Best of 11-Day African Mid-Range Safari Tours

Our itinerary includes Arusha National Park(1N), known for its scenic walking safaris, colobus monkeys, and views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro; Tarangire National Park(2N), known for its large elephant herds and iconic baobab trees; Lake Manyara National Park(1N), with diverse habitats, rich birdlife and tree-climbing lions; Lake Natron(1N), where you’ll enjoy scenic hikes, waterfalls, and flocks of flamingos; Central Serengeti(3N), a haven for big cats and varied wildlife; Ngorongoro Crater(1N), renowned for its breathtaking views and high wildlife density; and Lake Eyasi(1N), for cultural interactions with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, before returning to Arusha.

• 11-Day Northern Circuit: The Ultimate Extended Kilimanjaro Trek
• Serengeti Mid-Range Safaris
• Breathtaking 10-Day Serengeti Migration Safari Mid-Range Tour
• What to Expect from a Mid-Range Safari in Tanzania
• Best of 10-Day Northern Tanzania Mid-Range Safari

Duration: 11-Day African Mid-range Safari Tours: Arusha NP, Tarangire, Lake Manyara,  Lake Natron, Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Lake Eyasi

Best time:  June to October and January to March. 

Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania – Gateway to Adventure

As you walk out of Kilimanjaro International Airport, your personal Foot Slopes Tours and Safaris guide greets you with a big smile: ‘Karibu Tanzania – welcome to Tanzania!’ The guide takes you straight to your hotel, where you can relax and take in the African atmosphere. The next day, your guide takes you on an exclusive, private safari that allows you to travel at your own pace. Enjoy 10 days of great wildebeest Mara river crossing migration, the luxury of your own safari jeep, and take the liberty to stop and watch the animals as long as you like! Overnight at Arusha River Tree Inn.

Day 2: Arusha National Park

After a hearty breakfast, you’ll set out on an exciting adventure to Arusha National Park. This park, nestled at the base of Mount Meru, offers a chance to see a variety of wildlife, from zebras to giraffes and even the elusive Colobus monkeys. Embark on a game drive, and your expert guide will help you spot these magnificent creatures and share fascinating private custom safari insights about their behaviors and habitats.

When it’s time for lunch, you’ll be treated to a delightful Tanzania safari tour package meal at a picturesque picnic site. Here, you can enjoy your food surrounded by the park’s natural beauty. As the day comes to a close, you’ll head back to your cozy accommodation at Arusha River Tree Inn. It’s a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate, getting ready for more exciting adventures in the days to come.

Optional: afternoon canoeing safari on the Little Momela Lake- gives you a great opportunity to approach wildlife as they drink and wallow in the shallows. Continue with an afternoon game drive before heading back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Arusha to Tarangire National Park – Land of Giants

Your safari adventure begins today! After breakfast, we’ll pick you up from your lodge at 7:45 am for a scenic 2-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, renowned for its large elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. Explore the park in an open-roof vehicle, taking in the seasonal swamps, expansive savannah, and the wildlife-rich Tarangire River. Keep an eye out for a variety of bird species, graceful giraffes, elegant impalas, zebras, lions, leopards, elands, warthogs, and majestic elephants. Enjoy a delightful picnic lunch at a picturesque spot with breathtaking views, followed by more wildlife viewing. In the evening, you’ll return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.  At Country Lodge Karatu accommodations. 

Day 4 – Lake Manyara

Pick up at 7:00 AM from your hotel and depart for Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. As you enter the national park, lush forests of Acacia and Mahogany trees begin to set the mood for what is waiting ahead. Game drive will go on till evening with a small break for picnic lunch. During the game drive, watch out for buffalo, giraffes, impalas, baboons, and the blue monkeys. Another spectacle of Lake Manyara National Park is the tree-climbing lions; however, spotting them is a game of luck. In the right season, you can see the shoreline turning pink with millions of flamingos flocking there. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge, where a delicious dinner awaits you.

Day 5 – Lake Natron

Your day will begin after breakfast by about 8:00 AM. Depart with packed lunch boxes towards Lake Natron. Located about 3.5 hours drive away from Mto Wa Mbu/Manyara, Lake Natron is a surreal destination and a unique natural spectacle. Its waters are highly alkaline and are unusually shallow, averaging just one meter in depth. After checking into your lodge and a short break, put your walking shoes on as a Maasai tribesman takes you on a walk around the shores on the lookout for birds, especially the lesser flamingos. 

