Tanzania Wildlife Adventure 2025

Photography Tour

Ready to be immersed in the abundance of Africa’s wildlife? If you’ve never been to Africa or are just ready for really epic encounters, our Tanzania tour is for you! We’ll take you into some of Africa’s richest wildlife locations. This time of year, the great migration has reached Tanzania – millions of wildebeests, zebras and antelope arrive for calving and big cats are on the prowl. Be amongst the herds, watch babies play, enjoy giraffes roaming the plains, witness the explosive speed of a cheetah! This photo tour is so rich! It’s time to check it off your bucket list (or go again – yes, it’s that good!)

Trip Details

Abundance.  That is what you will find in Tanzania this time of year. As a first or only trip to Africa, this will set the bar as you gaze upon a herd of millions of wildebeests and see babies being born, watch lion cubs play with a mother’s tail, marvel at the speed of a cheetah, enjoy seeing the family bonds amongst elephants. We have been leading this photography tour to Tanzania for over a decade and are excited to immerse you in some of the most incredible wildlife photography Africa has to offer! On this small group tour, customized for photographers, you will be immersed in a subject-rich environments and surrounded by the incredible diversity of animals that Africa is known for.

Our photo safari stands out for its focus on the needs of photographers combined with outstanding luxury lodging.

Safari vehicles customized for photography: We’ve maximized the vehicle space, created options for you to get different perspectives and even designed cushioned baskets that help protect your gear while giving you quick easy access. Our setup is a photographer’s dream.

Vehicle seating is limited to just three photographers per vehicle: the vehicles and the seating make a difference to your experience, and it can be the difference between getting a photo or not, seeing the action or not. On our safari, you will work from our customized vehicles and have your own row! This gives you ample space for your gear, the ability to shoot from both sides of the vehicle, and the freedom to shoot from different perspectives.

Our expert guides: We have worked with our team of guides for years and they have learned what we want and need for vehicle position, light and anticipating the action so that we’re always in the right position to capture stunning shots. Over the years, they have become like family.

Luxury lodges: After a full day out in the bush, you’ll love coming back to our exquisite lodges, where indulgent comfort awaits. The views are incredible, the food is gourmet, and the appointments of the spacious rooms envelop you in serenity. It is not unusual to hear lions at night or see elephants stroll through the grounds during dinner. Relax by a fire, see the milky way, and go to sleep to the sounds of Africa’s wildlife. Our lodges are all located in the heart of these wild places.

Three incredibly rich and diverse locations.  Having led this photo tour for over a decade, we have focused in on our favorite places: Tarangire, the Ngorongoro  Crater and Ndutu/Serengeti. These three locations will not only give you a great experience but also give you a diversity of habitats that maximize the wildlife species you may encounter.

Your Adventure Begins in Tarangire
Tarangire National Park is famously known as the “elephant park.” Here, you’ll witness large herds of elephants traversing the land. This location is also a paradise for bird lovers, teeming with stunning species like the Lilac-breasted Roller, Bee Eaters, Hoopoes, and an array of majestic raptors. Tarangire is also a prime spot for leopards!

The Wonders of Ngorongoro Crater
Next, we’ll journey to the renowned Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage site rich with wildlife. You’ll encounter vast herds of wildebeest, zebras, and impalas, as well as formidable prides of lions, pools filled with hippos and large gatherings of Cape buffalo. We’ll dedicate quality time to photographing the “Crater Lions,” observing their interactions and pursuits, ensuring you capture the essence of life in this vibrant ecosystem. This is also one of the best places to find serval cats and caracal!

The Serengeti: Crown Jewel of our Safari
Our final location are the plains of the Serengeti. We will focus our time in the Ndutu Conservation area, where the adventure truly heightens as we embrace the excitement of off-road driving! This freedom allows us to really work with light and backgrounds to photograph subjects to their fullest potential.

Cheetahs are among our primary targets here. On your first day, you may be thrilled to spot a cheetah. However, by days three and four, our focus will only be on the “skinny cheetahs,” that are on the hunt.

Join Us for an Unforgettable Journey!

Fitness Level: Easy. You will be photographing from the safari vehicles during our game drives.

*Non-Photographer spots are available for this trip at a discount. This is a great trip for a photographer to share with a spouse/friend or for a single person who enjoys nature and having a great adventure. The non-photographer sits up front next to the driver/guide on game drives. When riding up front, the non-photographer will be able to see everything and be able to take pictures out of the window and roof. We actually have a number of non-photographers who love nature join our trips because we are not only fun to travel with but also spend time with wildlife, watching and enjoying the behaviors and activity rather than zooming around checking off species.

