Essence of Tanzania
Tarangire, Ngorongoro & Serengeti Plains
Wealth of wildlife
This remarkable 7-day Tanzanian safari showcases the country’s most iconic landscapes, teeming wildlife, and authentic tented camps that blend total comfort with the luxury of being surrounded by nature.
The itinerary begins in Arusha with a quick stop over at Arusha Coffee Lodge – a charming retreat set amidst a working coffee plantation. From here you’ll head to Tarangire National Park, where majestic baobabs and vast elephant herds dominate the landscape. During the dry season, the Tarangire River becomes a lifeline for wildlife, attracting buffalo, giraffes, and predators like lions and leopards, and bird enthusiasts will marvel at the park’s 550 recorded species. Accommodation at Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge features spacious safari tents and a beautiful rim-flow pool overlooking the plains – a special kind of wildlife watching!
From Tarangire, travel through Karatu, a small, colourful town with a bustling marketplace and a local brewery, passing the shimmering Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley escarpment to arrive at your this lush Ngorongoro Crater highland retreat. An early start takes you to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage site rich in biodiversity. Here, forested slopes, golden grasslands, and shimmering lakes host black rhinos, flamingos, and a thriving predator population.
The safari concludes in the Serengeti, a vast plain alive with millions of animals, and famed for its thundering wildebeest migration. Depending on the season, you may witness the Great Migration on the move – a breathtaking spectacle of wildebeest and zebras en masse shadowed by opportunistic predators.
You will love
- Diverse wildlife encounters from elephants to flamingos
- Seasonal migration activity
- Beautiful tented safari camps & lodges
- Seeing the country as you travel by road
- Exceptional guiding
Let us design your perfect itinerary.
7 UNFORGETTABLE DAYS
DAY 0 | ARUSHA | 1 NIGHT
Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met and privately transferred to Arusha Coffee Lodge. Nestled in the lush foothills of Mount Meru, the lodge is a charming retreat set amidst a working coffee plantation.
DAY 1 | TARANGIRE
An early morning briefing kickstarts your safari before you head off to Tarangire National Park, a true wildlife gem known primarily for its vast elephant population and impressive baobab trees. (Driving time 90 mins – 2 hours)
Spend the next two days at Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge enjoying game drives, with picnic lunch included.
DAY 2 | TARANGIRE
Highly underrated yet bursting with a dense wildlife population, it won’t take you long to appreciate Tarangire. During the dry season (June to September), thousands of animals, including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, and the rarely seen oryx migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water, and lion, leopard, and other predators follow.
DAY 3 | NGORONGORO VIA KARATU
Heading for the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater by road, you will pass through the town of Karatu in the green hills of Tanzania’s northern highlands. Presided over by the towering Ol Deani Volcano, this small, colourful town serves as a popular overnight stop for visitors exploring the area’s many game parks. The town offers a variety of activities, including browsing the bustling marketplace, sampling beer at a local brewery, visiting a traditional homestead, or taking a guided walk through the Ngorongoro Forest in search of waterfalls and caves.
Continue to the highlands of Karatu, stopping on the way to view Manyara and the escarpment below.
DAY 4 | NGORONGORO CRATER
An early start today to enjoy a full morning and picnic lunch in the volcanic caldera of Ngorongoro. We can almost guarantee four of the Big Five will show up, as well as a rich variety of birds, all viewed against the backdrop of the thickly forested crater walls. Varied terrains and dramatic landscapes consisting of forest, grasslands and both freshwater and soda lakes make the Ngorongoro Crater a true marvel.
DAY 5 | NGORONGORO CRATER to SERENGETI
Today begins with an early start, but it’s one you’ve likely long anticipated. Venture into the heart of the Ngorongoro Crater, a vast, verdant amphitheatre of life and one of Africa’s most celebrated natural wonders. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a world unto itself, offering superb wildlife viewing in a setting of staggering beauty. As you traverse its grassy floor, keep your eyes peeled for the Big Five, along with abundant plains game and a dazzling array of birdlife, all encircled by steep, forest-clad walls.
Your accommodation for the next three nights will depend on the season in which you travel, but you can expect a small, perfectly comfortable tented camp which provides front row seats to all the wildlife action!
DAY 6 | NORTHERN SERENGETI
Your journey continues north to the legendary Serengeti, whose name derives from the Maasai word Seringit—“the place where the land runs on forever.” These seemingly endless plains are the stage for one of the planet’s most iconic spectacles: the Great Migration. More than a million wildebeest, accompanied by zebra and gazelle, move in search of fresh pasture, followed closely by predators in a timeless dance of survival.
The migration is a year-round phenomenon. From January to March, calving season takes place in the southern plains of Ndutu, where you will stay at the charming Ndutu Wilderness Camp. By mid-year, the herds push west and north, culminating in dramatic river crossings between August and October. Come November, they drift back south, completing the circle once more.
DAY 7 | END OF ITINERARY
A morning transfer to Kogatende airstrip puts you on your flight back to Arusha since the driving distance is not possible to cover in one day. It is an exceptionally scenic flight across the vast expanse of the Rift Valley escarpments and the highlands of Ngorongoro.
