Discounted

Serengeti Wildlife Experience

Tanzania - Trip code TL Wildlife
Carbon Footprint Leaf Icon
159Kg of CO²e
Average carbon footprint per person
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Carbon Footprint
You deserve to know everything about your holiday, from what is included, what to expect and every kilogram of CO2 emitted on average per person along the way.

We've partnered with ecollective to measure the carbon footprint of this tour based on an average group size. Find out more about how we calculate this and why we think it's important here.

 

Capturing the very essence of Africa, our Tanzania adventure offers some of the best game-viewing opportunities on the continent. Visit world-famous national parks, including the Serengeti, in search of the Big Five and more. End each day watching the sun go down over the plains and sleeping under canvas in the bush.

Why we love this trip
  • Serengeti - Spot the Big Five in Africa's most iconic national park.
  • Ngorongoro Crater - Visit the world's largest complete caldera, home to rhinos, leopards and giraffes.
  • Tarangire - Look out for herds of elephants and tree-climbing lions in the baobab-dotted plains.

  • Included meals

    Breakfast: 7

    Lunch: 7

    Dinner: 6

  • Trip staff

    Explore Tour Leader

  • Transport

    4WD

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    Accommodation

    1 nights comfortable hotel

    6 nights comfortable tented camp

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    Trip pace:

    Full on

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    Group Size:

    Trip maximum 12

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    Wildlife rating

    Wildlife focused tour

Itinerary

Day 1 - Join trip in Arusha

Our trip begins today in Arusha.

For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 4pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Arusha at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is around a 75-minute drive from our hotel. Should you miss the welcome meeting, our tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. Food is served at the lodge throughout the day until 11pm, for those that miss the group meal.

If you arrive early today, you might like to explore Arusha - the small Tanzanian city has plenty to offer, including local food, craft markets and a natural history museum. You can easily reach Arusha from the lodge by taxi or local minibus, just ask at reception for help. Alternatively, you could relax by the pool or find a shady spot in the gardens after your long journey.

Accommodation:

Forest Hill Hotel (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Swimming pool available

Meals Provided: None

Day 2 - Drive to Manyara National Park; Afternoon Game Drive

This morning, we'll head southwest to Lake Manyara National Park where we'll head out on our first game drive this afternoon. Our drive will take us through villages and towns, where we'll see the bustle of local markets and daily life. On arrival at our lodge, we'll have lunch and a bit of time to take in the view over the floodplains below before we head out on our first drive.

Lake Manyara is nestled at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley and, as a relatively small park, it's the perfect introduction to a variety of habitats, ecosystems and wildlife. The various habitats of lush forests, acacia woodlands, grassy floodplains and volcanic peaks are home to prey and predators, as well as over 400 species of birds. After our game drive, we'll return to our lodge to enjoy a sundowner and watch the changing lights on the plains below.

Please note, drones are not permitted in any Tanzania national park without a permit, please refer to the equipment section of the trip notes for more information.

Accommodation:

Manyara Tortilis Camp (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Tented Camp

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 - Visit Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world; Enter the Serengeti National Park for a game drive to the camp

We have a long journey ahead of us today as we head to the world-famous Serengeti National Park.

The scenery is spectacular as we travel around the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and transit through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We'll pass several Masai homesteads before arriving at Olduvai Gorge, where in 1959, anthropologists Dr and Mrs Leakey discovered the remains of an almost intact human skull named 'Nutcracker Man'. It was this, together with other discoveries, that contributed to the further understanding of early human development. Olduvai Gorge and the fossils that it contains give a unique insight into the role this part of the world played in human evolution.

We'll have a packed lunch in the courtyard of the Olduvai Gorge visitor centre, before walking around the museum. A local guide will then talk us through the ages of the gorge while we look out over the valley below.

Later today, we'll enter the Serengeti at Naabi Hill Gate. Serengeti is a Masai name that means the 'endless grass plains' and it's through these plains interspersed with granite outcrops that we'll travel to our lodge. Once in the Serengeti, we'll move slowly through the park, keeping a close eye out for game as we head to the central Seronera area.

We'll have a warm welcome at our Serengeti camp as we settle in to our canvas tents, surrounded by the sounds of nature.

Accommodation:

Serengeti Tortilis Camp (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Tented Camp

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 - Full day safari in the Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti covers almost 15,000 square kilometres/5,791 square miles in area and is Tanzania's oldest, and arguably, greatest park. Famed for the awe-inspiring spectacle of the annual migration, it offers some of the best game viewing in Africa.

