Day 1 - Arrive Kilimanjaro Airport - drive to Arusha

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be met by an AKORN representative and transferred to Arusha Mount Meru Hotel or Rivertrees (approximately one hour drive). 

Mount Meru Hotel: Situated at the foothills of Mount Meru in the city of Arusha, the Mount Meru Hotel lies on nine acres of lush landscape with views of the fertile slopes of the beautiful mountain that the hotel is named after. Each of the 187 rooms are an experience of understated African opulence, open space and natural light.  Each room includes direct dial telephone, Mini bar, Free Wi-Fi, Satellite TV, Electronic Safe, Air Conditioning and Tea / Coffee making facilities.
There is a golf course adjacent to the hotel whilst within the hotel grounds there is a pool with children's area, business centre, bar café and formal dining room.

Rivertrees: Once a home, then turned into a humble B&B,  Rivertrees Inn is a charming, quiet hideaway that retains that home-away-from-home feel for the guests who pass by. It spreads out over ten acres of lush greenery and riverine vegetation, in the foothills of Mount Meru, and commands majestic views of Kilimanjaro. The inn's location is only a short meander away from Arusha National Park and Lake Duluti, known for its popular canoeing trips.

Overnight: Bronze: Mount Meru Hotel Standard Twin | Silver: Rivertrees Standard Room Twin

Day 2 - Drive Arusha - Tarangire National Park

This morning, you will drive to Tarangire National Park for a game drive with picnic lunch. Later in the evening you will drive to the lodge. Tarangire National Park is one of the finest parks in Tanzania. Centred on the Tarangire River, this park has expansive views with wide panoramas of wooded savannah stretching in every direction. The most outstanding feature is the Tarangire River - which is permanent and the only reliable dry-season source of water available to wildlife in a vast stretch of Tanzania's Rift Valley, attracting tremendous concentrations of animals. 

Nimali Tarangire is an exclusive luxury lodge located on the eastern boundary of Tarangire National Park that is renowned for its stunning baobab trees and large concentration of elephants. The lodge is situated alongside the riverbed and well hidden amongst the acacia & baobab trees. Natural materials are merged with contemporary décor, to provide guests with a unique and unforgettable bush experience. The main areas comprise of a spacious lounge, library and a central dining area that overlooks the swimming pool and a waterhole that attracts wildlife. Selections of safari books are available for guests to read. Every evening, guests are able to relax in the lounge and have sundowners by the fireplace. 

Tarangire Simba Lodge: The lodge is stunningly located at this beautiful, tranquil site bordering Tarangire National Park. There is a large dining room and outdoor dining deck with views over the plains, where delicious meals made from fresh local ingredients are served. The fully-stocked bar can provide you with a delicious, refreshing drink. The 'Tree Top' viewing platform built in a stately acacia tree is a great place for wildlife watching and star gazing. The swimming pool is the perfect place to cool down after a day of game viewing. There is free wi-fi in the common areas.

Overnight: Bronze: Tarangire Simba  Standard Twin | Silver: Nimali Luxury Lodge  Standard Room Twin

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 - Drive Tarangire - Ngorongoro

This morning you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch through Lyambi (South gate) (approximately 1hrs and 30 minutes). You will do a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park and in the late evening proceed to the Ngorongoro Highlands to your hotel (approximately 40 minutes).

Acacia Farm Lodge: Set on a 25 acre farm in Karatu near the Ngorongoro Highlands, Acacia Farm Lodge is ideal for guests looking for a superb location within a serene environment. 28 spacious chalets each having a small lounge area, a veranda and the bedroom with a bathroom leading off it. 28 spacious chalets each having a small lounge area, a veranda and the bedroom with a bathroom leading off it.

Oldeani Lodge: Oldeani is an outstanding colonial property perched on a hill with excellent views of Oldeani Mountain and the Ngorongoro Crater. From big leather sofas and vintage trunks in the lounge area, to golden chandeliers and an antique gramophone in the dining room, the colonial theme permeates through every room of this elegant lodge. Oldeani Ngorongoro offers 50 big beautiful rooms with glass windows on 2 sides giving infinite views of the savannah.

Overnight: Bronze: Acacia Farm Lodge Standard Twin | Silver: Oldeani Lodge Standard Room Twin

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 4 - Ngorongoro Crater

Your game drive today will be like no other as you visit one of the most dramatic safari destinations in Africa, the Ngorongoro Crater. Descend to the crater floor in search of the big 5 with the back drop of the forest covered crater walls surrounding you, creating stunning back drops for all of your wildlife photographs. Travel through the Lerai Forest looking for leopard and onto the plains where the wildebeest and zebra graze whilst cheetah and lion lay and watch. Old elephants pass your vehicle whilst further afield rhino wander and hippos hide in the pools. A picnic lunch is provided so you can maximize your day in the crater.

