Northern Tanzania Journey

This varied tour through northern Tanzania offers you impressive wildlife. Visit the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, enjoy cultural encounters with the Masai at eye level, experience highlights away from the tourist magnets at Lake Victoria and various activities at the crater lake Lake Chala.

Highlights of your Northern Tanzania Journey

  • Game drive in Arusha National Park at Mount Meru
  • Bush walk with the Masai
  • Boat trip on Lake Victoria
  • Game drive in the Serengeti National Park
  • Animal observations in the Ngorongoro Crater
  • Large elephant herds in Tarangire National Park
  • various activities at Lake Chala

Itinerary and Highlights of Northern Tanzania Journey

Day 1 Northern Tanzania Trip – Arrival day Tanzania, Kilimanjaro (JRO),

After your arrival in Tanzania, our driver is waiting for you at Kilimanjaro Airport. The drive to your first accommodation takes about 45 minutes. The Arusha Villa is in the middle of a beautiful coffee plantation. There you can use the rest of the day to relax by the pool or take a walk through the green garden. From time to time Colobus Monkeys can be seen in the trees.

Day 2 Travel Arusha National Park, game drive

Arusha National Park is just a stone’s throw from the lodge. Together with your driver you go on the first game drive. Giraffes, Zebras, Buffaloes and Warthogs can be seen all year round. Colobus Monkeys like to stay in the tall trees. It is a nice start for you Safari in Africa. And there will be more exciting days to come.

Day 3 Trip to the Masai, Traditional Wisdom

Today you will visit the Masai tribe, where you will learn how the Masai women build their houses and which traditions are important to the proud people. The connection between Massai Villages ranges up to villages to 1000 km in distance. In case of problems the warriors call their neighbors with an acoustic signal. Within a few days countless Massai warriors gather together and fight for their rights. Also, for traditional meetings and new elections of elders, who make all important decisions, the Massai are called together.

Day 4 Bushwalk with the Masai

The preservation of the Masai tradition also means knowing keeping the knowledge about plants and roots. Which try is eatable and which route have healing power. The knowledge is passed on to the next generation. During a bush walk you will be escorted by an Massai Guide. He will show you some details you would not expect. In the afternoon you can relax in the lodge, take photos or continue your exchange with the Massai. In the evening there will be a traditional Maasai dance around the campfire.

Day 5 Flight to Mwanza at Lake Victoria

In the morning our driver will take you to the Kilimanjaro airport. A short direct flight takes you to Mwanza, the rising city at Lake Victoria. In contrast to other hectic cities, Mwanza seems calm and serene. The population follows everyday things. The drive to the hotel takes you to the coast of Lake Victoria. Here, the big granite rocks are especially noticeable, they dominate the coast and the surroundings of Mwanza. The most famous is Bismarck’s Rock in Mwanza. An egg-shaped freestanding boulder that you must have seen.

Day 6 Boat trip on Lake Victoria

With about one kilometer of coastline, Wag Hill Lodge is a very beautiful natural paradise with various native bird species. For example, kingfishers, herons, ibises, cormorants, storks and the majestic coastal eagle can be seen. Together with a guide you will walk through the lodge area on a natural walk. In the late afternoon you take a boat trip on Lake Victoria to see the beauty and serenity of the lake with its huge, unusual rock formations from the water.

Day 7 Day at leisure

Another beautiful day in Africa. Either you relax at the lodge or book one of the tours to Simba Rock, Sanaane Island or Ukerewe Island to an additional charge. Mountain bikes and canoes are also available at the lodge. In the evening your safari driver will brief you for the coming days at Serengeti National Park.

Day 8 Drive to the Serengeti

The trip to the Serengeti begins early, even if you prefer to sleep longer during holidays, it is worth getting up early. Because today it goes to one of the animal-richest areas of Africa. With over 3000 lions, the Serengeti offers the highest densest of predators in Africa. Elephants, Zebras, Hyenas, Impalas, Wildebeests and various species of monkeys can be seen in the wide golden yellow savanna. Animal watching for beginners, you don’t need a trained eye for this activity. After an eventful day you reach your lodge in the heart of the Serengeti Plains in the evening, before sunset.

Day 9 Serengeti National Park, game drive

The silence of the night is interrupted by the sounds of the early morning birds. You eagerly build your nests in the acacia trees. Below, a few Zebras nibble on the dry grass. Suddenly the birds give an alarm call, the Zebras are alarmed and look alert. During the morning game drive, you will discover the source of the alarm call. A leopard roams around in the area. But stomach is full, and he enjoys the warm sun of the morning. You spend the day on game drive in the Serengeti National Park.