Tour Information

Starts

Feb 1 2025

Ends

Feb 12 2025

Leaders

Steve and Nicole

Price

$11400

Deposit

$2500

Participants

7 participants

Availability

Full - Registration for 2026 open now

Booking Info

Deposit of $2,500 due with registration

Payment #2 of $5,900 due August 15, 2024

Final Payment of $3,000 due November 1, 2024

* Pricing based on double occupancy

* Single supplement (if available) add $1600

* Non-photographer spot (riding up front with the driver/guide) discount of $800

Tour Highlights
  • In the midst of the great migration! This time of year, the great migration is in Tanzania. Witness this incredible wildlife spectacle as millions of wildebeests, zebras and more come to these historic calving grounds. It is an amazing cycle of life!
  • Experience our tried-and-true itinerary – Having done this trip for over a decade, we will have you in the right places at the right times to make this bucket list trip stand out! We have long-term relationships with our guides and our luxury lodges and honed our itinerary to give you an exceptional experience.
  • Luxury lodges in close proximity to wildlife – There’s nothing like going to sleep the sounds of African wildlife and rolling out in the morning right into the heart of the action! We selected our lodges based on their proximity to wildlife as well as the comfort and gourmet food they provide. You may be tempted by the lodge comforts to stay back and enjoy but don’t worry, the call of the wild will draw you out on safari!
  • A full row to yourself in the safari vehicle – This detail is the make or break for a good Africa photo safari. For every game drive, every photographer will have their own row in the safari vehicle. This gives you the freedom to work from different perspectives and plenty of space for you and your gear.
  • Customized, private safari vehicles designed for photographers! We know what it’s like to shoot from a vehicle and worked with our partners to customize the vehicles to our photographic needs. Whether you want to shoot up high or down low, you will have the flexibility to do that.
  • Small group experience – Being out on safari is a special thing. We keep our group small so we can really enjoy and savor these memory making moments.
  • Experienced guides who understand our photographic needs – Having worked with our guides for years, they understand how to position our vehicles for light and for wildlife behaviors. In wildlife photography, we often play a game of chess to be in the right position and our guides are ready to get us there.
  • Two Photography Instructors – This trip is designed for photographers of all skill levels. Steve and Nicole are on hand throughout to assist you with your photography.

Arrival and Departure Information

Arrival day: Fly in to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha (JRO), arriving by February 1. You will be greeted by our guide and transferred to Rivertrees Country Inn where we are staying for our first night.

Note: Please wait for our email alerting you as to when to book your flights. We will share with you our flight details as well as any other important information that may help you with your bookings.

You will need to obtain a Visa in order to enter Tanzania. We will provide you with information on how to obtain this prior to travel.

***If you plan to arrive early, before the start of our tour***

You will need to make your own extra/early arrival lodging and airport transfer arrangements at Rivertrees Country Inn or be at Rivertrees Country Inn by February 1.

Departure day: We transfer back to Arusha this afternoon.  Please make sure your flight home from Arusha departs after 4:00pm on February 12. Most international flights depart around 11:00pm.

Detailed ITINERARY

Travel Day

January 31, 2025

Travel Day

Depart for Arusha, Tanzania. Most flights require an overnight flight to reach Kilimanjaro Airport in Arusha.

Day 1

February 1, 2025

Arrive in Arusha at Kilimanjaro International Airport

Arrive in Arusha, Tanzania. You will be greeted by our guide and transferred to our hotel.

Day 2

February 2, 2025

Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, we depart with picnic lunches and proceed to Tarangire National Park, home to herds of as many as 500 elephants and a variety of plains animals. We will enjoy a full day game drive. Dinner and overnight at our lodge in Tarangire.

Day 3

February 3, 2025

Tarangire National Park

Full day game drive in Tarangire National Park as we look for elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, eland, wildebeests, and zebras as well as the incredible bird species that live here. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the field. Dinner and overnight at our Tarangire lodge.

Day 4

February 4, 2025

Final Tarangire game drive and transfer to Tarangire National Park/Ngorongoro Crater

We’ll enjoy a morning game drive in Tarangire National Park and then depart for the wonderland of the Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and overnight at our lodge on the eastern edge of the crater. The view is spectacular!

