5 DAYS | 4 NIGHTS Tanzania Big Cats Safari Experince
Tour Overview
This 5-day journey focuses on Tanzania’s iconic big cats lions, leopards, and cheetahs against the dramatic landscapes of Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. Designed for photographers, the safari emphasizes patient observation, natural behavior, and optimal lighting conditions. From golden savannahs and ancient baobabs to mist-shrouded crater forests, each day offers unique photographic opportunities: hunting, resting, grooming, and interactions among big cats, framed within dynamic landscapes and ever-changing skies.
Duration: 5 Days
When to go: All Year Round
FULL ITINERARY
DAY 1:
Arrival in Arusha
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to your lodge in Arusha, where the slopes of Mount Meru stretch across the horizon. Spend the afternoon strolling through lodge gardens and nearby woodland trails. Sunbirds flit between flowering bushes, weavers weave intricate nests, and lilac-breasted rollers flash brilliant color against soft golden light.
This gentle introduction sets a contemplative rhythm for your photographic journey, allowing your eye to adjust to the nuances of African light, shadow, and movement.
Where to Stay
Overnight: Lodge / Hotel
MEAL PLAN
Full Board
Where to Stay
Mid - Range: Tulia Boutique Hotel
Luxury: Mount Meru Hotel
MEAL PLAN
Dinner
Day 2:
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, set out for Tarangire National Park, a landscape defined by vast plains, ancient baobabs, and winding rivers. Tarangire is a haven for wildlife photographers, offering expansive compositions where big cats, elephants, and birds coexist.
The morning light illuminates sprawling grasslands as lions rest beneath acacia trees and hyenas roam in small family groups. Large elephant herds gather at waterholes, while graceful giraffes create elegant silhouettes against a backdrop of warm skies. Raptors, including Martial Eagles and Bateleurs, circle overhead, giving photographers the chance to capture dramatic aerial compositions.
Along the riverbanks, flocks of starlings, weavers, and kingfishers provide lively foregrounds, adding color and depth to wide-angle shots. Late afternoon softens the scene with golden light, perfect for intimate portraits of resting lions or a cheetah surveying its territory. The day concludes with a scenic transfer to your lodge, where the horizon glows with the final light of day.
Where to Stay
Mid - Range: Tulia Boutique Hotel
Luxury: Mount Meru Hotel
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Where to Stay
Overnight: Tented Camp / Lodge
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 3:
Tarangire National Park to Serengeti National Park
Travel to the Serengeti, where the grasslands stretch unbroken to the horizon. Here, the Serengeti’s open plains offer perfect visibility to photograph lions on kopjes, cheetahs stalking through short grass, and leopards lounging in acacia branches.
Morning light highlights textures in fur and landscape, allowing photographers to capture movement and stillness in equal measure. Termite mounds provide natural vantage points, where cheetahs pause to scan the horizon and birds such as larks, pipits, and kestrels offer complementary subjects.
Midday presents a chance to capture dramatic skies above the savannah, with circling vultures or perched eagles punctuating wide compositions. In the late afternoon, warm, directional light enhances silhouettes and casts long shadows, creating cinematic images that emphasize scale and depth.
Where to Stay
Mid - Range: Tulia Boutique Hotel
Luxury: Mount Meru Hotel
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Where to Stay
Overnight: Tented Camp / Lodge
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 4:
Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
Depart the Serengeti and ascend toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing through misted highland forests and rolling grasslands. At the crater rim, clouds drift across the landscape, creating dynamic patterns of light and shadow for sweeping, wide-angle photography.Descend into the crater a natural amphitheater teeming with wildlife. Leopards are often spotted in forested pockets, while lions, hyenas, and antelopes roam the open floor.
Early morning fog, shifting midday clarity, and warm evening tones offer an unparalleled palette for capturing natural behavior in dramatic landscapes. Crater lakes and forests provide reflective surfaces and layered compositions, framing birds such as Grey-crowned Cranes, weavers, and sunbirds amidst the big cat drama.
Where to Stay
Mid - Range: Tulia Boutique Hotel
Luxury: Mount Meru Hotel
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Where to Stay
Overnight: Tented Camp / Lodge
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 5:
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
Begin the day with a quiet sunrise drive along the crater floor or rim, observing big cats in the soft glow of early light. Elephants, zebras, and gazelles may pass through the frame, providing context and scale. Capture the subtle interplay of light, shadow, and wildlife behavior before leaving the crater.
Return to Arusha with a rich collection of images that reflect Tanzania’s wild character big cats in action, layered landscapes, and the intimate details of birds, trees, and wildlife. Depending on your schedule, a brief stop along the way may reveal striking compositions with raptors gliding overhead or weavers building nests in roadside acacias. Transfer to the airport, concluding a photographic journey that blends wildlife, landscapes, and the art of observation.
MEAL PLAN
Breakfast, Lunch
Tour Inclusion
- Pick up and drop in Arusha as per the itinerary
- Park entrance fee
- Full board accommodation while on safari
- Service of an English speaking driver guide
- Transport based on a 4WD Vehicle with open roof for game viewing
- Driver’s allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Game drives as per the Itinerary
Tour Exclusion
- Pick up and drop in Arusha as per the itinerary
- Park entrance fee
- Full board accommodation while on safari
- Service of an English speaking driver guide
- Transport based on a 4WD Vehicle with open roof for game viewing
- Driver’s allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Game drives as per the Itinerary
Price Per Person
|
Number of Person
|
Price per Person
|
|---|---|
|
PAX 2 |
$ 480 |
|
PAX 3 |
$ 460 |
|
PAX 4 |
$ 440 |
|
PAX 5+ |
$567 |
|
PAX 5+ |
$567 |
Tour Inclusion
- Pick up and drop in Arusha as per the itinerary
- Park entrance fee
- Full board accommodation while on safari
- Service of an English speaking driver guide
- Transport based on a 4WD Vehicle with open roof for game viewing
- Driver’s allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Game drives as per the Itinerary
Tour Exclusion
- Pick up and drop in Arusha as per the itinerary
- Park entrance fee
- Full board accommodation while on safari
- Service of an English speaking driver guide
- Transport based on a 4WD Vehicle with open roof for game viewing
- Driver’s allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Game drives as per the Itinerary
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