8-Day Tanzania: Big Five and Traditional Culture

Lion sleeping in a tree in Lake Manyara National Park

What to expect on this itinerary

Home to Africa’s marvelous national parks, where the Great Migration can be treasured in the Serengeti and the Cradle of Mankind can be cherished in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you will be enchanted by all that Tanzania has to offer on this immersive game and culture tour. Weaving from Tarangire to Lake Eyasi, you will encounter the magic creatures and mesmerizing scenes encompassing Tanzania’s beautiful wilderness.

Countries Visited

Tanzania

Places Visited

Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Eyasi

Suggested Duration

8 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Tarangire National Park - Peaceful Retreat in the Land of Elephants

Boasting sweeping golden pastures and Tanzania’s biggest elephant population, Tarangire National Park is a wilderness paradise you will enter after privately transferring from Arusha Airport. After you arrive at the park, settlements will give way for nature, and emerald landscapes speckled with diverse flora and fauna will unroll beyond you towards the horizon. After this game drive, you will happen upon your spectacular campgrounds nestled under the shade of acacia trees and overlooking a dry riverbed flanked by massive granite boulders. In the afternoon, you may be lucky enough to witness elephants drinking from the watering hole in the middle of camp.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Activity
Dinner
Day 2

Tarangire National Park - A Day of Safari Discovery

Day 3

Lake Manyara National Park - Birds of a Feather

Day 4

Serengeti National Park - Disconnected in the Central Serengeti

Day 5

Serengeti National Park - The World’s Greatest Migration

Day 6

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - The Cradle of Mankind

Day 7

Lake Eyasi - Scouring the Highlands for the Big Five

Day 8

Lake Eyasi - People of the Old World

Trip Highlights

  • Enter the land of elephants at Tarangire National Park and tour the surrounding unspoiled wilderness in search of resident flora and fauna, with chances that you will spot elephants drinking from the watering hole in the middle of camp
  • Choose to cruise Tarangire by 4x4 vehicle or stroll along its many winding trails to discover the marvelous animals, vivid birds, and dazzling plants that populate Tanzania’s rugged bush
  • Capture images of Lake Manyara National Park’s mesmerizing collection of birdlife during bird-watching safaris from your spectacular campsite next to the lake’s sparkling waters
  • Unplug and unwind in the Central Serengeti as you bask in the radiant sunset while sitting comfortably around a roaring campfire and indulging in delectable Tanzanian cuisine
  • Witness one of the world’s most extraordinary wildlife spectacles on a guided tour revealing the Great Migration, a phenomenon beyond imagination and surpassing one’s wildest dreams
  • Discover the birthplace of humankind during a tour of the Oldupai Gorge archaeological site, the destination where the earliest human ancestor remains were located many years ago
  • Traverse the trails that weave through the Ngorongoro Crater in search of Africa’s iconic Big Five, a quintet of animals including lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and leopard
  • Visit two indigenous tribes where you will learn about the local culture, witness their humble customs and traditions, and appreciate the untamed environments upon which their settlements rest

Starting Price

$5,900 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.8

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 21 reviews

Tanzania Review: Africa Safari to Amboseli, Serengeti & Ngorongoro National Parks
We toured Amboseli, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Trip was organized smoothly , all reservations and pick up drop off well coordinated.

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Kenya & Tanzania Vacation Review: Amboseli National Park, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar, Stone Town, Safari

February 2021, I submitted a request through Zicasso to plan a group trip to Kenya,Tanzania and Zanzibar for June 2022. I was matched with Maurice. This travel company has surpassed our expectations and provided an amazing experience we will never forget. The camps were top rated, and we had a fantastic time there. In fact, all the accommodations we stayed at were phenomenal. They were beautiful, clean, each room had an amazing view, the staff were very attentive, and the food was top notch. Maurice even planned a few surprises for our group along the way.

Maurice booked all of our in-country transfers (both by car and plane). All we had to do was show up at the lobby of each accommodation at the time specified and everything else was taken care of. Our drivers were exceptional as well. We spent time in Amboseli National Park, Maasai Mara, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and ended on the beach of Zanzibar. Our drivers at Amboseli had many years’ experience, they were very knowledgeable about all of the animals. Within 5 minutes landing at the air strip, they took us straight to see many of the animals, especially a family of cheetahs eating their prey! Our drivers at the Maasai Mara were great as well. We told him we wanted to see a lots of lions and they didn’t disappoint. On our morning game drive, we saw lions feasting on a buffalo, we also saw a leopard with a vulture in a tree. Our drivers in the Serengeti & Ngorongoro were excellent as well, they took us to all the best locations to capture the animals. We were even able to catch a glimpse of a rhino in the distance. They did their best to ensure we were able to see the big 5 and the ugly 5. We then ended the trip visiting Zanzibar’s beaches, a spice tour & Stone Town.

I highly recommend using Maurice and this travel company for travel tours, safaris and vacations in the future and look forward to working with him again! Asante sana!

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Kenya & Tanzania Honeymoon Trip Review: Nairobi, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar, Game Drives, Balloon Safari

Maurice did a great job organizing our trip. Our itinerary was thoughtfully planned and the communication to prepare for our trip was superb. We landed in Nairobi and spent one night there before heading to the national parks. Our hotel room was specially decorated for our honeymoon, which we appreciated.

Our first safari was at Maasai Mara. The game drives were spectacular and our guides were very knowledgeable. We highly recommend the balloon safari; it was our most memorable experience. The camp was very nice and the staff extremely friendly. However, we were told the camp was equipped with WiFi, but upon arrival, we learned there was no WiFi there. We ended up paying for an international data plan for three days.

Our next stop was the Serengeti. The driver we were supposed to meet didn't show due to car trouble. Instead, another driver met us, but he was late and not familiar with our itinerary. We got lost while driving to our campground and it took us three hours to locate it. We were too tired to go on the half-day game drive. 

The next day, we had a full-day game drive and saw many animals, making the safari unforgettable. However, our car broke down on our way back to camp and we had to take a detour to a checkpoint to get it fixed. We highly recommend the Serengeti Camp. It was our best lodging experience and the staff were unbeatable.

Our last safari was at Ngorongoro Crater, which was another unforgettable experience. Although we wished we could have spent more than a couple of hours there. Zanzibar was a great way to end our trip and our hotel was a perfect spot for relaxation before heading home.

There were a couple of mishaps during our trip, some of which were uncontrollable and not a result of planning, but overall, we are very happy with the experience. Thanks to Maurice and our travel company for everything!

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Tanzania Vacation Review: Masai Mara, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Game Drives, Wildlife, 12-Night Tour
Too much auto travel between camps esp in a uncomfortable range rover type auto- same one we used for game drives.Maurice of this travel company should have picked more comfortable camps- accommodations were good to very good in 2 of 4 camps. The Serengeti camp needs to redo their outdated cabins and Basecamp, at Masai Mara camp needed to have more adequate hot water to our cabin - hot water was not working when we arrived in our cabin.Food was best at the Serengeti camp - excellent but average at other camps- disappointed at the Ngorongoro campLunch boxes were average to poor in generaloverall average to above average (in some areas)safari  

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Luxury Africa Safari in Kenya & Tanzania Review: Amboseli National Park, Masaai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crate
This travel company has surpassed our expectations and provided an amazing experience we will never forget. The itinerary our trip planner provided was excellent. Typically in June (the time we went), the migration is still in the Serengeti, however this year, the migration headed to Kenya early. Our planner had booked a camp in the Western Serengeti that would have overlooked the migration, however nature is unpredictable. The camp was top rated and we still had a fantastic time there. In fact, all the accommodations we stayed at were phenomenal. They were beautiful, clean, each room had an amazing view, the staff were all very attentive, and the food was top notch.  My husband and I are well traveled, and this was by far the least stressful and worry-free trip we've taken thanks to our trip planner's meticulous planning. Aside from the flight there and one intracountry flight, the planner booked all of our transfers (both by car and plane). All we had to do was show up at the lobby of each accommodation at the time specified and everything else was taken care of. All of our drivers were exceptional as well. We spent time in Amboseli National Park, Masaai Mara, the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater and unbeknownst to us, the trip planner had set up private drivers for us! Our first driver at Amboseli has over 30 years experience, he was very knowledgeable about all of the animals. Within 5 minutes of entering the national park, he took us straight away to see lion cubs! Our driver at the Masaai Mara was great as well. We told him we wanted to see a cheetah and straight away, he found one for us. We even got a chance to follow it and witness it attempt a hunt! He also was able to find a leopard (which is very hard to find) and got us front row seats to it eating its prey. Our final driver in the Serengeti customer service was impeccable. As soon as we landed he had provided us snacks and coffee all set up before we headed to the first game drive. He also made sure we were able to finish seeing the big 5 as the only thing left to see was the rhino. With our final driver, we also saw a lion hunt as well!  

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Kenya, Tanzania Vacation Review: Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar

Our couple's trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar was truly amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We went to Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Zanzibar over two weeks.

Zicasso’s travel agency made it an easy and seamless experience. They communicated well, took care of us before we landed, and provided guidance on everything we needed, including what to pack.

After we landed, they met us at the airport, provided all transfers, and had their experienced drivers transport us around the country and take us on game drives. We loved our time with our guides in Kenya and Tanzania.

We were also able to visit a Maasai village and learn about their culture. It was wonderful to talk over campfires and learn about their experiences.

The service at every camp and hotel was exceptional, and whenever we had a question or issue, our agent was quickly available to triage.

We would, without hesitation, highly recommend a trip like this! Do it!

Our agent gave us the most magical trip and was able to keep it within our budget.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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