9 Days Birding Safari Northern Tanzania

You will arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where you will be welcomed and transferred to your accommodation in Arusha. You will have time to rest and prepare for the exciting birding adventure ahead.

We will leave early in the morning with our packed breakfast and spend the day exploring Arusha National Park. Our birding adventure will begin at the main entrance gate, followed by a visit to the Ngurdoto Museum, and then we will head to Momela Lakes for lunch. Afterward, we will circle around the lakes and, later in the evening, make our way up to the Fig Tree area, offering views of Mount Meru. During our exploration, we will be on the lookout for bird species such as the Kilimanjaro White-eye, Taveta Golden Weaver, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Pangani Longclaw, Hartlaub's Turaco, Swahili Sparrow, and Abbott’s Starling, among others.

We will travel to Tarangire National Park for birding and game viewing on this day. We will go on a full-day birding and game drive, targeting species like Ashy Starling, Hildebrandt’s Starling, D’Arnaud’s Barbet (Black-capped), Yellow-collared Lovebird, and Northern Pied Babbler. Overnight in Tarangire

On this day, we will depart for the Serengeti, enjoying a morning game drive along the way. As we exit the park, we will continue birding during the transit.

We will spend two full days birdwatching and game viewing in the central and southern Serengeti, focusing on our target species, including the Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Usambiro Barbet, Fischer's Lovebird, and Maasai Apalis. Along the way, we may also encounter the iconic "Big Five"—lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, black rhino, and leopard. Depending on the season, there is also a chance to witness the awe-inspiring wildebeest migration, a breathtaking spectacle of nature.

On this day, we will depart from the Serengeti and travel to the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day of birdwatching and exhilarating big game drives. We will search for species such as Jackson's Widowbird, Sentinel Lark, Northern Anteater-Chat, Hildebrandt's Spurfowl, and more.

After an eventful day exploring the Ngorongoro Crater, we will continue to Karatu town for an overnight stay.

On this day, our birding adventure will lead us to the stunning Endoro Falls and the famous Elephant Caves. These remarkable caves have been naturally sculpted by elephants that visit the area to extract salt-rich minerals from the rock. Situated on the southern fringes of the Ngorongoro Forest, our journey will begin on a newly established trail near Gibbs Farm in Karatu.

We will be picked up from our accommodation and transferred to the trailhead to begin our birding excursion. As we trek through the forest, we will encounter various wildlife, including the tiny dik-dik, the world’s smallest antelope, as well as an impressive array of bird species. Key highlights to look out for include Hunter’s and Lynes’s Cisticola, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Moorland Chat, Brown-headed Apalis, Mbulu White-eye, and Schalow’s Turaco.

In the late afternoon, we will return to Arusha for an overnight stay.

On the final day of our tour, we will depart from our hotel with packed breakfasts to visit the Engikaret Lark Plains in search of the critically endangered Beesley’s Lark. Later, if time permits, we will make a stop in Oldonyosambu before concluding our journey and driving back to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your departure. During our birding exploration, we will also look out for other larks such as the Short-tailed and Somali Short-toed (Athiensis), as well as a variety of other species, including Red-throated Tit, Southern Grosbeak-Canary, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Red-fronted Prinia, Kenya Rufous Sparrow, various weavers, such as Grey-capped Social and Baglafecht.