Peaks Plains Treks & Safaris

Northern Tanzania Safaris

Tanzania is perhaps the best country in the world for a safari. It has two of the most renowned safari destinations in the world - Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater. Both are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Fortunately, both of these safari headliners are located in northern Tanzania, making a Mt Kilimanjaro trek and a safari visiting one or both of these destinations quite possible in a single holiday trip. There are other excellent wildlife safari destinations also nearby - Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Arusha National Park. From Moshi or Arusha, you can have a wonderful safari experience in as little as one day. Or you can opt for a several days safari. You would not find yourself bored even on a 2 weeks itinerary.

In this website we will give you a sample of what is possible. But it is by no means the end of the possiblities. We will be happy to work with you an creating a bespoke itinerary to fit your schedule, interests, and budget.

Sample Safari Itineraries

Below are some of the most commonly requested itineraries. For variations of these or for longer itineraries, we will be happy to work together to create the ideal itinerary for you. There are also options for flying by small plane into/out of safari destinations such as northern Serengeti, central Serengeti, southern Serengeti. In addition, there are flights from central Serengeti to Zanzibar available.

Arrival Day
Once you arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) you can find our driver just outside of the customs control area. The driver will have a sign with your name and Peaks Plains Treks & Safaris written on it. Do not worry if the process is slow going through customs, our driver is patient at waiting. You will then be driven to your hotel. In the planning stages, when we know your arrival time we will discuss if you want any meals for this day included in the price quote.

Day 1 – Tarangire National Park
After breakfast at your hotel in Moshi/Arusha, your safari guide will pick you up and drive you to Tarangire National Park. This park is most known for its large concentration of elephants and giraffes. But is also has most of the common safari animals present. Not found are rhino here and it will be unlikely that cheetahs are spotted here. The landscape dotted by huge baobab trees and enormous termite mounds makes this destination uniquely beautiful. This park is excellent year round, but especially during the driest months (January, February, July, August, September, October) when the only water source is the Tarangire River which winds its way through the park. A picnic style lunch will be had inside the park at a designated area and gme viewing will continue until late afternoon. At this time we will exit the park and travel west near the town of Karatu for dinner and overnight rest. Note that this night will not be in a wildlife area. This is because the drive from Tarangire to Serengeti the next day is quite long and it is best to travel close to Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) this day to reduce the driving time the next day. The gates to enter the NCA close at 6pm, making it impractical for overnight inside the NCA since we would be cutting your time in Tarangire short. Sleeping in the wildlife areas is a wonderful experience but you will get that opportunity the other nights of this itinerary.

Day 2 – Serengeti National Park
After breakfast at your accommodations, we will drive west, passing through the NCA (but not through the crater). Inside the NCA we will stop at a scenic viewpoint overlooking the famous crater which we will descend into on the last day. We continue west for a few hours until we reach the border of the Serengeti. The best game viewing will be further inside the Serengeti, in the Seronera portion (central) of the Serengeti. You will get game viewing in until late afternoon when we will arrive at your accommodations where you will have dinner and overnight rest.

Day 3 – Serengeti National Park
This day is all about enjoying the Serengeti. The park is very large and your guide will know which portion to visit for the best game viewing for that time of the year. During the day's game drive we will pause for a picnic style lunch at a designated spot then continue with game viewing until late afternoon. We then return to the same accommodations as the previous night.

Day 4 – Serengeti - NCA
We will get a chance for some last views of the Serengeti as we work our way east. Our park permit will be for 48 hours maximum inside the Serengeti, so we will time our arrival at the entry gate of Ngorongoro Conservation Area to be before that time. The gate will be a good spot to pause for our lunch befre we continue to drive east. There are two possible side trips along the way. One is a visit at a Maasai Village (additional charge of $25/person) and the other is a visit at Olduvai Gorge Museum (additional Charge of $35/person - permits for this need to be purchased by us in advance). We will drive to near the Ngorongoro Crater where your evenings accommodations will be for relaxation, dinner and sleep. Note that there are no accommodations inside of Ngorongoro Crater. Above the crater is a cold location and windy. The altitude rises to 2400m (over 7,850 ft) here, so it is wise to bring warm clothes. Even a knit cap and light gloves might feel welcome.

