Signature Tanzania

Wild Tanzania Photography

Built around the light

7 days · 6 nights Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro For Photographers Starts Arusha From $415 pp / night From $2,490 pp (6 nights)

Seven days of dawn and dusk drives: Tarangire, three Serengeti nights, and a crater morning.

Photographers From $415 pp / night From $2,490 pp (6 nights)

The story of this trip

This trip gives you more time with the animals and fewer stops along the way. We visit the same northern parks as our other safaris, because that is where the light and the wildlife are. We sleep close to the park gates so that you are in position at dawn, and we avoid midday shopping stops. Your guide knows when to switch off the engine and wait. A specialist photographic host costs extra, and we will say so on your quote.

What this safari is for

Dawn and dusk game drives
Three nights in the Serengeti
Elephants and baobabs in Tarangire
The Ngorongoro Crater floor
Beanbags and a 4×4 with a roof hatch

Route map

Route

From Arusha to Arusha.

Start: Arusha End: Arusha

Tracing safari roads…

Tanzania

Start Arusha (Start)
Tarangire National Park (Day 2) Land Cruiser
Serengeti (Day 4) Land Cruiser
Ngorongoro Crater (Day 7) Land Cruiser
End Arusha (Day 7) Land Cruiser

Day by day

This is a working route. We confirm the camps and pace on your quote, within 24 hours.

Day 1

Arrive in Arusha

We ask what you most want to photograph, such as cats, birds or landscapes, because that decides where we place you in the Serengeti. There is no park visit on the day you land.

Day 2

Tarangire

In the dry season the herds along the river make the classic postcard shot. The green season is quieter, and it is excellent for elephant skin, oxpeckers and storm light. You sleep near the gate.

Day 3

A full day in Tarangire

We take a second loop so that you are not covering the same dusty circle twice. After a picnic lunch, you spend the afternoon in a different part of the park.

Day 4

Into the Serengeti

You have a picnic on the crater rim or at a viewpoint, but we do not go down into the crater today. We want you to reach the Serengeti with fresh batteries and good light, and without paying a second conservation fee.

Day 5

Serengeti: cats and river forest

We stay with a sighting for as long as it lasts. A balloon flight costs extra, must be booked days ahead and is cancelled in bad wind. It is not part of the photography package unless your quote says so.

Day 6

Serengeti: a second full day

If the herds are in the north or around Ndutu, that is why we placed your camp there. If they are not, we photograph the resident wildlife. We do not promise a river crossing.

Day 7

Ngorongoro Crater, then Arusha

The crater offers a different kind of picture: rim light, black rhino if you are lucky, and dense wildlife on a closed floor. We leave in time for a late drop-off in Arusha, or for a flight from a bush airstrip.

What’s included

Park and conservation fees, as set out on your quote
Private 4×4 with pop-up roof and driver-guide
Lodges or camps in your chosen class, named on your written quote
Meals on safari, as provided by the camp or lodge
Bottled water in the vehicle
Airport meet-and-greet, as set out on your quote

What’s not included

International flights
Tanzania visa
Drinks at lodges and camps
Hot-air balloon safari
Tips for guides and camp staff
Travel insurance (you arrange it; we recommend it on every safari, and it is required for Kilimanjaro). We can add a medical policy to your quote on request
Laundry
Specialist photographic host
Long-lens hire

When to travel

January, February and June to October give the best angled light. April and May are green and dramatic if you can accept some mud. We choose your Serengeti camps using herd reports for your month.