Safari
TanzaniaAlpine Ascents Safari
Following our climb, we offer a four-day safari to the spectacular game parks of Tanzania. Individuals may choose climb only option.
The Classic Safari travels by Land Cruiser across the Great Rift Valley, following wildebeest, lion, and other indigenous wildlife between parks, with overnights in luxurious safari lodges along the way.
For those looking to elevate the experience, we offer Luxury Camp Safari. This safari replaces road transfers with flights between parks and features luxury tented camps, including a stay on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater and prime Great Migration viewing from mid-July through November.
Travel order of either safari may be reversed.
Alpine Ascents Classic Kilimanjaro Safari
Day 1 – Tarangire National Park
Begin the safari with a transfer to Tarangire National Park, a beautiful valley overlooking African grassland scattered with acacia and baobab trees, known for its variety of large mammals. After a long, leisurely game drive between herds of wild animals along Africa’s seemingly endless roads, we crest a slight rise to find Tarangire Sopa Lodge hidden below among the kopjes, ancient baobabs, and grasses of the park — home to the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa, many of which can be seen right around the lodge.
We will spend the night at Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
Day 2 – Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, we travel 2.5 hours over the Great Rift Valley and into the highlands above Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater — the largest intact crater in the world and second-largest extinct crater on Earth. Formed when a volcano collapsed some 8 million years ago, the crater floor spans 20 km in diameter and blooms with wild lupines, lilies, and hyacinth.
We spend the afternoon descending into the crater, encountering herds of zebra, antelope, buffalo, elephant, and hippo, along with common lion prides and the occasional cheetah. We overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, perched at the highest point on the crater’s rim with sweeping views over half a kilometer above the crater floor.
We will spend the night at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Day 3 – Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, we descend from the Ngorongoro rim into the savanna toward Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s signature park spanning nearly 15,000 square miles into Kenya’s Masai Mara. We enjoy a game drive through the Southern Serengeti, taking in the sheer abundance and scale of wild game that has defined this landscape for generations, before arriving at Serengeti Sopa Lodge, set on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the southwestern plains.
We will spend the night at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.
Day 4 – Seronera & Departure
There is an option for a spectacular sunrise balloon ride over the Serengeti. We enjoy a final morning game drive en route to Seronera, where we catch our flight back to Arusha for a farewell lunch at the Arusha Hotel before preparing for late-night international departures.
Serengeti Sunrise Balloon Ride
Participants may opt for a sunrise Balloon Ride and Breakfast in the Serengeti. The approximately one-hour flight above the plains is an unforgettable experience, and offers a beautiful perspective of the Serengeti wildlife impossible to gain from the ground. Safari itineraries will be confirmed in Tanzania. There is an additional fee for team members who wish to add this to their itinerary. See more here.
Luxury Camp Safari
This upgraded safari utilizes aircraft flights between camps, and elevates your accommodations to luxury tented camps throughout. Your first camp sits close to the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, and your second is ideally positioned to witness the Great Migration, with prime viewing from mid-July through November. Learn more about this safari from our partners.
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Frequently Asked Questions
On our four-day Tanzania safari after Kilimanjaro, you stay at three Sopa lodges: Tarangire Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on the crater rim, and Serengeti Sopa Lodge.
A typical day on a Tanzanian safari starts early, since mornings are often the best time to see animals. After breakfast at the lodge, you head out in a private Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof so you can stand and look out over the landscape. Each vehicle holds no more than 5 or 6 people and is driven by an experienced local guide who knows where the animals are likely to be. On the last morning there’s an optional sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti, then a flight back to Arusha.
On a Tanzanian safari, wear light, comfortable layers in neutral colors like khaki, tan or olive. Mornings and evenings can be cool, especially on the Ngorongoro Crater rim at around 7,500 feet, so bring a fleece or light jacket. During the day you’ll want a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and a buff or bandana helps on dusty roads. Sneakers or comfortable walking shoes are fine.
The weather on a Tanzanian safari is usually pleasant. During summer season (late June through September), it’s dry and sunny, with daytime highs in the 70s°F and cool nights that can dip into the 40s. It’s also dusty. The Ngorongoro Crater rim is noticeably colder in the early morning and evening because of its elevation. From December through February it’s warmer and greener, and you might get a short afternoon shower.
On a Tanzania safari you can expect to see elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, lions, hippos and many kinds of antelope, plus hundreds of bird species. Tarangire National Park is known for its big elephant herds and baobab trees. Ngorongoro Crater has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, including lion prides and, if you’re lucky, black rhino. On the Serengeti’s open plains, keep an eye out for cheetahs, and look up into the trees for leopards. No sighting is ever guaranteed, and every drive is different, but our safari guides know where to look.
Our four-day safari visits Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park, three of the best wildlife areas in northern Tanzania. Day 1 is a game drive in Tarangire. On Day 2 you cross the Great Rift Valley to Ngorongoro and drive down into the crater. Day 3 takes you onto the Serengeti’s southern plains, and on Day 4 you have a final game drive toward Seronera before flying back to Arusha. Our safaris can run in reverse direction as well. Our Luxury Camp Safari flies between parks and sets you up for the Great Migration, which is best from mid-July through November. See our Tanzania safari page for more.