We'll travel through different habitats from dry, dusty savannahs to long grasses and mud pools. Prey and predators can be found in the park, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes and buffalo, as well as over 500 species of bird - have your binoculars and cameras at the ready! We'll take a packed lunch with us but timings and location will depend on the wildlife movements for the day.

We'll return to our accommodation this evening in time for 'Bush TV' - a local beer around the bonfire as the sun goes down.

Accommodation:

Serengeti Tortilis Camp (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Tented Camp

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 - Game drive to depart Serengeti National park before driving to our accommodation near the Ngorongoro Conservation area

We'll make one last early morning game drive as we retrace our route back to Naabi Hill Gate and back into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We'll pass various settlements en route and the Masaai can often be seen herding their livestock or working the land in the surrounding fields.

In the late morning, we'll arrive at our accommodation. The central farmhouse remains a working farm and coffee plantation, built in colonial style and is set amongst beautiful gardens. This afternoon will be free to enjoy the lodge or take the late afternoon walking tour of the plantation with a local villager to learn more about their life and the produce grown on the grounds.

Accommodation:

NgorongoroTortilis Camp (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Tented Camp

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 - Early morning game drive in Ngorongoro Crater in search of the Big Five

This morning, we'll have a very early start to make our way to the crater where we'll descend from the upper rim, driving down a steep track that drops a staggering 600 metres/1,968 feet to the grassy plain, lake and marshes of the basin floor below. The crater provides a unique wildlife spotting experience and is home to the Big Five. Among the animals to watch out for are elephants, lions, cheetahs, buffalo and rhinos. The perennial marshes also teem with birdlife.

The crater itself, technically classed as a caldera, owes its existence to the violent fracturing of the Rift Valley over 15 million years. At one time a volcano occupied this spot that then became extinct and collapsed into the empty magma chamber beneath it leaving only the gigantic natural basin which is now considered a veritable 'Garden of Eden'.

After our half-day game drive in the crater today, we'll return to the farmhouse in time for lunch and the afternoon will be at leisure to relax after our early start.

Accommodation:

NgorongoroTortilis Camp (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Tented Camp

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 - Drive to Tarangire National Park, home to some of Tanzania's largest elephant herds; Afternoon Game Drive

Today we'll leave our accommodation and continue our journey further into Tarangire National Park. One of the most striking features of the park is the majestic old baobab trees with massive silvery trunks and gourd-like fruit that dominate the skyline. Tarangire has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside of the Serengeti ecosystem and is part of a larger ecosystem that extends further south into the Masai steppes. The permanent water sources in the park result in Tarangire being home to the largest elephant populations in Tanzania, where during the dry season over 300 elephants can be seen digging for water in the riverbeds. The park is also home to the shy fringed-eared oryx and the gerenuk antelope that are not seen in other parks.

We'll head out for an afternoon game drive, before travelling to our camp. The evening will be spent relaxing in this spectacular location and enjoying a traditional evening meal.

Accommodation:

TarangireTortilis Camp (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Tented Camp

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 - Trip ends at Kilimanjaro Airport

Departing Tarangire this morning, we'll drive for four hours to Arusha where we'll stop for a lunch break before departing Kilimanjaro International Airport, this is where our trip ends. The earliest your flight can depart is 5pm.

If you're joining our Zanzibar Island extension trip, your flight will depart either Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro Airport and you'll be dropped off at Arusha Airport before the group stop for lunch or in the afternoon if departing from Kilimanjaro Airport. The earliest your flight to Zanzibar can depart is 12.45pm from Arusha or 5pm from Kilimanjaro Airport. Please speak to our reservations team for assistance booking flights.

