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Most northern Tanzania safaris are about the animals. This one gives equal time to people. It's a 9-day Tanzania safari with the Hadzabe at its centre: one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in Africa, living around Lake Eyasi. Around that morning you get Tarangire, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara, so the game viewing doesn't suffer.
Day one is a drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park for elephants and baobabs, with the night at Tarangire Sopa Lodge. On day two you stop in Mto wa Mbu for a walking tour and a local lunch, then meet the Datoga at Lake Eyasi, known for their blacksmithing, and stay at Kisima Ngeda Camp. You're up before dawn on day three to go out with Hadzabe hunters and gatherers and a local guide. In the afternoon you drive into the Serengeti for a first game drive around Seronera.
Three nights at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge give you two full days for lions, leopards and cheetahs. On day six you cross to the Ngorongoro highlands, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, where some of the earliest human remains were found. Day seven is on the crater floor, looking for black rhino. The last night is at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge before the drive back to Arusha. Our Arusha team can change the lodges or slow the pace.
Your 9-day adventure across Africa's most spectacular wilderness areas
You leave Arusha and drive to Tarangire National Park, known for its large elephant herds and old baobab trees. Then comes a game drive through woodland, grassland and along the Tarangire River. Elephants, zebras and giraffes are likely, and the park's tree-climbing lions are worth looking for, though they don't always show. In the evening you check in at Tarangire Sopa Lodge for dinner and the night. Lunch and dinner are included.
A relaxed breakfast, then you head for Lake Eyasi. On the way you stop at Mto wa Mbu for a walking tour of the village and a local lunch. At Lake Eyasi you visit the Datoga, a community known for traditional blacksmithing. You watch them work metal and hear about their way of life. Tonight you stay at Kisima Ngeda Camp, close to where you'll meet the Hadzabe tomorrow. Get an early night. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
You're up early to join the Hadzabe as they go out to hunt and gather. A local guide comes with you to explain what's happening. You follow them on foot through the bush on their daily search for food and learn how closely their lives are tied to this land. It's active, so wear sturdy shoes. Later you transfer into Serengeti National Park for an afternoon game drive around Seronera, an area known for predators. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, with all meals.
Your first full day in the Serengeti. The Seronera area, where you're based, is known for frequent sightings of lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas, so your guide will spend a good part of the day looking for cats. The Great Migration moves through the park at certain times of year, and if your dates line up, you'll go looking for the herds too. If the herds aren't around, the resident predators keep the day busy. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, with all meals.
Another full day of game drives, this time in different parts of the park so you see more than one kind of country. Your guide chooses the route based on what's been seen recently and what you most want to find. A second day matters here. It gives you time to wait at a sighting rather than move on, which is often when the best moments happen. Back to Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge for the evening. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
One more morning game drive in the Serengeti, then you set off for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. On the way you stop at Olduvai Gorge, the site where some of the earliest human remains were discovered. After two days with the Hadzabe and Datoga, it adds a longer view of people in this region. You continue up to the crater rim and check in at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge for two nights. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
Today you descend to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's known as one of the better places in Africa to see black rhino, though they keep their distance and sightings vary. Lions, elephants, buffaloes and zebras live here too, and because the animals are packed into a small area, the game viewing is dense. Afterwards you climb back up to Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge for a second night on the rim. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
You leave the highlands and drive down to Lake Manyara National Park. It's a compact park, but there's plenty in it, from groundwater forest to the alkaline shores of the lake. Birdlife is a big part of a Manyara game drive, and the park is also known for tree-climbing lions, if you're lucky. After a week of big open country, the change of scenery is welcome. Your last night is at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
A final morning game drive and breakfast, then you drive back to Arusha. If there's time, you can add an optional visit to a Maasai village on the way. In Arusha you either check in for a night or go straight on to your departure flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport, so tell us your flight time when you book. Breakfast and lunch are included on this last day. If you'd like to stay on in Tanzania, our team can add nights in Arusha or a longer trip.
Tarangire National Park → Lake Eyasi → Central Serengeti → Central Serengeti → Central Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Ngorongoro Crater → Lake Manyara National Park → Arusha City
Stay at carefully selected luxury lodges and tented camps, chosen for their exceptional locations, world-class service, and commitment to sustainable tourism practices.
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You spend an early morning with the Hadzabe, one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in Africa, following them on their daily search for food. A local guide comes with you to explain what you're seeing. It's an active morning on foot in the bush, so wear sturdy closed shoes. In the afternoon you drive on to the Serengeti.
The Datoga are a community living around Lake Eyasi, and you visit them on the afternoon of day two. They're known for traditional blacksmithing, and you see how they work metal and hear about their way of life. The visit follows a walking tour and a local lunch in Mto wa Mbu on the drive from Tarangire.
The first night is at Tarangire Sopa Lodge and the second at Kisima Ngeda Camp at Lake Eyasi. Then come three Serena lodges: three nights at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, two at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge and a last night at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. Our Arusha team can suggest other properties if you prefer.
Two full days, plus an afternoon game drive when you arrive from Lake Eyasi and a morning drive before you leave. You're based around Seronera, an area known for frequent sightings of lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. If your dates line up with the Great Migration passing through, your guide will look for the herds too.
Olduvai Gorge is the site where some of the earliest human remains were discovered. You stop there on day six on the way from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro. On this trip it fits well, adding the long history of people in the region to your time with the Hadzabe and Datoga, and it breaks up the drive.
Yes, that's who it's built for. You meet the Hadzabe and Datoga at Lake Eyasi, walk through Mto wa Mbu, stop at Olduvai Gorge, and can add a Maasai village visit on the last day if time allows. The wildlife side stays strong, with Tarangire, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara.
It starts and ends in Arusha. Day one is a drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park. On day nine you have a final morning game drive and breakfast at Lake Manyara, then drive back to Arusha, either for a night there or to connect to your flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Bring comfortable closed walking shoes for the morning with the Hadzabe, plus light, neutral-coloured clothes, a hat and sunscreen for the heat at Lake Eyasi. Add a warm layer for cool evenings in the Ngorongoro highlands. A small daypack for water and a camera is handy on the walk.
Yes. Our Arusha team can change the lodges or the pace. You might add a night at Lake Eyasi for more time with the local communities, or an extra day in the Serengeti. Tell us what matters most to you, such as culture, predators or photography, and we'll shape the itinerary and send you a quote.
The 9-Day Tanzania Safari with Hadzabe Bushmen Experience is 9 days and 8 nights. The day-by-day itinerary on this page shows where you go and stay each day.
This trip visits Tarangire National Park, Lake Eyasi, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park.
It is rated moderate: a reasonable level of general fitness is enough.
It runs for groups of 2 to 8 travellers.
Included: Full board accommodation at handpicked lodges and camps, All game drives in 4x4 safari vehicles with pop-up roofs, Professional English-speaking safari guide, Park entry fees for all national parks and conservation areas, Ngorongoro Crater descent fee, Bottled water during game drives, Cultural walk at Mto wa Mbu and All transfers and transportation, and more (see the full list on this page).
Not included: International flights, Visa fees, Travel insurance (recommended), Alcoholic beverages, Tips and gratuities for guide and lodge staff, Personal items and souvenirs, Optional activities not mentioned in itinerary and Additional meals and drinks outside of full board.
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