Tanzania Safari: Human Origins & The Great Migration

B= Breakfast • L= Lunch • R= Reception • D= Dinner

Saturday, January 2, 2027: Depart home
Depart home on flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Arusha, Tanzania.

Sunday, January 3: Arrive Arusha, Tanzania
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you are met and transferred to our hotel. Guests who arrive before 5pm will enjoy welcome cocktails with our AIA lecturer/host Will Harcourt-Smith. Two nights at the Arusha Serena Hotel. (R)

Monday, January 4: Arusha National Park | Welcome dinner
This morning you may relax and enjoy the amenities of our resort, or board our spacious safari vehicles and discover Arusha National Park, located along the slopes of Mt. Meru (14,968 ft.) and, farther away, Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft.), the two highest peaks in Tanzania. Although small, this park boasts a wide variety of landscapes and wildlife such as giraffe, waterbuck, buffalo, warthog, and zebra. The series of seven shallow, alkaline lakes on the northeastern side attracts wading birds such as flamingo. Enjoy a picnic lunch within the park. Return to our hotel, freshen up, and gather for a welcome dinner hosted by our AIA lecturer. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, January 5: Lake Natron
Set out this morning on a westward drive through the Gregory Rift, an offshoot of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, to the remote and lesser-visited Lake Natron Game Controlled Area. We check-in to our camp, which provides dramatic views of Ol Doinyo Lengai, a still-active volcano sacred to the Maasai, that is over 9,700 feet above sea level. Just north of the volcano is Lake Natron, a large, shallow, alkaline lake that is a favorite feeding and breeding spot for up to two million flamingoes—a spectacular site to behold. Two nights at the Africa Safari Lake Natron Lodge. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, January 6: Engare Sero | Lake Natron
Today we visit the archaeological site of Engare Sero, which is the largest human fossil footprint site that has been discovered on the African continent. Estimated to have been made between about 6,000 and 19,000 years ago, it preserves more than 400 human footprints in an ancient volcanic mudflow that dried almost like concrete. [See the “Human Origins” side bar.] We will enjoy a lecture and discussion with our AIA lecturer, who worked at Engare Sero for two seasons and has been part of the research project for 15 years. We also have time to relax and enjoy our safari camp, with views of the lake and the volcano. (B,L,D)

Thursday, January 7: The Great Rift Valley | Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Depart Lake Natron and drive south along the spine of the dramatic Great Rift Valley, viewing craters, wildlife, and Maasai pastoralists, who follow their traditional ways, living in remarkable harmony with their environment and its wildlife. Young warriors carry spears and color their long hair with red ochre; the women wear elaborate and beautiful beadwork. We will see their herds and villages throughout much of our safari. Arrive at our luxurious tented camp that has just 15 rooms, perched on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The astounding Crater is the world’s largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. Formed when a massive volcano erupted and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago, the Crater is approximately 10 to 12 miles in diameter and 2,000 feet deep, and is teeming with wildlife. We will enjoy dinner and discussions with our lecturer while overlooking the Crater. Our tented camp offers the amenities of a luxury hotel combined with the adventure of being under canvas on the rim of the Crater. Three nights at the Lion’s Paw Camp. (B,L,D)

Friday & Saturday, January 8 & 9: Ngorongoro Crater
Enjoy two days exploring down in the Ngorongoro Crater in our safari vehicles viewing lion, elephant, buffalo, zebra, and a wide variety of other mammals, plus numerous exotic birds amidst lakes, lush forests, and savannah vegetation. The Crater is home to 26,000 big mammals and 500 species of birds. After picnic lunches within the Crater, we return to our tented camp to relax and enjoy discussions, cocktails, and delicious dinners. (B,L,D each day)

Sunday, January 10: Oldupai Gorge | Lake Ndutu
Today we drive west, stopping at the famous Oldupai (Olduvai) Gorge, a remarkable archaeological site where, within the sides of the gorge, is a rich chronicle of human ancestry and the evolution of the Serengeti ecosystem. Learn about the important fossils and tools discovered at this site with our expert AIA lecturer as we visit the Gorge and its excellent site museum. [See the “Human Origins” side bar.] We continue driving west to Lake Ndutu, on the southern edge of the Serengeti, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and check-in to our luxurious safari camp. Three nights at Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge. (B,L,D)

Monday & Tuesday, January 11 & 12: Lake Ndutu & Serengeti National Park | Farewell dinner
Lake Ndutu is located adjacent to the southeastern section of the immense Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The world-famous herds of the “Great Migration” follow a seasonal route, and we have timed our visit to witness vast numbers of wildebeest and zebra on the southern plains. Wildebeest calving season is a wildlife spectacle second to none. [See the “Great Migration” side bar.] We enjoy two full days of morning and afternoon game drives in our four-seater safari vehicles, traversing the savannah. Enjoy a farewell dinner on January 12^th. An optional, early morning balloon ride over the savannah is available at additional cost. (B,L,D each day)

Wednesday, January 13: Bush flight to Arusha | Fly home OR begin optional Zanzibar extension
After our last morning game drive, we drive to the Ndutu airstrip (just 15 minutes away from our tented camp) for a one-hour bush flight to Arusha, arriving in the early afternoon. Those who are on the optional Zanzibar extension will connect to a flight to Zanzibar. Everyone else will transfer to our hotel, where day rooms and lunch have been arranged. Relax in the gardens or explore Arusha independently. This evening, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for independent flights homeward (your international flight departure must be after 5pm). Day room at the Arusha Serena Hotel. (B,L)

Optional Extension to Zanzibar (January 13-16, 2027, 4 days)

On January 13th, you will take a group flight to Zanzibar, where you will relax and enjoy the luxurious facilities of Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa, situated on the finest white, sandy beach on Zanzibar’s east coast. Enjoy three nights at this resort, set amid 30 acres of tropical gardens with over 1,000 palm trees; fine food and wine highlighting local ingredients; and access to sports and leisure facilities and the Oasis Spa (at additional cost).

Included in your program is a guided, half-day tour of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn about the events that shaped the deep history and culture of Zanzibar while exploring the former Slave Market, Anglican Cathedral, Old Arab Fort, and Old Dispensary. While tracing the steps of the past in Stone Town, you also have a window into modern life. Explore the markets, with seafood and fish piled high in the fish market, fresh bread in wicker baskets, and neat stacks of fruits and vegetables as traders sell their wares from their stalls.

This is a lovely, mostly independent, rejuvenating way to spend a few days before returning home from your Tanzanian adventure. Overnight at the Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa for three nights. (B,D daily)

Please note that guests must check out by 11am on January 16^th, but the resort grounds will remain available throughout the day.