Tanzania!

Detailed Itinerary for Tanzania

Oct 4: Kilimanjaro International Airport → Arusha
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport. From here it's a short transfer to your Arusha lodge to settle in, rest and prepare for the safari ahead. Overnight Lake Duluti Lodge (or similar).

Oct 5: Arusha → Kogatende Airstrip → Northern Serengeti
Transfer to Arusha Airport for the scheduled flight to Kogatende Airstrip. Your Matangos guides and two private safari vehicles will be waiting on arrival — one guide, one vehicle, four photographers each.

From Kogatende, the transfer becomes the safari as you begin exploring Northern Serengeti en route to camp. Flying directly into Kogatende puts the group where the Migration experience matters most, without losing days to the drive north. Overnight Moyo Tented Camp (or similar).

Oct 6: Northern Serengeti

Today is deliberately left open. Your guide will read the movement of the herds and conditions in the field, then decide with the group how best to use the day — if something is happening, we stay; if the wildlife has moved on, so do we. Overnight Moyo Tented Camp (or similar).

For a group working with cameras, this kind of flexibility tends to matter more than mileage covered. With two vehicles, there's also room to split up and follow different opportunities if the group prefers.

Oct 7: The Mara River - Northern Serengeti

Another full-day in Northern Serengeti, with particular attention to the Mara River area and the seasonal movement of wildebeest and zebra through it.

River crossings are natural events and cannot be guaranteed on any single day but, what we can be provided is positioning and experienced field judgement — placing the group where conditions look most promising and staying with it rather than rushing on. Overnight Moyo Tented Camp (or similar).

Oct 8: Northern Serengeti → Central Serengeti
Begin travelling south through the Serengeti. There's no reason to rush the distance — the drive itself is a game drive, with stops set by wildlife, landscape and whatever catches the group's attention along the way.

You'll arrive in Central Serengeti with the afternoon still ahead of you, ready for the change of scenery the region brings after several days in the north. Moyo Luxury Tented Camp (or similar).

Oct 9: Central Serengeti

A complete day in Central Serengeti, shaped around conditions and the group rather than a fixed plan — an early start if the light calls for it, a longer stop with a sighting, a relaxed lunch, or an extended afternoon out.

The vehicle is yours for the day, and so is the pace. Your guide is there to make the time count, not to move you along on a schedule. Moyo Luxury Tented Camp (or similar).

Oct 10: Central Serengeti → Ngorongoro Highlands
A final Serengeti game drive before gradually making your way toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the green highlands around Karatu.

Leaving Serengeti by road lets the group watch the landscape change naturally, from open plains to highland forest and farmland, rather than skipping the transition entirely. Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge (or similar).

Oct 11: Ngorongoro Crater

An early start to descend to the floor of Ngorongoro Crater for an extended game drive across its varied habitats — grassland, swamp, forest edge and soda lake within a single caldera.

We allow enough time here to actually explore, rather than treating the crater as a quick checklist stop. Later, climb back through the crater walls and return to your lodge for the evening. Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge (or similar).

Oct 12: Lake Manyara National Park & Mto wa Mbu

Explore Lake Manyara National Park, then spend time around Mto wa Mbu for a Maasai cultural experience. After several wildlife-focused days, this one introduces another side of Tanzania.

The journey isn't only about animals. We want the group to leave knowing a little more of the country we call home, and Mto wa Mbu — with its mix of communities and everyday village life — is a good place for that. Nyota Rift Valley (or similar).

Oct 13: Ngorongoro Highlands → Tarangire National Park
Continue to Tarangire National Park, known for its baobab-dotted landscapes, large elephant populations and the Tarangire River that draws wildlife through the dry season. Overnight Tarangire Safari Lodge (or similar).

Spend the afternoon exploring before settling into your lodge — a noticeable change of pace and scenery after Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Overnight Tarangire Safari Lodge (or similar).

Oct 14: Tarangire National Park

Your final full safari day is intentionally uncomplicated: Tarangire, your guide and your private vehicle. Start early if conditions call for it, stay with a sighting when it's worthwhile, and give attention to birds, landscapes and smaller details as well as headline wildlife.

Some of the best material from a trip like this comes on a day exactly like this one — when nobody is trying to force a shot, and there's nowhere else to be. Overnight Tarangire Safari Lodge (or similar).

Oct 15: Tarangire → Arusha National Park → Kilimanjaro International Airport
Travel toward Arusha. Where the international flight schedule allows, enjoy a final exploration of Arusha National Park before continuing to Kilimanjaro International Airport for departure.

Arusha National Park is a gentle final chapter, but the international departure remains the priority — the day will be adjusted around flight timing rather than the other way around. End of tour…….

Price: US$8,500 (shared occupancy), US$9,950 (Single occupancy private room)

Included: Hotel accommodations, all meals, ground transportation, local naturalist guides and photo instruction. 

Not Included: International and domestic airfare to/from Kilimanjaro International Airport, extra hotel stays in Arusha if desired, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (bottled water included at meals), gratuities for local guides and hotel/restaurant staff, laundry service.  

*note:‍ ‍this itinerary may require some slight modifications prior to tour date.