9 days, private, starts and ends in Arusha
Arusha NP, Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Nine days is the length where you stop choosing between birds and big game. Three days in the Serengeti add the endemics you can’t get closer to Arusha, such as Grey-breasted Spurfowl and Fischer’s Lovebird, along with the cats on the kopjes.
A guest on a similar route with us last August recorded around 400 species and photographed more than 300 of them, and still saw nearly all the big mammals.
Times and drives are approximate. Your guide adjusts each day to the weather, the wildlife and you.
Pick-up at 6:00 and a full day in Arusha National Park: montane forest in the morning for turacos, trogons and mixed flocks, the Ngurdoto rim at midday, and the Momella Lakes for flamingos and waterbirds in the afternoon. It’s a relaxed first day that gets your list off to a flying start.
South-west to Tarangire through dry country and scattered baobabs. We enter by late morning and spend the rest of the day on the river circuit: Ashy Starlings and Yellow-collared Lovebirds, both Tanzanian endemics, plus big elephant herds, giraffe and zebra drinking at the river, and a good chance of lion in the shade. Picnic lunch in the park.
An early morning drive in Tarangire for Rufous-tailed Weaver, Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill and raptors, then on to Lake Manyara after lunch. In the groundwater forest we look for Silvery-cheeked Hornbill among the baboons and blue monkeys, and the lakeshore adds pelicans, storks, flamingos and waders. We climb the escarpment to Karatu for the night.
A full travel day with birding all the way. We drive up through the forested Ngorongoro highlands, stop at the crater viewpoint, and descend through Maasai grazing land onto the short-grass plains. At Naabi Hill gate, the entrance to the Serengeti, the kopjes are a good stop for lunch and a stretch. From there the plains open out, the name comes from the Maa word for endless plains, and the drive to Seronera is a slow game drive. Secretarybirds stalk the grass, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, a Tanzanian endemic, feed beside the track, and lion and cheetah are often seen.
We head out at dawn, when the predators are most active and the birds are singing. The central Serengeti around the Seronera River is excellent for leopard in the riverine trees and lion on the kopjes. For birders the targets are Fischer’s Lovebird, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Usambiro Barbet and Karamoja Apalis in the whistling-thorn thickets, along with a huge variety of raptors, larks, pipits and seasonal migrants. We return to camp for lunch and a rest through the midday heat, then head out again for the late-afternoon light.
Today’s plan depends on the season and on what’s still missing from your target list. We might head east towards the Gol kopjes for open-plains birds and cheetah, or follow the migration herds if they’re within reach. A full day out with a picnic lunch gives us the most ground. By now your list is usually long enough that the focus shifts to good photographs and those last difficult species.
A final morning game drive in the Serengeti, then back across the plains to the crater highlands. There’s a chance to stop at Olduvai Gorge, where some of the earliest human fossils were found, if you’d like to. We reach the rim in the afternoon and bird the highland forest for Golden-winged Sunbird, Tacazze Sunbird and other montane species before settling in for a cold, clear night at 2,300 metres.
Down into the crater at opening time. Kori Bustard, Grey Crowned Crane and flamingos are almost certain, and the crater gives your best chance of black rhino anywhere in Tanzania. Lions, hyenas and buffalo are everywhere. After lunch at the Ngoitokitok springs we drive out and return to Karatu for a relaxed final evening.
An easy morning with birding in the lodge gardens, then the drive back to Arusha, with a stop at Mto wa Mbu if you’d like one. We drop you at your hotel or at Kilimanjaro Airport, and email your full trip list 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.
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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Tell us your dates and the birds or animals you most want to see. We’ll reply within 24 hours with a route and a full quote.
