12 DAY ULTIMATE TANZANIA

PAMOJA SAFARIS

TRIP ITINERARY OVERVIEW

Embark on a journey through the heart of Tanzania—a rich blend of culture, wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes. From the vibrant streets of Arusha to the vast plains of the Serengeti, this itinerary offers a deep dive into the country’s most iconic experiences. Walk with rangers through Arusha National Park, watch elephants wander beneath Tarangire’s ancient baobabs, descend into the wildlife-filled Ngorongoro Crater, and float above the Serengeti at sunrise in a hot air balloon. Along the way, meet local communities, explore the origins of humankind at Olduvai Gorge, and track big cats across golden grasslands. Each day reveals a new side of Tanzania, carefully designed to leave you with lasting memories and a true sense of place.

YOUR 12 DAY ADVENTURE

DAY 01

ARRIVAL IN TANZANIA

Arrive in Tanzania via Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where a Pamoja Safaris representative will be waiting outside to greet and transfer you to your lodge in Arusha City (1.5 hours).

Upon arrival, we’ll check you in and arrange a welcome dinner and trip orientation with your trip leader. (If your flight arrives late at night, we’ll schedule your trip orientation for the next morning or evening so that you have time to get a good night’s rest this evening.)

Lodging: Serena Arusha Lodge & Spa, Arusha or similar
DAY 02
TOUR OF ARUSHA
This morning we will set off on a tour of Arusha to see the landscape, meet its citizens, and visit a few NGOs providing opportunities to the less fortunate (including a water filter maker, albino children’s home, and craft center for those with disabilities). We’ll have a hot lunch at the Shanga Craft Centre, then visit a local market before arriving at the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner at your hotel.
Lodging: Serena Arusha Lodge & Spa, Arusha or similar
DAY 03
Arusha National Park + Walking Safari
We’ll pick you up from your lodge and depart on a one-hour drive to Arusha National Park, where we will get started on our safari adventure. Around 1:00 pm, we will have a picnic lunch, and after that, we will depart on a guided walking safari in the company of a local ranger. We will return to your lodge in Arusha in the late afternoon, in time to rest up before dinner.
Lodging: Serena Arusha Lodge & Spa, Arusha or similar
DAY 04
Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Transfer to Tarangire National Park after breakfast (2.5 hours), enjoy a full day of game drives with a hot lunch around 1:00 pm, and have dinner at our lodge around 7:00 pm. After dinner, we’ll depart on a night game drive with a park ranger to see the nocturnal residents of the park in action before heading back to the lodge.

Lodging: Serian Tarangire Camp, Tarangire NP or similar
DAY 05
Tarangire National Park to Karatu

Continue your game drive through Tarangire NP, have a hot lunch in the park, and then head to Karatu Town (2.5 hours). Along the way, we’ll have the optional opportunity to stop at a local Maasai tribe family’s boma (family village), where we’ll be able to learn about their way of life and culture before proceeding onward. We will check into our lodging, get situated, and then have dinner around 7:00 pm.

Lodging: Acacia Farm Lodge, Karatu or similar
DAY 06
Karatu Town to Ngorongoro Crater to Karatu Town
Head out after an early breakfast to explore Ngorongoro Crater (1 hour), an extinct 12×12-mile volcano caldera that is teeming with wildlife. We’ll spend all afternoon inside the crater, with a picnic lunch around 1:00 p.m. Late in the afternoon, we will head back towards our lodging in Karatu, allowing some time for relaxation before dinner.
Lodging: Acacia Farm Lodge, Karatu or similar
DAY 07
Karatu Adventures & Cultural Immersion
Today, we will start off after breakfast with a waterfall hike to where elephants carve the hillsides with their tusks, looking for minerals. After that, we will grab lunch and proceed on a cultural tour of Karatu, quite different from Arusha, which you saw on your first full day. Options include visiting coffee plantations, brickmaker kilns, village walks, craft workshops, and more. Dinner back at your lodge.
Lodging: Acacia Farm Lodge, Karatu or similar
DAY 08
Karatu Town to Olduvai Gorge to Central Serengeti NP

Post-breakfast, we will head towards Serengeti National Park, home to the Great Migration (3 hours over mostly unpaved roads). Along the way, we will make a detour to the Olduvai Gorge Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is a treasure trove of archaeological finds from our earliest ancestors. We’ll arrive at Serengeti National Park just before dusk, and you’ll be shown around the grounds of your new home for the next three nights. Dinner at the camp.

