Wildlife of Tanzania

9 days from $9,900 Go on safari in four of Tanzania’s national parks and encounter an incredible array of wildlife, including the “Big Five,” with a private guide.

Highlights

� Stay in the remote reaches of Tarangire National Park and enjoy private game drives and walking safaris.

� Spend a day in the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, observing wildlife with your private guide.

� Spot the “Big Five” during two full days on safari in the central Serengeti.

� Venture into a local market in Arusha with your private guide and learn to barter in Swahili.

The itinerary below is a sample of what’s possible. Your Smithsonian Tailor-Made Journey will be handcrafted just for you.

Day 1 – Arusha, Tanzania

Land at Kilimanjaro International Airport and meet your private guide for your transfer to Arusha. In the afternoon, visit an open-air market with your guide, taking in the sights and sounds as you meander among the stalls.

Days 2 & 3 – Tarangire National Park

Travel to Tarangire National Park, a vast wilderness area known for large herds of elephants, as well as wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, and unusual species like the gerenuk and fringe-eared oryx. Spend two days on safari in this often-overlooked park. Watch wildlife with your guide from your private vehicle, and stop for picnic lunches in scenic spots. Explore open plains, swamps, majestic baobab trees, and riverine forest, with the dramatic backdrop of the Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano in the distance. Take part in walking safaris and nocturnal game drives, which are often not possible in other national parks.

Day 4 – Lake Manyara National Park and Ngorongoro Highlands

Journey into the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park, home to hippos, Cape buffalo, and Tanzania’s only tree-climbing lions. Also keep an eye out for colorful birds, including flamingos, feeding in the shallows as you drive through the park with your private guide. Ascend to the Ngorongoro Highlands in the afternoon.

Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater

Awaken early to be on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater in the quiet of dawn, when the wildlife is busy with morning routines. This is the world’s largest intact and unfilled caldera, and it’s teeming with dense populations of predators and herbivores. Spend up to six hours on safari in the crater, observing a wide range of wildlife, from marabou storks and crowned cranes to cheetahs and rare black rhinos.

Days 6–9 – Serengeti National Park and Arusha

Fly to the central Serengeti and settle into a mobile tented camp, which changes location to offer optimum viewing of the legendary wildebeest migration. During your time in the Serengeti, set out on game drives in search of the “Big Five” (lion, Cape buffalo, elephant, rhino, and leopard), along with wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and other plains animals, and some 500 species of birds. Take a break at midday for a leisurely lunch and time to unwind. In the late afternoons, participate in the safari tradition of the sundowner, pausing your game drive to raise a toast as the sun sinks below the horizon. Fly back to Kilimanjaro on your final day.