15 Day Tanzania Birding & Wildlife Safari

Overview:

This exceptional safari journey takes you to Tanzania, widely regarded as one of Africa’s premier wildlife destinations and home to the legendary Serengeti National Park. The name “Serengeti,” derived from the Maasai word Siringet, meaning “endless plains,” perfectly captures the vast open landscapes that define this iconic reserve.

The Serengeti’s diverse ecosystems – ranging from wooded savannah and open grasslands to riverine forests – support an extraordinary abundance of wildlife. As you traverse these sweeping plains, you will be immersed in the sights and sounds of the African wilderness, with opportunities to witness remarkable concentrations of animals in their natural habitat. Depending on the season, you may observe the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Great Migration, where vast herds of wildebeest move across the plains alongside zebras and gazelles, closely followed by Africa’s iconic predators. Large herds of elephants, prides of lions, and a wealth of other wildlife further enrich the experience.

Your journey will also include a visit to the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa’s most breathtaking natural wonders. This remarkable caldera offers exceptional game viewing within a compact area, providing outstanding opportunities to encounter a wide variety of wildlife against a dramatic and scenic backdrop.

Carefully designed to combine unforgettable wildlife encounters with stunning landscapes, this tour offers a truly immersive and rewarding Tanzanian safari experience.

Day 1. Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport – Visit Serval Wildlife Sanctuary.

On arrival you will be received by our representative from Terrain safaris – your driver/guide, who will welcome you, brief you through your safari program and then visit Serval Wildlife Sanctuary for a one-hour face to face interaction with the wildlife. This wildlife sanctuary offers a once in a lifetime   exclusive experience between the visitors and the animals.

At the sanctuary safe is paramount, whereby knowledgeable and skilled keepers monitor closely all the interactions during the visit. And normally it is the animals to start the interactions by coming closer to the clients and also end the interactions by leaving the area. The activity interest of these wildlife can change day to day, depending on their mood. You will later check-in to the service of Klub Afriko Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2. Birding – Game drive at Arusha national park.

The day begins with an early breakfast and then we set off to Arusha national park for birding and wildlife exploration. The park covers about 552 square kilometers, with different habitats. It is home to more 400 species of birds. So today we look out for specialties that include the Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl (Endemic to EA), Scarce Swift, Mottled Swift, African Emerald Cuckoo, Corn Crake, Lesser Moorhen, Allen’s Gallinule, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Red-fronted Parrot, Retz’s Helmet-shrike,

The park is also home to Mustached Grass Warbler, Brown Woodland Warbler, Trilling Cisticola & Short-winged Cisticola, Broad-ringed White-eye (Tanzania endemic), White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Rüppell’s Robin-Chat, Green Twinspot, Orange-breasted Waxbill, Pangani Longclaw (endemic to North East Africa), Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Abbott’s Starling (Endemic to East Africa), Waller’s Starling, African Black Swift, and Bronzy Sunbird.

We also look out for a variety of mammals that includes the Cape Buffaloes, Warthogs, Savannah Elephants, Giraffe, Blue Monkey, Dik Dik, Reedbucks, Zebra, Hippos, Spotted Hyenas and Leopards among other mammals. We go back to the hotel in the evening, dinner and overnight.

Day 3. Transfer to Tarangire national park.

After breakfast at your hotel in Arusha, you will be met by your professional driver-guide and begin your transfer to Tarangire National Park, located approximately two hours’ drive from the city. The journey offers pleasant views of the Tanzanian countryside and rural landscapes.

Upon arrival at the park, you will proceed to Tarangire Simba Lodge for check-in and lunch. After some time to relax and settle in, you will set out in the afternoon for your first game drive in this remarkable wilderness area.

Tarangire National Park is renowned for its vast elephant herds, ancient baobab trees, and diverse wildlife species. During the game drive, you may encounter elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, lions, leopards, and a variety of antelope species, as well as numerous bird species that inhabit the park.

