Current as of: April 23, 2025 - 14:03
Tanzania Safari Adventure Trip Notes
- Ways to Travel: Guided Group
- Destination: Tanzania
- Programmes: Wildlife
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Activity Level:
2 out of 7 - Easy & Moderate
- 8 Days: Land Only
- Ages: 16+
- Trip Code: WTS
Trip Overview
Take your safari to the next level, scouring the Serengeti, meeting the Masai and more
Go deep into the wildlands of Tanzania for an unforgettable safari adventure. Led by a highly experienced safari guide, who knows all the best animal-watching spots, you’ll scour the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater for lions, leopards and wildebeest, watch elephants in Tarangire, meet hunter-gather tribes, interact with the Masai people and visit the ‘cradle of humankind’. And for the ultimate safari experience, we spend two nights camping in the Serengeti plains.
At a Glance
- Accommodation: 7 Classic nights (1 hotel, 4 safari lodge, 2 permanent camp)
- Group normally 4 to 12, plus leader and safari drivers
- Travel in a customised safari vehicle
- Some long drives on bumpy roads
Highlights
- Elevate your safari experience with our highly knowledgeable guide
- Maximise your wildlife watching with multiple game drives
- Meet the Hadzabe and Datoga hunter-gather tribes
- Learn all about the Masai people and visit their homesteads
- Journey to Olduvai Gorge, the ‘cradle of humankind’
- Spend two nights camping under the Serengeti sky
Is This Trip for You?
This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) with a Wildlife rating of Five. Visit our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife ratings. For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.
Group
The group is generally between four and 12 people and is accompanied by a local tour leader throughout the trip. On safari, the vehicle is driven by an experienced and knowledgeable safari driver.
Adult min age: 16
Min group size: 4
Max group size: 12
Itinerary
Land Only
- Start City: Arusha
- End City: Arusha
Land Only Itinerary
Adventure starts in Arusha
Begin your adventure in Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania’s greatest safari parks.
At 6pm, say jambo (that’s hello in Swahili) to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big Tanzanian welcome by arranging dinner.
Want to extend your wildlife watching? Join our Kenya Safari Adventure before this trip begins. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Accommodation: African Tulip Hotel (or similar)
To Tarangire National Park • Search for iconic safari animals on an afternoon game drive
Meet your tour leader after breakfast and transfer (three hours) to Tarangire National Park, where large elephant herds roam and fat-trunked baobabs – the trees of life – punctuate the landscape.
After lunch at our lodge, we set out on an afternoon game drive (three hours), searching for iconic safari animals, including lions, hippos, leopards, zebras and the rarely seen cheetahs and hyenas.
This evening, we stay in the heart of the national park, surrounded by kopjes, ancient baobabs and the grassy plains. Keep an eye out for elephants, who often wander near to our resort.
Accommodation: Tarangire Sopa Lodge (or similar)
Morning game drive • To Lake Eyasi • Meet the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes
We transfer (3hr 45min) to Lake Eyasi today, enjoying a morning game drive (1hr 30min) through Tarangire en route. After lunch upon arrival at our lodge, we transfer (15 minutes) to the lake shore, where we spend a fascinating afternoon with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, who have lived the same way here for the last 10,000 years.
During our visit, we learn how they live, hunt and gather food in the bush. We also visit the Blacksmith Tribe who are part of the Datoga but have broken off and lived and married independently for decades now. Their main income is from forging knives, arrowheads and jewellery for the greater Datoga and Hadzabe. Later, we return to our lodge for dinner.
Accommodation: Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge (or similar)
Into Serengeti National Park • Afternoon game drive
We’re off to the Serengeti today! En route, we stop at the vast Ngorongoro Crater to gaze over the plains from the rim. After, we continue into the Serengeti, stopping in the Moru Kopjes area to see Masai rock paintings and Gong Rock, which makes a musical note when you strike it. The Moru Kojes area is also one of the best places in the Serengeti to see cheetah.
From here, we continue to our tented camp in the Central Serengeti. After lunch, we head out on an afternoon game drive: keep your eyes peeled for lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and rhinoceros.
Return to camp around dusk and enjoy the rest of the evening relaxing in the heart of the African wilderness.
Accommodation: Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp (or similar)
Full-day game drive in the Serengeti
Spend a full day scouring the Serengeti, one of the greatest wildlife-watching destinations in Africa. From May to July, we may be lucky to spot the great wildebeest migration, though the resident wildlife is so numerous that game viewing is excellent no matter the time of the year.
Accommodation: Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp (or similar)
To the Ngorongoro Crater • Visit the ‘cradle of humankind’ and meet the Masai
Rise early and enjoy our final game drive in the Serengeti, including a picnic lunch in the Naabi Hills, before continuing to the ‘cradle of humankind’, Olduvai Gorge, where palaeontologists discovered some of the earliest remains of people. You can walk in the gorge, see very well-preserved fossilised footprints in the riverbed and visit the fascinating museum.
From there, continue towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping to visit a Masai village (or boma) on the forested lower slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater. Learn how the Masai live, see inside their homesteads and take the chance to buy their handicrafts. After, we continue up to the crater rim to Karatu for our overnight stay.
Accommodation: Acacia Farm Lodge (or similar)
Ngorongoro Crater game drive
It’s an early start, with our driving collecting us at 8.30am and taking us to the Ngorongoro Crater (a 55-minute drive away). Our route takes us up through lush rainforest, often shrouded in mist, before descending steeply to the crater floor for a full day’s game viewing. We have plenty of time to discover why the Ngorongoro Crater is regarded by many as the finest game park in Africa. Also enjoy a scenic packed lunch next to Lake Magadi, enjoying views over the crater walls – hippos can often be seen in the lake and elephants will be wandering not far away!
Accommodation: Acacia Farm Lodge (or similar)
Return to Arusha
After a leisurely breakfast, we return (2hr 15min) to Arusha, stopping en route to enjoy spectacular views over Lake Manyara before descending into the Rift Valley Escarpment.
On arrival in Arusha, we enjoy an excellent lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge. Here, we visit Shanga, a social enterprise in which Tanzanians with physical impairments create beautiful, handcrafted items made with recycled materials. Money generated from selling the items is then re-invested into the project, supporting the makers and their families.
After, the trip ends and we begin our return journeys home. Alternatively, speak to your sales representative to extend your stay in Arusha.
Accommodation
Safari lodges and tented camps
We stay in a mixture of safari lodges and permanent tented camps, putting you into the heart of the African wilderness. Being so close to the animals means the wildlife-watching doesn’t stop when our game drive for the day ends, it’s often possible to see and hear the resident wildlife right from the resort.
Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Private rooms: Like most tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s normally possible to do this for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Single supplement from 456 €
Food & Drink
You have the opportunity to sample a selection of both Swahili and European dishes during the trip. Vegetarians can be catered for, but the selection may not be as varied as what you are used to at home.
Transport
We travel in a customised safari vehicle, designed to heighten your animal-watching experience. On board are wildlife-reference books, a pair of binoculars and USB charging points.
Weather & Seasonality
Just south of the equator, Tanzania is hot most of the year. There are two wet seasons, the long rains in April and May and the short rains in November. The days are usually between 15C (59F) and 25C (77F). However, it can be cooler at night.
Joining Instructions
Key information
Start hotel: African Tulip Hotel, 4 Serengeti Rd, Arusha
Phone: +255 699 799 873
Recommended arrival time: Before 6pm at the start hotel to catch the main welcome briefing
Airport: Arusha Airport (ARK)
Getting to the start hotel
The start hotel is approximately 55 minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
There’s one group transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport, which you can join at no extra cost. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer. If the group transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative. Alternatively, we can drop you at Arusha Airport for a small fee. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Arusha
Location end: Arusha
What To Take
Essential Equipment
In addition to your ‘normal’ daily clothes, you need the following essential items:
Please use a soft-sided holdall for your luggage as this is easier for loading on the safari vehicle.
- Sunhat
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Backpack (to carry water bottle, camera etc)
- Camera with plenty of memory and batteries
- Lightweight walking shoes
- Fleece for early mornings
- Light wet-weather top
We recommend you bring light pastel-coloured clothes on safari as bright colours can disturb the wildlife.
Please note: Tanzania and Zanzibar have banned many types of plastic carrier bags, including: duty-free carrier bags, general shopping bags, bin liners, dry-cleaning bags, ziplock bags. Please do not bring these with you. You are required to leave any bags deemed to be on the banned list at the point of entry and risk facing heavy fines.