Meals Provided: Breakfast & Lunch

Trip information

Climate and country information

Tanzania

Climate

The climate is tropical but varies greatly with altitude. Coastal areas and islands are hot and humid, while the central plateau is dry and arid. Tanzania can be visited all year round and its seasons can be defined as green and dry. The dry season is generally from June to October and January to February, with most days being fine and sunny weather with temperatures and humidity rising throughout the day. It can be cold at night, particularly in June & July. The green season includes the rains of March to May (with the peak in April – generally during the afternoon) and November to early December. This pattern can be unpredictable. The weather system during these periods refreshes the landscape creating luscious green scenery which is not witnessed during the dry season. The Zanzibar archipelago is a year-round destination but does have dry and rainy seasons. The dry season is between June to October and January to February. The ‘short rains’ are between November to December, when a short, afternoon rainstorm can be a daily occurrence. The ‘long rains’ occur between March to May, when days can be humid and rainy, however, sunshine is still often frequent. The changing weather patterns does mean the ‘rainy’ season is becoming less predictable. Weather at altitude can vary to the above seasons, with the evenings being cold. Kilimanjaro features its own array of climates and biomes; between 1,800 to 2,800 metres is a rainforest climate (humid and hot), from 2,800 to 4,000 metres is dry mountain vegetation – please note night time temperatures can fall to below 0 degrees from this level. A cold desert climate with a strong equatorial sun during the day but cold nights is found between 4,000 to 5,000 metres. The summit generally has clear days though the evenings can be very cold featuring snow.

Time difference to GMT

+3

Plugs

3 Pin (as per the UK), best to travel with an adapter as some lodges have 2 pin sockets.

Religion

Christian, Islam

Language

Swahili, English

Budgeting and packing

Clothing

Clothing should be lightweight. However, a warm sweater or fleece and a wind/water-proof jacket are advisable for early morning game drives. Take thermal underwear for the occasional very cold night at altitude at places like Ngorongoro (even in summer). A scarf is recommended as protection against dust and dirt on game drives. A waterproof is advisable

Footwear

Comfortable shoes, trainers or sandals.

Luggage

20Kg

Luggage: On tour

A flexible holdall (suitcases are not suitable for vehicle luggage racks) and a daysac.

Equipment

Charging points: The tour vehicle and camps have charging points for cameras and phones.

Drones: Are not permitted in any National Park in Tanzania without a permit. Permits cost approximately US$250 per 24 hrs. Please advise us at time of booking if you wish to take a drone with you into the National Park, as permits are difficult to obtain. If you launch a drone without a permit this will be confiscated by the Park officials.



Bring a small torch, sunglasses, sunhat and sunblock . We also recommend you bring binoculars and a water bottle for day to day use.

Plastic Bag Ban: With effect from 01 June 2019, it is illegal to use, manufacture and/or import plastic bags into Tanzania and Zanzibar. Any person found with plastic bags of any type including shopping bags on arrival into the country can receive a heavy fine. Small plastic bags used for hand luggage toiletries are permitted but must be in a reusable condition and not disposed of in the country. Please ensure you do not have any non-permitted types of plastic bag in your hand luggage or luggage. Any plastic bags obtained whilst travelling are disposed of before arriving into Tanzania or are surrendered at the designated desk available at all entry points into the country.

Tipping

Explore leader
Tipping isn't compulsory, and we work hard to ensure that our leaders all receive a fair wage. However, you might want to recognise a leader that's done a great job or really added to your trip by giving them a tip. We're often asked about the recommended amount. It's a tricky one, and down to personal preference, but we'd recommend between $60-70 per person per tour as a guideline.
Local crew
Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. In order to make things easier for you, your leader may organise a group's tips kitty for included activities and meals and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour.

Accordingly, you should allow $30-40 per person for group tipping.



Tanzania

Food and drink

The costs for meals may vary depending upon location, type of restaurant and number of courses eaten and so the prices given are an average guide. Local restaurants located off the beaten track may be less expensive, whereas an upmarket restaurant located in the centre of a major city may charge more.


Lunch price
£8.00
Dinner price
£15.00
Beer price
£2.00
Water price
£1.00
Foreign Exchange
Local currency
Tanzanian Shilling.
Recommended Currency For Exchange
US Dollars are preferable. Please be aware that any notes issued before 2006 will not be accepted
Where To Exchange
Banks or 'Forex' offices only in main towns/cities. Your Tour Leader will advise you on arrival.
ATM Availability
Major towns and cities will have ATMs available.
Credit Card Acceptance
Credit cards are generally not accepted.
Transport, Accommodation, Food & Drink

Transport Information

4WD

Accommodation notes

During this trip, we spend one night in a comfortable hotel and six nights in comfortable tented camps. In general, comfortable-grade accommodation is three-star standard with good amenities such as en-suite bathrooms and WiFi.
To bring us even closer to Tanzania's beautiful nature, we stay in Tortilis Camps out in the wilds. These camps are designed to bring you home comforts, while you're surrounded by nature. We stay in spacious, canvas tents with proper beds and all bedding provided. Tents have en-suite bathrooms with a shower, toilet and sink. The camp also has electricity and WiFi. Meals are prepared for us and served in the communal dining tent and st the end of the day, you can enjoy a sundowner around the communal campfire.

