Day 1 - Arrive Arusha

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be collected in your private vehicle and transferred to your hotel for the night.

Overnight: Silver: Katambunga House | Gold: Siringit Villa

Day 2 -  Arusha 

After a leisurely breakfast you are off to explore the town of Arusha. Your first stop will be at the Shanga Centre. Shanga is a successful social enterprise which employs people with disabilities to create unique, high-quality, handmade jewelry, glassware and homeware incorporating recycled materials. These products are sold in Tanzania and all over the world, with profits being reinvested back into developing opportunities to employ more people with disabilities.

Whilst you are here, you and the children will have a private Masai Beading workshop – by the end of this you will have created your own beautiful Masai necklace to take back home. After this you can try your hand at the art of glass blowing and see what you can create and end with a quick lesson in sign language; a unique skill to have.

After lunch you will make your way to the Ilboru School for Children with Special Needs which is supported by AK Philanthropy (AKP). Children in Tanzania with hearing impairments or mental or physical disabilities are often left with limited opportunities to receive a formal education. A decade ago, AKP funded the construction of the first primary school in Arusha, Tanzania specifically designed to meet the requirements of children with special needs. The school has successfully grown and made a huge difference in the education of these children.  Meet the teachers and the students during the visit, learn their stories and get actively involved by joining them for some activities. 

Overnight: Silver: Katambunga House | Gold: Siringit Villa

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 - Ngorongoro Highlands

Today drive up to the Ngorongoro Highlands in your private vehicle. On the way stop at the village of Mto wa Mbu where you and your family will be able to experience more of the Tanzanian culture.

Explore the village by Tuk Tuk (rickshaw) - these three wheeled vehicles are generally found in Asia but have become a common sight in the villages of Tanzania. Exploring the village by Tuk Tuk is a brilliant way of getting off the main road and receiving a proper introduction to village life in an un-orchestrated and authentic way. You will first stop to visit the rice paddies before winding down the small tracks between the banana plantations. Every so often your guide will stop and explain the variety of uses they have for the banana plant - from roofing their homes to brewing the local beer (which you are invited to try during the trip).

From here you will visit the local craftsmen and hear their story of how they came up from Mozambique during the civil war and watch them carve some incredible pieces using nothing but a machete. Then there is time for a bit of shopping before the tour ends back at the main road where there is a little kitchen and a local meal has been prepared for you. The cuisine is simple but delicious and is a blend of all the local cultures that are found in the village.

After lunch you will drive up to your lodge where you will check in and have the rest of the afternoon to relax.

Overnight: Silver: Acacia Farm Lodge | Gold: Gibbs Farm

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 4 - Ngorongoro Crater

After an early breakfast set off for a day of game driving in the Ngorongoro Crater. This deep, volcanic crater and the largest unbroken caldera in the world; about 20 kilometres across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq kilometres 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.

Descend into the crater floor in search of the big 5 with 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.

Overnight: Silver: Acacia Farm Lodge | Gold: Gibbs Farm

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 5 - Lake Manyara National Park

Today you and your family will explore the little Lake Manyara National Park. Your first stop in this park will be the treetop canopy walkway which takes you on a sky-high adventure through the beautiful forest on the edge of Lake Manyara. Walk among the treetops and experience untouched nature and wildlife from a unique perspective. This 370 metre (1220 feet) airwalk starts with a short boardwalk that gradually rises from ground level up through the canopy of the forest. You walk over a series of suspension bridges with thick netting on the sides and reach a height of 18 metres (60 feet) off the ground. Each of the bridges end at a viewing deck situated around tree trunks. These treetop platforms are perfect places to stop and enjoy life in the canopy among butterflies, monkeys and birds. During this walk guides will point out interesting facts about the Lake Manyara flora and fauna, while you can enjoy a unique birds-eye view of the world around you. This is Tanzania's first treetop walkway and one of the longest in Africa. A great outdoor activity for nature lovers and adventure seekers.

Sit back and enjoy a picnic lunch at a serene spot in the park overlooking the lake before embarking on the second adventure of the day – canoeing. You will meet your guide at the lake shore and then board your canoes and paddle away. During your trip you may be fortunate enough to see a variety of wildlife coming down to the shoreline of the lake to drink including waterbuck, impala, zebra and even elephants. There is also a huge array of birdlife that can be enjoyed from the quiet of your canoe and it is also the best way to take in the magnificent wall of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment which towers above the national park.

Overnight: Silver: Acacia Farm Lodge | Gold: Gibbs Farm

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 6 - Serengeti National Park 

After breakfast catch your flight to the Serengeti National Park. On arrival you will be greeted by another driver guide and your exclusive vehicle before setting off on a short game drive to the lodge.

You will arrive in time for lunch and in the afternoon you can either choose to explore the park on a game drive or relax and enjoy the facilities of the property.

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 kilometres (5,000 square miles) contains about three million large animals, many of them taking part in seasonal migrations, unparalleled in nature.

Overnight: Silver – Melia Serengeti | Gold – Four Seasons Serengeti

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 7 & 8 - Serengeti National Park 

You have two full days to explore this magical part of Africa. You can set off on an early morning game drive and either take a picnic lunch with you to maximize your time in the park or come back to the lodge for lunch before setting off in the afternoon.

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 south.

The Serengeti is not only famous for the great Wildebeest Migration that moves around the park but also for the vast number of species that reside in the park year-round. The concentration of predators in the Serengeti is high with large prides of lion, numerous hyena clans and regular sightings of both cheetah and leopard. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe and antelope can be found feeding on the rich plains as well as some of the lesser known species such as aardwolf, mongoose, caracal, servals and hyrax.

Both properties have wonderful kids’ clubs which allow mom and dad to have an afternoon siesta if they wish. During this time the children will engage in a variety of fascinating activities including learning how to make a fire with a stick, track animals by their footprints and even how to shoot a bow and arrow. By the end of their time in the Serengeti they will have become full Junior Rangers.

Overnight: Silver – Melia Serengeti | Gold – Four Seasons Serengeti

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 9 - Arusha - depart

Today it is time to bid farewell to the wilderness – after breakfast catch your flight to Arusha where you will have a day room to freshen up in before catching your evening flight home.

If you would like to add on a few days at the beach, please see our Zanzibar Beach Extension.