18-Day Tanzania Birding & Wildlife Expedition

Upon arrival at Nairobi Airport, connect with your domestic flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be warmly welcomed by your professional birding guide and transfer to Moshi, a scenic town at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a gentle afternoon of birding in nearby woodlands, riversides, and farmland. Listen and look for species such as Taveta Golden Weaver, Variable Sunbird, African Palm Swift, and White-browed Coucal. This introductory birding session allows you to acclimatize while enjoying the rich local avifauna and stunning scenery.

In the evening, gather for a briefing and dinner, where your guide will outline the expedition, highlight target species, and answer any questions about the journey ahead.

Overnight: Kilimanjaro White House Hotel
Meal Plan: Dinner

An early morning drive takes you to the Kisangara acacia scrub, home to dryland species such as Red-and-yellow Barbet, Black-bellied Sunbird, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, and Slate-colored Boubou. Continue to the South Pare Mountains, where we search for the South Pare White-eye and the local paarensis race of Bar-throated Apalis, found only in this range. The cool montane forest also supports endemics like Green-headed Sunbird and Hartlaub’s Turaco.
Overnight: Johnson Villa
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the full day exploring Mkomazi National Park, a semi-arid savannah and thornbush habitat with excellent birding diversity. Key targets include Eastern Black-headed Batis, Yellow-throated Spurfowl, Vulturine Guineafowl, Red-winged Lark, Friedmann’s Lark, Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, Long-tailed Fiscal, and Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill. Mammals such as giraffe, eland, oryx, and elephants are frequently encountered.
Overnight: Johnson Villa
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Begin with early birding along Kisiwani Road, searching for specialties such as Hunter’s Cisticola, Fischer’s Starling, and Grey Wren-Warbler. Afterwards, ascend to the West Usambara Mountains, enjoying birding stops along the way. The lush forests provide a preview of montane endemics.
Overnight: Muller’s Lodge (West Usambara)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A full day dedicated to forest birding in the West Usambara. Key targets include Usambara Akalat, Usambara Thrush, Spot-throat, Usambara Greenbul, Usambara Weaver, Forest Batis, Fülleborn’s Boubou, and Red-faced Crimsonwing. These forests are alive with biodiversity, and patience rewards birders with some of the rarest endemics of the Eastern Arc Mountains.
Overnight: Muller’s Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a final morning in the West Usambaras before transferring towards the East Usambara Mountains, with birding stops en route. After lunch, explore the lowland forests around Amani, searching for Usambara Hyliota, Tanzanian Illadopsis, Little Yellow Flycatcher, Green Tinkerbird, Green-headed Oriole, Eastern Nicator, Lowland Tiny Greenbul, and Plain-backed Sunbird.
Overnight: Amani Rest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend your first full day exploring the Amani Nature Reserve, one of East Africa’s most renowned birding locations. Trek along forest trails, ridges, and streams in search of endemic and near-endemic species. Key birds today include Long-billed Forest Warbler, Amani Sunbird, Banded Green Sunbird, Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird, Sharpe’s Akalat, and Fischer’s Turaco. Listen carefully for elusive calls echoing through the dense forest canopy and spot mixed-species flocks moving through mossy undergrowth. Enjoy photography opportunities amid the peaceful surroundings, with sunlight filtering through the tall trees, and spot smaller forest species like African Broadbill and Cabanis’s Greenbul.

Overnight: Amani Rest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue your birding adventure in Amani Nature Reserve. Focus on forest streams, glades, and higher ridges to find species that may have been missed yesterday. Highlights can include Sharpe’s Akalat, Fischer’s Turaco, and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird, along with rarer forest birds that emerge in the cooler morning or late afternoon. Watch for mixed flocks of sunbirds, greenbuls, and flycatchers, and enjoy the opportunity to observe forest ecology, butterflies, and other wildlife in this biodiverse habitat. Afternoons can be used for relaxed exploration or photography in quiet forest clearings, soaking in the serene atmosphere.

Overnight: Amani Rest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart Amani after breakfast and begin your journey back towards the lowlands. The drive is broken into segments to maximize birding opportunities and avoid long continuous travel. Stop at forest edges, rivers, and small woodland patches where transitional habitat species thrive. Keep an eye and ear out for Eastern Nicator, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Black-backed Puffback, and various greenbuls. The scenery shifts from montane forest to gentle hills and cultivated farmland, offering diverse photographic opportunities. Stop for lunch en route in a scenic location amidst rolling hills. Continue the journey in the afternoon, enjoying occasional roadside birding and observing local life in small villages. Arrive at Johnson Villa in the evening, settle in, and enjoy dinner while reviewing the species observed during the day.

Overnight: Johnson Villa
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, leave Johnson Villa for Arusha. Break the journey into multiple birding stops along wetlands, open country, and scattered woodlands, making the long drive comfortable and productive. Target species include Grey-capped Warbler, Black-headed Heron, Yellow-throated Longclaw, African Marsh Harrier, and other open-country birds. Take time to photograph birds in their natural habitats and enjoy the changing landscapes from lowland farms to the savannah foothills approaching Arusha. Arrive in Arusha in the late afternoon or evening, relax at your hotel, and prepare for upcoming park and highland excursions.

