Embark on an extraordinary 10 Days Tanzania Wildlife and Lake Natron Safari with Woodland Trek & Safaris, a locally based tour company in Arusha, Tanzania. This carefully designed journey combines some of northern Tanzania’s most celebrated national parks with the raw volcanic landscapes of Lake Natron, remote Northern Serengeti wilderness and the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
Your adventure begins at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where the warm spirit of Tanzania welcomes you before you travel toward Arusha. Sitting beneath the slopes of Mount Meru, Arusha is the gateway to Tanzania’s famous Northern Safari Circuit and the ideal place to rest before your wildlife journey begins.
Your first safari experience takes you to Arusha National Park, a beautiful protected area covering approximately 552 square kilometres. Although compact compared with Tanzania’s larger parks, Arusha offers remarkable landscape diversity. Mount Meru rises above montane forests, grasslands, the Momella Lakes and the volcanic Ngurdoto Crater. Giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, zebras, blue monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys are among the animals you may encounter.
The journey then continues into Tarangire National Park, one of Tanzania’s most distinctive wildlife destinations. Covering approximately 2,850 square kilometres, Tarangire is famous for its ancient baobab trees, large elephant herds and the Tarangire River. During the dry season, animals gather around remaining water sources, creating excellent opportunities to observe elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes, lions and other wildlife.
From the familiar safari landscapes of Tarangire, you travel toward the dramatically different environment of Lake Natron. Situated beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment and overlooked by the volcanic cone of Ol Doinyo Lengai, Lake Natron offers one of the most unusual landscapes in northern Tanzania.
The Lake Natron basin covers approximately 930 square kilometres, although the actual water surface changes greatly according to rainfall and seasonal conditions. Alkaline waters, mineral rich flats and shallow lagoons create an important breeding environment for large numbers of lesser flamingos.
A full day around Lake Natron allows you to slow down and discover this remarkable region. You may visit the lakeshore, search for flamingos, walk through nearby Maasai landscapes and hike toward the beautiful Ngare Sero waterfalls, where fresh water flows through a rugged gorge.
Leaving Lake Natron behind, your journey continues toward the remote northern reaches of the Serengeti National Park, a legendary wilderness covering approximately 14,763 square kilometres. Northern Serengeti is known for rolling grasslands, riverine woodland, granite formations and the famous Mara River.
During the seasonal Great Wildebeest Migration, particularly when herds occupy the northern ecosystem, thousands of wildebeests and zebras may gather across the plains. The Mara River becomes especially famous during this period, although crossings are spontaneous natural events and can never be guaranteed.
A complete day in Northern Serengeti gives you time to search for migrating herds, lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes and other resident wildlife without rushing between destinations.
You then travel south toward Central Serengeti, where the Seronera region offers productive wildlife viewing throughout the year. Permanent water sources, rocky kopjes, acacia woodland and open grasslands create ideal habitats for both predators and prey.
Your final major wildlife experience takes place inside the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, one of Tanzania’s most celebrated natural wonders. The crater covers approximately 260 square kilometres and descends around 600 metres from its rim. Grasslands, wetlands, woodland and freshwater areas support lions, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, wildebeests, zebras, spotted hyenas and the rare black rhinoceros.
By the end of this journey, you will have travelled through mountain forests, elephant country, volcanic wilderness, flamingo landscapes, migration territory and one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife sanctuaries.
This itinerary is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, couples, families, honeymooners and adventurous travellers looking for more than a conventional Tanzania safari. It combines iconic destinations with remote landscapes and rewarding cultural encounters, creating a deeper exploration of northern Tanzania.
With Woodland Trek & Safaris, every road leads to another story, every landscape reveals another side of Tanzania, and every sunrise invites you deeper into the wild.
Safari Highlights
- Explore the diverse landscapes of Arusha National Park
- Enjoy views of Mount Meru, Momella Lakes and Ngurdoto Crater
- Search for black and white colobus monkeys
- Experience elephant rich Tarangire National Park
- Photograph ancient baobab trees and African wildlife
- Travel through the dramatic Great Rift Valley landscapes
- Explore the extraordinary Lake Natron basin
- Search for flamingos along the alkaline lakeshore
- Hike toward the beautiful Ngare Sero waterfalls
- Admire views of Ol Doinyo Lengai
- Experience the remote wilderness of Northern Serengeti
- Explore the Mara River ecosystem
- Search for seasonal Great Migration herds
- Spend a full day discovering Northern Serengeti wildlife
- Travel through the Serengeti toward the Seronera region
- Search for lions, leopards and cheetahs
- Descend approximately 600 metres into Ngorongoro Crater
- Search for Tanzania’s famous Big Five
- Travel with a professional private safari driver guide
