Arusha - Lake Manyara. Welcome to Tanzania! You will be met at Kilimanjaro Airport and transferred to Arusha. After lunch and our briefing the safari commences with a short drive to Lake Manyara (120kms, 2 hours). The park is tucked below the majesty of the Rift Valley wall and the white-hot shores of an ancient soda lake on the other. Famous for its tree-climbing lions, lying languidly among the branches in the heat of the day, and the dazzling variety of birds, you will have the afternoon to explore this beautiful park. You will continue up the escarpment to your lodge located on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the lake below. Overnight - Kirurumu Tented Lodge - Lake Manyara N.P. (L, D)

Lake Manyara - Serengeti National Park. After breakfast drive to Serengeti National Park (250km, 5 hour). You will pass through the forested slopes of Ngorongoro, before the predator rich plains of the Serengeti un-furl before you. Continue your journey to your camp with some excellent game viewing opportunities en-route. You will stop for a picnic lunch, before arriving at the Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp, set in among a kopje, providing lovely views over the plains. The tents are large permanent tents with en-suite facilities and the always attentive staff are there to ensure you are well looked after. Overnight - Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge - Serengeti N.P. (B, L, D)

Serengeti National Park. Today you will set off on a full day game drive taking a picnic lunch with you. You will have more time to explore a larger area of the Serengeti, with its various landscapes, from savannahs, forests, dry river beds and rocky kopjes, all of which offering a better environment for a whole range of animals. Your picnic lunch will be enjoyed in a secluded spot in the park among the wildlife.

Return to your lodge in the late afternoon, in time to enjoy a relaxing sun downer on your veranda. Overnight - Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge - Serengeti N.P. (B, L, D)

Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Highlands. After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro Crater, with a final Serengeti game drive en-route. There will be a stop at the Olduvai Gorge to visit the site where Mary and Louis Leakey first discoved the remains of Zinjanthropus Bosei, a distant ancestor of man believed to be 1.8 million years old, Australopithecus Bosei, the ‘Nutcracker Man’, a species that became extinct about 1 million years ago and fossilised footprints that date back 3.6 million years. Through this discovery Tanzania has become known as the ‘cradle of mankind’. Continue to the Ngorongoro Highlands, arriving at the Plantation Lodge, located just outside Karatu. Set in beautiful grounds. Overnight - Plantation Lodge - Karatu (B, L, D)

Ngorongoro Highlands - Ngorongoro Crater. Today you will depart for the Ngorongoro Crater, descending into the crater floor itself, for a game drive. Spend the morning exploring this fascinating wildlife amphitheater. Home to nearly 25,000 animals, which remain in the crater due to the constant supply of water from the springs. There is a very good chance of spotting the big five: lion, elephant, endangered black rhino, buffalo and leopard plus countless other African mammal species. This caldera, formed by a volcano sinking, hosts a unique cross-section of eco-systems, from Soda Lake to savannah and is home to almost every major species of African mammal. After a picnic lunch you return to your lodge. Overnight - Plantation Lodge - Karatu (B, L, D)

Ngorongoro - Tarangire National Park. After breakfast we leave for Tarangire National Park (140km, 3 hours). This is the classic Africa of lore with shimmering acacia stands, old baobab trees, Masai tribes and herds of elephant. In the dry-season of July-October, Tarangire National Park surpasses the Serengeti in terms of animal concentration as big herds begin to congregate around the permanent water of Tarangire River. We then drive to Maramboi, with its spectacular views across the Rift Valley to the escarpment. Overnight - Maramboi Tented Lodge - Tarangire N.P. (B, L, D)

Tarangire National Park - Arusha. Depart for Arusha where we will have lunch at the Arusha Hotel before our tour arrangements come to an end. Onward transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. (B, L)