Package Overview What this trip is, in a nutshell
The journey opens in Tarangire, where thousand-year-old baobabs stand over grassland and the river draws some of the largest elephant herds in East Africa. From there the route turns north and drops into the Rift Valley proper: dust, lava fields, Maasai bomas, and finally Lake Natron itself, so alkaline that almost nothing survives in it except the algae that stain it red and feed East Africa's largest breeding population of lesser flamingos. Above it stands Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai's Mountain of God and the world's only active carbonatite volcano.
The following morning brings the itinerary's signature drive: a rough, spectacular track west through Loliondo and Klein's Gate into the Northern Serengeti. Two nights near the Mara River follow, timed for the season when wildebeest and zebra mass on the banks. A night in the Central Serengeti adds Seronera's big-cat country, and the journey closes with a dawn descent into the Ngorongoro Crater - dense plains game, lion prides, and one of Tanzania's best chances of black rhino, completing the Big Five.
Wildlife possibilities are broad: elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, and, at Natron, tens of thousands of flamingos with gerenuk and lesser kudu in the surrounding scrub. Sightings are never guaranteed in the wild, and river crossings least of all - they are unpredictable natural events. What this route offers is the right places at the right time of year, and a guide who knows how to use them.
You travel entirely privately in a dedicated 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, led by a professional English-speaking Tanzanian guide-driver who stays with you throughout. Accommodation blends a highland lodge near Tarangire, a lodge at Natron looking out at the volcano, two tented camps inside the Serengeti, and a luxury tented camp near the crater rim - four of six nights inside or beside the wilderness.
Seasonal flexibility is built in. The northern nights are written for the late-July to early-October crossing season; between December and March we move them south to the Ndutu calving grounds, keeping Natron and the crater intact. Whatever your dates, the plan follows the animals rather than a printed map.
Package Summary Everything at a glance
| Item | Package detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 Days |
| Safari type | Private |
| Comfort level | Semi-Luxury |
| Starting point | Arusha |
| Ending point | Arusha |
| Main destinations | Tarangire, Lake Natron, Serengeti, Ngorongoro |
| Accommodation type | Lodge (Lodge, Tented Camp) |
| Meal plan | Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Transportation | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Suitable travellers | Family, Friends, Sole travellers, Couples and small groups |
| Customization | Yes — this itinerary can be tailored to you |
Route Overview 7 days — where you go and how far
| Day | Route | Overnight | Approx. distance | Approx. time | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) → Maasai Steppe, Tarangire River circuit, Silale Swamp fringes → Karatu Highlands | Karatu | 195 km total (120 km to Tarangire, 75 km on to Karatu) | 3.5 hours of transfer driving, with a full-day game drive between | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Day 2 | Karatu → Rift Valley floor, Lava fields, Maasai bomas → Lake Natron | Lake Natron | 160 km | 4-5 hours on rough, corrugated road | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Day 3 | Lake Natron → Loliondo, Klein's Gate → Northern Serengeti (Kogatende / Mara River area) | Northern Serengeti | 180 km | 5-6 hours on rough track, with game viewing from Klein's Gate onward | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Day 4 | Northern Serengeti camp → Mara River crossing points, Kogatende, Lamai, Wogakuria kopjes → Northern Serengeti camp (same camp) | Northern Serengeti | Local game-drive loops | Flexible - typically a full day with picnic lunch | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Day 5 | Northern Serengeti → Lobo hills, Togoro plains → Central Serengeti (Seronera area) | Central Serengeti | 145 km | 4-5 hours, driven as one long unhurried game drive | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Day 6 | Central Serengeti → Seronera Valley, Naabi Hill, Malanja Depression, Crater rim → Ngorongoro highlands | Ngorongoro | 190 km | 5 hours, structured as game drives with breaks | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
| Day 7 | Ngorongoro highlands → Ngorongoro Crater floor, Lake Magadi, Lerai fever-tree forest, Karatu, Mto wa Mbu → Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) | No accommodation — departure day | 230 km (including crater access roads and the return to Arusha) | Approx. 4.5 hours of driving, plus up to 5 hours in the crater | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Distances and driving times are indicative and vary with road and game-viewing conditions.