Day 5 Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha/Moshi
The best game viewing inside of the crater is early morning. The gates to descend into the crater open at 6am. We will have an early breakfast and descend down the 600m high crater walls to one of the best safari destinations in the world. What makes this one of the best is the sheer number of animals inside the crater and the variety of animals present. Excepting for a lack of giraffe and oryx (a large antelope), all African plains wildlfie is present, including the near extinct black rhino. We will pause for a picnic lunch at a deisgnated spot near a pool of water frequented by hippos and flamingoes. The game viewing is excellent but the crater is not very large, just 20km in diameter. So in 4 - 5 hours all will be seen. We then ascend out of the crater and drive to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or if you are not flying out this day we will take you to your hotel.

Departure Day
Our driver will be available to take you to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) at any time for your flight home. Checkout time for your hotel typically is 10am. If you have a later departure, we can try to arrange for a late checkout or for use of a day room (extra charge for day room). Breakfast at the hotel is included in your package. If you have arranged for a Kilimanjaro/Meru trek or Zanzibar add-on, the departure specifics will be given to you in your personalized itinerary.

Day 1 – Lake Manyara
After breakfast at your hotel in Moshi/Arusha your safari guide will pick you up and you will go to Lake Manyara National Park. Most likely even before you arrive inside the park gates you will be greeted by troups of baboons and perhaps some elephants and antelopes as well. This is a lovely park with Lake Manyara covering 2/3 of the area. It is a shallow alkaline lake where an algae thrives which is favoured by flamingoes. There is a good chance of seeing elephants, giraffes, monkeys, baboons, antelopes, lions (look in the tree branches for them), pythons, buffaloes, ostriches, zebras, among other animals. There is an option of going on the Manyara Treetop Walkway. See the details of this side trip here. The land portion of this park is not that large so in half day, all will be seen. At that time we will drive into Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) to go to our accommodations inside of a wildlife area (but not inside of the famous crater). Having overnight here is more expensive than sleeping outside of the NCA (If you are an a tight budget we can arrange this.) but spending overnight inside of a wildlife area is a memorable experience. This also cuts our drive time down the next day. Note that the gate to enter the NCA shuts at 6pm each day, so we will have to leave Lake Manyara with enough time to reach the NCA Gate before this time.

Day 2 – Serengeti National Park
After a relaxing breakfast at your accommodations we start our drive across the NCA. You might see some animals along the way but it wont be the best game viewing - not like the crater which will be experienced on day four. We will stop along the way to visit a Maasai Village. From there we continue, reaching the western border, we cross into the Serengeti. This is a huge park and we will head into the Seronera portion of the park (central Serengeti). Depending on the time of the year you may encounter the migration herds along the way. Seronera is a reliably good safari destination any time of the year. It is possible to spot any of the African plains safari animals inside of this area, including black rhino. We will continue game viewing until the late afternoon when we will travel to your night's accommodations inside of the park.

Day 3 – Serengeti to NCA
We will wake up early and have breakfast before heading out for some game viewing. We will be working our way eastward, needing to exit the park within 24 hours of our entry. We then reenter the NCA. We will be driving to near the crater rim. We won't be in a hurry, so there is an option of a side trip to visit Olduvai Gorge Museum. To learn the details of this option, click here. We arrive at your accommodations with time for you to relax and enjoy a nice dinner. Note that there are no accommodations inside of Ngorongoro Crater. Above the crater is a cold location and windy. The altitude rises to 2400m (over 7,850 ft) here, so it is wise to bring warm clothes. Even a knit cap and light gloves might feel welcome. It is possible for the wind chill ratings to be at 0° C.

