Expedition Details
A unique family adventure awaits you in Tanzania's fantastic national parks. On safari in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara, spot lions, rhinos, zebras, and elephants. Venture into a Maasai village, meet a local wildlife researcher, examine fossils of some of the earliest humans at Olduvai Gorge, and participate in hands-on activities specially designed for kids.Trip Highlights
- Set out on safari along the shores of Lake Manyara and the rolling Serengeti savanna.
- Visit a Maasai village to get to know tribespeople of all ages and learn about their fascinating way of life.
- Discover incredible wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater, a deep caldera sheltering almost 30,000 animals.
- Take a canoe safari in Arusha National Park.
Itinerary - 11 Days
Days 1 & 2 — U.S./Arusha, Tanzania
Depart on an overnight flight to the Kilimanjaro airport via Amsterdam, and arrive in the late evening the next day.
Serena Mountain Village
Day 3 — Arusha/Lake Manyara
Drive to Lake Manyara National Park, and set out on our first wildlife safari. Spot the elephants, hippos, giraffes, and tree-climbing lions that make their home on the edge of this Rift Valley lake.
Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 4 — Arusha/Lake Manyara
On morning and afternoon game drives, watch wildlife interact on the shores of Lake Manyara. Dine at the lodge before an optional night game drive to spot nocturnal animals such as leopards and bush babies.
Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 5 — Lake Manyara/Ngorongoro Crater
Travel to the Ngorongoro Crater where a nearby Maasai community welcomes us into their village on a special visit. Far from the tourist circuit, enjoy a rare opportunity to view traditional singing and dancing, visit a school, witness an initiation ritual, and learn about this fascinating culture from the village chief. After lunch, descend 2,000 feet to the base of the crater, where volcanic slopes shelter almost 30,000 animals. View elephants, rhinos, buffalo, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, hippos, and wildebeests. Later this afternoon we settle in at our lodge perched high on the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 6 — Ngorongoro Crater
Embark on another game drive into Ngorongoro Crater this morning. This afternoon, enjoy time at leisure at our lodge perched atop the crater's rim.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 7 — Ngorongoro Crater/Olduvai Gorge/Serengeti National Park
Travel to Olduvai Gorge where, on a National Geographic-sponsored expedition in 1960, Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habilis, one of the earliest humans. Explore the site through a fun, hands-on activity and learn about the fossils found here. Continue onwards to our lodge in the central Serengeti, looking for lions, cheetahs, and leopards along the way.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 8 — Serengeti National Park
Embark this morning to watch the Serengeti's legendary wildlife interact with each other. Be on the lookout for magnificent birds, zebras, hippos, packs of hyenas, and pairs of jackals. Enjoy a talk by a wildlife researcher during lunch, and then head out on an afternoon safari.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 9 — Serengeti National Park / Arusha
After an early morning safari, fly back to Arusha. Celebrate your Tanzanian safari adventure at a festive farewell dinner this evening.
Serena Mountain Village (B,L,D)
Days 10 & 11 — Arusha / U.S.
Set off on a canoe safari in Arusha National Park this morning, keeping an eye out for buffalo, giraffes, hippos, and waterbucks. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure before taking an evening flight home, arriving the next day.
Serena Mountain Village (B,L)
Optional Extension
- Zanzibar - Post-Trip Extension, 4 Days
Related Trip
View LargerNational Geographic Expert
Jeannette Hanby
Jeannette Hanby has been guiding educational safaris in East Africa for more than 30 years. She earned her PhD for behavioural research on Japanese monkeys, and is fascinated by the mechanisms that keep social groups of any species together. She first came to Tanzania in 1974 to study social carnivores, running the Serengeti Lion Project with husband David Bygott. Since then, she has been active in conservation education and interpretive design. She has established a conservation education program for Tanzanian schools and helped create educational displays in several of the national parks. She has written books on subjects as diverse as lions, kanga fabrics, and human origins.
Jeannette will join the following departures:
Jul 15 - 25, 2012 • Dec 23, 2012 - Jan 02, 2013Expedition Dates 
Expedition Costs
International airfare is not included in the expedition cost. Round-trip economy airfare between New York and Arusha is $2,200 (subject to change).