Day 1 Tarangire - Giants Beneath the Baobabs
Day 1 — Tarangire - Giants Beneath the Baobabs
| Starting location | Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Maasai Steppe, Tarangire River circuit, Silale Swamp fringes |
| Ending location | Karatu Highlands |
| Main destination | Tarangire National Park |
| Approx. departure | 7:00 AM from your Arusha hotel (or on arrival, for early flights) |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Karatu by approx. 6:30 PM |
| Approx. distance | 195 km total (120 km to Tarangire, 75 km on to Karatu) |
| Approx. road-driving duration | 3.5 hours of transfer driving, with a full-day game drive between |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
A full day in Tarangire among thousand-year-old baobabs and the river circuit that draws some of the largest elephant gatherings in East Africa, ending in the cool coffee country of Karatu before the route leaves the familiar circuit behind.
Morning
Your guide collects you in Arusha - or at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where the included transfer begins the journey - for a short briefing before departure. The road runs west across the open Maasai Steppe, reaching Tarangire's gate mid-morning, where thousand-year-old baobabs stand over golden grassland.
Afternoon
Game drive along the Tarangire River circuit, the park's lifeline: in the dry season this valley draws some of the largest elephant gatherings in East Africa, along with buffalo, zebra and wildebeest coming down to drink, with a hot picnic lunch at a shaded site above the river. Continue through acacia woodland and the Silale Swamp fringes, watching for lion draped in sausage trees, leopard in the riverine figs, and dry-country specials such as fringe-eared oryx. Late afternoon, exit the park and climb the Rift Valley escarpment into the cool Karatu highlands.
Evening
Arrive at your lodge among Karatu's coffee farms. Dinner featuring produce from the surrounding highlands, and an early night - tomorrow the route leaves the familiar circuit behind.
Landscapes & attractions
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Meals
Farm of Dreams Lodge
About this stay
A warm farm-set lodge in cool coffee country, Karatu, 1-2 hours from Tarangire - well placed after the Tarangire day and before the long drive north to Natron. Alternatives: Marera Valley Lodge; Eileen's Trees Inn.
Tarangire is dusty in the dry season - a buff or scarf and a zip-lock bag for your camera help a great deal. Karatu is your last chance to buy anything forgotten before several days in remote country.
Day 2 Into the Rift - Lake Natron and the Mountain of God
Day 2 — Into the Rift - Lake Natron and the Mountain of God
| Starting location | Karatu |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Rift Valley floor, Lava fields, Maasai bomas |
| Ending location | Lake Natron |
| Main destination | Lake Natron |
| Approx. departure | 8:00 AM |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Lodge by approx. 1:30 PM |
| Approx. distance | 160 km |
| Approx. road-driving duration | 4-5 hours on rough, corrugated road |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
A demanding, atmospheric drive north into the Rift Valley to a crimson soda lake beneath Ol Doinyo Lengai, the world's only active carbonatite volcano - with a guided gorge walk to the Ngare Sero waterfalls and flamingos in their tens of thousands.
Morning
Leave the cultivated highlands and drop north into the Rift Valley on a road that quickly turns to dust and lava rock. The landscape empties out: acacia scrub, dry riverbeds, Maasai bomas, and cattle herds moving through country that looks scarcely touched. This is a demanding drive and one of the most atmospheric in Tanzania.
Afternoon
Arrive at your lodge near Lake Natron in the early afternoon, with the perfect cone of Ol Doinyo Lengai filling the view. Lunch at the lodge, then a rest through the hottest hours; Natron is genuinely hot, and the pool earns its keep. Later, a guided walk with a local Maasai guide to the Ngare Sero waterfalls, wading a shallow gorge between rock walls to reach cool pools - the perfect antidote to the morning drive. Alternatively, a late-afternoon walk toward the lake shore, where the crust glows red-orange and lesser flamingos gather in their tens of thousands.
Evening
Sunset over the lake with Lengai behind it, then dinner at the lodge and a genuinely dark sky. Tomorrow begins early.
Landscapes & attractions
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Meals
Africa Safari Lake Natron Lodge
About this stay
A mid-range lodge near Lake Natron with views of Ol Doinyo Lengai - the natural base for the soda lake, the flamingo flats and the Ngare Sero waterfalls, with a pool that genuinely matters in this heat. Alternatives: Lake Natron Tented Camp; Maasai Giraffe Eco Lodge.
Natron is hot, dusty and remote - drink far more water than feels necessary, and expect limited power and connectivity. Optional overnight climb of Ol Doinyo Lengai (approx. US$180-250 pp, requires good fitness and an extra night here).
