Tanzania | Wildlife Safari with Wander The Earth Expeditions

Depart U.S. for international flight connecting to Arusha, Tanzania.

Upon arrival to Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Holbrook representative will meet you outside the airport and take you to the hotel. Check in at Arusha Serena Hotel and relax from the long journey. Please note: This is an arrival day and no meals are included.

After breakfast, check out and drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a day in the park, with picnic lunches en route. The area is excellent for bird watching; look for flamingos, pelicans, herons, spoonbills, ibis, eagles, mousebirds, hornbills, kingfishers, barbets, woodpeckers, swallows, flycatchers, starlings, sunbirds, weavers, and rollers. Keep your camera ready for any exciting chance to spot elephants and the legendary Lake Manyara tree-climbing lions. After a day in the park, continue to Lake Manyara Lodge, overlooking the Great Rift Valley.

This morning visit a Masai Village for an introduction to the community and larn about the Maasai culture and way of life. Afterwards depart for the Serengeti - Tanzania's most renowned National Park. Home to the greatest concentration of large mammals on Earth, the migratory herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle roam widely in search of green grass and water. Once you cross through the gate of the park, your game drive begins. Your guide and driver will follow the best path that leads to your camp, with the knowledge of where the wildlife can be found en route. Upon arrival at the lodge, you will have the remainder of the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset and dinner.

Today, go on morning and afternoon game drives. Explore the Central area of the Serengeti near Seronera River, which provides an important water source that attracts a lot of wildlife. This area is the best for spotting hippos, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, and many more. For those participants interested, today will be the best day for an opportunity to experience a balloon safari, which is at an additional cost and requires previous reservations. Later in the afternoon, depart for the Lahia Lodge near the Grumet River, where part of the migration herds are found during this time of year.

Today enjoy morning and afternoon game drives along the Grumet River.

After breakfast, depart from Serengeti and start the journey to Ngorongoro. En route, stop at Oldupai Gorge, where the museum curator will accompany us through the on-site museum and on a walk to the Leakey Camp. Learn about archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey, who began their first excavations of this area in the 1930s as they searched for clues to the origin of mankind. The Leakey team's discovery of primitive tools and, later, fossilized hominid remains (Australopithecus boisei and Homo habilis) at this site helped lay the foundation for present-day theories on human evolution. After a picnic lunch, continue to Ngorongoro Lodge.

After an early breakfast, you will journey to Ngorongoro Crater. World Heritage Site and often called the 8th Wonder of the World, Ngorongoro is a sunken caldera, 10 by 12 miles in diameter. Animals are found throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Ngorongoro is one of the most spectacular game haunts in Africa, and contains an impressive variety of wildlife including black mane lion, the highly endangered black rhino, herds of wildebeest, zebra, elephant, and hippo, as well as numerous bird species. You'll have a bush lunch at the crater to make the most of your day, not returning to your lodge until late afternoon.

After a leisurely morning, return to Arusha stopping at the Cultural Heritage Center for some shopping. Afterwards, pay a visit to a local home to enjoy a family-hosted lunch. Day room accommodations have been arranged at the hotel, where we'll be able to rest, finish packing luggage, or freshen up before catching the overnight flight back to the U.S. Enjoy a light snack at the hotel before departing for Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Arrive in the U.S.