9-day Tanzania Birthing Season on the Serengeti Photo Safari (February 17–25, 2026)

Arrival Day

We will meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer you to the hotel in Arusha. You will have some time to freshen up and rest in your cozy room. We will all meet for dinner and brief on our upcoming safari and the plans for the next day.  We will spend the night in Arusha (overnight Planet Lodge). (no meals included today)

You’ll be impressed by Tarangire National Park. Baobab trees stand like fortresses against the sky in the savannah landscape. Elephants roam in family groups amongst wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, and antelope species. Lions, leopards and cheetahs balance the ecosystem, and if we are lucky, we’ll find them in this unique landscape during an all-day game drive. Suricata Boma Lodge will host our overnight at the end of our safari day.

As we transfer to the Serengeti and our accommodations at Embakalakai Serengeti Camp, we’ll be on a game drive. You’ll see big populations of the wildlife for which the Serengeti is famous. There are plenty of northern acacia trees and endless Serengeti horizons so you can create breathtaking compositions.

You’ll have an excellent chance of seeing cheetahs on the plains of the Serengeti, plus lions and leopards, especially near the rocky outcrops and shallow river valleys. This is classic Serengeti, with acacia trees and grasslands, and great wildlife viewing.

We’ll stay at Sero Tented Camp, where you will be treated as a cherished guest.

We’ll make the most of our last day on the Serengeti, starting our game drive early again and traversing the Park, photographing more iconic African Wildlife. Ultimately, we’ll make our way for dinner and our overnight at Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp on the slope of the Ngorongoro Crater. 

You’ve got 2 full days of game drives in unique UNESCO Heritage Site. We’ll have ample opportunities to capture incredible shots of African Lions, Leopards, Golden Jackals, Spotted Hyenas, Cape Buffalo, Savannah Elephant, and so much more. Birds to expect here include Golden-winged Sunbird, White-naped Raven, White-headed Barbet and Schalow’s Turaco. Karen will help you frame your wildlife shots, and we’ll practice some tricks that will make your photos pop!

We’ll stay at the lovely Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp, set back from the rim of the crater with views of the untouched high montane forest, with Mount Oldeani dominating the horizon, and Mount Makarot in the distance. Your comfortable en-suite room offers a cozy living space, friendly local staff, and generous African-inspired meals. It’s an amazing welcome to Africa’s most remarkable game park.

Transfer back to Arusha

After breakfast, we’ll stop at the viewing point on top of the crater to have one last look, and learn more about this geological landform at the resource center. Then, it’s time to wave goodbye and head back to Arusha. We’ll go back to Planet Lodge to recap our trip. We never say “goodbye,” though. Instead, it’s “see you next time!” because once you’ve experienced Africa, you will be back.

Overnight at Planet Lodge.

• Wildebeest
• Zebra
• Lion
• Leopard
• Cheetah
• Elephant
• Cape Buffalo
• White Rhino
• Black Rhino
• Caracal
• Serval
• Antelope species
• Crocodile
• Hippo
• Maasai Giraffe

• Golden-winged Sunbird
• Pearl-spotted Owlet
• Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
• Spotted Thick-knee
• Woodland Kingfisher
• Fischer’s Lovebird
• Yellow-collared Lovebird
• Rosy-breasted Longclaw
• Southern Ground Hornbill
• Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill
• Bare-faced Go-away-bird
• Schalow’sTuraco
• Cape Teal
• Saddle-billed Stork
• Grey Crowned Crane
• Kori Bustard
• Secretary Bird
• Lesser Flamingo
• Greater Flamingo
• Hunter’s Cisticola
• Rufous-tailed Weaver
• Grey-breasted Spurfowl
• Hildebrandt’s Francolin
• Banded Parisoma,
• Usambiro Barbet
• Superb Starling
• Hildebrandt’s Starling

• Savannah
• Wetlands
• Highlands

• Great Migration featuring huge herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River
• The Great Rift Valley
• African Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo)
• Coffee Farm Tour from seedling to harvest to roasting the berries
• 2 days of photo safari in Ngorongoro Crater, the largest caldera ecosystem in the world
• Meeting Maasai Warriors and learning about their culture

While this isn’t a Workshop Trip with dedicated classroom time, Karen will help you with your camera settings, coach you on composition, and make sure you capture incredible moments as they happen. She wants you to take your best shot every time.

Double Occupancy: $5,700 USD per person

Single Occupancy: $6,100 USD

Deposit: 30%

2nd Payment: 35% – 180 days prior to Safari

Final Payment: 30% – 90 days prior to Safari

The Serengeti is generally mild to warm during our safari dates. You’ll want a hoodie or light jacket for cool nights. Our safaris are casual, so don’t overpack. Convertible hiking pants, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts to keep the sun off your arms…you’re good!

Average. You’ll need to be able to climb in and out of the safari vehicle, walk over level terrain that might be uneven in places, and manage a few steps at accommodations. We won’t have any strenuous activities on the itinerary.

You may need a Yellow Fever vaccine to enter Tanzania. Tanzania is a malaria area; please consult with your physician prior to travel. You should be up to date on tetanus prior to travel. Please bring insect repellent and sunscreen.

For more information, see your country’s health/travel website, or the CDC website: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/tanzania

We limit this photo safari to 8 participants. With 6 or fewer, we will have a larger vehicle and everyone will have a window seat. With 8, we will use two vehicles. We want to ensure that there are empty seats available for your camera gear and personal items while we are on game drives.

Tanzania uses Type D & G plugs. You may be able to use an adapter instead of a converter. To be sure, check the label on the appliance. Some appliances never need a converter. If the label states ‘INPUT: 100-240V, 50/60 Hz’ the appliance can be used in all countries in the world. Devices like this include most laptops and phones, most recently produced battery chargers, and many small, electrical gadgets, especially those designed for world travel.

Here is an example of an international converter for Tanzania: https://www.amazon.com/customerpicks/Explore-power-adapters-for-tanzania/0c13e9e376a2afa04fa7

Gratuities may be given in USD – please check the exchange rate and plan enough cash. ATMs are safe to use in Arusha. There are few ATMs once we leave Arusha on safari, so please plan to have enough cash while on safari.

• Driver: $5-10/day
• Ranger and Tracker: $5-10 each/game drive depending on quality of drive
• Staff at Lodges (staff tip box): $5/day (you may tip individuals directly if they go above & beyond for you)

You may purchase souveniers from a craft shop or directly from roadside crafters. You may bargain for a lower price.