In the early evening, you will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at Tarangire Simba Lodge, where you can unwind and prepare for the adventures ahead.

Day 4. Full day in Tarangire National Park.

After breakfast at the lodge, you will depart with a packed picnic lunch for a full day of exploration in Tarangire National Park, one of Tanzania’s most scenic and wildlife-rich reserves. The park is particularly renowned for its vast elephant herds, sweeping savannah landscapes, and majestic baobab trees that dominate the horizon.

Throughout the day, you will explore different sections of the park with your experienced guide, maximizing opportunities for wildlife viewing. Tarangire offers excellent birdwatching, and enthusiasts may look out for notable species such as the Pygmy Falcon, Ashy Starling, Southern Ground Hornbill, Red-and-Yellow Barbet, White-Crowned Shrike, Double-Banded Courser, and the vibrant Yellow-Collared Lovebird. Other interesting sightings may include the White-Headed Buffalo-Weaver, Miombo Wren-Warbler, Greater Painted Snipe, Mottled Spinetail, Meyer’s Parrot, Bearded Woodpecker, Rufous-Tailed Weaver, and the Green Wood-Hoopoe, among many others.

In addition to its rich birdlife, the park is home to a variety of wildlife species, including elephants, buffaloes, lions, giraffes, zebras, and several antelope species. The iconic and ancient baobab trees – some of the largest and most impressive in Africa – add to the park’s distinctive beauty and provide excellent photographic opportunities.

You will enjoy your picnic lunch at a designated site within the park, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the wilderness, before continuing with your afternoon game drive.

In the early evening, you will return to Tarangire Simba Lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5. Birding & Photography Experience at Gibbs Farm – Karatu

After breakfast at your lodge, you will depart for a dedicated birding and photography excursion at Gibbs Farm in Karatu, a beautiful and tranquil coffee estate nestled along the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Highlands. The farm’s diverse habitats – including woodlands, gardens, streams, and cultivated areas – make it an exceptional location for birdwatching and nature photography.

Accompanied by an experienced guide, you will enjoy a guided woodland walk leading toward the scenic waterfalls and the well-known Elephants Caves. This immersive walk offers excellent opportunities to observe and photograph a wide range of bird species in a peaceful natural setting.

Gibbs Farm is home to over 200 recorded bird species. During your walk, you may encounter Moustached and Red-fronted Tinkerbirds, Grey-capped Warblers, Bar-throated, Black-headed and Brown-headed Apalis, African Hill Babbler, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Arrow-marked Babbler, Namaqua Dove, Red-and-Yellow Barbet, Jackson’s Widowbird, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Schalow’s Wheatear, Verreaux’s Eagle, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Northern Anteater-Chat, and the striking Livingstone’s Turaco, among many others.

In addition to birdlife, the surrounding landscapes and lush vegetation provide excellent opportunities for scenic photography and quiet nature appreciation.

In the late afternoon, you will return to your lodge to relax and refresh. Dinner will be served in the evening, followed by an overnight stay.

Day 6. Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park.

After breakfast at your lodge, you will check out and depart with a packed picnic lunch for Lake Manyara National Park, a compact yet remarkably diverse wildlife destination nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment.

Despite its relatively small size, the park is renowned for its rich ecosystems, which include groundwater forests, open grasslands, acacia woodlands, and the alkaline Lake Manyara itself. Upon arrival, you will begin your game drive, enjoying spectacular views of the Great Rift Valley escarpment as a dramatic backdrop to your safari experience.

Lake Manyara National Park is famous for its diverse wildlife and exceptional birdlife. You may encounter elephants, buffaloes, hippos, giraffes, zebras, and a variety of antelope species. The park is also well known for its unique tree-climbing lions, often seen resting on the branches of acacia trees. Bird enthusiasts will appreciate the abundance of species, including flamingos and numerous water and forest birds along the lakeshore.

You will enjoy your picnic lunch at a designated site within the park before continuing your exploration.

