African Big Cats Safaris

5.0/5 – 457 Reviews

$5,203 to $5,583 pp (USD)

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*This tour does not accept children under 5.
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Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

  • You'll be collected from the airport.
  • Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Day 1

Arrival in Arusha

Arrival in Arusha

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) which caters for domestic flights, you will be met by African Big Cats Safaris representative who will drive you to your accommodation in Arusha. Your overnight stay will be at Mtoni River Lodge.

Main Destination:
Arusha (City)
Accommodation:
Mtoni River Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located in Arusha (City)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2

Arusha National Park + Walking Safari

Arusha National Park + Walking Safari

After breakfast, go to Arusha National Park for game viewing drives and escorted game walks accompanied by an armed game ranger. A green jewel and home to the fourth highest mountain in Africa—Mount Meru (4,566 m). Anyone visiting this park will be thrilled by the breathtaking landscapes ranging from the Meru Crater in the west, the Ngurdoto Crater in the southeast to the grasslands, and of course the alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east. Buffalos, zebras, and elephants can be spotted. Arusha Park is an excellent all-year-round bird viewing hotspot though, mainly from November to April when the long-distance migratory birds are in the area. Some of these birds will fly from as far as North Africa and Europe to breed in this enchanting land. The Ngurdoto Crater and also called “Little Ngorongoro” with its rich, swampy caldera and its steep crater walls. A packed lunch will be served at a picnic site. Thereafter, drive back to Arusha for dinner and overnight at Mtoni River Lodge.

Main Destination:
Arusha National Park
Best Time To Visit June to October (Animals are easier to spot)
High Season July to March (The park can get busy)
Best Weather June to October (Little rainfall)

Wildlife in Arusha NP

GiraffeCommon
BuffaloCommon
ZebraCommon
HippoCommon
ElephantOccasional
WildebeestOccasional
Show more
HyenaRare
LionNone
Accommodation:
Mtoni River Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located in Arusha (City)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 3-4

Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will depart for Tarangire National Park. The park is named after the Tarangire River which runs through it. This ‘river of warthogs’ is the only source of water for wildlife in the region during the dry season. In places, the vegetation is quite dense, including elephant grass and acacia woodlands. The park is well known for its elephant families, which can often be seen congregating by the river. You may also see giraffes, bushbucks, and hartebeests. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators, including lions and leopards. There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire National Park than anywhere else on the planet!

After lunch and an extensive game drive, we will head to our tented partner lodges for dinner and your overnight stay at Lake Burunge Tented Lodge.

You will spend 2 full days inside Tarangire National Park.

Main Destination:
Tarangire National Park
Best Time To Visit July to November (Animals come to the Tarangire River)
High Season June to October (The park is full of visitors)
Best Weather June to October (Little rainfall)

Wildlife in Tarangire NP

ElephantAbundant
GiraffeCommon
LionCommon
BuffaloAbundant
ZebraAbundant
WildebeestAbundant
Show more
HippoCommon
HyenaOccasional
Wild DogVery Rare
Accommodation:
Lake Burunge Tented Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Tarangire NP
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast at our accommodation, we depart to Lake Manyara National Park which is an unspoilt paradise and is best known for its abundance of birds and tree-climbing lions. The dramatic western escarpment of the Rift Valley forms the Park’s western border. To the east is the shallow, alkaline Lake Manyara. The lake covers a large area of the park, flooding and drying with the seasons and is home to thousands of flamingos during the rains. The name Manyara comes from the Maasai word ‘emanyara’, a popular plant which is used to build the protective enclosure around a family homestead (boma). The Park’s vegetation is diverse, ranging from savannah to evergreen forest. On your exploration of the park you may see giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and elephant and if you are lucky; lions lounging in the trees. After lunch, drive to Lake Eyasi for dinner and your overnight stay at Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge.

Main Destination:
Lake Manyara National Park
Best Time To Visit June to October (Easier to spot animals)
High Season July to March (The northern section gets crowded)
Best Weather June to October (Little rainfall)

Wildlife in Lake Manyara NP

ElephantCommon
GiraffeCommon
BuffaloCommon
ZebraCommon
HippoCommon
Show more
LionOccasional
HyenaOccasional
Wild DogVery Rare
Accommodation:
Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located at Lake Eyasi
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor)

Day 6

Lake Eyasi (Hadzabe Tribe) Visit

Lake Eyasi (Hadzabe Tribe) Visit

Early in the morning, depart on a guided cultural tour of the Hadzabe tribe’s location at Lake Eyasi and get knowledge and experience their way of life. You may want to join hadzabe bushmen on a hunting demonstration by these proud people who mostly live on hunting and gathering wild fruits and roots. Amongst the world’s last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes inhabiting the scrubby bushland, Hadzabe men search for food alone and return home with golden honey, sweet fruit, or hearty wild game when, if available. Their language is similar to Southern Africa’s Bushmen who speak the Click language and their language is believed to still have clicks and pops like no other “ click language” up to the now. You will also have the opportunity to visit a blacksmith tribe of the Datoga whereby different ornaments are made. Return to your lodge for a brunch. In the afternoon, visit Lake Eyasi. Dinner and your overnight stay are at Marera Lodge.

