An in-depth private journey through forest, lake, crater and plains, with a cultural day at Lake Eyasi.
An in-depth private journey through forest, lake, crater and plains, with a cultural day at Lake Eyasi. 11-day route through Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, with your own guide and vehicle and accommodation chosen for location and atmosphere.
This is an inspirational sample itinerary. Every journey is tailor-made — route, pace and accommodation can all be adjusted to suit you.
Wildlife sightings, migration movements and river crossings depend on nature and are never guaranteed.
You are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport by a Bush Guides Safaris representative and transferred to your accommodation on the outskirts of Arusha, set among gardens with views toward Mount Meru on a clear day.
The afternoon is yours to rest. In the evening your guide meets you for a short briefing on the journey ahead.
A gentle first day in the small but varied Arusha National Park. Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and the slopes of Mount Meru offer colobus monkeys, giraffe, buffalo and seasonal flamingo, all within easy reach of town.
Where permitted, a guided walk with an armed ranger brings you closer to the ground. With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back.
After breakfast, drive west to Tarangire, a landscape of ancient baobabs and the seasonal Tarangire River. The park is known for large elephant herds, especially in the drier months, along with giraffe, zebra and a rich variety of birdlife.
With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back. Picnic lunch is taken in the park, and you continue exploring until late afternoon before reaching your accommodation.
Lake Manyara packs groundwater forest, open floodplain and a soda lake beneath the Rift Valley escarpment into a compact area. Look for baboon troops, elephant in the forest, and birds along the shoreline.
With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back. In the afternoon you climb the escarpment to the cooler highlands around Karatu.
Drive southwest to the remote shores of Lake Eyasi, a quiet landscape of acacia and seasonal water. Here, community-arranged visits offer a respectful introduction to the traditions of people who live in the area.
Encounters are arranged through local hosts and are never staged. The evening is spent at a simple, characterful camp.
Descend early into Ngorongoro Crater, a vast caldera with grassland, swamp and a seasonal soda lake. Its permanent water supports buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hippo and lion, and black rhino are occasionally seen, though no sighting is ever guaranteed.
With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back. A picnic lunch is enjoyed in the crater before you ascend in the afternoon.
Cross the Ngorongoro highlands and descend to the plains, with an optional stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the world’s most significant paleoanthropological sites. The landscape opens out as you enter the Serengeti.
Game drive on the way to your camp, arriving in time for sundowners.
Spend the day exploring the central Serengeti around the Seronera River, an area with resident wildlife year-round. Rocky kopjes, river woodland and open grassland support lion, leopard, cheetah and great herds of plains game.
With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back. Choose between a full day out with a picnic lunch or returning to camp for a midday rest.
An optional pre-dawn hot-air balloon flight lifts you over the plains as the sun rises, subject to weather and availability, followed by a traditional bush breakfast.
The rest of the day continues by vehicle. With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back.
Explore the Western Corridor and the Grumeti River area. Around May to July the migration often passes through, though timing changes with rainfall each year.
With your own vehicle and guide, you decide when to set out, where to pause and when to head back. River woodland here can also hold resident wildlife throughout the year.
Enjoy a final early game drive before a scenic light-aircraft flight back to Arusha, watching the plains give way to the highlands below.
You are transferred to a day room or straight to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight.
Change the length, swap a park or upgrade a stay. We will shape this journey around you.
5 days / 4 nightsArusha · Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro
Your own vehicle and guide through Tarangire, Manyara and the crater.
Best for: Travelers short on time who want complete flexibility.
7 days / 6 nightsArusha · Ngorongoro · Ndutu · Central Serengeti
Long hours in the field, golden light and a guide who understands photographers.
Best for: Photographers and patient wildlife watchers.
9 days / 8 nightsArusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Central Serengeti · Northern Serengeti
A Serengeti-focused journey that follows the season, from the plains to the remote north.
Best for: Photographers and wildlife lovers who want time to wait for the moment.
10 days / 9 nightsDar es Salaam · Nyerere · Ruaha
An off-the-beaten-path private journey through Nyerere and Ruaha, by boat, on foot and by vehicle.
Best for: Travelers who want wilderness and few other vehicles.
Tell us what you have in mind. We’ll take it from there.
Tell us what moves you. We’ll help shape the journey around it.
