12 Day Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Hadza Tribe Cultural Experience

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you will meet your professional driver-guide and transfer to your lodge in Arusha.

After check-in and some time to settle in, enjoy a light introduction to the city, depending on your arrival time. You may visit the Arusha Museum, which provides insight into Tanzania’s history and cultural heritage, followed by a visit to a local craft market where you can browse handmade artwork, carvings and other locally produced items.

The experience is kept relaxed rather than turning your arrival day into a full sightseeing schedule.

Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Leave Arusha after breakfast and travel towards Lake Natron, a remote alkaline lake in northern Tanzania and an important breeding area for lesser flamingos.

As you approach the lake, the landscape becomes increasingly dry and dramatic, with volcanic terrain and the escarpment rising around the basin. Depending on conditions, you may see flamingos and other birdlife around the lake.

After lunch at your lodge, head out for the walk to Ngare Sero Waterfalls. The trail follows a rocky gorge with sections of uneven ground and water, eventually reaching the waterfall hidden within the surrounding landscape.

Return to the lodge later in the afternoon and enjoy a quiet evening at Lake Natron.

Today is intentionally slower.

After breakfast, join a guided nature walk around the Lake Natron area, learning about the plants, birds and other wildlife that have adapted to this harsh environment.

The area is particularly interesting for birdwatchers and photographers, with the lake, surrounding volcanic landscape and escarpment providing a very different setting from the savannah ecosystems you will encounter later in the safari.

The remainder of the day is free to relax at the lodge, photograph the surrounding landscape or simply enjoy the quiet atmosphere of this remote part of Tanzania.

After breakfast, leave Lake Natron and continue towards the Northern Serengeti.

The journey takes you deeper into Tanzania's wildlife country, with the landscape gradually changing from the dry volcanic surroundings of Natron to the open grasslands of the Serengeti ecosystem.

Depending on the season and your arrival time, you may begin wildlife viewing as you enter the park. The Northern Serengeti is particularly important during periods when the Great Migration moves through the area, although the location of the herds changes naturally according to rainfall and grazing conditions.

Continue towards the Kogatende area and your lodge or camp.

Spend the day exploring the Kogatende area of the Northern Serengeti.

This part of the Serengeti is closely associated with the Mara River and is an important area for the Great Migration when the herds move through northern Tanzania. River crossings can be dramatic, but they are entirely unpredictable, and the herds may be spread across a wide area rather than concentrated at one crossing point.

Outside the migration period, Kogatende remains a rewarding wildlife area. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo and various antelope species can be encountered across the plains and around the rocky kopjes.

Take your time with wildlife sightings and allow your guide to respond to what is happening in the field.

Continue south into Central Serengeti, with wildlife viewing along the way.

The journey through the park is part of the safari. Large herds of zebra and wildebeest may be encountered across the plains, while giraffes, elephants and buffalo often appear in areas of thicker vegetation.

Central Serengeti is also well known for its resident predators. Lions are frequently seen around the plains and rocky kopjes, while cheetahs favour open areas where they can hunt. Leopards are more elusive and may be found around riverine vegetation and wooded areas.

Spend the afternoon continuing to explore the area before returning to camp.

With no long transfer today, spend a full day exploring Central Serengeti.

An early start gives you the opportunity to look for predators while temperatures are cooler and wildlife is often more active. The rest of the day can then be shaped around the wildlife activity you encounter.

The Serengeti is not only about the Great Migration. Resident wildlife remains here throughout the year, including lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, hippos and a wide variety of antelope and birdlife.

For photographers, the day can be taken at an unhurried pace, allowing time to work with interesting behaviour, changing light and individual animals rather than simply moving from sighting to sighting.

Return to camp later in the afternoon.

Spend another full day exploring the Central Serengeti, with the day centred around the Seronera area.

The Seronera Valley is one of the Serengeti's most productive wildlife areas, with permanent water supporting resident wildlife throughout the year. Lions, cheetahs and leopards are regularly encountered, while elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and numerous antelope species add to the variety.

With no long transfer today, the game drive can follow the wildlife rather than a fixed route. Your guide can spend time in areas where there is active wildlife, whether that means following predators across the plains, watching elephants around water or stopping for photography when the light and behaviour come together.

Return to your lodge in the late afternoon for a relaxed evening.

Leave Central Serengeti after breakfast and continue towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with wildlife viewing along the way as you leave the Serengeti plains behind.

Arrive at the Ngorongoro Crater and descend into the crater for a game drive across the crater floor. The enclosed ecosystem supports a remarkable concentration of wildlife, with open grasslands, woodland, wetlands and water providing habitat for lions, elephants, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hippos and other species.

There is also a chance of encountering the endangered black rhinoceros, although sightings are never guaranteed.

After the crater safari, ascend from the crater and continue to Karatu for the evening. The change from the open Serengeti plains to the greener, cultivated landscapes around Karatu makes this a natural end to the day's journey.

Check in at your lodge and enjoy a relaxed evening.

Rise early and travel towards Lake Eyasi, home to the Hadza, one of Tanzania's indigenous communities.

The day provides an opportunity to learn directly about the Hadza way of life and their close relationship with the surrounding environment. Depending on the community and activities available on the day, you may learn about traditional hunting and gathering practices, food preparation, local knowledge and everyday life.

The experience is guided by local community members, allowing the visit to be more than simply observing from a distance. There is also time for conversation and photography where appropriate and with respect for the community.

Later, return towards the Ngorongoro area.

The evening is free to relax at the lodge after a very different day of cultural exchange.

After breakfast, travel towards Mto wa Mbu, a lively community near Lake Manyara where people from different parts of Tanzania live and work.

A guided village experience introduces you to local agriculture, food, crafts and everyday life. Depending on the experience arranged, you may visit local producers and artisans or sample some of the area's traditional foods.

Continue towards Tarangire National Park after lunch.

As you enter Tarangire, the landscape changes again. Large baobabs, dry woodland and open grassland create a very different setting from the Serengeti. If time allows, enjoy an afternoon game drive before arriving at your lodge.