Instinct Tours Tanzania Safaris
The
Green Season
Twelve days across northern Tanzania timed to one of the continent's most dramatic wildlife spectacles — the February calving season on the southern plains of Ndutu, framed by Tarangire, Central Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Route
Saturday, February 6
Arrival Day
Welcome to Tanzania! Guests are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Arusha for a restful first evening before the journey begins. Dinner and overnight at Lake Duluti Lodge — gourmet dining, lush gardens, a pool, and massage services on-site.
Fully included in your core safari package. Guests wishing to shake off jet lag early can arrange optional pre-nights at the lodge on request.
Meals: Dinner · Stay: Lake Duluti Lodge
Arrival Flight
Kilimanjaro Airport
Lake Duluti Lodge
Lake Duluti Lodge
Days 1 – 2
Tarangire National Park
February 7–8 · Tarangire Sopa Lodge
From Arusha, the safari moves to Tarangire — known as "The Elephant Paradise," and one of the classic ways to begin a Tanzania journey. Giant baobabs, abundant plains game, and some of the country's most reliable elephant sightings set the tone for everything that follows.
Sunday, February 7 · Day 1
Into Tarangire
Breakfast, then the drive to Tarangire (about two and a half hours). Poolside buffet lunch on arrival, rest time, then a late-afternoon game drive through sunset.
Monday, February 8 · Day 2
A Full Day in the Park
A morning game drive, hot lunch back at the lodge, rest time, then an afternoon drive through sunset before dinner.
Accommodation
Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Inside Tarangire's elephant country, with the classic safari rhythm built right into the property — morning drives, a hot lunch back at the lodge, and an evening drive in the best light of the day.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 3
Karatu & the Maasai
February 9 · Acacia Farm Lodge
A farewell to Tarangire, then a morning Maasai village visit on the way to Karatu — a real window into local tribal culture rather than a drive-by stop. The afternoon settles into an easier rhythm at Acacia Farm Lodge, with gardens, a naturalist-guided tour, or simply a good book on your private deck.
Tuesday, February 9 · Day 3
Culture & the Highlands
Checkout, a Maasai village visit en route, then arrival at Acacia Farm Lodge for lunch and a leisurely afternoon — pool, gardens, or a guided property tour — before dinner and planning for the days ahead.
Accommodation
Acacia Farm Lodge
Set among the Karatu farmlands, Acacia Farm Lodge is a gentler stop between two wildlife-heavy stretches of the trip — gardens, a pool, and a naturalist on hand for an easy afternoon before the Serengeti.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Maasai Village
Maasai Village
Days 4 – 5
Central Serengeti
February 10–11 · Embalakai Camp
The road turns west into the Serengeti ecosystem itself, with a lunch stop at Embalakai Camp before continuing into the park proper for two nights of tented-camp immersion. On the second day, a full day of game drives across the plains, with an afternoon among the Moru kopjes — the granite rock formations made famous by The Lion King.
Wednesday, February 10 · Day 4
Into the Serengeti
Checkout from Acacia Farm Lodge, a lunch stop at Embalakai Camp along the way, then on into the Serengeti proper for dinner and overnight.
Thursday, February 11 · Day 5
The Moru Kopjes
A full day of game drives across the Serengeti's open plains, followed by an afternoon-to-sunset drive through the Moru kopjes before a classic Serengeti sunset back at camp.
Accommodation
Embalakai Camp
Tented camp life in the heart of the Serengeti's wildlife-rich central plains — the experience most guests picture when they imagine this part of the trip.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Moru Kopjes
Days 6 – 8
Ndutu & the Calving Season
February 12–14 · Ndutu Pure Camp
A final morning in Central Serengeti, then the road turns south toward Ndutu — the southern Serengeti plains visited only on the February departure. This is the calving season: massive wildebeest and zebra herds, newborn calves on their feet within minutes of birth, flamingos and rich birdlife across the seasonal lakes, and some of the best lion sightings of the year as predators follow the herds. Three nights here leave time to properly experience it, including the option of a sunrise balloon safari over the plains.
Friday, February 12 · Day 6
South to Ndutu
A final Central Serengeti game drive, lunch back at camp, then the transfer south to Ndutu Pure Camp for dinner and overnight.
Saturday, February 13 · Day 7
Calving Season
A full day in the Ndutu area — newborn wildebeest and zebra everywhere underfoot, and lion sightings, often with cubs, are common this time of year.
Sunday, February 14 · Day 8
A Final Day on the Plains
A second full day exploring the Ndutu area, with an optional sunrise balloon safari over the Serengeti. Evenings here often bring the sounds of roaring lions and barking zebras drifting across camp.
Accommodation
Ndutu Pure Camp
Right in the heart of the calving-season action, with the open horizons and seasonal lakes that make this corner of the Serengeti unlike anywhere else on the itinerary.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 9
Ngorongoro Crater
February 15 · Ngorongoro Farm Valley
An early departure for the drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, often called the "8th Wonder of the World." A full game drive inside the crater itself with a picnic lunch, before ascending the crater rim in the afternoon and continuing to Farm Valley House for the night.
Monday, February 15 · Day 9
Into the Crater
Early breakfast, then the drive to Ngorongoro Crater for a full game drive with a picnic lunch on the crater floor. Mid-afternoon, ascend the rim and continue to Farm Valley House for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation
Ngorongoro Farm Valley
A working farm setting in the Karatu highlands, built for exactly this kind of unwinding after the Crater — coffee, gardens, and quiet.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Tuesday, February 16
Coffee, Culture & Kahawa House
A late breakfast and a leisurely morning, then the road back toward Arusha begins with a cultural stop at a family coffee farm near Karatu — a full look at how coffee is grown, managed, harvested, and processed, with a fresh cup and local honey tasting to close out the demonstration. From there, on to African Galleria (also known as Safari Land) for lunch and shopping among Tanzania's best curios and crafts. Later, the drive continues to Arusha for a farewell dinner and overnight at Kahawa House.
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Stay: Kahawa House
Family Coffee Farm
African Galleria
African Galleria
Kahawa House
Kahawa House
Wednesday, February 17
Departure Day
After a leisurely breakfast, a visit to Shanga — an inspiring social enterprise that empowers people with disabilities through the creation of unique, high-quality handmade crafts. From there, on to Unity School in Arusha to warmly greet the students, teachers, and staff, enjoy a program by the students, and take a brief tour to see the meaningful improvements made possible through the partnership between MPJ Tanzania Projects and Instinct Tours. The morning closes with a drive to River Trees Lodge — a longtime group favorite for its cheeseburgers and wood-fired pizza — for a leisurely final lunch, then the transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for outbound flights home.
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Onward: Kilimanjaro International Airport
Shanga
Shanga
Unity School
Unity School
River Trees Lodge
A Closer Look
Through Marcy's Lens
A few favorites from the trail
