Sept. 27:   Depart Gateway City
Depart your gateway city for Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania.  (Meals aloft)

Sept. 27:  Arrive in Africa, Transfer to Arusha
After our evening arrival into Kilimanjaro Airport, we are met and transferred to Arusha,  approximately 1 hour from Kilimanjaro Airport.  Spend the night near Arusha. Accommodations: Serena Mountain Village (Meals aloft).

Sept. 28:  Lake Manyara Safari
After breakfast and a short orientation briefing, we will depart for Lake Manyara National Park and check-in to our safari lodge.  After a relaxing lunch at our lodge, enjoy the afternoon wildlife viewing in Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lion, elephant, hippo, giraffe and smaller animals. Tonight we gather for a festive welcome dinner. Accommodations: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge  (B, L, D)

Sept 29:  Masai Village and Serengeti Safari
After breakfast, depart for the Serengeti.  En route, we drive to the Ngorongoro hills where we will visit a Masai village. After lunch, continue on to the Serengeti with wildlife viewing along the way.  Participate in a late afternoon game drive in the Serengeti.  Prior to dinner this evening, enjoy a talk by the Frankfurt Zoological Society that is involved in several research projects within the Serengeti. Accommodations: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge  (B, L, D)

Sept 30:  Serengeti Safari and Optional Balloon Safari
In the morning, embark on a game drive or optional hot-air balloon safari to view the plains from above. Reunite with the rest of the group after these activities for an “Out of Africa” champagne breakfast under the shade of an acacia tree in the midst of the vast Serengeti.  Those who opt not to do the optional hot-air balloon safari may take an early morning game drive.

Optional Serengeti Balloon Safari ($500) An optional hot-air balloon safari must be booked in advance on a space available basis. At 5:00am, we transfer by safari vehicle to the balloon safari launch site near the Masai Kopjes.  Here we will meet our pilot, receive a briefing, and watch the inflation of our balloon.  At dawn we take off, rising as the sun rises and floating in whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Our pilot can precisely control the altitude of our balloon:  sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife and scenery below.  At other times, our pilot will ascend to 1,000 feet or more to see the enormity and wonderful panorama of the Serengeti. From time to time the pilot must put more heat into the balloon with the powerful whisper burners. In between these burns, there is silence apart from the natural sounds below.  The flight time is about one hour depending on conditions. This unique and exciting adventure requires a very early morning start and a one-hour drive to the balloon's take-off point. After an adventure aloft and the thrill of viewing the plains game from above, a champagne breakfast is served under the shade of an acacia tree in the midst of the Serengeti. Please note that you MUST book this balloon safari in advance when you register for your trip. There are only 2 balloons which fly each day in the central Serengeti and these tours book up months in advance. The balloon safari offers spectacular views of the Serengeti plains and is an unforgettable experience. This balloon safari does not typically offer extraordinary game viewing.

Return to the lodge after breakfast, with wildlife viewing en route.  After a relaxing lunch at the lodge, enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti, marveling at the bountiful wildlife that is resident there.  This evening, a local researcher from the Serengeti Lion Project, a program tracking all of the prides in the Serengeti will provide a talk.  Accommodations: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (B, L, D)

Oct. 1:  Serengeti Safari and Olduvai Gorge, Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
After an early morning game drive and breakfast at our safari lodge, depart for the Ngorongoro Crater located in the heart of the “Land of the Masai.”  En route, partake in a picnic lunch at the Olduvai Gorge where Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habilis or “Handy Man”, regarded as one of humankind’s first steps on the ladder of human evolution.  Continue on to our safari lodge perched atop the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Accommodations: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (B, L, D)

