10-Day Calving Season & Lake Natron Explorer Safari (10-Day Itinerary)

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport where your driver-guide greets you with a smile and warm hospitality. A short transfer takes you to Arusha, a lively town nestled at the foot of Mount Meru.

Enjoy a relaxed afternoon at your lodge — unwind in the garden, take a dip in the pool, or sip Tanzanian coffee with views of Mt. Meru. Dinner is served as your guide briefs you on the coming adventure.

After breakfast, drive northeast toward the remote Lake Natron, passing dramatic escarpments, Maasai villages, and endless acacia plains. The landscape shifts from lush to volcanic and stark as you descend into the Great Rift Valley.

Arrive in time for a sunset walk along the lake’s alkaline shore, where thousands of flamingos feed in the shallow waters. Enjoy an open-air dinner under the stars in one of Tanzania’s most visually surreal locations.

Today is for exploration. After breakfast, enjoy a guided walk to the Ngare Sero waterfalls, a lush oasis hidden in a rocky canyon. Swim in cool freshwater pools while surrounded by desert cliffs.

Later, take a walking safari along the lakeshore with a local Maasai guide to learn about the geology, wildlife, and traditions of this untouched landscape. Optional evening climb to a viewpoint for panoramic photos of Ol Doinyo Lengai, the sacred volcano.

Leave Lake Natron behind and drive south through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area into the vast short-grass plains of Ndutu, the epicenter of the calving season.

Arrive in the afternoon for your first game drive in a land alive with motion — wildebeest herds stretching across the plains, zebra galloping past, and big cats waiting for opportunity. The circle of life has begun.

Spend a full day tracking the Great Calving Season. January to March sees the birth of over 500,000 wildebeest calves, and you’ll be right in the thick of it — watching mothers give birth and newborns stand within minutes.

This miracle of life also draws predators: lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and jackals are on constant patrol. Your guide will help position you for awe-inspiring moments you’ll remember forever.

Continue exploring the Ndutu woodlands and marshes. This area is perfect for off-road tracking and getting close to action scenes — from lion hunts to cheetah sprints.

Stop for a picnic lunch in the bush, and listen to the sounds of the savannah. If you’re lucky, you might spot a newborn giraffe or a leopard lounging in an acacia tree.

Depart Ndutu and ascend to the cool, misty highlands of Ngorongoro. The scenery shifts dramatically from open plains to green slopes dotted with Maasai bomas and coffee farms.

Check into your lodge perched on the rim of the crater. Enjoy sunset drinks overlooking this massive caldera — one of the most beautiful and biodiverse wildlife areas in Africa.

Descend 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcano harboring over 25,000 animals. Spot endangered black rhinos, massive tusker elephants, prides of lions, and large herds of buffalo.

Your game drive explores different habitats: swamps, forests, soda lakes, and savannah. After lunch near a hippo pool, ascend back to the rim and transfer to Lake Manyara region for your final night in the bush.

Today, enjoy a half-day safari in Lake Manyara National Park. Famous for its tree-climbing lions, the park also boasts hot springs, underground water forests, and pink flamingo-filled lakeshores.

After your game drive and lunch, return to Arusha for a relaxing final night or transfer directly to the airport depending on your flight.

After breakfast, your driver transfers you to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Alternatively, board a flight to Zanzibar for a few days of white-sand beaches, Swahili culture, and Indian Ocean charm.