Best time to visit Lake Manyara: July-October for large mammals; November-June for bird watching, waterfalls and canoeing

DAY 1: Arrive Namanga or Kilimanjaro Airport and transfer to Momella Wildlife Lodge. Take in the majestic views of imposing Mt. Meru (14,760 ft.) in the west and the magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,340 ft.), with its everlasting snow-capped summit, in the north. En route to the lodge, take a game drive in the Arusha National Park, where you can see Burchells zebra, black and white Colobus monkey, giraffe, buffalo and waterbucks.

DAY 2: Visit Ngurdoto Crater and Momella Lakes with their abundant birdlife. Avid birdwatchers are inspired by over 50 species of birds such as silvery cheeked hornbills, bee eaters and a number of water birds. After lunch proceed to Tarangire Safari Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3: Full day game drive in Lake Manyara National Park where the tropical rain forest offers a remarkable variety of wildlife. The park lies between the Great Rift Valley escarpment and Lake Manyara with five distinct vegetation zones. Buffalo, elephant, lions (sometimes even seen in trees), giraffe and pink flamingoes. Full board and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 4: After breakfast depart for Seronera, situated in the famous Serengeti National Park, where everything is big, from the herds of wildebeest and zebra, to the lazy prides of lion and leopards, which are abundant and often found resting in trees along the Seronera River during the day. Full board and overnight at Seronera, Lobo or Ndutu Wildlife Lodge.

DAY 5: Full day game drive in the immense Serengeti Plains. Ready your cameras for spectacular photographs of black-maned lion, cheetah, etc. Visit the hippo pool and see a variety of birds, such as secretary bird, ostrich, starling and Marabou storks. Full board and overnight at Seronera, Lobo or Ndutu Wildlife Lodge.

DAY 6: After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge via the famous Oduvai Gorge, site of the famous archaeological digs, where the Leakey family discovered the remains of prehistoric man, mammals and other fossils dating back millions of years.

Arrive Ngorongoro Crater, known as Africa's "Garden of Eden". Free afternoon. Full board and overnight at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, Crater Lodge, Sopa Lodge or Serena Lodge.

DAY 7: After breakfast descend the 2,000 ft to the crater floor, the second largest caldera in the world, in a Land Rover for a full day game drive. The Soda Lake, forest and grassland provide a home for numerous animal species including the rhinoceros, zebra, eland, lion, wildebeest, gazelle and flamingoes. Picnic lunch in the crater. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, Crater Lodge, Sopa Lodge or Serena Lodge.

DAY 8: Morning departure for Arusha with a stopover at Mto wa Mbu to visit of the local market. Lunch in Arusha with options for a visit to the famed Cultural Heritage center, or Maasai curio market depending on available time. Afternoon transfer to Namanga or Kilimanjaro Airport.