Lodging: Land of Nature Camp, Serengeti NP or similar
DAY 09
Hot Air Balloon Sunrise Safari + Safari
Early morning wake-up to be collected for your sunrise hot air balloon safari around 5:00 am. You’ll board just after 6:00 am and have around one hour in the air to witness the spectacular landscapes and see animals from the air. After landing, you’ll be picked up by the balloon crew members and taken to a special spot where you’ll be served a full breakfast in the middle of the park. You’ll be reunited with your Pamoja guide around 10:00 am, after which you’ll continue on safari as normal for the rest of the day. Picnic lunch, dinner back at camp.
Lodging: Land of Nature Camp, Serengeti NP or similar
Best of Tanzania Safari
DAY 10
Eastern Serengeti NP (Big Cat Day)
After breakfast, we will head to the eastern reaches of Serengeti National Park, where we are most likely to see the three big cats that make the plains their home: cheetahs, leopards, and lions. There will be many other animals along the way, but today our main target will be of the feline variety! Picnic lunch, with dinner back at camp.
Lodging: Land of Nature Camp, Serengeti NP or similar
DAY 11
Central Serengeti NP
Today, we will head up into the central area of the park to get a chance to view the Great Wildebeest Migration. Along the way, we will be stopping whenever we view any notable wildlife, enjoying a picnic lunch, and eventually arriving in the north in the late afternoon. Overnight and dinner will be back at your lodge in the northern plains.
Lodging: Land of Nature Camp, Serengeti NP or similar
DAY 12
Flight from Serengeti NP to Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport
We’ll set off for a safari after packing up and having breakfast, eventually making our way toward the Seronera Airstrip in the late morning or afternoon. There, we will board a light aircraft that will transport us approximately an hour to Arusha Airport (ARK), where you’ll be picked up and taken to lunch and optional shopping opportunities (time permitting), before the 1.5-hour drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your departure flight.
Departure Day

STANDARD ACCOMMODATION EXAMPLES

Accommodation can vary depending on time of the year and season, group size and preferences. 

Arusha Serena Hotel Resort & Spa, Arusha

Acacia Collection Serian Tarangire Camp, Tarangire National Park

Acacia Farm Lodge, Karatu/Ngorongoro

Land of Nature Camp, Serengeti National Park

PREMIUM ACCOMMODATION EXAMPLES

Accommodation can vary depending on time of the year and season, group size and preferences. 

Gran Meliá Arusha, Arusha

Lemala Mpingo Ridge, Tarangire National Park

Lemala Ngorongoro Luxury Tented Camp, Karatu/Ngorongoro

Four Seasons Serengeti, Serengeti National Park

Price includes

$ 5900+
- start price (depending on group size & season)
  • All domestic transport
  • Fees & Taxes
  • All meals (as specified per day)
  • Base gratuity for all staff

Price excludes

-
a 30% deposit is required to book
  • International Travel
  • Private room (available for extra charge)
  • International Airfare and Visa
  •  

ADD THESE EXPERIENCES TO YOUR TRIP

Fun in the Sun on Zanzibar Island

Zanzibar Island is the perfect place to spend a few days soaking up the sun after your safari adventure. Located only an hour-long domestic flight away from Arusha City, this island paradise is the perfect way to end any safari or Kilimanjaro adventure. Once the capital of the world spice trade, Zanzibar is now home to white sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters, amazing seafood, a colorful local culture, plenty of fun activities, and resorts and hotels of all varieties.

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Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Safari

Experience the scenic ride of a lifetime, floating over the endless Serengeti plains on a hot air balloon safari. Starting at sunrise, our team of professional pilots and ground crew will have you up in the air for an hour or so, seeing the majestic scenery and wildlife in a totally different way than you’re able to on the ground. If you’re lucky, you might even get to experience the Great Migration from the air! The perfect addition to any safari adventure, any time of year.

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Ranger-Guided Rhino Experience

Search for the elusive northern black rhinos that inhabit the lesser-traveled areas of Serengeti National Park alongside a team of park rangers. By far the toughest animal to spot on any Tanzanian safari, the rhinoceros is known for being difficult to locate as well as notoriously skittish around humans. Our park ranger friends, trained to observe and protect the rhinos 24/7/365, will guide us to the closest population of rhinos so that we can observe them safely in their natural habitat.

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Ready to plan your trip?

Get in contact and one of our team members will get back to you to start planning the details of your trip.

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