7 Days Tanzania Family Camping Safari Itinerary

The journey starts when you land at Kilimanjaro International Airport, the entry point for a Tanzania safari. Your friendly representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals section holding a placard with your name printed for identification. He will help you shift to a comfortable lodge located in Arusha city, which is at the southern part of Mount Meru. The lodge boasts comfortable rooms, amazing gardens, and a very warm environment, which makes it ideal for you to relax after a tiring journey. You can arrive at the lodge whenever it is convenient for your flight. For all the travelers, this remains a day for relaxation. Here, you can sip some amazing drinks or get fresh air while watching the star-filled African continent. Tanzania is considered one of the best countries known for their hospitable culture, so feel free to take evening strolls and get used to the beautiful sights and sounds of Tanzania.

Accommodation: Lodge in Arusha

Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast

After enjoying breakfast at the lodge, your safari starts with a captivating drive to Tarangire National Park which is roughly 2.5 hours from Arusha. The views on the way are intriguing as they shift to enormous savannahs with ancient baobab trees. You will begin the day with a full day game drive with your skilled guide who will assist you in spotting the wildlife Tarangire is renowned for; its enormous herds of elephants that can be seen indulging themselves in the water of the Tarangire River during the dry season. Don’t forget to capture the images of the graceful Giraffes nibbling on acacia leaves, zebras luxuriating in harmony, and predators like the lions relaxing in the shade.The park is an incredible venue for birdwatching including the captivating lilac-breasted roller and the fish eagle. Midday don’t miss the chance to relish the picturesque park views while having a scheduled lunch that will be arranged in the park. Strive to complete as much of the exploration as you can in the remainder of the day before having your evening dinner.

By sunset, you will reach a public campsite tucked away in the park. A pre-erected tent accompanied by a cozy mattress and soft blankets awaits you at the campsite. Dinner is cooked by your chef and includes fresh and tasty cuisine served outdoors while the stars are shining above and the sounds of the African wilderness can be heard in the background.

Accommodation: Tarangire Public Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake up with the soothing sounds of birds singing and enjoy a warm breakfast as the savannah soaks in the sun. You have the flexibility to tailor your experience with your guide. You may want to consider a full-day game drive to uncover Tarangire’s wonders, or a morning game drive followed by lunch at the campsite and evening game drive to catch the golden hour. Low lying animals such as buffalo can be observed basking in brazenly muddy pools and impalas can be seen leaping over the meadows, alongside leopards lounging atop acacia trees – when fortune smiles. Your guide will narrate the exciting stories of the park’s ecology and animal behaviors and help deepen your understanding of Tarangire. The lunch of choice, whether a served picnic feast in the bushes or a hot meal at the camp, becomes a chance to daydream. Wind down by returning to camp for another delicious dinner while making new friends and hoisting up stories around the campfire.

Accommodation: Tarangire Public Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During the morning, have breakfast, then depart Tarangire towards Mto wa Mbu, a vibrant village close to Lake Manyara, celebrated for its cultural diversity and agricultural activities. You should notice how strikingly different rural Tanzanian life is, with roadside markets and hills, during the 1.5-hour-long drive. Join a guided walking tour in Mto wa Mbu, where you can explore the streets and meet locals from different tribes of Tanzania, including the Chaga and the Maasai. Visit a plantation where bananas are grown so you can witness and understand traditional farming practices and behold the stunning waterfalls beside the Great Rift Valley escarpment. If you want a more active option, there is a biking tour available where you can ride through the village and enjoy the view of beautiful homes and trails. Enjoy a Tanzanian local lunch, which includes dishes such as ugali and fresh vegetarian food. Thereafter, you will drive for around 4-5 hours through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards the magnificent Serengeti National Park. Upon entrance to the Serengeti, you will notice endless plains that seem to stretch to the horizon.

A hosting retreat deep within the Serengeti welcomes you after a filling dinner as the campsite treats you to the roar of distant elephants in the background. Towards the southern and central parts of Serengeti lies a grazing heaven filled with diverse flora and fauna, which you can explore further with an evening game drive. Animals like Cheetahs and Lions with their cubs also roam these steppes, and you will surely see them. At night, the sounds of Hyenas add a whole new dimension to the beautiful experience.

Accommodation: Nyani Public Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Experience breakfast amid the Serengeti wilderness and a ballroom of nature as the glorious sun paints the skies of the African plains with warm gold, as the sublime wildlife symphony calls awaken you. Today, consider yourself an explorer because you will journey through the vast expanse of the world's most renowned National Park with your tour guide as who ensures you benefit from witnessing some of nature's greatest spectacles. Like any great host, the park paces itself, ensuring your sojourn does not go in vain. On a morning game drive, you will be amazed by the sheer number of grazers like wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles, sprinkled with leopards and hyenas, finding the perfect moment to reveal themselves. You may catch a glimpse of lions on top of the kopjes surveying their range, strategically placed on their rocky outcrops. A break for picnic lunch will be provided midday, where you will enjoy your meal under the magnificent acacia tree that provides its shadow’s canopy, accompanied by the store of nature as well. Later on at dusk, resuming the drive will reward you with the chance of catching animals in the frame and view of their most energetic and active states, where an exhilarating ambush chase could be witnessed, or Elephants moving in large numbers towards the watering hole. If wildlife movements allow, the drive may extend into a full-day adventure with photo opportunities along the way. In the end, dinner will be served at the campsite where vivid discussions override the delicious cuisine.

Accommodation: Nyani Public Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Soak in the trim and tranquil serenity while consuming a delicious breakfast. Gaze at the picturesque central Serengeti as you embark on a serene drive, noting any non-observed attractions such as warthogs, dethstriders or even the giraffe. After a splendid picnic for lunch, set off for the UNESCO World Heritage site, which boasts geological spectacles and animals. Take in the adorable sights of the Serengeti highlands, where Masai Village is, as well as cows. Get set for camping at the peak of the stairs. Overhead view points hold pups for African fish eagles and red-shouldered hawks. Grab delicious food for dinner while waiting for the cold highland air. Gern your stitched traps over warm fleece jackets and trek the next day after gathering information about what your guide stowed for you.

Accommodation: Simba Public Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Savor breakfast as you anticipate your visit to the wildlife haven and geological wonder known as Ngorongoro Crater. Drive down 2,000 feet to the crater floor, a 100-square-mile caldera with 100-mile-high walls. Because of its compact and diverse ecological system, it serves as home to an astonishing variety of wildlife, which makes Ngorongoro Crater one of the best places in Africa to spot the “Big Five” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and critically endangered black rhino. You will spend a full day in the park and shall witness the breathtaking herds of zebras, wildebeests grazing with lions, while hippos indulge in the freshwater springs. The flamingos also add a splash of color as they dwell in the pink-tinted crater’s soda lake. Your guide will drive you through the crater’s paths while narrating the stories behind its creation and the balance of life in the crater. Take a break for lunch to enjoy a picnic at the hippo pool amidst the serenity of nature, listening to the gentle water. While considering the sights and sounds experienced in the morning, slowly and gracefully meander up the steep walls of the crater and sip your coffee as you recover from the marvelous display of nature housed in the Ngorongoro Crater. The 3 to 4-hour drive to Arusha serves as the closing ceremony of your safari and can be made with the option of transferring to Kilimanjaro International Airport for evening flights or returning to the city for further arrangements. This will conclude your safari and leave you with bittersweet memories of the wild heart of Tanzania.

Accommodation: None (departure day)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch