Activities in Tanzania

Ascend with the sunrise for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Your balloon safari adventure begins very early in the morning, before the sun rises. A Serengeti Balloon Safaris staff member will pick you up at your safari accommodation and drive you to the starting point, where you can follow the final preparations for your balloon flight up close. Upon arrival, your pilot will give you a warm welcome and familiarize you with the necessary safety precautions. A little later you are in the big basket of the balloon and glide quietly and gently over the endless expanse of the Tanzanian landscape. You can watch the sunrise and experience the landscape and animals from different heights and perspectives. As each balloon safari is unique, animal sightings cannot be guaranteed, however your pilot will try his best to show you the African wildlife from above. With more than 33 years of experience, Serengeti Balloon Safaris are one of our most trusted partners in the Serengeti National Park. To end an unforgettable morning, upon landing you will enjoy an exclusive champagne breakfast, during which your pilot will give a short speech and invite you to a luxuriously laid table in the middle of the bush. After your "Out-of-Africa breakfast" your private ITST driver/guide will be waiting for you, with whom you will experience the day's program.

For the country with Africa's largest and deepest lake, visitors to Tanzania have relatively few canoe safari options. The only areas where game viewing is possible from a canoe are Arusha National Park, Lake Duluti and Lake Manyara National Park (water levels permitting). This included only canoeing on lakes, not rivers, and the safaris last no more than 3 hours. The first canoeing safaris were offered in Lake Manyara National Park after heavy rains in 1998 inundated most of the park and a canoe was a very sensible means of game viewing. This was the first adventure activity allowed in a Tanzanian national park. On our canoe safaris you will always be accompanied by a well-trained guide.

Biking in Tanzania is one of the most popular sporting activities while on safari. There are thousands of kilometers of single track trails to explore. Most of these trails are nice and smooth and easy to ride. Of course, there are also more demanding routes for the adventurer. All mountain bike tours are designed to give you both a wild and a cultural experience. Our tours are always accompanied by guides.

Each safari is led by qualified and professionally trained guides, always pushing for a new and exhilarating adventure. Whether you would like to unfold Africa’s beauty by horseback or by foot, your guides will share their enthusiasm and tell stories that will travel generations. The routes are off the beaten track, they go deep into the bush and together enjoy the wonders that Africa has to offer, the magnificent wildlife, the scenery and the magical interaction with the local tribes who inhabit these areas. All this viewed from what back in the days also used to roam wild, the horse.

Walking safaris are the purest form of safari and in Tanzania something completely different from game drives. On a walking safari, you are more a part of the wildlife than just a spectator. That is why walking safaris are exciting and unbeatable safari experiences. While animals generally ignore humans in a vehicle, they see us as a different kind of animal when we're on foot. Getting up close and personal with wildlife is definitely a rush of excitement. Hiking also offers an excellent way to look for smaller wildlife that aren't as easy to see from a vehicle. On foot you can go to remote areas and reach places that a safari car cannot reach. Once you're on foot, you're not restricted by roads and you can theoretically walk almost anywhere. Away from the crowds, off the beaten track. It offers you a freedom that cannot be compared to any game drive. Our walking safaris are only possible in certain areas and are always accompanied by armed rangers.

During the full day hike explore the Empakaai Crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. With a lake on the crater floor and the entire caldera surrounded by a steep, densely forested wall, Empakaai is a landscape of tremendous beauty. On a clear day, the crater offers a view of Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania's last active volcano. The steep slope requires a certain level of fitness, but the walk through the lush forest with its ancient strangler figs and rich birdlife is well worth the effort. An abundance of animals are usually spotted during the hike, including monkeys, buffalo, bushbuck, waterbuck and a large selection of bird species.

For hiking enthusiasts who don't want to rush to the summit of Kibo, but still want to get a taste of Kilimanjaro air, we recommend a two-day hike along the Marangu Route with an overnight stay at Mandara Hut (2,700m). The pace is through a dense and humid forest to the hut. Those who still feel like it at the end of the day can walk to the nearby Maundi Crater for sweeping views over the plains and Lake Jipe and into the distance. From here you can also see the Pare and Usambara mountains.

One of the newer attractions in Tanzania's national parks is the Lake Manyara Treetop Walkway in Lake Manyara National Park. The 370 meter long "walk" leads over various footbridges, each of which is connected to tall trees. Round viewing platforms on the trees allow you to take a short breather to enjoy the great surroundings. Of course, you can also discover animals such as birds, butterflies or monkeys here. The Treewalk has a height of 18 meters at the highest point. If you have a head for heights and want to stretch your feet for about 45 minutes before the game drive in Manyara National Park, you should not miss this highlight.