Day 4 – Ngorongoro Crater
The gate to descend into the crater opens a 6am. The best game viewing will be early, so it is best to wake up and have breakfast early. After going through the registration at the crater gate, we descend 600m down along a steep, winding road. The crater is steep enough that most animals do not leave the crater. The variety and sheer number of the animals is astounding. Except for giraffes and oryx, all African plains safari animals can be found here. The animals here are not as shy as in some destinations and that fact along with the beautiful backdrop of the majestic crater walls, makes wildlife photography here excellent. We will pause for a picnic style lunch at a designated area near a pool of water frequented by hippos and flamingoes. The crater is not large, just 20km in diameter, so in 4 - 5 hours all can be seen. We will then ascend out of the crater and drive you to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or if you are not flying out this day we will take you to your hotel.

Day 1: Ngorongoro Crater
Your day starts early with a breakfast from the hotel, followed by your guide picking you up and driving to Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). We will proceed into Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive. Most tour companies go on moring game drives here, so the crater will not have as many vehicles inside for our afternoon game drive. The animals become mmore active late in the afternoon with predators starting their hunts. The number and variety of animals here is excellent but in addition, the crater itself is very beautiful. The crater is not large though, so by the required exit time of 6pm, when the road gates close, we will have seen all. From there we will go to your evening's accommodations inside the NCA for dinner and overnight rest. Note that overnights are not allowed inside of the crater so all accommodations are outside of the crater.

Day 2: NCA - Serengeti
You will wake up to the sounds of nature. Perhaps you heard some animals during the night. After you enjoy a good breakfast, we will start our drive across the rest of the NCA (but not through the crater), about 4 hours long until we reach Serengeti National Park. We will head for the Seronera portion of the park - located in central Serengeti. This area has realiably good game viewing throughout the year and is home to many of the big cat species - lions, cheetahs, leopards. All the African plains safari animals are present here including black rhino. We will continue game viewing until late afternoon, at which time we will go to our accommodations inside of the park. Here you will have a relaxing and delicious dinner and a good night's sleep.

Day 3: Serengeti to Lake Eyasi
Today is a good idea to wake up early and have a quick breakfast before we get some more game viewing in. We will work our way east, exiting the Serengeti before our 24 hour permit elapses. We then drive across the NCA, exiting on the western side and then drive to the remote Lake Eyasi. This is an extremely salty and shallow lake - with an average depth of 1m. There will not be any real wildlife in this immediate area, but it is a good area to see rural Tanzanian life. We will go to our evening's accommodations for dinner and overnight. You will want an early bedtime because the next day we will be up before the sun.

Day 4: Hadzabe
We will wake up before dawn and grab a quick bite and cup of tea/coffee before heading out to catch up with the Hadzabe tribe. Of the more than 120 tribes located in Tanzania, the Hadzabe stand out due to their beloved lifestyle. They are one of the last true hunter-gatherer tribes left in the world. Using bow and arrow, they are very opportunistic in their hunting, with anything from mice to giraffe being their prey. Baboon is their favored meat. For large game they use poisoned tipped arrows to bring a quick death. Their huts are built so basically, that if they kill a large animal such as a giraffe, they will relocate their residence rather that try to bring the animal to their huts. They are experts in gathering wild honey and foraging for edible tubors. They are also very educated in natural medical remedies and are in good health. Their language is unique in Tanzania, incorporating tongue clicks. After the hunt, you will get a chance to join them in singing and dancing as well as trying your skill at archery and creating a fire without matches. Afterwards, we will return to the accommodations for a brunch before driving to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or if you are not flying out this day we will take you to your hotel.

Day 1: Tarangire
After breakfast at your hotel, your guide will pick you up and we will drive to Tarangire National Park. This is a beautiful and underrated park. The beauty is in the Tarangire River winding its way through the park, with animals gathering along the river banks, the huge and unusual baobaab trees dotting the landscape, and the giant termite mounds. This park is best known for its large numbers of elephants and giraffes, but most of the safari animals are present here, excepting rhino. The terrain is not the best for spotting cheetahs either, since they prefer a more open area where they can beter utilize their speed. We will spend time viewing game until late afternoon when we will go to our overnight accommodations. Some of the accommodation choices are inside of the park, and some are outside of the park but in areas with a large number of animals.