Tanzania

Food and drink

Dietary requirements: Most restaurants and hotels in Tanzania do not have a wide selection of vegan and vegetarian choices. There is usually a choice of salads and one main vegetarian and/or vegan main dish on the menus, but choice will be limited especially in more remote locations. If you have specific dietary requirements we do recommend for you to bring some food with you.

Can you drink the water?
The  water quality is poor and therefore it is recommended to avoid drinking tap water during your trip. 

Essential Information

Government Travel Safety Advice

We strongly recommend that you check your government's travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination's safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs. Relevant government website links for UK, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens are available on our Travel Safety page.

If you'd like some inital information on country-specific entry requirements, such as visas or any health declaration forms, please refer to our Entry Requirements page.  The services and information on this page are provided by a third party, and so we will still recommend that you cross check this against your government website for the latest advice.
 

Under 18 immigration guidance

Please note that some countries require proof of parental consent when travelling overseas with under 18s. Please check requirements with the relevant embassy or consular office well in advance of travel if this applies to your party.

Price Guarantee

Once your booking has been confirmed we guarantee the price will not increase, whatever the circumstances. However, please note that if you voluntarily make any changes to your booking including changing your trip or departure date, any additional costs or charges incurred will not be covered. Before booking please ensure you have read our important tour pricing information.Booking Conditions
 

Visa and Passport Information


Tanzania: A single visa is required by UK, New Zealand, Australian, US & Canadian citizens. Single entry visas only can be arranged on arrival, but due to queues at immigration we recommend for the visa to be arranged in advance.

An E-visa for Tanzania can be obtained prior to departure via the e-visa website: http://www.immigration.go.tz.
Click on the e-Services tab and then select Online Visa Application, please ensure you read the Visa Application Guidelines before applying for your e-visa. Please refer to the Explore visa letter you will receive for information required to complete your e-visa application.
You will need to print a copy of your e-visa approval letter and present this with your passport and final documents at your entry point into the country. The approval letter takes approximately 10 days to approve if there are no queries on the application. We therefore advise for you to apply at least 15 workings days prior to travelling. Please ensure you have enough validity left on the visa through to the end of the tour before you travel.
The Tanzanian High Commission in London no longer processes or issues visas.

American nationals are required to apply for a multiple entry e-visa for all tourism visits to Tanzania; the ordinary single entry e-visa is unavailable for Americans to apply to.

From September 1 2024, all travellers visiting Zanzibar must buy compunsory travel insurance before travelling, and this must be purchased through The Zanzibar Insurance Corporation online prior to travelling. The fee for this is US$44/pp

Travellers must pay the insurance fee regardless of whether or not they have obtained travel insurance elsewhere.

Passports must have a minimum validity of 6 months and at least 1 blank/unused page at time of travel.

Plastic Bag Ban:
With effect from 01 June 2019, it is illegal to use, manufacture and/or import plastic bags into Tanzania and Zanzibar. Any person found with plastic bags of any type including shopping bags on arrival into the country can receive a heavy fine. Small plastic bags used for hand luggage toiletries are permitted but must be in a reusable condition and not disposed of in the country. Please ensure you do not have any non-permitted types of plastic bag in your hand luggage or luggage. Any plastic bags obtained whilst travelling are disposed of before arriving into Tanzania or are surrendered at the designated desk available at all entry points into the country.



If you do require assistance in obtaining a visa then you may be able to apply through Explore's recommended visa service in the UK, Travcour. See www.travcour.com to download the relevant visa application for your trip, if applicable (UK citizens only), along with details of how to apply for your visa through Travcour. The Team at Travcour will be happy to answer specific questions relating to visa applications, please call them directly on 0208 5431846.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of a full passport, with the correct validity for your chosen destination.
 

Booking conditions

Before booking your Explore trip, please ensure that you read both our Essential Information and Booking Conditions.
 

Minimum age restrictions

For our group tours, the minimum age is 16. The minimum age on Family trips varies between 7 and 11 - please check the 'Family information' section of the trip page for more information. 