In the late afternoon, you will depart the park and proceed to Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge, where you will check in and have time to relax. Dinner will be served at the lodge, followed by an overnight stay.

Day 7. Full day Lake Manyara birding & wildlife exploration.

After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will depart with a packed picnic lunch for a full day of wildlife viewing and birdwatching in Lake Manyara National Park, one of Tanzania’s most scenic and ecologically diverse parks.

Nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park features a variety of habitats, including groundwater forests, open grasslands, acacia woodlands, and the alkaline lake itself. These diverse ecosystems support a remarkable concentration of wildlife within a relatively compact area.

During your exploration, you may encounter elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, and the park’s famous tree-climbing lions. The lakeshore and surrounding wetlands provide excellent opportunities to observe hippos and other water-dependent species.

Lake Manyara is also a paradise for bird enthusiasts. Notable species to look out for include the African Fish Eagle, Pink-backed Pelican, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Silver-cheeked Hornbill, Hottentot Teal, Saddle-billed Stork, Spur-winged Goose, Pied Avocet, African Crowned Eagle, Grey-crowned Crane, and flocks of Lesser Flamingos, among many others.

You will enjoy your picnic lunch at a designated site within the park before continuing your afternoon exploration.

In the early evening, you will return to your accommodation to relax and refresh. Dinner will be served at the lodge, followed by an overnight stay.

Day 8. Full-Day Birding & Wildlife Photography in Ngorongoro Crater

After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will descend into the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater for a full day dedicated to birding and wildlife photography. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, Ngorongoro offers one of Africa’s most spectacular natural settings and an extraordinary concentration of wildlife within a relatively compact area.

The crater floor presents exceptional opportunities for both game viewing and photography, with its open grasslands, seasonal wetlands, acacia woodlands, and soda lakes providing varied and scenic backdrops. You will search for some of the region’s most sought-after species, including iconic predators such as lions and leopards. Other wildlife frequently encountered includes elephants, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, jackals, and a wide variety of plains game.

Ngorongoro is also one of the best places in Tanzania to observe the rare and endangered black rhinoceros in its natural habitat. Birdlife is equally impressive, with flamingos often seen along the soda lakes, alongside numerous raptors, waterbirds, and highland forest species.

You will enjoy a picnic lunch within the crater, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, before continuing your exploration in the afternoon.

In the late afternoon, you will ascend from the crater and return to your accommodation. Dinner will be served at the lodge, followed by an overnight stay.

Day 9. Depart for Transfer to Serengeti National Park.

After breakfast, with your packed lunch you will drive to Serengeti national Park, the Country’s most visited reserve. The Park is very famous because of its seasonal wildebeest migration from the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. Besides the wildebeest, the park habits a lot of other wildlife like the big game mammals such as Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, Cheetahs, Impalas, and Giraffes among others. You will drive through breath-taking sceneries of both Ngorongoro & Serengeti exploring the parks and will have your picnic lunch with in the wilderness. Retire to your lodge in the evening for refreshments, dinner and overnight.

Day 10. Full day Game drive and Central Serengeti Exploration.

After a fully served breakfast you will set out with your packed lunch for a full day Game drive in Serengeti National Park which is one of the Country’s most visited Game Reserve. The Park is very famous because of its seasonal wildebeest migration from the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. Besides the wildebeest, the park habits a lot of other animals like the big game animals such as Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, Cheetahs, Impalas, Kobs, Giraffes and so on. You will spend the whole day exploring the park and will have your lunch with in the wilderness. Retire to your lodge in the evening for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.

Day 11. Full day Exploring Northern Serengeti Section.

After a fully served breakfast you will check-out, with your packed lunch for a full day Game drive in the northern section of Serengeti National Park. The Park is very famous because of its seasonal wildebeest migration from the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. Besides the wildebeest, the park habits a lot of other animals like the big game animals such as Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, Cheetahs, Impalas, Jameson’s Gazel, Giraffes and Hyenas among other wildlife. You will spend the whole day exploring the park and will have your lunch with in the wilderness. Retire to your lodge in the evening for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.