Day 10 Drive to Ngorongoro, Olduvai Gorge

After breakfast, pack your bag for the next destination. Together with the driver it goes on Game en Route. In other words, you gradually drive towards Ngorongoro Crater, but stop when there is something interesting to see or enjoy the view into the wide landscape. You can stop at the Olduvai Gorge Museum for an extra charge. Take a jacket with you, it can get chilly in the higher altitude of Ngorongoro Crater. In the evening you will reach your lodge at the crater rim.

Day 11 Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater

The game drive into the Ngorongoro Crater begins in the lush highland forest of the crater rim where impressive Buffaloes and magnificent birds can be seen. Once you reach the crater floor, you will see numerous herbivores on the grassy steppe. In the center of the crater is Lake Magadi, a popular picnic spot with gigantic views. Numerous Hippos lie in the lake and are not disturbed by the two-legged photographers. Large, aging Elephant bulls like to stay in the Lerai Forest or the Gorigor Swamp. The diversity of the animal world will inspire you.

Day 12 Relax at the lodge with pool

After the eventful days in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater you have today the opportunity to relax a bit. Either use the time at the pool or go for a walk in the surrounding area. And surely you will always have a look at the great animal photos of the last days.

Day 13 Visit Mto wa Mbu market, drive to Tarangire

The colorful hustle and bustle of Mto wa Mbu with fresh fruit, colorful cloths and a friendly Jambo is the stopover for today. The small village at the East African Rift Valley is located at the gate of Lake Manyara National Park. Despite the many visitors, the small village does not benefit much from tourism, so we support the purchase of fruit or cloths at the market. Afterwards the drive continues to the Tarangire National Park with a short game drive in the afternoon.

Day 14 Game drive in Tarangire National Park

While the elephant population is declining in most parts of Africa, the number of elephants living in Tarangire National Park is increasing. Nowhere in Tanzania is the elephant population larger than in Tarangire National Park. The pachyderms have an important role in the cycle of nature. They open bushy areas, so that grass eaters have habitats again and many of the water holes are only created by the action of the elephants. Of course, the other typical East African animals like Zebras, Lions, Giraffes, Impalas, Hyenas, Waterbuck, Dik Dik, Grand’s Gazelle and Baboon can also be seen.

Day 15 Drive to Northkilimanjaro

After a short game drive in the morning you leave the national park and head toward Kambi ya Tembo Lodge at the back side of Mount Kilimanjaro. Few tourists know about the unique location of the lodge, so don’t be surprised if you don’t meet many other visitors. The elevated location of this nature reserve only gives an idea of its size, its borders extend to the famous Amboseli National Park in Kenya and far into the west to the Arusha National Park. At the campfire you can enjoy the impressive panorama and the peace of the African bush.

Day 16 Drive to Lake Chala

In the morning you either go on a walking safari near the lodge or on a game drive. How nice if you can photograph giraffes or Zebras with the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. Afterwards you continue to the crater Lake Chala. It is half in Kenya and half in Tanzania. You will spend the next few days on the Tanzanian side of the lake.

Day 17 Lake Chala, walking and kayaking

Lake Chala is embedded in a vast savannas landscape with monkeys, some antelopes and over 100 bird species. From here you can hike to the lake, swim in the lake or kayak along the shore. Use the time to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the African bush on the edge of the mystical Caldera Lake.

Day 18 Coffee tour in Rombo

After breakfast, drive to Rombo, the very eastern village at Kilimanjaro with access to Kilimanjaro National Park. Here you will visit a small coffee farm. Depending on the harvest time you can see the coffee bushes in white flowers or with red fruits in all degrees of ripeness. Since coffee needs a lot of shade, most plantations are combined with banana trees or taller trees. The guide shows the process from the tender plant to the hot coffee. Here you will pick ripe coffee berries, peel beans, roast, grind and finally drink the well-deserved, home-made coffee. After the tour we return to Lake Chala.

Day 19 Departure day – Drive to Kilimanjaro Int. Airport, Tanzania

The impressive days in Tanzania have inspired you in many ways. Africa has fascinated you. So much nature, the beauty of the parks and the kindness of the people. After a last breakfast with a panoramic view, our driver will bring you to Kilimanjaro airport for your return flight or your additional package to Zanzibar.

Tourcode: Q103400