Northern Tanzania & Rubondo

Arusha

A gentle arrival in northern Tanzania

Arrive in northern Tanzania and meet your driver for the transfer to Arusha Coffee Lodge.

After the airport welcome, continue to your accommodation in the Arusha area. The first afternoon is reserved for settling in, with time to unpack only what you need for the night and enjoy the gardens or a quiet drink after your flight.

Your safari briefing covers tomorrow’s departure, luggage arrangements and the rhythm of the first wildlife days. Tell the team about any dietary needs or mobility considerations before setting off. If your flight arrives late, the priority is a comfortable transfer and rest; sightseeing is not squeezed into the evening.

Ngorongoro highlands

Climb into the highlands

Travel from Arusha into the Ngorongoro highlands on the arranged transfer and continue to The Highlands.

Travel into the Ngorongoro highlands, where the scenery and temperature change from the lower safari country. Allow for park formalities and the slower roads before reaching your lodge. The afternoon is kept relatively light so that an early start tomorrow feels comfortable.

Take in the setting, prepare a warm layer and discuss the plan for the crater visit. Your guide will confirm breakfast and lunch arrangements as well as the departure time. Any walk or community visit needs its own arrangement; the arrival day does not automatically include an additional excursion.

Ngorongoro highlands

A safari on the crater floor

Set off early and descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive. Explore the different habitats rather than concentrating solely on a species checklist, allowing time to observe grazers, birds and any predators encountered. Sightings, including rhino, remain a matter of conditions and luck.

Plan lunch with your guide and continue exploring within the time allowed by the park arrangements. Later, ascend to your highland accommodation for a quieter evening. The contrast between the crater floor and the cooler surroundings of the lodge is part of the day, so keep layers handy for the return.

Central Serengeti

Your first afternoon in the Serengeti

Continue from the highlands to the central Serengeti on the transfer confirmed in your proposal, then settle into Dunia.

Meet your guide and travel through the central Serengeti towards camp, stopping for wildlife where the transfer schedule allows. After checking in, take time to settle and understand the camp routine. If daylight permits, a first game drive introduces the plains and rocky kopjes within reach.

The Serengeti is not a single unchanging scene. Your guide will explain where recent rain, grazing and resident animals are shaping the current viewing. Use the first evening to discuss your interests, whether photography, birds or simply watching animal behaviour, and plan tomorrow around those priorities.

Central Serengeti

Plains, kopjes and resident wildlife

Leave camp early for a drive through the central Serengeti’s varied habitats. Scan the shade around rocks, watch grazing animals and allow time at sightings rather than moving on immediately. Predators may be active in the cooler hours, but the drive is guided by what is happening that morning.

Depending on the distance covered, return for lunch and rest or plan a picnic with the camp. An afternoon drive offers a different quality of light and another opportunity to study the landscape. Migration herds move with conditions; their presence is not assumed simply because the itinerary includes the Serengeti.

Rubondo Island

From the plains to Lake Victoria

Transfer to the Serengeti airstrip for the confirmed Rubondo connection, followed by the island transfer to camp.

Meet your island guide and continue to camp after landing on Rubondo. Settle in and take in the change from open safari country to forest and lakeshore. The arrival afternoon is an introduction to the environment, with the exact activity shaped by flight timing and local conditions.

Discuss the forest programme, walking requirements and available water activities before dinner. Keep sturdy shoes and rain protection accessible. Chimpanzee tracking requires patient searching and appropriate permissions; it is not a guaranteed close encounter or a fixed-length stroll from camp.

Rubondo Island

A day in the island forest

If confirmed for your stay, set out with the tracking team to search for chimpanzees. Follow the briefing carefully, keep a respectful distance and let the guides decide the route and pace. The forest itself is part of the experience, even when the animals are difficult to locate.

After the outing, return to camp to rest. A boat activity may offer a different view of the lakeshore if weather and arrangements allow, or enjoy time watching birds near camp. Tracking success and duration vary, so avoid attaching another tightly timed excursion to the same day.

Rubondo Island

Explore the lakeshore and woodland

Use this full day to discover another aspect of Rubondo with your guide. A forest walk or an island excursion can focus on plants, birds and the signs of animals moving through thick vegetation. Decide the programme after considering yesterday’s activities and the current weather.

Boating or fishing may be available by separate arrangement, with equipment, rules and any additional costs confirmed before departure. Another chimpanzee outing requires its own availability and permit check rather than being automatically included. Spend your last evening beside the lake preparing for the next flight.

Your onward flight connection

Your onward journey

Transfer to Rubondo’s airstrip for the booked onward flight. The destination and any connection are confirmed around the rest of your journey; international departure is not assumed to be possible immediately after leaving the island.

Enjoy breakfast and a final look at the setting before your collection, subject to the departure time. A last wildlife activity is only possible when the transfer schedule genuinely leaves enough room; it is not automatically included on a flying day. Keep passports, medication and valuables in your hand luggage.

Before confirming international flights, let us check the complete connection, including any airport change, baggage collection and immigration requirements. If the timings are too tight, an additional overnight stop should be arranged rather than relying on a rushed transfer. No accommodation is scheduled for tonight in this itinerary.