Trip Overview
Departures
Click for Dates + Prices
Duration
11 Days
Activities
Camping
Cultural
Hiking
Wildlife Viewing
Physical Rating
Easy
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The Best Scavenger Hunt Ever
Wildlife abounds—from snoozing lions to the unexpected stampede of wildebeest. Visit Lake Manyara (2024) / Tarangire National Park (2025), Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park in search of elusive cats and endemic birds. The Tanzania Big 5 list traditionally includes the lion, leopard, elephant, Cape Buffalo and rhino; however, there are other fives like the giraffes, zebra, dik-diks, flamingo and waterbucks that will leave your head on a perma-swivel! It’s the best scavenger hunt ever; Serengeti National Park has over 500 species of birds alone!
Game Drive in Three National Parks
Stay at a 100% Women-operated Camp
Experience the wonder of Dunia Camp, the only all female-run camp in the Serengeti! Women change busted shocks on the safari vehicles and run every department from the kitchen to security. The all-inclusive luxury tented camp’s location is in the beating heart of the Serengeti—elephants casually pass right through! The accommodations on this trip are a balanced blend of traditional safari and luxury in tented suites, panoramic lodges and dome tents at the fly camp (in 2024) in the wild savannah. Everywhere, the sounds of the African night will lull you into a deep sleep.
The safari was everything I had dreamed a safari would be. We saw so many animals that we lost count. We stayed in those great safari tents and a fabulous high-end lodge in the Serengeti. We saw the traditional Maasai way of life and walked across the grasslands with our Maasai guide and our ranger. Absolutely a trip of a lifetime!”
Karen M.
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Itinerary
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Day 1
Arrival
Jambo!
Your African odyssey begins upon touchdown on the tarmac at Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be met by a driver (holding a Wild Women Expeditions sign) who will safely shuttle you to RiverTrees or Mount Meru Game Lodge (50-minute drive).
The official Wild Women group rendezvous and orientation is scheduled for Day 2, so you’ll have time to relax and rebound after your flight. Most women arrive two nights in advance to get a head start on bouncing back from jetlag!
Note: Both hotels have in-house restaurants with a tempting Swahili and Zanzabari-influenced menu. Other dining options will require a public bus or taxi to access.
*If you are flying via KLM, the inbound flight doesn’t arrive until 8 p.m. Airport transfers are included in your trip fee for Day 1 or if you arrive up to two days pre-trip and are staying at one of Wild Women’s recommended pre-trip hotels. This information will be provided upon booking.
Accommodations
Rivertrees Country Inn
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Day 2
Arusha to Tarangire
Game Drive Through the “Mini Serengeti”
After breakfast, we make tracks for Tarangire National Park (90 minutes). En route, we stop in Arusha town for a short tour and to pick up any last minute necessities at the well-stocked supermarket.
Our group will stop at a vibrant art gallery that supports Tanzanian artists. Here, we have a chance to marvel at and purchase Maasai-produced jewelry, Tanzanite and other intricate handmade products. Artists will be at work in the open-air studio spaces, carving and painting enormous works of art. With colored beads knotted around our wrists, we head to Tarangire National Park.
Once our guides secure park permits, our full day game drive and first introduction to wild Tanzania begins! Tarangire is playfully referred to as a “mini Serengeti”—it has its own micro migration of wildebeest and the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa. Zebras, giraffes, hyenas, waterbucks, hartebeests and the rare oryx also inhabit this pocket of diversity. The open plains and acacia woodlands attract over 550 species of birds making this park a coveted destination for birdwatchers.
We find sleep easily after a day in the company of trumpeting elephants in the cool comfort of our lodge hidden amongst the kopjes (small hills) and ancient baobabs.
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Tarangire Sopa Lodge
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Day 3
Wildlife of the Crater
The Search Continues
We can opt for an early morning game drive around the swampy Silale Marsh area in the southern part of the park’s Tarangire River. Wildlife is most active at this time, hunting before the mercury climbs. The 43 square mile (70 km2) swamp attracts hundreds of elephant, the famed tree climbing lions of Tarangire, slinky leopards and African rock pythons.