Day 12. Birding along the showers of Lake Victoria – Speke Bay Lodge.

After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will check out and go birding on showers of Lake Victoria. This activity is done using a canoe boat in search for aquatic birds that includes the Purple Swamphen, Allen’s Gallinule, Black Crake, African & Lesser Jacana, Squacco Heron, White-winged Tern, African Marsh Harrier, White-faced Whistling Duck, Pink-backed Pelican, Grey-headed Gull, Swamp Flycatcher and Sacred Ibis among others.

After the boat trip you will check-in to the service of your accommodation, relax around, have lunch and later in the afternoon you will go for a nature walk around the lodge. More than 100 recorded species can be seen around the lodge’s proximity and this gives us a good birding opportunity for both shower dwellers and savannah species. You retire in the evening for dinner and overnight at Speke Bay Lodge.

Day 13. Birding along the showers of Lake Victoria – Speke Bay Lodge.

After breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a boat cruise on Lake Victoria in search for aquatic birds that includes the Purple Swamphen, Allen’s Gallinule, Black Crake, African & Lesser Jacana, Squacco Heron, White-winged Tern, African Marsh Harrier, White-faced Whistling Duck, Pink-backed Pelican, Grey-headed Gull, Swamp Flycatcher and Sacred Ibis among others. You come back to the lodge, have lunch and later in the afternoon you will go for nature walk around the lodge. More than 100 recorded species can be seen around the lodge’s proximity and this gives us a good birding opportunity for both shower dwellers and savannah species. You retire in the evening for dinner and overnight at Speke Bay Lodge.

Day 14. Birding Transfer through Serengeti to Karatu.

After an early breakfast at the lodge you will check out with your luggage and packed lunch, then start birding through Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro Crater national park as you transfer to Karatu. This is a rewarding drive as Serengeti habitat is home to more than 500 bird species and some of the specialties to look out for include the Secretary Bird, Black-faced, Yellow-throated & Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, African Crowned Eagle, Black Goshawk, African Cuckoo-Hawk.

Also expect to encounter the Ayres’s Hawk-eagle, Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, Imperial & Verreaux’s Eagle, Hildebrandt’s & Superb Starling, Golden-winged, Amethyst & Beautiful Sunbirds, Grey-headed Social Weaver, Holub’s Golden, Red-headed & Chestnut Weavers, Steel-blue, Eastern &Straw-tailed Whydahs, Reichenow’s Seed-eater, White-bellied & Southern Grosbeak Canary among other species. You proceed on to Karatu, arriving in the evening and check-in to the service of Njaki Hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 15. Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport – Departure

After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, you will check out and be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport in good time to connect with your onward flight home.

As your journey comes to an end, we hope your safari has been a truly memorable and enriching experience, filled with extraordinary wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and lasting impressions of East Africa’s natural beauty.

We sincerely thank you for choosing our services and for placing your trust in us. It has been our pleasure to host you, and we look forward to welcoming you again for another remarkable adventure in the future.

Highlights of this 15 Day Tanzania Birding & Wildlife Safari:

• Driving through the traditional homesteads of the Masai natives.
• Game viewing through Ngorongoro Crater UNESCO World heritage.
• Expect to encounter the tree-climbing lions in Lake Manyara national park.
• Birding opportunities in some of Northern Tanzania’s hot spots.
• Experiencing the Great Wildebeest Migration safari.

Safari Summary:

Tour Duration: 9 Days & 8 Nights

Departure / Return Location: Arusha, Tanzania

Destinations on Tour:

1. Arusha
2. Tarangire National park
3. Lake Manyara National Park
4. Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
5. Serengeti National Park
6. Arusha

Terrain Safaris Itinerary:

Book your 15 Day Tanzania Birding & Wildlife Safari Today:
Here are some of our tours; Tanzania Bird Watching Safaris, Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Safari, Masai Cultural Tour, Serengeti Birding Tour – Tanzania Cultural Tour.

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