Your safari ends when you arrive back in Arusha, where you will then continue with your onward arrangements or begin your journey home.
PLEASE NOTE:
This itinerary is indicative only, with exact locations and accommodation options being dependent on the season in which you travel. Please enquire for a full detailed itinerary.
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
An indicative selection of the finest safari camps, dependent on seasonality.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Please enquire for pricing
We aim to get you as close to the migration as possible:
- From January-mid March we include nights at Ndutu Wilderness Camp for the wildebeest calving in the south.
- Between April – June the central Serengeti is well located for the herds moving through.
- From July -October we include time in the north – for anticipated Mara River crossings.
For more information on seasons in the Serengeti please refer to our blog – When to Take a Serengeti Safari
Your guides are experienced professionals who are committed to ensuring optimal game-viewing throughout your safari.
In your specially customised, extended land cruisers the windows are enlarged and the roof height raised to allow ease of photography and game-viewing through the 360-degree view hatches, with plenty of room to stretch your legs.
Departure Dates – 2026*
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March 1st – March 7th
- March 14th – March 20st
- April 2nd – April 8th
- May 23rd – May 29th
- June 20th – June 26th
- July 11th – July 17th
- August 1st – August 7th
- September 5th – September 11th
- October 9th – October 15th
- December 12th – December 18th
* PLEASE NOTE: All dates are subject to availability & departure may not be guaranteed pending booking numbers. Please contact us for current availability on all itineraries.
FLIGHTS & INSURANCE ON REQUEST
An absolutely fantastic travel company - every one of the many trips they have organised for us over 22 years have been faultless and fabulous.
Judith & Roger Williams
Would do it all again and not change a moment. Best holiday ever!
The McGowan Tribe
It certainly was the best trip we have EVER had. The experiences were mind blowing. We want everyone we know to experience Africa - the animals, the people - magical.
Jo-anne & Dean Mifsud
The Classic Safari Company is the best I have dealt with. Extremely knowledgeable & professional, friendly, patient & understanding of first timers to Africa.
Annette Whiley
Classic Safari Company were brilliant - 10/10
Di & Kingsley Yates
Classic Safari is the place to go to for "top end" adventure travel.
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If you want the most sensational experience in Africa let Julia and the staff at Classic Safari Co plan it for you! Their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for their job means your every wish will be fulfilled.
Miriam & Joseph Harrison
Their experience and knowledge of Africa is evident and we couldn't have been happier with the total package. This has given us a taste for Africa - now we are ready for more.
Andrew & Pip Stevens
Classic Safari Company has done it again! A unique experience that ticked all the boxes - wildlife, culture and dining experience. A dream come true!
Ros Wheeler
Absolutely everything was first class & so well organised.
Simon & Jackie Adams
The trip of a lifetime, couldn't have dreamt of a better adventure if I tried.
Emma Jeffcoat
You can't improve on perfection. I had my best birthday and holiday with my family celebrating my 80th birthday in Africa. Everything that Julia organised was perfect and the whole trip was a highlight!
Buckingham Family
Everything was perfect! Advice and information on destinations and activities hit everything I had hoped to experience. I contacted the Classic Safari Company upon recommendation and have now, in turn, recommended to others.
Tim Bradley
Very knowledgeable and patient. Our trip was all that we hoped for. Wonderful!
Jane & Robert Happell
Thank you for making our trip to Africa so spectacular. The attention to detail really made it special. It really was the trip of a lifetime.
Paul Cozzi
An amazing experience - the best family holiday we have ever had. We were extremely impressed by the meticulous attention to our itinerary. I can't speak highly enough of all the elements of this exciting journey!
Sheryl & Robert Taylor
We loved it all. Our son wants to go back tomorrow. We would ALL go back again!
Laurence & Remi Cunningham
Classic Safari are the people who genuinely know other culture and offer incredible insight to perfectly meet your expectations.
Melanie McMillan & Iain Jones
The trip exceeded my expectations and was the best family holiday I have ever had. Our children simply loved it and now I know more about African wildlife than they do about our own farm animals.
Rowntree family
We are so happy we put our trust in CSC, we had an amazing adventure and would recommend them to anyone.
Kim & Brad Balance
Julia you did a fantastic job - everything was first class. Well organised, efficient and stress free. We all agreed it was the best holiday we've ever had. Cant wait to travel with CSC again.
Milford family
We wanted the opportunity to see as many wildlife parks as possible and the Classic Safari Company provided an action-packed itinerary that included six, with 11 tiger sightings and nine leopard. This was overlaid with an introduction to Jaisalmer, Jaipur and the 'real' India. Pench and Panna were the hidden gems of a really great trip, very well organised, seamless and enjoyable. As a solo traveller I felt incredibly safe at all times. I want to go back!
Mark Taylor
Exellent and wonderful, reaching way above expectations.
Elizabeth Mackintosh
Thank you for putting together the ancestral adventure of a lifetime. I cannot speak highly enough of the trip.
Jenny Kidd
