Region Overviews: Africa Travel Guide: Overview
From its wildlife and untamed lands to its rich traditions and exciting, emerging future, Africa is a travel experience unlike anything else.
DESTINATION ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are currently special requirements for travelers to this region. Learn more.
Multi-Adventure
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Tanzania Active Safari
Serengeti Wildlife & Masai Villages
Adventure runs wild in Tanzania. Experience it as you bike from craters to highlands. Feel it as you hike trails through acacia-dotted savannas. From a classic safari vehicle, witness lions stalking across the plains, elephants lumbering through the bush and the balletic gait of a pink flamingo. Then end your day at a splendid lodge. This active tour is wild—and wonderful.
THIS ITINERARY: 9 days, 8 nights
ACCOMMODATIONS: Premiere Hotels*
FROM:
$11,399 - $11,999 pp dbl occ
Plus $1,250 internal air
($3,000 - $4,800 for sgl occ)
Safari
Walk/Hike
Bike
Tanzania Active Safari
Tanzania
Start/End Arusha
Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Highlights
- Bike, hike and safari among a vast array of animals and scenery, with chances to photograph Africa's legendary Big Five
- Connect with a land and its people during a Masai village visit, interpretive walking safaris and a coffee farm tour
- Journey from the Ngorongoro crater to the savanna of the Serengeti, extraordinary World Heritage landscapes
- Rejuvenate at luxurious wilderness lodges and fly by private charter to distinct pockets of wildlife-rich Tanzania
Videos
Itinerary
Accommodations may vary based on departure date.
9 Days Premiere Hotels*
Accommodations may vary based on departure.
Days 1-2
A bike ride in the beautiful Great Rift Valley kicks off your adventure safari tour | Walk the shore of Lake Manyara, a bird-watching haven famous for its pink flamingos | At night, spot bat-eared foxes and leopards searching for prey | Swim in our lodge’s mahogany-shaded pool or be pampered at its treetop spa | Join a nature walk in Lake Manyara National Park, where buffalo, giraffe and baboon roam | Relish dinner beneath a canopy of stars.
&Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
Lake Manyara National Park
| Premiere Hotel Magnificent tree house suites comprise this luxurious lodge, cradled in the boughs of a mahogany forest. (pool, spa)
Days 3-4
Bike through serene farmland to the picturesque shores of Lake Mayara | Sip sundowners at our lavish abode | Hike in the lush Tanzanian highlands and tour a local coffee farm.
Gibb's Farm
Karatu
| Premiere Hotel The rich traditions of East African life infuse every aspect of this distinctive rustic luxury retreat, crafted on a former coffee farm and surrounded by ancient trees and organic gardens. (spa)
Day 5
Safari inside the Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage site teeming with incredible wildlife and beauty | Search for the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo | Hike the caldera's forested rim for dramatic views of vast grasslands.
Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp
Ngorongoro
| *Casual Plus Hotel A classic luxury tented safari camp set among striking acacia trees on the crater's rim, a place where wildlife and scenic beauty are the central attractions.
Days 6-9
Reach the extraordinary Serengeti, home to spectacular game, via a chartered flight | Stay on the only private reserve to border the Serengeti and Maasai Mara National Parks | Explore wide-open savanna, forests and streams | Join an interpretive bush walk, with chances to see herds of wildebeest and zebra | Visit a traditional Masai village to learn about their unique pastoral heritage and culture | Take a moonlit game drive | Early risers enjoy one last game walk or safari in the Serengeti before a private charter flight back to Arusha.
&Beyond Klein's Camp
Serengeti
| Premiere Hotel Take in sweeping views over the vast Serengeti and Maasai Mara at this lavish camp, nestled in the remote Kuka Hills. (pool, spa)
Dates & Prices
The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. View cancellation policy
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations and to book your trip. Price is per person, double occupancy.
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Activity Level: 1-3
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Several routes and a range of levels are offered each day so you can choose how much or how little activity you want to do. Learn more about how we determine activity levels.
Route notes
On this trip, we'll be using titanium mountain bikes that are just right for the non-technical dirt road riding as well as the paved riding.
Daily Route Options
What's Included
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day's ride is a bike that's perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.
Graphic of a blue bike
Local Bike
On this trip we locally source the best bikes we can for the terrain (we’re not able to import our custom titanium bikes to this locale).
Also Included
- All breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 dinners
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Straight talk
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Flights
On this trip, we occasionally travel by 12–17-passenger turboprop plane to reach the exclusive hotels and activities this destination has to offer.
Accommodations
We stay one night at Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp, a comfortable property located on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. By staying in this ideal location, we'll spend less time driving to the crater and will be among the first visitors in the crater in the morning, when wildlife viewing is optimal. The private tents have simple ensuite bathrooms complete with the quintessential bucket shower experience and electricity, but their canvas walls and doors means sounds may carry from other tents nearby... the perfect way to doze off while listening to the peaceful sounds of the African night.
Biking in an Emerging World
Your journey through Tanzania will probably be unlike anything you've experienced. The people you'll meet and places you'll visit will likely stay with you for a very long time—especially if you've got a lot of memory for your camera, so be sure to come prepared! As wonderfully fulfilling as travel is in this country, it's not always easy. Even something as simple as crossing the road can be a challenge. Keep in mind that this is a developing country. And yet, the beauty of the people, culture and landscape shines through, making for an exotic experience that's completely worthwhile. Plus, our itineraries and Trip Leaders remove as many obstacles and inconveniences as possible, making your next extraordinary encounter always within reach. If you can be flexible and approach the region with a curious mind and good humor, you'll enjoy your trip to the fullest.
Biking on rural roads in Africa is both a physical and cultural adventure that requires quick thinking, patience and humor (watch out for that motorbike, cow or zebra!). Due to the less than ideal and ever-changing cycling conditions on this trip, Backroads provides specially fitted mountain bikes with touring tires and upright handlebars to maximize your comfort and control.
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