After the thrill of our swamp sightings, we return to our lodge for breakfast (or brunch) and to pack up.
On our drive to the main gate of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we continue our Big Five search. Ngorongoro is the world’s biggest intact volcanic caldera and the remains from an eruption over three million years ago. Be on the lookout for sleepy lions, elephants, stalking cheetahs and “dirt devils.” We stop for a short tour of the farming community of Mto Wa Mbu which means “the river of mosquitoes” in Swahili. Here, we can taste the red banana, a local favorite. More than 30 types of bananas are grown in the village’s plantation.
This crater is synonymous with the Great Wildebeest Migration, an annual event that sees more than 1.5 million wildebeest move northwards towards the greener pastures of Kenya’s border. The animals follow a predictable clockwise movement through the Serengeti following the rains and greenest grass.
We check into our lodge within the UNESCO World Heritage Site east of the caldera and end the day with the sun.
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Luxury Lodge
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Day 4
Into the Crater’s Cradle
Binoculars At The Ready
After breakfast, we descend into the extinct volcano of Ngorongoro Crater for a full day game drive. Few places in the world have the wildlife density and diversity of this enormous area. It’s not unusual to see the Big Five here, all in one day! The small population of black rhinoceros often proves to be the most elusive of the classic safari five which includes the lion, leopard, elephant and Cape Buffalo. We can also look for the Little Five too: elephant shrew, ant lion, rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver and the leopard tortoise.
Black-backed and golden jackals, spotted hyenas and the big cats may also make appearances. It will be a full-on dusty day of binoculars, birds and unexpected encounters.
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Luxury Lodge
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Day 5
Nainokanoka Village
Maasai Life
We have the rare safari opportunity to sleep in and savor the luxuries and eastern rim views from Lion’s Paw. We can enjoy the sub-equatorial immersion and soundtrack that is wholly unique to 3°07’32.2″ S, 35°39’40.9″ E.
We strike off on a slow walk (90 minutes to 2 hours, roundtrip) to take in the enormity of Ngorongoro Crater by foot. This mini walking safari will allow us to search for animal footprints and other signs of wildlife movement in the area.
After lunch we visit Nainokanoka, a Maasai village. Nainokanoka means “foggy” in Maasai and indeed, this region is often shrouded in clotted clouds and mist. The surrounding fields of the Ngorongoro Highlands are peppered with Maasai herds, bustards, buzzards and tawny eagles. Here, zebras mingle with cattle (safety in numbers!) and there is a constant tinkle of sheep bells. We spend time with the Masaai families and learn about their traditional ways as we walk through Nainokanoka.
After our moving glimpse of Maasai life we will drive our accommodations for the night.
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
The walk
Walking sticks are available and recommended for those with unpredictable knees and hips. Please note: an armed Maasai and armed park ranger will accompany us.
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Day 6
Into the Serengeti
Glamping with Gazelles
After breakfast, we jump in our Land Cruiser and head to the enormous expanse that is Serengeti National Park! We are immersed in the Out of Africa-style scenery, kopjes and riverine forests of the southern Serengeti ecosystem. This national park is a World Heritage Site of abundant biodiversity—our Big Five list will soon be renumbered the BIG 500! We see dozens of everything: crested cranes, eland, guinea fowl, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles.
At the Nabi entry gate, it can take 30 to 90 minutes to obtain a park permit. Depending on wait times, there’s an easy trail loop at the gate that we can follow to Nabi Hill for sneak peek views of the Serengeti Plains. Once inside the park, we continue towards central Serengeti, on a constant lookout for wildlife.
At Dunia Camp, we are introduced to an authentic and unmatched safari experience. Dunia is the only all female-run camp in the Serengeti! Women change the busted shocks on the safari vehicles and run every department from the kitchen to security. The luxury tented camp’s location is in the beating heart of the Serengeti—elephants casually pass right through!
It’s time for a sundowner by the fire! Listen for the roar of the lions as you fall to sleep–they’re out there!
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and a REALLY divine dinner
Accommodations
Dunia Camp
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Day 7
Land Cruising
A Pinch-Me Day and Night
Today will be an early departure, but a rewarding one! The Dunia women will deliver French press coffee and sugar cookies to our tents at whatever time we choose. Linger over another coffee as the day emerges with bird song from the deck of your tent.