Overnight: Njiro Climax
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A full day in Arusha National Park, combining lush forest, lakes, and the slopes of Mount Meru. Targets include Kilimanjaro White-eye (endemic), Taveta Golden Weaver, Kenrick’s Starling, Abbott’s Starling, Spot-flanked Barbet, Brown-breasted Barbet, and Sentinel Lark. Mammals such as giraffe, bushbuck, and colobus monkeys add to the day.
Overnight: Njiro Climax
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the day exploring Tarangire National Park, renowned for its large elephant herds, iconic baobab trees, and exceptional birding opportunities. Start early with a game drive along riverine forests, acacia woodlands, and open savannahs. Key bird species today include Ashy Starling, Yellow-collared Lovebird, Emin’s Barbet, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Red-necked Spurfowl, Northern Pied Babbler, and Böhm’s Spinetail. Keep a keen eye on sandgrouse and other open-country bustards as they feed across the plains. Wildlife encounters may include elephants, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes. Afternoon game drives offer more birding along quieter tracks, with perfect light for photography. Optional night game drives (extra cost) allow spotting nocturnal wildlife and owls.

Overnight: Tarangire Tanapa Rest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue your birding adventure in Tarangire National Park. Focus on different habitats to increase species diversity: riverine woodlands, termite mounds, and open plains. Look for Emin’s Barbet, Ashy Starling, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Yellow-collared Lovebird, Böhm’s Spinetail, Northern Pied Babbler, and other species you may have missed yesterday. Observe elephants moving through acacia groves, giraffes browsing on tall trees, and predators in the distance. Afternoons can be spent relaxing at the lodge or exploring nearby birding hotspots along quieter tracks. This day provides ample opportunity for photography, sketching, or simply enjoying the unique soundscape of Tarangire’s savannah birds.

Overnight: Tarangire Tanapa Rest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, depart from Tarangire and drive to Lake Manyara National Park, a scenic park known for its alkaline lake, lush acacia woodlands, and diverse birdlife. Spend the day exploring its habitats dense riverine forest, open plains, and lakeside wetlands. Target species include African Fish Eagle, Grey-capped Warbler, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Grey-headed Kingfisher, and various waterfowl and flamingos that gather along the lake shore. Keep an eye out for elephants, baboons, and other wildlife along the park’s trails. The combination of woodland, grassland, and wetland habitats ensures a rich variety of both birds and mammals. After a full day of birding and wildlife observation, drive a short distance to Karatu town for overnight. Enjoy dinner and relax while reviewing your day’s observations and photographs.

Overnight: Kankari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, head into the Ngorongoro Highlands, focusing on the forested slopes and rim areas that offer stunning vistas over the crater below. Birding along forest trails and open ridges allows sightings of highland endemics and near-endemics such as Montane White-eye, Schalow’s Turaco, Green-headed Sunbird, Brown-headed Apalis, and Lemon Dove. Keep a lookout for mixed-species flocks moving through mossy undergrowth, and enjoy the opportunity to photograph birds against the dramatic backdrop of the crater escarpments.

In addition to birding, take time to absorb the spectacular panoramic views of the crater, especially in the late afternoon when the sun casts golden light across the highlands. After a rewarding day of exploration, descend slightly to reach your lodge in Karatu town for dinner and overnight stay, reflecting on the unique combination of highland biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes.

Overnight: Kankari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s largest intact volcanic calderas. Spend the day exploring the diverse habitats within the crater, from grassy plains and freshwater lakes to forested patches. Birding highlights include Grey-crowned Crane, Abdim’s Stork, Ostrich, Kori Bustard, and numerous waterfowl along the crater’s soda lakes and hippo pools. Wildlife encounters are equally spectacular, with excellent chances to see the Big Five lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and the endangered black rhinoceros. Other mammals include hippos, wildebeest, zebras, hyenas, and various antelopes. A picnic lunch is served at a scenic spot near the hippo pool, providing a perfect opportunity for photography and relaxing while observing wildlife in their natural setting.

Late afternoon, ascend from the crater and return to your lodge in Karatu for dinner and overnight, reflecting on the day’s incredible birding and wildlife experiences.

Overnight: Kankari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, set out for the Endoro Forest, a lush highland forest offering excellent birding along well-maintained trails. Spend the morning carefully exploring forest edges, streams, and clearings. Key bird species to watch for include Grey-capped Warbler, Brown-headed Apalis, Schalow’s Turaco, Lemon Dove, and Green-headed Sunbird, along with other forest-dependent species such as olive-greenbul and various flycatchers. Listen for bird calls echoing through the dense canopy, and enjoy photographing endemic and near-endemic species in their natural habitats.

After a rewarding morning of birding, begin the transfer back to Arusha, passing through scenic highland landscapes dotted with small villages and farmland. Arrive in Arusha in the afternoon for your final overnight stay, giving you time to relax, review the bird and wildlife sightings from the trip, and prepare for departure the following day.

Overnight: Njiro Climax
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On your final day, after breakfast, depart for the Mererani Maasai Steppes, a semi-arid region home to unique dryland bird species and fascinating local Maasai culture. Explore acacia woodlands, sparse scrub, and open plains in search of arid-zone birds such as Black-throated Barbet, Black-capped Social Weaver, Pringle’s Puffback, Acacia Tit, Hunter’s Sunbird, Tsavo Sunbird, and Black-bellied Sunbird. The striking landscapes, dotted with traditional Maasai homesteads, provide excellent photography opportunities and a last chance to experience Tanzania’s rich biodiversity.

Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy a relaxed drive back to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward departure, taking with your unforgettable memories of birds, wildlife, and landscapes.

Overnight: No Accommodation
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch