13 Day Tanzania Fly-in Safari Northern & Southern Circuit

Day 1: Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport Fly to Tarangire National Park. (20 Minutes)

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will proceed for check-in for your light-aircraft flight to Tarangire National Park, just 20 minutes away (15 kg luggage limit per person; soft bags required for all flights on this itinerary).

Your guide from Little Oliver’s will meet you here and game-drive you back to camp, where you can settle in and enjoy some lunch. Relax during the heat of the day before afternoon tea is served, and then go out on an afternoon game drive to explore this varied and wildlife-rich park.

The large elephant herds in the drier months are a real highlight here, but the wildlife and bird life are excellent year-round.

Overnight Accommodation: Little Oliver’s Camp
Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2: Tarangire National Park (Walking & Game drives)

Set off this morning on a guided walking safari, learning to look for signs of wildlife nearby, from bird calls to tracks in the earth. You can approach smaller creatures such as warthogs, small antelope species and bird life, all of which are less skittish when approached on foot compared to a vehicle.

Return to camp for lunch and a rest during the heat of the day. After tea and cake, head out on a late-afternoon game drive, stopping for sundowner drinks in a scenic spot. The adventure continues with a night game drive, seeking out nocturnal species such as mongoose and nightjars, as well as predators such as lions on the move.

Return to camp for a late dinner.

Overnight Accommodation: Little Oliver’s Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3: Tarangire – Fly to Lake Manyara (30 Minutes) – Drive to Ngorongoro (3 Hours)

Depart after a leisurely breakfast for the airstrip. From here, you will fly over Lake Manyara to the Manyara Airstrip. A guide from The Highlands will drive you through coffee plantations towards the Ngorongoro Crater, a journey of 3 hours to reach the property, enjoying a packed lunch on the way.

Stop at the viewpoint overlooking the crater to soak in the spectacular landscape and continue your drive around the rim until you reach the Olmoti Crater, where you will stay for the next two nights.

If you feel like stretching your legs, you can opt for a guided walk from the camp up to the rim of Olmoti Crater, passing through dense forest and waterfalls on the way.

Overnight Accommodation: The Highlands Ngorongoro Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater (Game drive & Cultural visit)

After an early breakfast, depart with your guide for the Ngorongoro Crater, a drive of around an hour until you reach the descent road. Spend the morning game-driving on the crater floor in search of the varied wildlife that lives here.

You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch during the heat of the day in a shady spot before

driving back to The Highlands, where you can relax a little.

In the late afternoon, a guide will take you to one of the nearby Maasai villages, where you can learn more about this rich culture and take part in their afternoon activities, which often include rounding up cattle into the boma for the night.

Overnight Accommodation: The Highlands Ngorongoro Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 5 & 6: Ngorongoro Drive to Lake Manyara (3 Hours) – Fly to Serengeti National Park (45 minutes)

Depart by road for the Manyara Airstrip, 3 hours away, where you will catch a flight to the central Serengeti, just 45 minutes away. A guide from Namiri Plains Camp will meet you at the airstrip and game-drive you back to camp, stopping at any wildlife sightings along the way.

Settle into your tent before going on an afternoon game drive to fully explore your final national park. The Serengeti is impressive in terms of both the diversity and density of wildlife found here, so there is plenty to discover each day.

You will explore with expert guides on game drives, looking for the big cats that have made the Serengeti famous, as well as hippos wallowing in muddy pools and giraffe browsing the fresh shoots of an acacia tree.

In between, you will return to camp for a delicious lunch, and to have a siesta or catch up on a good book. Evenings are spent sharing stories of your day’s adventures with other guests around the dinner table.

Return to camp in the early evening for drinks around the campfire and dinner.

Overnight Accommodation: Namiri Plains Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Days 7, 8 & 9: Serengeti Drive to the central Serengeti (45 minutes) – Fly to Ruaha National Park (2 Hours)

After breakfast, you will be driven to the airstrip for your morning flight south to Ruaha National Park, a flight of approximately 2 hours. A guide from Jabali Ridge will meet you and game-drive you through this very different park, arriving at the camp for lunch.

Settle in here and enjoy views overlooking the baobab forest and a refreshing swim in the infinity pool, before going on an afternoon game drive, exploring the sandy riverbeds looking for elephants as they dig for water or leopards hiding in the rocky kopjes.

Overnight Accommodation: Jabali Ridge Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Days 10, 11 & 12: Ruaha – Fly to the Selous Game Reserve

After breakfast, you will be driven to the airstrip for your morning flight to Selous Game Reserve. Your guide from Roho ya Selous camp will meet you at the airstrip and game-drive you the short distance to the camp, giving an introduction to this beautiful reserve and its wildlife on the way.

Settle into your spacious tent and after lunch there’s time to relax by the pool before you set off on your afternoon safari activity. A boat safari is a lovely relaxed introduction to the Selous, watching wildlife come to the water’s edge to drink, and stopping for sundowners on a sandbank.

Safari activities take place in the early morning and late afternoon, when the wildlife is most active. You will head out with expert guides on game drives to explore farther afield, on walking safaris to seek out the smaller details and learn how to track wildlife from prints and signs in the bush, and night drives to watch nocturnal species.

Breakfast is often a picnic to maximize your explorations, and you will return to camp for lunch and a siesta.

Overnight Accommodation: Roho ya Selous camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 13: Selous – Fly to Dar es Salaam – Depart

You’ll have a final breakfast at Roho ya Selous camp before a drive to the airstrip for your late-morning flight to Dar es Salaam. The flight will likely stop a couple of times on the way to drop off/pick up passengers, and the total journey will be approximately 2 hours.

You will land at the domestic terminal and the airline will help you transfer the short distance to the international terminal, where you can check in for your international flight home.

Meal Plan: {Breakfast}