Overview
This 15-day specialized birding expedition explores some of the richest bird habitats in northern and eastern Tanzania. The journey combines montane forests, savannah plains, acacia scrublands, coastal forests, and world-famous national parks.
Birders will search for a remarkable diversity of species including Tanzanian endemics, East African near-endemics, and rare regional specialties. Key birding regions include the slopes of Mount Meru, South Pare Mountains, West and East Usambara Mountains, Engikaret Lark Plains, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, and the Maasai steppe ecosystems.
The tour blends intensive forest birding with classic safari landscapes coupled with general wildlife in main national parks, offering excellent opportunities to observe unique species such as Beesley’s Lark, Usambara endemics, Amani Sunbird, Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill, and many others.
15 Days Birding & Wildlife Tour – Tanzania: Detailed Itinerary.
Duration: 15 Days / 14 Nights, Style: Private Birding Safari, Ideal For: Serious Birdwatchers, Ornithologists, Nature Wildlife Photographers , Start/End: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), Accommodation: Comfortable lodges, birding camps, and nature guesthouses, Transport: Private 4×4 safari vehicle with experienced birding guide
DAY 1: PICK UP AT KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
You will be picked up and transferred to one of the top bird-friendly lodges in Arusha, meet our top bird guide and depending on the time of arrival get a glimpse of the commoners of this magnificent part of Africa.
Night at Njiro Climax Hotel
DAY 2: ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
After an early coffee and breakfast we will head up to Arusha National park which host a good number of forest, grassland and wetland birds.Just at the gate to the park we will get acquainted to one of the best songsters of the African bush such as the “everyones’ favourite” the Spotted morning thrush, a bird which sings almost throughout the day and sometimes at night, the Rüppell’s robin chat another classic mimic of the avian world, Cape robin chats and White starred robins. we will drive towards the forested glades looking for rare and elusive crowned eagle which is always a gem in this paradise, cinnamon chested beeeaters, Trilling, Siffling, Singing, Rattling, Zitting and Red faced cisticolas.We will drive to Momela lakes for the rare and endangered Maccoa duck, southern pochard, Cape and Bluebilled teals, restricted range endemic Taveta weaver is a No to miss here. Towards Mout Meru we will search for Kenrick’s, Abbot’s, Waller’s and Sharpe’s starlings, Black headed and yellow breasted apalis, Green and Peter’s twinspot. 2nd and 3rd overnights at Njiro Climax Hotel
DAY 3: LARK PLAINS AND OLDONYO SAMBU
After breakfast we will drive towards one of the famous birding hotspots in East Africa just 45 km north of the town. At first birding in this haven might look so unreal, its dryness is unforgiving yet it hosts one of the rarest bird in the world and other dry country “Maasai birds”. We will look for the endemic Beesly’s lark which are in an estimate of about 45 individuals remaining, the near endemic Short tailed, sentinel and Athi short toed lark, the East African Endemic Foxy lark, other lark such as White tailed, Pink breasted, Red capped, Flappet, singing bush lark are also abound. The dry acacia country on the western side host East African endemics such as Red throated tit and Speke’s weaver. Tiny, Winding, Ashy and Desert cisticola also lives here. we will later drive towards Oldonyo Sambu for the rare and localised little Rock thrush and East African endemic Lyne’s cisticola.
