Karibu Tanzania – Welcome! Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), our representative will greet you and transfer you to Greenside Hotel in Arusha. This comfortable property offers a peaceful garden setting, swimming pool, and excellent service – the perfect place to recover from your flight and prepare for the adventure ahead. In the evening, your guide will meet you for a pre-safari briefing, discussing the itinerary, answering questions, and ensuring everything is ready for your private lodge tour.

After breakfast at Greenside Hotel, depart at 8:00 AM for Tarangire National Park, approximately a 2-hour drive. Tarangire is famous for its massive elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. Upon arrival, begin your first private game drive, searching for elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and the many bird species that call this park home. The Tarangire River attracts wildlife year-round, making it a prime game viewing area. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush before continuing your afternoon exploration. In the late afternoon, exit the park and drive to Tarangire Osupuko Lodge, perched on a hill overlooking the Tarangire River Valley. Settle into your room with private veranda, enjoy dinner, and fall asleep to the sounds of the African night.

After breakfast at Osupuko Lodge, depart for the legendary Serengeti National Park. The trip takes you through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with stunning views of the crater rim and the Rift Valley escarpment. As you descend into the Serengeti ecosystem, the landscape opens into endless plains. Your first game drive begins as you enter the park, immediately searching for lions, elephants, giraffes, and the incredible wildlife that calls the Serengeti home. Arrive at Simba Serengeti Lodge in the central Seronera area by late afternoon. This comfortable lodge offers panoramic views, a swimming pool, and restaurant. After checking in, enjoy an evening game drive before dinner. Fall asleep knowing you have two full days of exploration ahead.

Rise early for a sunrise game drive when predators are most active. The golden light transforms the landscape, and you'll have the best chance to spot lions on the hunt or leopards returning to their trees. Return to Simba Lodge for a hearty breakfast, then head out again for more exploration. Your private guide knows the best areas based on recent wildlife movements. Visit the Seronera River, a magnet for wildlife year-round, and explore the rocky kopjes where lions love to lounge. After a picnic lunch in the bush, continue game viewing as the day cools. This full day in the Serengeti is the heart of your private lodge tour – unhurried, immersive, and unforgettable.

Another full day in the Serengeti means more opportunities to discover different areas of this vast ecosystem. Your guide might take you toward the Western Corridor or explore different sections of the central Serengeti based on wildlife movements. With two full days, you have the luxury of time – revisit a favorite spot, linger at a sighting, or venture further afield. Perhaps you'll witness a lion hunt, watch elephants at a waterhole, or simply enjoy a quiet moment watching the endless plains. The second day often reveals what the first missed, and your private guide will ensure you maximize every moment. Return to Simba Serengeti Lodge for your final night in the bush.

Enjoy one last morning game drive in the Serengeti, soaking in the vast landscapes and searching for any wildlife you might have missed. After breakfast, begin your trip toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The drive takes you through changing scenery, from open plains to acacia woodlands. En route, you'll stop at the Ngorongoro Crater rim viewpoint for spectacular photos before descending to Karatu, a town at the base of the escarpment. Check into Farm of Dreams, a charming lodge set on a working farm with beautiful gardens, comfortable rooms, and excellent cuisine. This is your base for exploring the crater. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon, perhaps a swim, and prepare for tomorrow's descent into the crater.

After early breakfast at Farm of Dreams, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater gate and descend 600 meters to the crater floor for a morning of extraordinary wildlife viewing in what is often called "Africa's Garden of Eden." The crater is home to approximately 25,000 large animals, including the rare black rhino. In just a few hours, you're likely to see lions, hyenas, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, and hippos – often all before lunch. Enjoy a picnic lunch by the hippo pool, watching these massive creatures wallow and graze. After a final game drive, ascend the crater walls in the early afternoon and begin your trip back to Arusha. You'll be dropped off at Greenside Hotel or at Kilimanjaro Airport for your onward travel, marking the end of your memorable 7-day private lodge safari.