Day 2: Tarangire - Ngorongoro Conservation Area
This day there is an option of an early morning game drive before returning for breakfast, or you may choose to have breakfast first before heading out for some game viewing. We will time the game drive so we can exit the park before the expiration of our 24 hours permit. We then drive west, to the village of Mto wa Mbu for a walking village tour. You will get a chance to see the life of a variety of people, visiting an rice farm, a banana farm, a market, and seeing woodcarvers. We will have a lunch here and you have the option of tasting mbege - a locally made banana beer common in the villages. From there we continue to drive west, entering Ngrorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) - but not into the crater this day. We must get to the NCA entry gates before they close at 6pm. We then go your evening's accommodations inside the NCA for dinner and overnight rest. You may be surprised at how cold and windy it can be at this location. With an elevation of 2400m (over 7,850 ft) it is wise to bring warm clothes. Even a knit cap and light gloves might be used.

Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha/Kilimanjaro Airport/Moshi
After an early breakfast, we register at the Ngorongoro Crater Gate then drive along a steep, winding road, descending 600m down to the crater floor. This is one of the most highly rated safari destinations in Africa. This is because of the sheer beauty of the crater, the large variety of animals present, and the sheeer number of animals living inside of the crater. This is one of only a few destinations where the "Big 5" - elephants, buffalo, black rhino, lions, and leopards can be spotted wihin a few hours time. We will pause for a picnic style breakfast at a designated location, overlooking a body of water frequented by hippos. Ngorongoro Crater is not a large safari destination though, so in 4 - 5 hours of game viewing all will be seen. At that time, we will ascend out of the crater and drive to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or if you are not flying out this day we will take you to your hotel.

Day 1:
After breakfast at your hotel, your safari guide will pick you up and drive to Lake Manayara for game viewing. Before even arriving inside of the park, there is a fair chance that you might see baboons, monkeys, maybe even elephants and giraffes as you get close to the park. Once inside the park, we will get in as much game viewing as possible. The park has 2/3 of its area covered by Lake Manyara. The lake is favoured by flamingoes and hippos. Most likely you will find elephants, giraffes, ostriches, various antelope varieties, buffalo, warthogs, zebras, and cheetahs. You might even find pythons, leopards, and lions sleeping in the tree branches. You will have a picnic style lunch and the game viewing will go until mid afternoon when we will exit to travel inside of Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) before their gates close at 6 pm. Our accommodations will be inside of the NCA (but not in the crater). It is less expensive if you are not staying inside of the NCA, but experiencing and "in the wild" night where you might hear animals wandering around is an experience that will be memorable. Nights are cold at this elevation and it tends to be windy as well. Be sure to bring warm enough clothes, even a knit cap and light gloves. If you are on a tight budget or for others reason would rather stay outside of the NCA, can arrange that too. There will not be wildlife present at accommodations outside the NCA.

Day 2: Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha/Kilimanjaro Airport/Moshi
After an early breakfast, we will register at the Ngorongoro Crater Gate then travel a steep and winding road, descending 600m to the crater floor. The crater is only 20km in diameter but you will be amazed at the number and variety of animals present. It has been likened to a "safari highlight film". In 4 - 5 hours of game viewing all the roads in the crater will be covered but during that time you can possibly see all of the "Big 5" - lions, elephants, black rhinos, buffalos, and leopards. Inside of the crater the only African plains safari animals not present are giraffes and oryx (a large antelope). There will be a picnic style lunch at a designated picnic spot near a pool of water typically filled with hippos. In the afternoon, we will ascend out of the crater and travel to to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or if you are not flying out this day we will take you to your hotel.

We are we are open for business and are accepting bookings. We can be contacted by:
email: pptstours@gmail.com
phone: +255 753 891 566