Day 3 The Back Road North - Natron to the Mara River
Day 3 — The Back Road North - Natron to the Mara River
| Starting location | Lake Natron |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Loliondo, Klein's Gate |
| Ending location | Northern Serengeti (Kogatende / Mara River area) |
| Main destination | Northern Serengeti |
| Approx. departure | 7:00 AM |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Camp by approx. 5:00 PM |
| Approx. distance | 180 km |
| Approx. road-driving duration | 5-6 hours on rough track, with game viewing from Klein's Gate onward |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
The itinerary's signature drive: a rough, remote track west through Loliondo and Klein's Gate into the Northern Serengeti, becoming a game drive the moment you enter the ecosystem and ending at a tented camp near the Mara River.
Morning
An early departure west on the track toward Klein's Gate - a rough, remote and genuinely beautiful route through Loliondo, past Maasai settlements and rising escarpment country. Almost no tourist vehicles use this road, which is precisely its appeal.
Afternoon
Enter the Serengeti ecosystem at Klein's Gate and stop for a picnic lunch as the landscape shifts: hills give way to open country, and wildlife begins to appear on both sides of the track. From here the drive becomes a game drive. Continue west into the Northern Serengeti proper - greener and hillier than the central park, cut through by the Mara River. In crossing season, wildebeest and zebra columns thread across the country in slow ribbons while your guide begins reading herd positions for tomorrow.
Evening
Arrive at your tented camp near the Mara River. Sundowner, dinner under canvas, and a night sky that, this far from any town, is genuinely extraordinary.
Landscapes & attractions
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Meals
Safari Haven Migration Camp
About this stay
A mid-range tented camp inside the Serengeti, positioned for the Mara River area. Two nights within reach of the crossing areas make a dawn start at the river practical rather than theoretical and remove long daily transfers. Alternatives: Heritage Mara Camp; Nyikani Migration Camp.
This is the roughest driving day of the trip. Sit mid-vehicle if you are motion-sensitive, keep camera gear padded, and treat the whole route as a game drive - the best sightings often come where you least expect them.
Day 4 A Full Day on the Mara River - The Migration's Grand Stage
Day 4 — A Full Day on the Mara River - The Migration's Grand Stage
| Starting location | Northern Serengeti camp |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Mara River crossing points, Kogatende, Lamai, Wogakuria kopjes |
| Ending location | Northern Serengeti camp (same camp) |
| Main destination | Northern Serengeti / Mara River |
| Approx. departure | 6:30 AM |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Return to camp around sunset |
| Approx. distance | Local game-drive loops |
| Approx. road-driving duration | Flexible - typically a full day with picnic lunch |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
A flexible full day worked around the river: crossing points and herd movements in season, the Kogatende and Lamai areas and the Wogakuria kopjes at any time of year. Second night at the same camp.
Morning
Dawn departure with a packed breakfast. In the late-July to early-October season, your guide positions near known crossing points and reads the herds: massing on the bank, hesitating, testing the water, then - sometimes - committing all at once. Crossings are entirely nature's decision, and patience is the price of the spectacle.
Afternoon
Picnic lunch at a scenic riverside site. Outside crossing season, the day is spent exploring the Kogatende and Lamai areas, whose resident game and near-empty tracks are a reward in themselves. Further game drives follow along the river and the Wogakuria kopjes - prime lion and leopard territory. Photographers can request low-angle and backlit positioning; anyone preferring a gentler pace can trade a session for time in camp.
Evening
Sundowner overlooking the river, then dinner and campfire conversation with the camp team.
Landscapes & attractions
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Meals
Safari Haven Migration Camp
About this stay
Second night at the same mid-range tented camp inside the Serengeti, positioned for the Mara River area. Alternatives: Heritage Mara Camp; Nyikani Migration Camp.
Bring more memory cards than you think you need. If a crossing begins it may last minutes or an hour, and your guide will hold a respectful, regulation-compliant position throughout rather than crowding the bank.
Day 5 South Through the Serengeti - Into Big Cat Country
Day 5 — South Through the Serengeti - Into Big Cat Country
| Starting location | Northern Serengeti |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Lobo hills, Togoro plains |
| Ending location | Central Serengeti (Seronera area) |
| Main destination | Central Serengeti National Park |
| Approx. departure | 7:00 AM |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Camp by approx. 5:00 PM |
| Approx. distance | 145 km |
| Approx. road-driving duration | 4-5 hours, driven as one long unhurried game drive |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
One long, unhurried game drive south through the quiet Lobo hills into the Seronera Valley - the Serengeti's year-round wildlife heartland and one of Africa's highest leopard densities.
