocks.
Meal plan
Breakfast is served at the camp. Lunch will be prepared by the camp team. Your dinner will be a full, cooked meal created by the team at the camp.
Comfort level: Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp under Full Board
Day9: Ngorongoro Crater Tour – Kilimanjaro International Airport
Journey: Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Kilimanjaro International Airport
After our morning game drive in the crater and our lunch, we will set off to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Our journey will be around 245km with an estimated travel time of 5 hours.
Day’s Highlight
Even if you didn’t see a single animal, the Ngorongoro Crater would live in your memory forever. But, in fact, the enormous crater floor is simply bursting with life, over 250km2 of diverse environments – forest, lake, swamp - which are home to herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo as well as elephants, lions and many more. And a true highlight today would be the black rhino!
Safari in Ngorongoro Crater Floor
From our safari camp, we set off after breakfast, a 6am departure to reach the rim and then descend into the vast crater itself. At one side there’s the Lerai Forest, classic mountain forest landscape with almost tropical characteristics. This is good elephant country, so keep your eyes peeled. By the side of the nearby swampland is what is sometimes called the ‘elephant graveyard’ as the mighty male tuskers at the end of their lives come to chew on the soft, swampland grasses once their teeth have failed them. The crater has a population of around 120 lions, with well-defined territories; 15,000 wildebeest, 9,000 zebra, 400 hyenas, and around 50 black rhino. Many wildebeest and other herd animals are resident, benefiting from the many sources of year-round waters and are boosted by some migrators in season. Buffalo, Thomson’s gazelle and eland are also present in numbers. Hippos can be found in pools and swampland and highland birdlife is colourful and plentiful around the waters. Flamingos can often be seen in Lake Magadi, which occupies part of the crater floor.
Meal plan
Breakfast is served at the camp. Lunch will be prepared by the camp team and enjoyed after the morning game drive, before we return you to the airport for your flight home. As today is the departure day, please note that dinner tonight is not included in the tour.
Departure Instructions
Please note that this 9 Days Explore Serengeti’s Great Migration tour ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 17.30 hours. Your departure can only take place today if you have pre-booked a domestic flight which leaves from Kilimanjaro International Airport at 19.40 hours or after, or an international flight which leaves at 21.00 hours or after. Otherwise, you will need to book an extra night’s accommodation (not included in the tour price) and take a flight the following day. Book with us
Net Cost: 2025 (July - October)
Per Person Price | Jul / Aug | Sept / Oct |
Safari Cost Adult Sharing (02 PAX): | $4,884 x 2 PAX | $4,650 x 2 PAX |
Safari Cost Adult Sharing (04 PAX): | $3,907 x 4 PAX | $3,871 x 4 PAX |
Safari Cost Adult Sharing (06 PAX): | $3,649 x 6 PAX | $3,625 x 6 PAX |
Single Room Supplement | $668 | $668 |
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES EXCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM.
- Balloon Safari which can be done in Central Serengeti or North Serengeti for the migration and will enable you to view Serengeti amazing plains on a different angle from above. Price for Balloon is $500 per person Net price (a promotional price) also subjected to availability, if you book while in Serengeti, they charge $600 per person.
- Olduvai Gorge - (1 hour) – (you will be able to do it on your way going to Serengeti) originally named Oldpai by the Maasai, it holds the evidence of the earliest human existence discovered by paleoanthropologists evidenced by hundreds of fossilized bones and stone tools found around the area dating back millions of years. This has led to the conclusion that humans evolved in Africa before spreading out to populate the rest of Earth. If you hold an interest in history and archaeology, Olduvai, strategically placed on the boundaries on Ngorongoro Crater and eastern Serengeti, is a must see. It cost $45 per person to include.
- Masai Village visit in Mto wa Mbu or Ngorongoro: you will get a great insight into these people’s culture where you will meet with warm, friendly, diverse people with a wealth of tradition. But inevitably some villagers see travelers as an opportunity to sell their wares whereby they are forcing the clients to buy, due to this other travelers find this annoying. However, our driver guide will take you to a most trusted village and he will be with you throughout the activity to make sure no one will bother you or force you to do or buy anything. The cost for this activity is USD 70 per vehicle.