DAY 4: BIRDING ENROUTE TO SERENGETI
We will drive towards the Serengetis with picnic lunches and birding all the way arriving late in the evening at camp, we will pick on the way birds such as brown headed apalis,grey capped warbler,white browed robinchat,white tailed blue flycatcher,brown backed woodpecker,schalows turaco ,cape crow and hunter’s cisticola. 3 Nights at Serengeti Heritage Luxury Camp
DAY 5 AND 6- FULL DAYS IN THE SERENGETI
Known for its large numbers of migrating wildebeest and big cats,these grassy plains host array of birds than you can imagine, We will bird for the endemic grey breasted spurfowl , tanzania red billed hornbill and Fischer’s lovebird,the range restricted and recently split maasai apalis, usambiro barbet and grey crested helmet shrike. Other good birds here includes white headed saw wing,angola swallow,greater kestrel,4 different species of vultures,red chested and mosque swallow,the north east Africa endemic rüppell’s starling,eastern plantain eater,black headed gonolek and much more. Lots of herbivores and cats might be seen -Night in central Serengeti
DAY 7: NGORONGORO CRATER FLOOR TO KARATU TOWN
We will leave the rolling grassy plains early in the morning and drive to the Ngorongoro with picnic lunches, with its breath taking views that you can never get enough of it is home to over 500 species of birds and the big 5, infact the rare black rhino is almost guaranteed here. The notable birds here are grey headed and black headed gulls, cape teals, African rails, malachite, golden winged and tacazze sunbird, moorland chat, red-cowled and Jackson’s widowbird, mountain buzzard, crown eagle, spotted eagle owl greater and lesser flamingo and more. We will drive to karatu town later in the evening and overnight there
DAY 8: TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
In this Baobab country dotted with Acacia trees and mature woodlands, tall and short grasslands, dry riverbeds and marshes with a herd of big game or two , it is actually everyone picture of Africa, A bird haven that is home to some of Tanzania endemics birds such as the Ashy starling, Rufous tailed weaver, Yellow collared love birds, Emin’s barbet, the near endemic Pangani long claw, the East African endemic Superb and Hildebrandt starlings, other birds here include Red necked and Yellow necked spurfowls, Hildebrandt and Crested francolins, Montagu, Pallid, African and Western marsh harriers, Red rumped and Mosque swallows, Maasai ostrich, Martial eagle and Secretary bird. mammals here include Cape buffalo, African Elephants, Grant and Thompson’s gazzelles,Impalas and Zebras and a chance to see our first. Overnight in Tarangire safari lodge or similar
DAY 9: TARANGIRE NP TO ARUSHA TOWN
We will bird for what we might have missed in Tarangire then after hot lunch we drive to arusha for overnight stay at Njiro Climax Hotel
DAY 10: DRIVE TO SOUTH PARE MOUNTAINS VIA NYUMBA YA MUNGU DAM
In this dry habitat near nyumba ya mungu dam we will look for birds restricted to the maasai-somali arid zones such as the elegant golden breasted starling, hunter’s,tsavo eatern violet backed and black bellied sunbirds, Pringle’s puffback, Donaldson smith nightjar, black capped social weaver, pink breasted lark and lot more, we will drive to johnstons villa for hot lunch then later drive to south pare for the Endemic south pare white eye and the paarensis race of bar throated apalis-Night in SAME town. At Johnson’s Villas Hotel
DAY 11-12: MAGAMBA FOREST WEST USAMBARAS
We will leave Same town and drive to west usambara for hot lunch at Muller’s lodge and bird there the rest of the day. This forest is part of the large Eastern Arch mountains which stretches from Southern Highlands of Tanzania to North East then crossing to South East Kenya, and well known as the land of Endemism. Here we are slightly spoiled by a variety of endemics from the rare Usambara weaver, Usambara akalat, Usambara mountain greenbul, Usambara double collared sunbird, Usambara thrush, Spot throat, Orange ground thrush, Mountain and African yellow warblers,olive and rameron pigeons, shelleys and placid greenbuls, white chested allethe, fulleborn’s boubou and many more. overnight at Muller’s Mountain lodge
DAY 13-14: AMANI NATURE RESERVE EAST USAMBARA
We will leave Magamba early in the morning and birding enroute towards Amani nature reserve arriving late in the afternoon .We will have our picnic lunches and start birding at the lowland forest for Square tailed drongo, Southern citrils, various species of waxbills, Robins and Flycatchers, red tailed antthrush, lowland tiny greenbul,endemic usambara hyliota, tanzania iladopsis and usambara blue bill.others are Mombasa woodpecker, East Coast batis, Fischer’s turaco, others in the bucket list includes Blue mantled crested flycatcher, Black and White shrike flycatcher, Placid greenbuls, African hill babblers, Southern yellow white eyes, African stone chats, Green headed oriole,Banded green sunbirds, near endemic amani and Uluguru violet backed sunbirds and usambara longbill, Black fronted bushshrikes and many more. overnight at Amani Rest House
DAY 15: ZIGI LOWLAND FOREST THEN DRIVE TO ARUSHA FOR DROP OFF
We will bird for a few hours for what we might have missed the previous days and later on drive to Arusha for drop off
INCLUSIONS
- All accommodation as specified
- All meals
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof for all transfers & game drives
- Professional birding guide and optional ornithologist support
- All park entry and conservation fees
- Picnic lunches during long birding or game drives
- Bottled water on all drives and walks
- Cultural visits: Maasai, Meru, and local communities where possible
- Transfers to/from airport
- Government taxes & VAT
- Night Game Drive in Tarangire
EXCLUSIONS
- International flights and visas
- Domestic flights (only if not included in itinerary)
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips/gratuities for guides, drivers, lodge staff
- Drinks (alcoholic and soft drinks)
- Personal items: laundry, souvenirs, phone calls
- Optional activities: hot-air balloon, night drives, extra excursions
- Entry fees for optional parks or private reserves not listed
- Equipment rental (binoculars, scopes if not provided)