Main Destination:
Lake Eyasi
Accommodation:
Marera Valley Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Lake Eyasi
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 7-9

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park

Early morning after breakfast, drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and on to Serengeti National Park with a game viewing drive en-route. A UNESCO World Heritage site and a biosphere reserve since 1981, Serengeti is one of the oldest and the largest best parks in Africa. Serengeti is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world with the greatest concentration of wild animals on the planet! This world-renowned park is a sanctuary for the last remaining annual mammal migration in the world. Serengeti National Park is Africa’s most famous park due to the largest concentration of game on the continent and the migration of millions of wildebeest. Serengeti comes from the Maasai language meaning ‘endless plains’ and this rightly describes it. With almost 15,000sq km (6,000sq miles), Serengeti National Park is the second-largest park in Tanzania. Meals and your overnight stay are at Embalakai Camp.

Main Destination:
Serengeti National Park
Best Time To Visit January to February and June to October (Different areas are best at different times)
High Season July to March (The Seronera area is crowded)
Best Weather June to October (Little to no rainfall)

Wildlife in Serengeti NP

ElephantCommon
LionCommon
CheetahCommon
BuffaloAbundant
ZebraAbundant
WildebeestAbundant
Show more
GiraffeCommon
HippoCommon
HyenaCommon
LeopardOccasional
Black RhinoVery Rare
Wild DogVery Rare
Accommodation:
Embalakai Serengeti Camp
  • Luxury tented camp located inside Central Serengeti NP
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor)

Day 10

Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After an early breakfast, you'll drive out of the Serengeti with a game viewing drive en-route. You'll have an option to visit the Olduvai Gorge where it is believed the remains of early man were discovered by the Leakey’s. Olduvai Gorge is arguably the most important fossil sites in the world. Over thirty miles long and about three-hundred feet deep, the gorge is part of a World Heritage Site called the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. During the months of December to March, one can have good views of the annual wildebeest migration who gather in the short plains of the Ndutu area for grazing. February to mid-March is the calving season. After a packed lunch, continue driving to Ngorongoro Conservation Area for dinner and your overnight stay at Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp.

Main Destination:
Ngorongoro Highlands
Accommodation:
Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp
  • Luxury tented camp located on the crater rim of Ngorongoro Crater
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor)

Day 11

Ngorongoro Crater to Karatu

Ngorongoro Crater to Karatu

After an early breakfast, you will descend the crater which is almost 600m deep.
The Crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago. It is famous for both its geological delights and for being a natural reserve which is home to some of the densest large mammal populations in the whole of the African continent. The drive down into the Crater is an adventure in itself and when you reach the Crater floor, you quickly find yourself amongst large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and more than 500 bird species. The Crater provides you with the best chance for spotting the endangered black rhino and prides of lions, which can sometimes be spotted in the open grasslands. After lunch and an extensive game drive inside the crater, we will head to our comfort partner lodges in Karatu for dinner and your overnight stay at Marera Valley Lodge.

Main Destination:
Ngorongoro Crater
Best Time To Visit June to October (Wildlife viewing is best)
High Season Most of the year – July to March (Expect crowds)
Best Weather June to October (Rainfall is little to none)

Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater

LionCommon
BuffaloAbundant
ZebraAbundant
WildebeestAbundant
HyenaAbundant
Show more
ElephantCommon
HippoCommon
LeopardOccasional
Accommodation:
Marera Valley Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located 1-2hr drive from Ngorongoro Crater
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor)

Day 12-13

Karatu to Arusha (Africa Amini Life) Original Maasai Lodge

Karatu to Arusha (Africa Amini Life) Original Maasai Lodge

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will depart for Arusha whereby you will get a chance to visit one of the Maasai villages located at Ngare Nanyuki, Arusha. At this lodge, you will experience the life of the Maasai people and the activities they do.
The activities include a spear-throwing competition against the Maasai, a nature walk with the Maasai, visiting a women’s workshop, and a donkey ride with the Maasai. Lunch will be offered as a hot meal and a choice of local food so that you experience the taste of local African food. After spending a day in the community, you will head to your room for dinner and an overnight stay.

You will spend two nights in this incredible Lodge.

Main Destination:
Arusha (City)
Accommodation:
Original Maasai Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Arusha (City)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 14

Onwards Travel

Onwards Travel

You will be served breakfast and lunch before you depart to the airport where you will catch your flight back home or have a flight to Zanzibar according to your flight departure time.

Main Destination:
Kilimanjaro Airport
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

  • Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
  • You'll be dropped off at the airport.

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  • If preferred, you can contact the tour operator directly
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Your request will be sent directly to the operator

If preferred, you can contact the operator directly

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Disclaimer

  • This tour is offered by African Big Cats Safaris, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.