On our morning game drive we search for the big cats along the Seronera River and have picnic lunch fixings with us so we can keep moving and maximize our time in the central Serengeti. Lions are a common sight today and are often found around a kill. Leopards are harder to spot, despite their spots. We may be lucky to spot one lazing in the shade of a tree though!
At the Seronera Visitor Centre there’s a short trail we can take around the kopjes—they are a distinct feature of the Serengeti landscape. Hyrax are easy to spot here as they like to sit on the displays. Monkeys, warthogs and mongoose will often show their faces too.
On safari, every day is unique and can’t be repeated! There will be white-headed barbets, Eastern plantain-eaters, hippos, lilac-breasted rollers-–it’s a non-stop drive-thru flora and fauna show.
We take in a classic, unforgettable African sunset in the hospitality of Dunia. The bush fire will be stoked, there will be impromptu song and dance and fireside apps and drinks before a memorable dinner.
Included Meals
Coffee and cookies, picnic lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Dunia Camp
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Day 8
Mara River Safari
Serengeti Sunsets and Stars
After punchy early-bird coffee and sweet cookies in our tents (and then a full, proper breakfast together), we leave Dunia with heavy hearts at 8 a.m. It’s going to be a long, chiropractic full day’s drive that will shift from the distinct landscape of central to northern Serengeti through Lobo and Bologonja. Think kopjes, erratic rocks, candelabra trees (like cacti), sausage trees and the familiar, chronic dust of the Serengeti.
There’s no time for a catnap: we are on high alert for the elusive leopard and cheetah. As we head north, through Lobo and Bologonja, we stop for a picnic lunch in the park. Crowned lapwings, marabou storks, elephants, giraffes, repeat!
In the Mara River area, we have front row seats to a reliably gorgeous tomato-red sky sunset and follow the sinking sun on a wildlife drive before proceeding to our tented camp for a solar shower, dinner and a starry-eyed night.
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Karibu Mara River Camp or Malaika Camp
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Day 9
Wildebeest Migration
The Restless Herd
In June, the Great Wildebeest Migration crosses the northern Serengeti as a thundering force en route to Kenya’s Masai Mara. June is when the migration first crosses the crocodile-infested Grumeti River to the south. As the herd migrates north (and clockwise), the migration crosses the Mara River in July and again in August and September on their return south.
En route, we see jackals, hyenas, a few vulture picnics, marabou storks, ibis and strategic crocs along the river. Elephants, topi and Thomson’s gazelle will also be hanging out and with the short grass, it’s easier to spot predators. Even mambas!
The actual dramatic wildebeest river crossing isn’t guaranteed (herds can wait for weeks before taking the plunge), but we will definitely see countless wildebeest in wait. It’s a day of patience and anticipation.
We spend our last night in Tanzania’s embrace, positively buzzing safari stories!
Included Meals
Breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Accommodations
Karibu Mara River Camp or Malaika Camp
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Day 10
Arusha and Away
Safari Dust
For those who are eager, there may be an extremely early opportunity to do one last game drive in hope of catching the great migration crossing the river.
After breakfast, from the dirt airstrip at Kogatende we have a scenic one-hour flight back to Arusha on a Dash 8 at 11 a.m. With safari dust still in our seams and laces, a driver will meet us at the airport and transfer us to our last lingering lunch together at a restaurant in Arusha town.
There will be time to squish in some last minute souvenir shopping too, though our greatest souvenir will be the Big 5 encounters, the warmth of the Maasai, camaraderie around the campfire, sunsets, safari bucket showers and unforgettable sounds of the hyrax and bush babies at night!
Note: A group transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport will be arranged for a 6 p.m. drop-off. Please book your flights accordingly to allow for a minimum of three hours before departure on an international flight. It takes approximately two hours to get through security and to your gate. Most KLM flights depart around 9 p.m. daily.
*Depending on your flight time, you may opt to remain at the airport for your departing flight instead of going into Arusha for lunch.
