Tanzania Up Close: Wildlife Safari and the Great Migration

Depart the U.S. on your flight to Tanzania.

Upon arrival to Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Holbrook representative will meet you outside the airport and take you to the hotel. Please note: This is an arrival day and no meals are included.

After breakfast, attend a welcome orientation and then depart for Arusha National Park. Your first stop is at the ranger post, where you'll receive an introduction to the park and its history. Learn about a section of the park known as "Little Serengeti," an area of open grassland where a variety of species come to graze. Also learn about nearby Mt. Meru; this dormant volcano is the second-highest mountain in Tanzania. Depart from the ranger post for a walk in the foothills of Mt. Meru accompanied by an armed ranger. Pass through Buffalo Swamp and arrive at a lookout point with views of the park and impressive Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Continue to a waterfall and then open grasslands dotted with giraffes, warthogs, antelopes, flamingos, and a variety of other bird species. Set out into a wooded area in search of black-and-white colobus monkeys before returning to the ranger post. A boxed lunch will be provided in the park. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon. Enjoy a lecture on the history of Tanzania before dinner this evening.

After checking out of the hotel and loading the safari vehicles, begin the drive to Tarangire National Park, home to some of the largest elephant herds in Tanzania. The Tarangire River snakes through the park, and as it's the area's only permanent river, many animals travel long distances to reach it. In addition to elephants, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, elands, gerenuks, giraffes, lions, and leopards can be seen within the park's nearly 1,100 square miles of protected lands. Extensive grasslands, dotted with the occasional acacia or baobab tree, provide optimal conditions for viewing wildlife. Bird enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see more than 500 avian species, including Yellow-collared Lovebirds, Rufous-tailed Weavers, Ashy Starlings, Common Ostriches, Kori Bustards, and Lilac-breasted Rollers. In the afternoon, arrive at Tarangire Sopa Lodge. Designed to blend in with the vastness of its surroundings, the lodge is set among the kopjes (small rocky hills) and ancient baobab trees, and elephants can frequently be seen around the area.

An armed park ranger will meet you at the lodge this morning for an escorted nature walk through Tarangire National Park. Exploring on foot gives a different perspective of the landscape, and a better look at some of Tarangire's smaller fauna, such as mongooses, dik-diks, hyraxes, and ground-dwelling birds. Return to the lodge in time for lunch, followed by free time to rest and enjoy the lodge amenities. In the mid-afternoon, return to the park for another wildlife-viewing drive in the safari vehicles.

Set out early this morning for a visit to a local school. Learn what a typical school day is like in Tanzania as you interact with the teachers and students, and hear from the children what it takes for them to get to and from school every day. Please note: It is not mandatory to bring donations for the school and/or the children. However, anyone who wishes to do so might consider bringing a few basic school supplies such as pencils, erasers, pens, colored markers, etc. to donate during the visit. Afterwards, visit the village of Mto wa Mbu to enjoy lunch prepared by a local family with an explanation of the different culinary delights and how they are made. Today's drive will end at your accommodations near Ngorongoro Crater. You will have some free time to relax and take in the spectacular views on a walk around the lodge and crater rim.

Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for a full day of wildlife observation. This sunken volcanic caldera is approximately 10 to 12 miles in diameter and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its important role in biodiversity conservation. Vast grasslands cover most of the crater floor and provide ample grazing for resident zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, elephants, warthogs, and rhinos. With a large number of prey species contained within the crater, it is not surprising that Ngorongoro is also home to a dense population of lions. A seasonal soda lake attracts Greater Flamingos, Great White Pelicans, and other water birds. Other commonly seen animals include hyenas, jackals, baboons, vervet monkeys, hippopotamuses, and African buffalos. A boxed bush lunch will be provided inside the crater to allow for a full day of exploration.

Today, check out and depart for the Serengeti, Tanzania's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together with Kenya's Masai Mara ecosystem, the Serengeti supports one of the planet's most amazing natural phenomena, the Great Migration - the year-round cyclical movement of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles as they follow the seasonal rains and green grass for grazing. Once you cross through the park gate, your wildlife drive begins. Your guide/driver will follow the best path to your camp, based on their knowledge of where wildlife is most likely to be seen at that particular time. Upon arrival at the semi-permanent camp, you will have the remainder of the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset and dinner.

Early this morning, begin your first safari drive of the day. In addition to wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, Serengeti National Park's high concentration of wildlife also includes the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino, and African buffalo), as well as cheetahs, giraffes, monkeys, and more than 500 bird species. This morning's excursion will include breakfast out in the field. Return to the camp late in the morning and have lunch. Enjoy some free time to rest and relax before heading out for the mid-afternoon wildlife safari. In the evening, gather around the campfire and have a discussion with your guide about the Great Migration in Tanzania.

Early this morning, an optional hot-air balloon safari will be available (at additional cost). This once-in-a-lifetime experience offers a stunning bird's-eye view of the Serengeti landscape that cannot be replicated on the ground. In the afternoon, depart on a wildlife drive and head toward the area of the park where the migrating herds are found this time of year.
December-April: Southern Serengeti
May-June: Western Serengeti
July-October: Northern Serengeti
November: Central Serengeti

Continue exploring the park today during morning and afternoon wildlife-viewing drives.

Bid farewell to the Serengeti and start your journey to Karatu. En route, stop at Olduvai Gorge, where the museum curator will accompany you through the on-site museum and on a walk to the Leakey Camp. Learn about archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey, who began their first excavations of this area in the 1930s as they searched for clues to the origin of humankind. The Leakey team's discovery of primitive tools and, later, fossilized hominid remains (Australopithecus boisei and Homo habilis) at this site helped lay the foundation for present-day theories on human evolution. After lunch, continue to Karatu. Upon arrival to the lodge, embark on a short exploratory walk around the lodge's farm/coffee plantation.

After a leisurely morning, return to Arusha. Before arriving at the hotel, pay a visit to a local home to enjoy a family-hosted lunch. Day room accommodations have been arranged at the hotel, where you'll be able to rest, finish packing luggage, or freshen up before catching the overnight flight back to the U.S. Enjoy a light snack at the hotel before departing for Kilimanjaro International Airport. Check-out is at 6 pm.

Arrive in the U.S.