Oct. 2:  Ngorongoro Crater Safari & Ngorongoro Crater Rim Hike
Early in the morning, descend into the crater floor for a safari drive in the Ngorongoro Crater.  Two thousand feet below the rim, the bottom of the crater is dotted with watering holes sheltering almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano.  At any time we may see elephant, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, lion, hyena, hippo, wildebeest and many more of Africa’s most spectacular game animals.  Return to our safari lodge for a late lunch.  In the afternoon, we have the opportunity to enjoy a short (1 hour) botanical walk around the lodge grounds or embark on a more rigorous hike (2 hours) to the crater rim.  Tonight, there is a Masai beading workshop and a talk with a local Masai chief and one of his wives. Accommodations: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (B, L, D)

Oct. 3:  Fly to Zanzibar – Stone Town
After an early breakfast, depart for Arusha.  En route, stop at the Tanzanian Cultural Heritage Center to shop for souvenirs, jewelry and art.  After lunch in Arusha, transfer to our connecting flight to Zanzibar in the early afternoon.  Zanzibar is a magical spice island in the Indian Ocean where ancient Islamic ruins, noble Arabic houses, and white, sandy, palm-fringed beaches and coves coexist.  Upon our arrival in Zanzibar, we will transfer to Stone Town. Accommodations: Zanzibar Serena Inn  (B, L, D)

Oct. 4:  Zanzibar – Stone Town, Transfer to the Beach
In the morning, take a walking tour of Stone Town to explore the heritage and history of this famous town, now designated a World Heritage Site. Our walking tour will include visits to the city market, the old Anglican Church located on the site of the old Slave Market, and the National Museum of Zanzibar.  We may also visit the Old British Consulate, the Old Fort dating back to 1700, House of Wonders and Livingstone House. Leisurely walks through the winding alleys and narrow streets will take us to small exotic bazaars and local curio shops. After lunch by the water at our Stone Town hotel, transfer to our beach resort on one of the island’s most beautiful beaches, which will be our home for the next two evenings.  We will have dinner and spend the night at our Zanzibar beach resort. Accommodations:  Ocean Paradise Resort (B, L, D)

Oct. 5:  Zanzibar - Beach
Today, enjoy a day of exploration on your own.  Optional spice tours, Jozani Forest tours and snorkeling excursions can be pre-arranged or arranged at the resort while on Zanzibar.  Gather for our farewell dinner by the beach. Accommodations:  Ocean Paradise Resort (B, D)

Optional Tour Information:Spice Plantations Sultan’s Tour ($75):  A visit to the spice plantations will dazzle your senses with fresh spices. On the way, visitors can stop at the old Sultan’s Rest House to view the Persian baths built in 1850 by Seyyid Said bin Sultan (the first Sultan of Zanzibar) for his wife Princess Shehzard. This is a unique opportunity to visit the local farms and talk to farmers who will show you the traditional spices and fruits of Zanzibar.  Spices like cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and turmeric root, grown on plantations, will be covered on this tour. Tropical fruits such as jack fruit, custard apple, rambutan and carambola can also be seen and tasted.  Plants like the henna bush, lipstick tree and lemon grass can be seen as well.  This excursion departs the hotel at 8:00am and will return around 2:00pm.

Jozani Forest Tour ($75):  The Jozani Forest is the only remaining natural forest on Unguja Island and is a heaven for nature lovers! With a rich variety of bird species, Jozani also offers the unique opportunity of seeing the very rare Red Colobus Monkey which is indigenous to the island of Zanzibar.  This excursion departs the hotel at 8:00am and will return around 2:00pm.

Snorkeling ($75):  The east coast of Zanzibar is a wonderful place to snorkel.  Spend 3 hours on a local dhow snorkeling among the coral reefs with teeming fish life.  This excursion departs the hotel at 8:00am and will return around 2:00pm.

Oct. 6:  Zanzibar – Beach, Depart for Home
In the late afternoon, transfer to the Zanzibar Airport for our local flight (15-minute flight) to Dar es Salaam.  Here, we connect to our international flights home or continue on for the Kilamanjaro Climb post-trip extension.  Those returning home will do so on the afternoon of the next day.   (B, Meals aloft)

Oct. 6; Return to Gateway City
Fly into your gateway city. (Meals aloft)