Tanzania
The Serengeti at depth, following the herds and the big cats.
- Length
- 6 nights · 7 days
- Where
- Northern Tanzania: Karatu, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti
- Guiding
- A team of two or more, in two radio-linked Land Cruisers
The Serengeti is vast. The national park alone covers almost 15,000 square kilometres, about ten times the size of the Maasai Mara Reserve, and the wider ecosystem twice that. Without guiding that reads the land, you can drive for hours and see little. So we take you in by road, through the highlands where the story begins, and spend four nights placed wherever the herds and the big cats are that month. A bush flight brings you home, with no long drive back.
The route
Every place you stop or sleep, at its real coordinates. Solid lines are driven, dashed lines are flown.
Day by day
- Day01
Kilimanjaro or Arusha → Karatu
We receive you at the airport and drive to Karatu, about four hours. Land by 3 pm and we reach Karatu the same day; land later and we stay near Arusha, setting off fresh in the morning.
Overnight Karatu, or near Arusha
- Day02
Lake Eyasi: the Hadzabe and the Datooga
A morning with the Hadzabe, among the last hunter-gatherers in East Africa, then the Datooga, pastoralists and blacksmiths. A day to listen and learn how lives here are shaped by the same land you’ll be reading on safari.
Overnight Karatu
- Day03
Ngorongoro highlands → Olduvai Gorge → Serengeti
Across the Ngorongoro highlands, stopping at the crater viewpoints, past Olduvai Gorge and down onto the plains for your first night in the Serengeti. We don’t drive down into the crater: it is costly, small and crowded, and the open Serengeti holds the same animals.
Overnight Serengeti
- Days04–06
Full days in the Serengeti
Full days in the field, with breakfast and lunch carried out to the plains. We go after two things: the migratory herds, wherever the season has placed them, and real time in big cat country, among the lion prides and the cheetah on the open plains. You’re welcome to drive one of our two radio-linked Land Cruisers, with a guide beside you, and hand it back whenever you’d rather sit back and watch.
Overnight Serengeti, positioned to the season
- Day07
Bush flight to Arusha
A bush flight from the airstrip nearest the herds that month, usually landing in Arusha between noon and 2 pm, in time for an onward flight.
Where you’ll stay
The camps on this safari: your tent, the deck and the shared spaces.
All-inclusive, end to end
From the moment we receive you until we drop you back:
- Reception at the airport, and every transfer on the itinerary
- All nights in camp, with all meals
- Bush breakfast and lunch on full days in the field
- Your private vehicle and guiding team throughout
- Park and conservation fees
- Cultural visits on the itinerary
- Binoculars in each vehicle, and first aid on hand
On this safari it also includes the bush flight from the Serengeti to Arusha, and the Hadzabe and Datooga visit.
You won’t spend a penny unless you choose to: drinks at camp, laundry or shopping.
Not included
- Your international flights
- Visas and the Kenya eTA. You can apply yourself, or we can process them for you.
- Travel insurance, now mandatory for Kenya and for Tanzania
- A hotel night in Nairobi or Arusha, if your flight home is the next day
You’ll also need a yellow fever vaccination.
What it costs
Per person, in US dollars, sharing a room or tent. The bush flight back to Arusha is included.
| Trips starting | 2 travellers | 4 or more |
|---|---|---|
| December – March | USD 5,500per person | USD 4,500per person |
| April – June and November | USD 5,500per person | USD 4,500per person |
| July – October | USD 6,100per person | USD 5,100per person |
Rates follow the camps’ and the park authority’s own calendars. The wildlife is there every month.
Questions people ask first.
What does all-inclusive mean?
Everything from the moment we receive you until we drop you back: transfers, camps, all meals, park fees, your private vehicle and guiding team. You won’t spend a penny unless you choose to, on drinks at camp or shopping. The only things outside the price are your flights, visas (including the Kenya eTA) and travel insurance, which is now mandatory for Kenya. We can process visas for you if you’d like.
Is the safari private?
Always. The vehicle and the guiding team are yours alone, and we never put separate parties together. That is what lets us stay with a sighting for as long as it takes.
Who are the guides?
Every safari has a guiding team of at least two: a senior guide and one or two guides working alongside. Our guides know the resident prides individually, and they read the land as well as the animals: the soil, the grass, the water, and why the animals are where they are.
Kenya, Tanzania, or both?
Kenya is the concentrated safari for fewer days: the Mara is compact, rich in resident cats, and easy to reach from Nairobi. Tanzania is the bigger, wilder one, where the guiding matters most and the ecological story is fuller. Together they make one ecosystem, and our Kenya & Tanzania journey covers the whole of it.
When is the best time to come?
Every month has something happening. The lion prides, cheetah, leopard and elephant of the Mara live there all year. The herds are always somewhere on their long loop through the Serengeti and the Mara, so we plan around where they will be. See When to come for the year, month by month.
Can I drive?
In the Serengeti, yes. We run two of our own Land Cruisers there, linked by radio, and you’re welcome to drive one with a guide beside you. Hand it back whenever you’d rather sit back and watch. In the Maasai Mara our guides drive the open game viewer, so everyone’s eyes are free for the bush.
Can we bring children?
Yes, children of every age come on safari with us, and it is a lovely time to introduce them to animals and their worlds. Children under 5 travel free, 5 to 11 are charged at half, and from 12 it’s the adult rate. That isn’t our choice: the camps charge by bed and the park authorities charge entry by age on the passport, so we pass those on as they are.
What about food?
Vegetarian and Jain meals are catered for regularly, and our camp in the Mara uses only halal meat. Our camps are chosen for where the animals are, not for their kitchens: they’ll happily attempt Indian dishes, but the flavours may not taste quite the way they do at home.
How do I book?
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We check the camp and the guiding roster, then send you the itinerary and exact costing. To confirm, we need the names as they appear on your passports and an address for the invoice. A 25% advance holds your dates and the balance is due 30 days before you travel; within 30 days, full payment confirms. We invoice in US dollars. Bank transfer is preferred, and a card payment link is available with a 3.5% card fee.