Your safety and enjoyment on tour

We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable holiday, so we ask you to confirm when booking this trip that you are fit and able to fully participate in all elements of the itinerary. If you have any concerns about your fitness or ability to complete any of the activities, please get in touch with our Customer Relations team at cr@explore.co.uk as soon as possible. Our tour leaders are trained and experienced in managing differing abilities within a group, but if they have concerns about a group member’s ability to safely participate in any element of the itinerary or believe someone’s presence could affect the safety or enjoyment of the holiday for others, in accordance with our Booking Conditions our tour leaders have the authority to ask an individual to miss an activity or activities. This decision would never be taken lightly, but on the rare occasions our tour leaders ask someone to sit out part of the tour, refunds will not be offered and individuals may be liable for additional costs incurred. 
 

Your Tour Leader

All tours aside from extensions, Galapagos cruises and polar expeditions will be led by one of our experienced Tour Leaders. We believe that our Tour Leaders are the key to the success of our tours; they are local experts who are bursting with first-hand knowledge which they love to share, and their unique insights will bring the destination to life. Your Tour Leader will be on hand throughout your tour to make sure arrangements run smoothly, to organise all the local logistics and to keep you safe. Your Tour Leader should be your first point of contact if you encounter any difficulties or disappointments in country – please raise any concerns, however small, with your Tour Leader as they are best placed to assist you.

Transfers

Find out more about Trip Transfer Terms and Conditions before you book.

Booking a land only package with Explore

Customers who have chosen to book on the ‘Land Only’ arrangements of our tour, please ensure that you have checked your tour specific ‘Joining Instructions’ prior to booking your own travel arrangements. Your joining instructions can be found below in the dates and prices information. 

You may also be eligible for the Free Explore Transfer.


Joining Tour Abroad

Customers booked on the ‘Land Only’ arrangements will receive a Free Transfer, provided you arrive and depart on the tour only itinerary start and end dates. The complimentary transfers will be arranged from the Explore designated airport or train station to your trips joining point, and then back from the ending point to the designated airport or train station. Generally the airport or station that Explore have selected will be the one that is closest to the town or city where the trip starts, or the one nearest to the joining point. It will be either an airport or train station but not both.

The exception to this rule is customers who are booked on a tour where the joining and ending point is at the designated airport or train station.  

Free transfers are not available for Polar customers.

If you are not eligible for the Free Transfer then you will need to make your own way through to the joining and ending point. On a majority of our tours Explore will be able to provide a private transfer at an additional cost. Please ask for a quote at the time of booking.  

For more information regarding the Explore Free Transfer click here

Insurance

It is a condition of booking with Explore that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the tour, including all optional activities. Your Insurance Policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation to your home country. Please ensure your policy includes medical emergency helicopter evacuation in the event of illness or injury and covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are trekking at altitude please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip. The cost of many of our Polar Voyages will exceed the capped amount covered by standard insurance premiums and you will be required to pay an additional premium to cover the full value of your trip. Please ensure that you are covered for the full amount of your holiday cost, as insufficient cover could invalidate a claim under the policy. Medical and repatriation insurance cover is not mandatory for UK residents who are travelling on trips within the United Kingdom.
Read more information about what travel insurance is required.

Flight information

Explore can arrange your flights for you, to make joining and leaving our trips easy. Read more about them here.


Flight Information

You are able to book this tour on a 'land only' basis or as a ‘flight inclusive’ package. Your flight inclusive package will be fully protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ATOL protection scheme.

 

Booking a flight inclusive package with Explore

We have a good selection of flights not only from London but from many regional airports around the UK allowing us to compare fares between scheduled carriers as well as low cost and charter airlines. Our dedicated flights team will match the best flight options to your arrival and departure airport.

On our website we display the price of the tour only. Please call us or select the flight option during the online checkout to receive a quote for a flight inclusive package. To avoid paying supplements or to secure your preferred flight option, we recommend booking as early as possible, especially for peak travel dates.

Tanzania

Vaccinations

A Yellow Fever vaccination and certificate is only required when travelling to Tanzania from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. We strongly recommend protection against malaria, hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, polio and yellow fever. Please note you are required to produce a valid yellow fever certificate on arrival in Tanzania. Consult your travel clinic for latest advice on different prophylaxis available against malaria. Travellers may also wish to take immunisation against meningococcal meningitis. Please check the latest requirements with your travel clinic or doctor prior to departure. The above is not an exhaustive list. Information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by on the NaTHNaC website and from your local healthcare provider. Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed by you before travelling.

Plastic bag fees

Please do not bring plastic bags into Tanzania as this could incur a fine. etc etc

Wildlife information
Award Winning Explore Leaders
Find out more
Price Guarantee Promise
Find out more
Airport Transfers
Find out more
Print Trip Notes

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