Tanzania Family Adventure & Safari
9 days
From $ 4999
Duration9 days
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Spend nine exciting days exploring Tanzania’s vibrant culture and captivating wildlife reserves. Tanzania is quintessential safari land. Thousands of animals stream across the vast stretches of savannah. Giraffes gallop past baby elephants still clinging to their mothers and lions move gracefully toward their prey. The whole scene blends seamlessly into a multi-hued sky, where the sun floods the land with life-giving light. This trip provides a chance for the whole family to experience the thrill of safari in the most classic sense. Our safari mixes fun activities with visits to Tanzania’s premier wildlife parks, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Visit a traditional Maasai village and hike with warriors to the top of the Rift Valley Escarpment. Cycle past farmlands and play games with local children at a highlands orphanage. Have cameras ready during a visit to the Serengeti National Park, one of the largest and last remaining wildlife sanctuaries in the world. With kid-friendly, comfortable lodging along the way, the whole family can enjoy a safari dream come true. Kids get an REI day pack — Kids traveling on our Family Adventures will receive an REI day pack for their adventure! Kids age 8-17 will receive the REI Flash 18 Pack (while quantities last, colors may vary). Learn more about REI Family Adventures. Not traveling with kids under 18? Check out our Tanzania Classic Safari trip or inquire about a private departure of this itinerary.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 9 days
    Service level: Standard
  • Starts in: Embassy of China in Tanzania
    Physical Grading: Easy
  • Ages: 18+
Tanzania Family Adventure & Safari - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Welcome to Africa’s wildlife paradise: Northern Tanzania.

