SPECIAL GRUMETI MIGRATION TOUR ITINERARY

Upon arriving at Kilimanjaro (or Arusha) airport, just outside the main exit, you will be met by our guide who will take you to your Lodge in Arusha. If you have time available, you can take a tour of the city, accompanied by our guide. Alternatively, relax at your hotel with dinner and overnight stay according to the category you choose.

Early in the morning you will leave, immediately after breakfast, to explore the beautiful Tarangire National Park. (Approximate transfer time Arusha•Tarangire: 2 hrs 30 mins) The park, dotted with huge baobabs, covers an area of 2850 sq. km and includes the Tarangire River, where immense herds of zebra, wildebeest, oryx, water antelope, lesser kudu, giraffe, buffalo and their natural predators such as lions, leopards and wild dogs congregate, especially during the dry season. Tarangire is also known to possess the world's highest concentration of elephants and is considered by many to be Tanzania's best destination for birdwatchers: more than 450 species of birds can be spotted there. After lunch on one of the many natural terraces with breathtaking views of the river and surrounding wildlife, the safari will continue in the afternoon with transfer to Lodge/Tented Camp for dinner and overnight stay according to the chosen category.

Depart early in the morning to cross the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park, where you will take the day safari. (Approximate transfer time Tarangire•Manyara: 2 hrs 30 mins) Lake Manyara is one of the smallest parks in Tanzania (330 square kilometers), but it has much to offer. The lake and surrounding area constitute an ecosystem renowned for its wealth of plant and animal species. The vegetation is very diverse, with areas of evergreen forests, stretches of savanna, swamps and hot springs (Maji Moto). Wildlife includes numerous elephants, baboons, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, hippos, large flocks of pink flamingos and other species. The park is also home to leopards, hyenas and the famous Manyara lions, which have, in this area, a habit of climbing trees. At the end of the game drive transfer to Lodge/Tented Camp for dinner and overnight stay in Karatu depending on the category chosen. (Approximate time Manyara•Karatu transfer: 1 hr)

In the morning, immediately after breakfast, you will begin the game drive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, declared a WORLD HERITAGE OF HUMANITY (UNESCO 1978) AND INTERNATIONAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE (1981). (Approximate transfer time Karatu•Ngorongoro Conservation Area: 30 mins) The area has become a true ecosystem, thanks to good rainfall, ponds, small inland lakes and streams, and night fog that surrounds and feeds the forests on the slopes of its famous crater. After a brief stop at the crater rim, you will descend to the bottom of the caldera for a game drive dedicated to discovering one of the most beautiful places on Earth, where nature is sovereign and "unchanged by time." The 264-square-kilometer caldera has the highest concentration of wildlife on the continent. It is one of the very rare places where black rhino can be encountered. After lunch near the enchanting hippo lake, we will drive up the crater to leave the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and reach the Lodge/Tented Camp for dinner and overnight stay in the Serengeti National Park according to the chosen category. (Approximate transfer time Ngorongoro Crater•Serengeti: 2 hrs 30 mins)

The Serengeti is considered the most famous national park in the world, the cradle of the Great Migration, where one of the most impressive natural cycles on the planet is renewed every year: tens of thousands of ungulates move, driven by the primal instinct to survive, in constant search of new pastures. The landscape, dotted with large acacias and Kopjes (ancient rock piles), is an ideal habitat for big cats. As you move deeper into the heart of the Serengeti, you will understand why the name means, in the Maasai language, "boundless plain." Your safari will continue to explore the park until you arrive in the remote Western zone. The Western Serengeti is commonly referred to as the "Western Corridor" and consists of a 50-kilometer-wide strip of land that follows the course of the Grumeti River, starting from the Seronera area and running almost to Lake Victoria. The Western Corridor area offers unique opportunities for sightings, during the Migration between May and July. Long columns of wildebeest and zebra arrive here from the southern Serengeti to huddle on the south bank of the river and face the risky crossing of the Grumeti, infested with the many voracious Nile crocodiles. The day will end with a transfer to the Lodge/Tented Camp for dinner and overnight stay according to the chosen category.

The next day will be entirely devoted to seeking out one of the best known but also one of the fiercest natural spectacles of the animal world: river crossing by herbivores. At this time in the western part of the park the concentration of large predators is very high and, in a single day, sightings of cheetahs, leopards and herds of hyenas and lions could be counted by the dozens. In the afternoon, return to Lodge/Tented Camp for dinner and overnight stay.

In the morning, after a short game drive in the western part of the park, you will continue the safari to the central Serengeti. In the Seronera Valley, along the banks of the river of the same name, you will have the chance to see leopards climbing the sausage trees, observe the numerous herds of lions on the Moru kopjes and, with luck, even spot a black rhino. You will be able, finally, to get out of the car at the famous hippo pool and approach the pool to peer at the many hippos huddled there. In the late afternoon transfer to the Lodge/Tented Camp for dinner and overnight stay according to the category chosen.

In the morning, after a short game drive, you will return to Arusha/Kilimanjaro in the late afternoon to catch your return flight. Along the way you will have the opportunity to indulge in shopping for gifts and souvenirs in the quaint local stores and bazaars.

(Approximate transfer time Serengeti•Arusha: 6 hrs • Serengeti•Kilimanjaro Airport: 7 hrs)
However, we are flexible and available in case of special needs, such as early flight or other.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO COMBINE THIS SAFARI WITH AN EXTENDED SEA STAY IN ZANZIBAR.