Day 5 and 6

February 5, 2025 - February 6, 2025

Full day Game Drives in Ngorongoro Crater

The excitement builds! For these two days, we will descend 2,000 feet for all-day crater adventures. This ancient collapsed volcano has a variety of environments that include grasslands, swamps, forests and lakes, giving us a wild variety of wildlife to encounter lions, zebras, cape buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, gazelles, wildebeests, warthogs, and more. Because the grass is short, it is easy to spot wildlife here. Dinner and overnight at our lodge along the crater’s rim.

Day 7

February 7, 2025

First off-track Game drive in Ndutu!

Following breakfast, we will depart for the Serengeti plains and enjoy a game drive en-route as we photograph our way to Ndutu!

Days 8, 9 and 10

February 8, 2025 - February 10, 2025

Off-track Game drives in Ndutu

Each of these three days will be filled with adventure as we head into the wild areas that Ndutu and the Serengeti have to offer! Departing before sunrise, we will look for lions, cheetahs (especially cheetahs!), giraffes, elephants, incredible African birds, herds of wildebeests, impala and more. This is an exciting time as we are allowed to go “off track” and really explore the area!

Day 11

February 11, 2025

Final game drive and transfer to last lodge

After breakfast, we will enjoy our last game drive through the Serengeti plains. We will then transfer to our last lodge located near Ngorongoro. Spend the afternoon at your leisure photographing the interesting birds that are all around the property.

Day 12

February 12, 2025

Return to Arusha for flights home

After breakfast, we will transfer to Arusha for lunch and a leisurely afternoon visiting an excellent souvenir shop and cultural museum before heading on to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight home. Please make sure you book your flight home to be after 4pm (most flights depart around midnight)

TESTIMONIALS

I’ve taken many trips with Gettle Photography and they all have been very well organized, extremely fun, and exciting.  However, Tanzania was one of my favorites!  The itinerary and lodging were fantastic, and the variety of photography subjects were phenomenal…from beautiful birds to the predator and prey animals…it was a trip I will never forget and will do again!  Thanks for the memories…you two are the best!

Mike W., Michigan

I joined Steve and Nicole on a trip of a lifetime, to Tanzania. Their expertise in handpicking the best guides, most extraordinary and luxurious lodges, and well-planned itinerary was evident immediately and made the enjoyment of the experience that much better. It felt like I was being let in on all the secrets of how to enjoy Africa to the fullest, and on how to best photograph it too! I learned so much while I was there – about photography of course, but also about the animals, and even some Swahili! I am slowly going through my thousands of pictures, just so I can relive each day again, counting the days until I can return to Africa. Hopefully with them again!

Larissa T., Michigan

When I booked a photo tour safari with Gettle photography I didn’t know what to expect.

What I experienced was spectacular landscapes, thousands of animals to photograph, top rated lodges, professional guides and a perfectly organized photography centered itinerary in Tanzania, Africa.

Each day we set out before sunrise and were able to photograph throughout the entire day.  We traveled to three unique locations during our tour experiencing many different landscapes and ecosystems in Tanzania.  We photographed everything from elephants to elephant shrews, birds to bugs, and trees to rainbows. Our lodges were stellar. We enjoyed delicious meals, comfortable rooms and wifi!  Our patient and professional guides were top notch- so well educated about everything from the animals, plants, culture, and especially the right lighting and position for photographing. The entire trip was meticulously organized, which I really appreciated. We each had our own row in the safari vehicle and our positions rotated daily, enabling us to have different interactions each day.  Steve and Nicole’s energy and passion for sharing all they know about Tanzania added much value to this experience.  If you are looking for an expert led trip book with Gettle Photography!

Merry A., Massachusetts

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • All luxury lodging while in Tanzania
  • Delicious gourmet meals while at our exceptional boutique lodges
  • All ground transportation
  • All game safaris in custom vehicles designed for photographers
  • All expert guides
  • Plenty of bottled water with meals and on game drives
  • All permits and park entrance fees
  • Photographic and creative instruction
  • Comprehensive Pre-trip Booklet that includes all the photo gear and other packing information for the trip as well as all other pertinent details to help you make the most of this adventure

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

  • Air travel to and from Arusha, Tanzania
  • First night’s meal in Arusha since everyone arrives at different times
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Alcoholic beverages

Tour Extensions

There are no extensions available for this tour.