Water included
Plastic bottles are a big issue in many countries where recycling isn’t yet widely available; they often end up in landfill or get burned. Both processes are harmful to the environment and we would like to reduce our impact here. For your trip, we provide an alternative to single-use plastic bottles to reduce the plastic used. This means that safe drinking water will be available throughout; all you need to do is bring a bottle to refill along the way. Please add this to your packing list.
Optional Equipment
- Telephoto lens
- Binoculars
Practical Information
Visa
Tanzania
Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Tanzania. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
- Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/tanzania
- Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/tanzania
- United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements
- USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Tanzania.html
Please note, it is possible to get the visa online (from US$50), but this can take between 10 days and three weeks. For more information and to apply for the visa, please visit www.visa.immigration.go.tz. If you are flying into Kilimanjaro Airport, we recommend arranging the visa in advance as the visa-on-arrival process has become more complicated and can now take longer.
Vaccinations and Health
Tanzania
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rabies, tuberculosis and yellow fever. Protection against malaria is essential. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action for all the above. Additionally, dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is a known risk. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
You may also be required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate (or an exemption certificate) if you’re coming from (or transiting for more than 12 hours through) a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. If you’re visiting Zanzibar from mainland Tanzania, border officials have been known to demand proof of yellow fever vaccination or an exemption certificate.
Malaria prophylaxis is essential on this trip, and we suggest that you seek advice from your GP or travel health clinic about which malaria tablets to take.
Bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers visited on this itinerary, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim.
Dengue fever and/or chikungunya are known risks in places visited on this trip. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Local Time
Tanzania's time zone: Africa/Dar_es_Salaam (UTC +03:00)
Electricity
Tanzania's electricity: Plug types D (three round pins) and G (three rectangular pins) – 230V, 50Hz
Money
Tanzania's currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS). However, we recommend you take most of your money in US dollars issued from 2009 or after with the big head design. Please note, Tanzanian shillings may not be imported or exported. There is no restriction on the import of foreign currency provided it is declared on arrival. On leaving Tanzania, you may convert any amount of shillings into hard currency provided you have a currency exchange receipt.
ATM Availability
There are ATMs at the airport on arrival and in Arusha though it’s best not to rely on these as there are regular power cuts.
Extra Expenses & Spending Money
We recommend you take most of your money in US dollars issued from 2009 or newer with the big head design.
There is little to purchase on safari, so allow US$5-US$15 a day for incidentals. There are opportunities to purchase locally made souvenirs, so allow some money for this.
Tipping
We recommend about US$80-US$110 to cover your driver/guide and either the hotel staff or cook and camp staff. This is only a recommendation and at your own discretion. More information about who and when to distribute tips will be given out in the pre-trip briefing on Day 1.
Sustainability and Impact
As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.
We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.
This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.
Important Information
Water safety
This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.
Important Information
Your safe participation
When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call us and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity.
By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
Seatbelts
All vehicles used by us should be equipped with working seatbelts, except where approved by us based on the vehicle type or journey. Wherever seatbelts are available, we require our customers to use them for their own safety, even where it may not be a legal requirement.
How to Book
- Check availability: Go online to check availability, or contact us by phone or email.
- Secure your place: You can provisionally hold a place on this trip, usually for between three and seven days.
- Complete your booking and payment
When you’re ready to book, go to our website for online bookings, book over the phone or you can complete a booking form (available online or on request by calling us). We accept all major credit and debit cards, or you can pay be cheque.
After booking
You will receive your booking confirmation letter and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements.
Full joining instructions, including local emergency numbers and details of how to reach the start point, will be sent to you approximately two to three weeks prior to departure. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier, please contact our office or your travel agent.
Trip Note validity
These Trip Notes are valid from the “Current as” date on page one. They will occasionally be updated after booking and before departure; if there are any updates that significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary, customers will be written to separately. They will also receive a link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes with their Final Joining Instructions before travelling.
The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. Where differences exist between the Trip Notes and our current brochure or website, the Trip Notes supersede the brochure and website. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes; to enjoy them you should be prepared to be flexible where necessary. Occasionally, it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. This may be for a variety of reasons – climatic, political, physical or other. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.
Licensing
Exodus is fully licensed and bonded as a tour operator. We hold Air Traffic Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 2582, issued and bonded with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). We are also bonded to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and we are members of the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) and ABTA – The Travel Association. This means you can book your Exodus holiday with confidence, as all money paid to us for your trip is fully protected.