Endless Plains Tanzania Itinerary

Arriver at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Transfer to Arusha Coffee Lodge.

Time permitting, you can take a ‘Bean-to-Cup’ Coffee Estate Tour, do some shopping at Trader’s Walk, indulge in a spa treatment or take a tour of Arusha Town, the Arusha Heritage center and Art Gallery.

Travel overland to Tarangire Treetops. This afternoon you might opt for a guided bush walk or enjoy a game drive in the private concession.

The Tarangire River is a magnet for thirsty herds of antelope and buffalo. It is also the one place in Tanzania where oryx and gerenuk can be found, and one of the best areas in the world for finding elephants.

Today’s full day game drive explores the riches of Tarangire National Park, including the spectacular Baobab trees, the Silale swamp and the beautiful views of the Masaai Steppe and Sambu mountains. Enjoy lunch on the banks of the river, before exploring the Simanjiro plains to the east, and heading to Sunset Hill for some well-earned sundowners.

Travel overland to Ngorongoro, visiting Karatu en route. Presided over by the towering Ol Deani Volcano, the small, colorful town of Karatu offers a variety of activities including browsing the bustling marketplace, sampling beer at a local brewery or visiting a traditional Iraqw homestead.

This morning, descend to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and sometimes called the “Eighth Wonder of The World.” It is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa. It’s 100 square miles creates a natural sanctuary for over 25,000 animals, including the black rhino. Upon your return, enjoy a coffee tour, go mountain biking or horse riding, or opt for a luxurious spa treatment.

The more energetic guests can begin the day with a guided walk through the Ngorongoro Forest in search of waterfalls and elephant caves before setting off for the central Serengeti. Along the way, you might visit the famous Olduvai Gorge Museum and shifting sands, a mound of black magnetized volcanic ash slowly traveling eastward about 50 feet per year.

Travel overland to the Central Serengeti.

Today you can opt for a morning and afternoon game drive in the world-famous Seronera Valley and Moru Kopjes, the savannah plains, and a network of rivers and streams providing the ideal surroundings a wide variety of wildlife. Alternatively, you might undertake a full day excursion across the plains to the alkaline lakes of Ndutu and Masek that attract colorful flamingos and a host of other water birds.

At dawn, enjoy a hot air balloon flight.

Travel overland to the northern Serengeti.

The Northern Serengeti is punctuated by outcroppings known as kopjes – the result of ancient volcanic activity. They provide a microhabitat or mini ecosystem for a range of vegetation and wildlife such as hyrax, mongoose and porcupines, as well as a perfect cover for big cats to shelter and raise their cubs. All kinds of wildlife can be seen along the banks of the Mara River and visitors might encounter the spectacle of over a million wildebeest and zebra migrating North to the Masai Mara, or upon return, on their way to the southern plains.

In this part of the Serengeti, game drives are rewarding whichever direction you move. Wildlife roams all around, and along the banks of the Mara River, visitors can view the annual spectacle of the half a million migrating wildebeest, as well as a multitude of plains game such as buffalo, zebra, gazelles, impala, giraffe as well as lion and leopard.

Transfer to Lobo Airstrip.

Scheduled flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).