Included Meals
Breakfast and lunch
What’s Included
- All decadent meals. Note: Most lunches will be boxed as we will be on the move on game drives
- Water will be transported in the Land Cruiser to refill water bottles (most lodges will provide a small bottle of water in the room)
- 2024 departures: 10 nights’ shared accommodations at lodges, tented camps and fly camping plus two all-inclusive nights at Dunia Camp (laundry service and alcoholic beverages are included)
- 2025 departures: nine nights’ shared accommodations at lodges and tented camps, plus two all-inclusive nights at Dunia Camp (laundry service and alcoholic beverages are included)
- All national park entrance fees
- Private 4WD Land Cruiser transportation with pop-top roof while on safari (you will have a window seat!)
- All activities as detailed on the itinerary
- Awesome qualified female drivers/guides in each vehicle
- Tents, sleeping bags and cots for camping (2024 departures only)
- Hiking poles (these are not technical poles) (2024 departures only)
- Airport transfer (upon arrival) and group transfer on Day 11 (2024) and Day 10 (2025) to JRO/Kilimanjaro
- Kogatende–Arusha 1 hour flight on Day 11 (2024) and Day 10 (2025)
What’s Excluded:
Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and bottled water are not included with the meals and must be purchased separately (*with the exception of Dunia Camp, which is an all-inclusive stay)
Please Note:
All applicable taxes are included in the trip price.
Optional single private upgrade, subject to availability.
Itineraries may be subject to change without notice due to weather and other environmental conditions. Please review our Booking Terms.
Trip Details
Know Before You Go
Click HERE for all of the logistical details you’ll need to know prior to departure—including the packing list, arrival and departure details and suggested tipping information.
This trip starts in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (airport code: JRO), and finishes in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (airport code: JRO)
Fly Camp, Days 5 & 6 (2024 only)
Fly camps are mobile pop-up camps: the crew will have two-person dome tents and single cots set up complete with a dining tent, fire pit area and private composting toilet. Note: There are no shower facilities! Bowls of hot water will be provided upon arrival for handwashing and in the morning (outside your tent).
Dunia Camp, Days 7 & 8
There are eight spacious luxury tented suites on raised wooden decks, each with expansive views of the savannah and acacia woodland, which can be absorbed from the large private verandas. At Dunia, you can order a sundowner to your tent via walkie-talkie. These two nights are all-inclusive and include complimentary laundry service too! In your tented suite you’ll find robes, rubber boots and a solar shower.
The Wild Women Way
If you’re wondering how we roll, it’s together. The Wild Women Way is our modus operandi, our mantra and our rock solid foundation. You can learn more about our Wild Ways HERE.
How We Support You
Ready for a big adventure? We’re in it together. On this trip, we get up close with wildlife, hike over uneven terrain and camp in the wild. Yes, it can be a challenge, but you’re never alone. Like thousands of women before you, you’ll draw on strength you didn’t know you had and come out feeling like the goddess you are.
Like all our trips, this trip can be scaled to suit different abilities and comfort levels. If you have concerns or reservations about your ability to complete or enjoy this trip due to any physical or medical reasons, please contact us and let’s talk about it.
What the Trip Entails
This is an adventure for women who love wildlife and want an up-close, interactive experience. The activity level is moderate. We would like you to be comfortable with the following:
- Driving several hours each day in a 4×4 open-roof Land Cruiser in the parks on rough and bumpy roads
- Close encounters with wild animals such as lions, wildebeests, elephants, etc. while in a safari vehicle
- Dusty and sometimes extreme daytime temperatures
- Solar showers may not have the on-demand hot water that you are familiar with at home
- A menu that might be unfamiliar to you
- You may get close to zebra, gazelles and other Maasai herd animals on the walking safari
- Having an armed Maasai Warrior (carrying a spear) and an armed park ranger (carrying a gun) with you at all times on the hikes from the fly camps
- Camping in small dome tents (with cots) in the wild with Maasai security (2024 only)
- Hiking over uneven terrain (flat pastureland with potholes) for about 3 miles (5 km)
- Physical Rating: Easy (Some physical activity included. Trips are the most leisurely with an average of 1-4 hours of physical activity each day.)