Morning
A final Mara morning, then turn south through the Lobo hills - a beautiful, quiet stretch of rolling country and kopjes where elephant and buffalo are frequently encountered and vehicle numbers stay low.
Afternoon
Picnic lunch in the Lobo or Togoro area, with time to stretch and take in a landscape different from both the north and the central plains. Continue into the Seronera Valley, the Serengeti's year-round wildlife heartland - granite kopjes, umbrella acacias, and one of Africa's highest leopard densities. The last hours of daylight are the best of the day here, and your guide plans to be in the right loops for them.
Evening
Arrive at your tented camp inside the Central Serengeti. Sundowner by the fire, dinner under canvas, and a night of hyena whoops and distant lion.
Landscapes & attractions
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Meals
Sightseeing Luxury Tented Lodge
About this stay
A mid-range tented camp inside the park in the Seronera area - a night in prime big-cat country, positioned for a dawn drive in the Seronera Valley before the climb to the highlands. Alternatives: Thorn Tree Camp; Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp.
If there is a species you have not yet seen, tell your guide tonight. Tomorrow morning is your last Serengeti drive, and a plan made over dinner is usually better than one improvised at dawn.
Day 6 Farewell to the Plains - Up to the Crater Highlands
Day 6 — Farewell to the Plains - Up to the Crater Highlands
| Starting location | Central Serengeti |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Seronera Valley, Naabi Hill, Malanja Depression, Crater rim |
| Ending location | Ngorongoro highlands |
| Main destination | Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Highlands |
| Approx. departure | 6:30 AM |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Camp by approx. 5:30 PM |
| Approx. distance | 190 km |
| Approx. road-driving duration | 5 hours, structured as game drives with breaks |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
A dawn game drive through the Seronera Valley, then east across the short-grass plains past Naabi Hill and up into the Ngorongoro highlands for the most comfortable night of the trip, placed immediately before the crater descent.
Morning
A dawn game drive through the Seronera Valley - often the most productive hours of the whole week, when lions finish the night's business and leopards are still visible in the fever trees.
Afternoon
Continue east across the short-grass plains toward Naabi Hill, where cheetah are frequently seen, with a relaxed picnic lunch and time at the park information centre before exiting. Then climb back into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, tracing the crater rim as the light turns gold over the Malanja Depression and Maasai cattle head home. Arrive at your camp in the highlands with time for a rim viewpoint before dark.
Evening
Sundowner in the cool highland air, then dinner in camp - the most comfortable night of the trip, deliberately placed before the earliest start. Highland nights here are genuinely cold, which makes the canvas and hot-water bottles surprisingly welcome.
Landscapes & attractions
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Meals
Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp
About this stay
A luxury tented camp in the Ngorongoro highlands, less than an hour from the crater descent road - the itinerary's most comfortable night, placed where it counts most: immediately before the pre-dawn crater descent. Alternatives: Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge; Tloma Lodge.
Rim nights drop below 10 degrees C. Pack a warm layer where you can reach it, and lay out tomorrow's clothes before bed - the 6:00 AM start comes quickly, and tomorrow is the longest day of the trip.
Day 7 Ngorongoro Crater - Dawn on the Floor of a Lost World
Day 7 — Ngorongoro Crater - Dawn on the Floor of a Lost World
| Starting location | Ngorongoro highlands |
|---|---|
| Pass-by location | Ngorongoro Crater floor, Lake Magadi, Lerai fever-tree forest, Karatu, Mto wa Mbu |
| Ending location | Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) |
| Main destination | Ngorongoro Crater |
| Approx. departure | 6:00 AM |
| Approx. arrival at lodge | Arusha by approx. 5:30 PM; airport transfers timed to your flight |
| Approx. distance | 230 km (including crater access roads and the return to Arusha) |
| Approx. road-driving duration | Approx. 4.5 hours of driving, plus up to 5 hours in the crater |
| Transport | 4x4 Land Cruiser Pop-up |
Day description
A pre-dawn descent 600 metres to the caldera floor for up to five hours inside the world's largest intact volcanic caldera, then the return along the Rift Valley wall to Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Morning
A short pre-dawn run to the descent road, dropping 600 metres to the caldera floor as mist lifts. Within these walls live an estimated 20,000-25,000 large animals: lion prides, huge-tusked elephant bulls, buffalo, spotted hyena clans, and the flamingo-fringed Lake Magadi - plus one of Tanzania's best chances, never a certainty, of seeing black rhino and completing the Big Five.