What’s Included | What’s not Included |
Tortilis Camps Trip Safety:
AMREF Flying Doctor Insurance. A Flying doctor Insurance to Air transfer you before dark from nearest airstrip to hospital during Emergency |
Tipping:
Tipping is of course discretionary, but is an expected part of the way in which business is done in Tanzania. It counts as an expression of gratitude to those who – hopefully – have made your experience an unforgettable one and enables you to directly reward those people. Our passengers come from all around the world, with different cultural attitudes to tipping, but a tip is of great significance here in Tanzania and will be hugely appreciated by the recipient. We know that the act of giving of a tip can be a bit awkward and we would suggest that the best way to remove this ‘awkwardness’ is for each couple to put their tip anonymously into an envelope and for the envelopes to be presented by the couple to the staff member. As a guideline, you should consider tipping at the following levels: |
Camps – Transport: 4X4 Custom built – Toyota Land cruiser
Pop-up Roof, Opening Sliding windows, Seat Belts, Heavy duty wheels, and Extra Fuel tanks. Refrigerator for cooling drinks, one pair of binoculars per couple, Eco friendly Trash Bag. Wi-Fi on board during safari, Charging Outlets type Plug G for charging Cameras and smart phones |
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Camps – Trip Crew:
Professional English-Speaking Driver guide. A Friendly, Experienced and Passionate Driver Guide expert at a wide variety of skills: Flora and Fauna, Tanzania’s cultural and natural history |
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Tortilis Camps Treat: A Special Safari Hamper
Soft drinks, Coffee/tea and Water during game drives A bottle of wine |
Driver guide: $25 US per day, per couple.
For hotels/lodges/tented camps, please do not tip individual staff members, but instead use the ‘Tip Box’, which you should find at the reception of your accommodation. For guidance, you should consider tipping between $5-7 US per day, per guest, at each accommodation. |
Arrival and Departure Transfer: TO/FROM Kilimanjaro International or Arusha Airport
One departure Transfer |
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Accommodation: 1 night in Arusha, 6 nights on Safari
1st night – Arusha Full Board (Dinner, Breakfast) 2nd night – Arusha Half Board (Dinner, Breakfast, picnic lunch box) 3rd night – Manyara Full Board (Dinner, Breakfast, picnic lunch box) 4th night – Serengeti Central Full Board (Dinner, Breakfast, picnic lunch box) 5th & 6th night - Serengeti Northern Full Board (Dinner, Breakfast, picnic lunch box) 7th night – Serengeti Central Full Board (Dinner, Breakfast, picnic lunch box) 8th night – Ngorongoro Full Board (Dinner, Breakfast, picnic lunch box) Photographic Safari: Experience Wildlife with Tortilis Camps 4X4 Safari Vehicle Game drive in Manyara National Park Game drive in Serengeti National Park Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater |
Balloon Safari:
Experience 60 – 90 minute (depending on wind condition) aerial adventure, followed by bush breakfast and champagne. Any Changes done by you: The trip excludes changes done by you during safari or before safari which deviates from the original program Post Night Accommodation in Arusha: This Tour ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 17:30hrs, you can only depart on this day if you have booked a Domestic flight which departs from Kilimanjaro International Airport at 19:40hrs and on-wards or an International Flight which departs at 21:00hrs and on-wards. Otherwise, you will need to book a post night Accommodation if you are departing with any earlier flight. Visa: The trip costs Excludes all visa costs including arrival visas and transit visas Medical Insurance: The trip cost Excludes Medical Insurance which is mandatory Travel Insurance: The trip cost Excludes Travel Insurance which is mandatory International and domestic flights: Flight to/from your hometown and within Tanzania |
Park Entrance Fee:
Park fee for Manyara National Park Park fee for Serengeti National Park Park fee for Ngorongoro Crater
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Laundry Service:
If you require to launder your clothes while on your safari, then you will need to pay an amount that the accommodation charges as per their rate sheet. Drinks at the lodges/camps: Bottled water, soft drinks and hard drinks at the lodges/camps are not included |
Taxes: 18 % VAT (Value Added Tax) | Drones:
The government of Tanzania does not allow anyone to bring Drone in the Country. |