Lake Natron is the most important and regular breeding site for lesser flamingos in East Africa, hosting up to 2 million of them during the breeding season. The majority of egg-laying and hatching takes place from September to January. After the hike, you will head back to your camp/lodge for a well-deserved dinner and rest.

Day 6 – Lake Natron to Central Serengeti

Your day starts early. Around 6:00 AM, accompanied by a Maasai guide, enjoy some light hiking to the nearby Ngare Sero waterfalls and relax in the cool spray of water cascading down the rocks of this scenic ravine. Make sure to bring your shoes! Return to the accommodation by 8:30 AM, and after finishing a good breakfast, we will head out towards the Serengeti National Park. This road trip takes you through a variety of sites: towns and villages, savannah and forest, and you’ll be able to spot animals like antelope, wildebeest, and zebra. Enter the Serengeti in the afternoon. 

Serengeti is arguably the most impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world. You will have an afternoon game drive in the endless plains of the Serengeti for a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, or a pride of lions lounging in the shade. A picnic lunch will be provided during the day-long game drive itself. An eventful day comes to an end with dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 7 & 8 –  Serengeti National Park Game drive

After breakfast, depart for full-day game drives around 9:00 AM with a packed lunch and return to the lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to the accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit, and depart on an afternoon game drive with a packed lunch. You will explore the central portion of the Serengeti National Park today. The legendary Serengeti National Park is the most renowned safari destination for its incredible population of lions and leopards. 

Central portion of the Serengeti is known as the representative. Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and, therefore, off-season, is well-representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. During the off-season of the migration, one must really look out for the many lion prides that thrive in this region. 

Interactions and survival of these lion prides provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. Along with a picnic lunch during the full-day game drive, the day will come to a close around 5 PM. The long day comes to an end with a good dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 9 – Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro

After breakfast around 6:30 AM, you will depart with a packed lunch from the camp and have a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park till lunch time. There are several game drive circuits in Central Serengeti, and depending on what you have already seen on your safari and your interests, your guide will take you to game drives at one or more of these circuits. 

You are very likely to see a good number of big cats, especially lions, along with a diverse array of other wildlife. In the afternoon, depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Depending on your choice of accommodation, you will be either staying inside the Ngorongoro conservation area or exiting from Ngorongoro and staying at a lodge in Karatu. The day comes to an end with a good dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day 10 – Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) to Lake Eyasi

On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast, you will make an early descent at around 6:30 AM into the crater floor.  Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq kms with a depth of over 2000 feet. The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is definitely recommended. 

Spot a vairieties wild African elephant, buffalo, Black rhino, Hippos, Hyenas, and Lions are found in plenty. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascent to the top exit of the crater. We will drive to our accommodation at Lake Eyasi and relax for the day.

You can also consider a quick visit to the shores of Lake Eyasi in the late afternoon/evening and explore it on a short trek, where you can often see a large number of flamingoes and other birds.

Day 11 – Lake Eyasi to Arusha

Around 05:30 am, after a light breakfast, you will depart from the lodge and visit the Hadzabe Bushmen. They are the last remaining hunter-gatherers of East Africa who are continuing their way of life with very few changes since 10s of thousands of years. You will participate in their early morning activities, including bush trek, hunting, and making a campfire. Other activities that might be done during the day are interacting with the Hadza, participating in their honey gathering, baobab fruit foraging, and experiencing their daily life.

Later in the day, you will drive back to the village to meet the Datoga people, another indigenous tribe found in the area. Datogas are skilled farmers and livestock keepers. Some of them are also craftsmen living independently for over decades, forging knives, arrowheads, and jewelry for the greater Datoga tribe and for the Bushmen. Overnight in River Tree in Arusha. 

Day 12: Departure at Kilimanjaro International Airport

After breakfast, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport or your preferred drop-off point in Arusha for departure. Reflect on the remarkable wildlife encounters, stunning landscapes, and diverse ecosystems experienced during your 10-day mid-range safari. This marks the conclusion of your unforgettable Tanzania adventure.

What to Pack for a 10-Day Mid-Range African Safari + Cultural Tour

For a 10 Days Mid-Range African Safari + Cultural Tour, pack lightweight, breathable clothing in neutral colors, a warm jacket for early mornings and evenings, sturdy walking shoes, and a hat. Don’t forget sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, and a small daypack. Bring a camera with extra batteries, binoculars, and travel-size toiletries. Include any necessary medications and travel documents. Layering is key for changing temperatures between the savannahs and highland.