Afternoon
Picnic brunch at the hippo-pool picnic site, one of the most memorable lunch spots in Africa, then final loops through the Lerai fever-tree forest before ascending the exit road in the early afternoon. Descend through Karatu and along the Rift Valley wall toward Arusha, with an optional stop at Mto wa Mbu's market or a curio gallery, and continue to Arusha or, on the included transfer, to Kilimanjaro International Airport with margin for check-in.
Evening
Departure - or the beginning of an extension: many guests continue to Zanzibar's beaches, or take a final night in Arusha before a long-haul flight. Dinner is provided for guests on late-departure flights.
Landscapes & attractions
Wildlife possibilities
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Meals
Crater mornings are cold - often below 10 degrees C on the rim - so dress in layers you can shed as the floor warms. This is a long final day; if your flight departs after 8:00 PM, a day room in Arusha for a shower before the airport is money well spent.
Safari Highlights 12 reasons this trip stands out
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Lake Natron and Ol Doinyo Lengai - a crimson soda lake supporting East Africa's largest lesser flamingo breeding population, beneath the world's only active carbonatite volcano. Very few seven-day itineraries include it
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Two nights at the Mara River - the arrangement that gives you a genuine opportunity at a crossing in season, rather than a single hurried pass through the north
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The back road into the Serengeti - the rough, remote track from Natron through Loliondo and Klein's Gate, entering the park from a direction almost no other vehicles use
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Three Serengeti nights across two regions - two in the riverine north and one in the Central Serengeti's kopje country, unusual depth for a seven-day trip
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Dawn descent into the Ngorongoro Crater - among the first vehicles onto the caldera floor, with dense big-game populations and one of Tanzania's best chances of black rhino
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Exclusive private 4x4 vehicle - a dedicated pop-up-roof Land Cruiser for your party only, with charging sockets, cool box and a window seat for everyone
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Professional English-speaking guide-driver - a licensed Tanzanian guide experienced on the Natron and Loliondo routes, and in reading herd behaviour at the river
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Five distinct landscapes in one week - baobab savannah, Rift Valley lava country, soda flats, the riverine north, and the crater floor
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Exceptional photography - flamingo flocks against red crust, volcanic light at dawn, wildebeest columns on the move, and misty crater mornings
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Seasonal routing intelligence - northern nights in crossing season, or a southern Ndutu variation during calving, so the itinerary follows the herds
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Return airport transfers included - meet-and-greet at Kilimanjaro International Airport and a comfortable return at the end of the safari
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Responsible wildlife viewing - respectful, regulation-compliant positioning at crossing points that never pressures the herds, and support for locally owned lodges and Maasai guides at Natron
Included
- Private 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof exclusively for your party throughout
- Professional English-speaking guide-driver for the entire safari
- Round-trip Kilimanjaro International Airport transfers included as standard
- All 6 nights accommodation as specified or confirmed equivalents
- Meals as stated in the day-by-day itinerary (full board on safari days)
- Guided Ngare Sero waterfall walk at Lake Natron with a local Maasai guide
- All national-park entry fees, Ngorongoro Conservation Area fees and crater service fee
- Lake Natron community levies and concession/camping fees for non-residents
- All game drives described in the itinerary, including unlimited time at the river within park regulations
- Unlimited bottled drinking water in the vehicle throughout the safari
- All government taxes and VAT applicable to the quoted services
- Pre-departure safari briefing in Arusha and printed itinerary pack
- Flying Doctors (AMREF) emergency evacuation cover for the safari duration
- 24/7 emergency logistical support from our Arusha operations office
Excluded
- International flights to and from Tanzania
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance (mandatory for booking) medical expenses and vaccinations
- Accommodation and meals in Arusha before Day 1 or after Day 7
- The Ol Doinyo Lengai night climb and other optional activities
- Tips and gratuities for your guide and camp staff
- Personal purchases: souvenirs, laundry, phone/data and spa services
- Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages unless a property includes them
- Balloon safari and other optional excursions
- Domestic flights unless expressly added to your quotation
- Bank transfer and card-processing charges
- Any government-imposed increases in taxes, park fees or community levies after quotation
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best time of year for this tour?
Dry seasons often offer easier wildlife viewing (Jun–Oct). Green seasons are beautiful and quieter (Nov–Mar).
Can we customize the itinerary?
Yes — add days, change lodges (lodge/camp), or include balloon safaris/cultural visits.
What is the typical group size?
Private tours are just your party with a driver-guide. Shared departures may have 4–7 guests per vehicle.
See it for yourself
A few moments from this safari, filmed on the ground.