Ngorongoro Crater is a deep, volcanic crater and the largest unbroken caldera in the world. About 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq kms in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder. Within the crater rim large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby while sleeping lions laze in the sun. At dawn, the endangered black rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. Just outside the crater's ridge, tall Maasai herd their cattle and goats over green pastures living alongside the wildlife as they have for centuries.

Overnight: Bronze: Acacia Farm Lodge Standard Twin | Silver: Oldeani Lodge Standard Room Twin

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 5 - Drive Ngorongoro - Serengeti National Park

Arise early this morning for your drive to the Serengeti with picnic lunches. Your drive will take approx. 4-5 hours as you climb the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment, drive through the carter highlands, along the rim of the Ngorongoro crater before descending onto the vast plains of the Serengeti for afternoon game drive.

One of the world's last great wildlife refuges, the Serengeti, stretches between the Ngorongoro Highlands and Lake Victoria.  The name comes from the Maasai word siringet, meaning "endless plains". The Serengeti's 14,763 square kms contains about three million large animals, many of them taking part in seasonal migrations, unparalleled in nature.

Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp is a place of infinite calm surrounded by untamed majesty, offering a timeless blend of classical safari rusticity and the world-class professionalism of Serena Safari Lodges, Resorts and Hotels. Unlike any other camp, Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp lies at the epicenter of the Serengeti within easy reach of the prime wildlife theatres of Lobo, the Western Corridor of the Grumeti River, the southern grass plains, and the Seronera Valley.

Cleverly located on one of the main annual migration corridors for over one million wildebeest, half a million zebras and gazelles, and their accompanying cast of predators, the camp enjoys a ringside seat for one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth.

Scenically located in a glade guarded by 3 million year old granite towers, Mbuzi Mawe (meaning Klipspringer in English) makes maximum use of its unique wilderness location. There are al fresco breakfasts, safari luncheons, lantern-lit bush suppers, campfire roasts, and dance displays by the Ikoma people as well as game drives, ranger-led bush walks, ornithology and sightings of: elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, buffalo, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, warthog, hippo and crocodile.

Accommodation comprises 16 spacious tents, each with 24-hour electricity, constant hot water, ensuite bathroom, dressing area, two double four-poster beds and a verandah with double sun bed.

Overnight: Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 6 - Full day in the Serengeti

Spend your day exploring the extensive plains of the Serengeti in search of the ‘Big 5’. If you would like to maximize your time game viewing you can take a picnic lunch out into the park and enjoy a meal out in the vast savannah before returning to your lodge later in the day.

Every year, triggered by the rains, 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle gather to undertake the long trek to new grazing lands. The migration of the herbivores roughly defines the boundaries of Serengeti National Park, which is the central zone of the Serengeti ecosystem, an area that also takes in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Maswa Game Reserve in the west.

Overnight: Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 7 - Drive Serengeti - Manyara

This morning you will drive to Manyara (Approximately 5hrs). There is an optional a scheduled flight. After lunch you can do a nature walk on the edge of the Great Rift Valley or relax by the pool in your hotel.  

Lake Manyara Serena Lodge: High on the top of the dramatic Mto Wa Mbu escarpment overlooking the shimmering expanse of the Manyara soda lake, Serena Lodge has panoramic views across the volcanic floor of the Great Rift Valley.
The lodge has 67 spacious rooms built within traditional circular shaped buildings, each with a private balcony overlooking the valley and Lake Manyara. The interiors are very comfortable, decorated in African themes to mirror the bird-life of the region. The swimming pool is stunning, seemingly right on the edge of the Rift Valley with sun terraces looking over the valley and the lake.

Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge: This is unique property located in Kilimamoja area in Lake Manyara. It has a breathtaking abundant & un-obstructed view of the Manyara Plains/Escarpment. The main building has the lounge area on the right hand side and the dining area on the left. The décor is dominated by animal prints – zebra and leopard mainly – with massive glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The project consist of 50 luxury villas. The rooms are very spacious feature – mirrors with big gold frames, a huge bath and indoor and outdoor showers. The furniture on the verandas is very comfortable with a round day bed and a hanging chair. The glass doors on the front and the side open up completely giving you an uninterrupted view of the escarpment (if you have an escarpment view room).

Overnight: Bronze: Manyara Serena | Silver: Kilimamoja Lake Manyara Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 8 - Drive to Arusha

This morning you will have a chance to visit the village of Mto wa Mbu – a cultural melting pot. There are various ways to see the village – on foot, by bicycle or by Tuk Tuk. During the tour you will make your way through the banana plantations and learn how they grow them and the various uses that the bananas have in the everyday life of the people – including the creation of beer! You will also visit the wood carvers and learn where they came from and the home of one the Iraqw tribe and see how they create their houses from basic materials. At the end of the tour you will have the chance to try some of the delicious local food cooked in front of you. 

After lunch you will drive to Arusha and connect to your flight home.

Meal Plan: B,L