6 days, private, starts and ends in Arusha
Arusha NP, Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro Crater
This is the classic northern circuit, run for birders. Most safari companies drive past a lovebird flock to reach a lion. We stop for the lovebirds, and we still find the lions.
Tarangire is where the Tanzanian endemics start: Ashy Starling, Yellow-collared Lovebird and Rufous-tailed Weaver are all regular. Lake Manyara adds waterbirds, and Ngorongoro Crater brings bustards, cranes and flamingos with the big mammals around them.
Times and drives are approximate. Your guide adjusts each day to the weather, the wildlife and you.
Pick-up in Arusha at 6:00 and a full first day in Arusha National Park. We start in the montane forest for Hartlaub’s Turaco, Narina Trogon and the forest flocks, then drive the Ngurdoto rim and spend the afternoon on the Momella Lakes, where flamingos, grebes and waders crowd the shallows. It’s an easy start to the trip, with short drives, lots of variety and colobus monkeys in the trees. Most guests finish the first day with a list well into three figures.
After breakfast we drive two hours south-west to Tarangire. The landscape changes as you go: the green slopes of Meru give way to dry, open country, and the first baobabs appear, some of them many centuries old. We enter the park by late morning and head for the Tarangire River. On the first afternoon you’ll usually see the park’s two famous endemics, Ashy Starling in noisy groups around the baobabs and Yellow-collared Lovebirds in fast green flocks. Elephants are everywhere in the dry season, and the river brings giraffe, zebra, impala and waterbuck down to drink. Lions often rest in the shade along the riverbank. We stay out until the evening light fades.
A full day to go deeper into Tarangire. We head south towards the swamps, where the birding changes completely: herons, storks, African Fish Eagles and, in the grass nearby, Rufous-tailed Weavers, another Tanzanian endemic. Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill, Northern White-crowned Shrike and a good range of barbets, starlings and bee-eaters are typical. Kori Bustards walk through the long grass, and raptors are constant: Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle if we’re lucky. We take a picnic lunch at a shaded site overlooking the river and come back north slowly in the afternoon. Tarangire has a reputation for leopard sightings in the sausage trees, so we keep checking.
A short morning drive brings us to Lake Manyara, beneath the wall of the Great Rift Valley. You enter through a groundwater forest, fed by springs from the escarpment and green even in the driest months. This is where we look for Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill and forest species, with big troops of olive baboons and blue monkeys along the road. Further in, the trees open to the lakeshore, and the scene fills with Great White Pelicans, Yellow-billed Storks, flamingos, spoonbills and waders. After lunch at the hippo pool we bird the acacia woodland towards the Maji Moto hot springs, then climb the escarpment to the highlands of Karatu for the night.
We leave early so we’re among the first vehicles down the crater wall. The crater floor is around 600 metres below the rim and about 260 square kilometres across, a self-contained world of grassland, swamp and soda lake. Birding here is open and easy: Kori Bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Rosy-throated Longclaw and hundreds of flamingos on Lake Magadi. The mammals are just as good. Lion, spotted hyena, buffalo and hippo are almost always seen, and this is the best place in Tanzania for black rhino. Lunch is at the Ngoitokitok springs, where you need to keep an eye on the Black Kites, which will take a sandwich from your hand. In the afternoon we climb out and bird the highland forest on the rim for Golden-winged Sunbird and other montane species.
A relaxed final morning. Many Karatu lodges sit in coffee farms and gardens, so there’s good birding before breakfast without getting in the car. We drive back to Arusha in the late morning, stopping at Mto wa Mbu for its roadside waterbirds and a chance to see the busy market town. You’re in Arusha by mid-afternoon, or at Kilimanjaro Airport for an evening flight. We send your full trip list, with notes, the same day.
We quote per person, based on your group size, season and accommodation level. Send an enquiry and you’ll have a full price within 24 hours. There’s nothing to pay until you confirm.
Almost certainly. The route visits the same parks as a standard wildlife safari, and the big game is there all day. We just give the birds more time.
Most days start between 6:00 and 6:30, because the first hours after sunrise have the best light and the most active animals and birds. We usually take a picnic lunch in the park or return to camp for a midday rest, then head out again in the late afternoon. Parks close at sunset, so evenings are at the lodge.
Yes. Every trip is private, so we can add days, swap parks, change the accommodation level or slow the pace. Tell us what you’d like, and we’ll send a revised plan and price.
A 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for viewing and photography, charging points and a window seat for everyone. The vehicle and guide are yours alone for the whole trip.
Send an enquiry and we’ll reply within 24 hours with a tailored itinerary and a full quote. Once you’re happy, we take a deposit to confirm, with the balance due before you travel. We’ll give you the exact terms in writing.
Just tell us. Lodges and our camp cooks regularly cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and other diets.
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