Start place: Embassy of China in Tanzania

Our trip begins with arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Tanzania. After touching down, we are greeted and assisted through the immigration and customs process. A short transfer from the airport takes us to our lovely garden lodge in the foothills outside Arusha. We check into our rooms and enjoy a well-earned rest. No meals included.
Day 2: Walking safari and game drive in Arusha National Park.
Today we head out for our first little taste of wildlife safari in the nearby Arusha National Park. This uncrowded park encompasses lush forests and wetlands and is quite attractive any time of year. The park contains Tanzania’s second highest peak, Mount Meru, and the alkaline Momela Lakes are home to many flamingos. We enjoy an easy hike to a cascading waterfall and explore the varied mountain scenery. Bird life is abundant here and we often see the bushy black-and-white colobus monkey bounding through treetops. Giraffe, hippos, buffalo, and several antelope species may also be seen in the park. We return to the lodge in the afternoon to enjoy a dip in the pool before enjoying a delicious dinner. All meals included.
Transfer: 1 hour; Walking Safari: 2 hours; Game Drive: 2-3 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Hike with Maasai and visit a children’s home in the Ngorongoro Highlands.
This morning we leave Arusha for the fertile farmlands and villages of the Ngorongoro Highlands. En route we’ll visit a traditional Maasai village and go out on a short day trek to the top of the Rift Valley Escarpment. From here we enjoy panoramic views of the rolling countryside punctuated by the peaks of Kilimanjaro, Kitumbeine and Longido. Continuing in our outfitted 4x4 safari Land Cruiser, we make our way to the Ngorongoro Highlands. Our comfortable lodge for the evening supports a local children’s home, where we visit in the afternoon once the kids have returned from school. Join in a game of soccer, arts and crafts, or whatever the fun happenings of the day brings. Overnight in deluxe family-style tented rooms overlooking the lush valleys and highland communities. All meals included.
Transfer: 3 hours; Hiking: 3 hours; Elevation Gain: 100’.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Full day safari in the Ngorongoro Crater.
Today is a highlight of everyone’s visit to northern Tanzania—a trip into the huge Ngorongoro Crater. Your first glimpse into the crater is breathtaking—a wildlife sanctuary over three hundred square miles in size spread out some two thousand feet below you. We spend today exploring the diversity and richness of this gorgeous park. Over 20,000 mammals call this crater their permanent home including lions, cheetah, giraffe, elephant, hippos and the rare black rhino. At the heart of the crater lies a soda lake that attracts vast numbers of flamingo and other water birds. This afternoon, return to our lodge to relax. All meals included.
Transfer: 4 hours; Game Drive: 6 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5: Farmland cycling, canopy skywalk and safari at Lake Manyara.
Today is a fun-filled day, kicking off with a bike ride through the fecund farmlands of Mto wa Mbu. The route includes gravel roads and packed dirt trails that wind through farms and past village shops. This town is home to over 120 different tribes, and they grow over 30 types of banana! After a tasty lunch, we head for the treetops on a skywalk through the forest canopy near Lake Manyara. Try to spot a silvery-cheeked hornbill or a blue Sykes monkey. Jumping back in our safari rig, we head into Lake Manyara National Park to search for lions, giraffe, zebra, hippo and dik-dik (the smallest of the antelopes). We return to our lovely highland lodge for a dip in the pool and another picturesque evening. All meals included.
Transfer: 1.5 hours; Biking: 2 hours; Skywalk: 1 hour; Game Drive: 2-3 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6: Visit archeological hotspot Olduvai Gorge and safari in the Serengeti.
Perhaps the most famous of the Tanzanian parks is the Serengeti, our destination for the next three evenings. On our way to the Serengeti we make a stop at Olduvai Gorge, referred to as “the cradle of mankind.” This is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world and has been instrumental in furthering understanding of early human evolution. At last we reach the golden grasses of the Serengeti and our attention peaks at the prospect of spotting a cheetah on the run or a pride of lions prowling. Our safari game drive this afternoon ends at our camp. We overnight at a classic safari tented-camp, complete with a spacious dining room and crackling fire pit for retelling the day’s best stories. Each large canvas-sided family chalet has a king and two twin beds, en suite facilities and a veranda. All meals included.
Transfer: 4 hours; Game Drive: 2-4 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7: Safari in the vast wilderness expanse of the Serengeti National Park.
The Maasai describe the Serengeti as, “The place where the land moves on forever.” It is one of the largest and last remaining wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Extensive grasslands dotted with “kopjes” or rocky outcroppings that, like islands in the plains, attract their own wildlife communities. Have your camera and binoculars ready, but also take time to just to soak up the smells, sounds and sights with all senses unencumbered. All meals included.
Game Drive; 6-8 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8: Optional balloon safari and game drive in the Serengeti National Park.
Awake to another full day to enjoy the splendor of the Serengeti. For those interested, an early morning balloon safari can be arranged (additional cost). Regardless of the season, we will see hundreds of animals. Our guide is the “mwalimu” or teacher and the Serengeti is the ultimate classroom. The variety of wildlife and the intricacies of their behavior offers a bottomless resource for discussion and interpretation. Back in camp, sip a glass of wine or fresh mango juice while the orange hues of sunset overwhelm the horizon. Listen to the myriad sounds that conjure the ancient wildness of this unforgettable place. All meals included.
Game Drive 6-8 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 9: Fly to Arusha and prepare for departure from Africa.
After breakfast we take in one last safari on the way to the Seronera airstrip. Enjoy the lofty views as we soar over the Rift Valley back to Arusha. We arrive in time for lunch at our lodge outside of Arusha and have use of a day room. The afternoon is free to enjoy on your own. We transfer in the evening to the Kilimanjaro airport for our flights home. Breakfast and lunch included; dinner on own.
Meals: B, L

Inclusions

Included

  • Accommodations in lodges and tented safari camps, including family style accommodations on Days 3-8
  • internal airfare between the Serengeti and Arusha
  • all park fees and VAT
  • meals as noted on the daily itinerary
  • special activities as listed in the itinerary
  • services of bi-lingual guides
  • private safari vehicles with guaranteed window seat
  • airport transfer on Day 1 and Day 9
  • enrollment in Flying Doctors

  • Accommodation

    Lodges, 5 nights, Classic Tented Safari Camp, 3 nights

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