THE Tanzania Survival Expedition

Live with the Hadza hunter-gatherers, learn ancient bushcraft, and finish with a luxury safari.

From:

£3,990

Duration:

10 days

Date:

VARIOUS

Max People:

12

Min Age:

18+

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“Hunting with the Hadza and then tracking elephants the next day… it felt like stepping back into the origins of humanity. Nothing has ever felt so real.”
Claire R.

Step Into the Adventure

Our adventures follow a simple arc:
Learn → Survive → Celebrate.

Learn

70,000 years ago, humanity first walked out of Africa. Some remained — and still live as true hunter-gatherers today. The Hadza tribe of northern Tanzania are one of the last to follow this ancient way of life, and you’ll live with them.

Survive

For six days, you’ll join the Hadza in their daily rhythms: hunting with handmade bows, foraging wild roots and berries, collecting honey with the help of the Greater Honeyguide bird, and learning bushcraft skills passed down for millennia. Around the campfire, you’ll share meals, laughter, and stories in a click-based language older than history itself.

Celebrate

Then, after raw immersion, you’ll shift into safari comfort. A luxury lodge with a pool, gourmet meals, and game drives through Tarangire National Park — spotting elephants, lions, giraffes, and leopards. Finally, you’ll stand on the rim of Ngorongoro crater, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world, teeming with wildlife.

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Key Facts

Location

Lake Eyasi + Tarangire + Ngorongoro, northern Tanzania.

Length

10 days / 9 nights — tribal immersion + safari finale.

Group Size

8–12 people — small and respectful immersion.

Who It’s For

Adventurers seeking cultural depth, ancient bushcraft, and wildlife spectacle in one trip.

Unforgettable Moments

Hunt with bows alongside the Hadza tribe.

Learn fire-starting, shelter-building, and bushcraft from true hunter-gatherers.

Go on safari in Tarangire — elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, buffalo.

Visit Ngorongoro Crater — the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera.

Relax at a luxury safari lodge with pool after the wild.

All our upcoming departures

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— £490 only

Pick your expedition and date below. You’ll see total price and spots left in the options.

7-Day Cool Off

Full refund if you change your mind.

Flexibility

Reschedule up to 90 days before departure, valid for 24 months.

Safety

Guided by world-class instructors, with support team nearby.

More Info

Trip Summary

Live with the Hadza tribe, one of the last true hunter-gatherer bands on Earth. Deep in the Tanzanian savannah, you’ll hunt, forage, laugh, and learn bushcraft in full tribal immersion, finishing with a luxury safari.

70,000 years ago, your ancestors first walked out of Africa and adapted to different climates. Some stayed and maintained their traditional life and still do today. Meet the Hadza, some of the last remaining hunter-gatherers on Earth and you are going to live with them.

You will embark on a rare and transformative 10-day journey deep into the Tanzanian savannah, where you’ll spend six immersive days living alongside the Hadzabe tribe, learning bushcraft skills like fire-starting, foraging, shelter-building, and traditional bow hunting, honey collecting and much more all while sharing stories, meals, and laughter around the campfire. With no roads, running water, or electricity, this is authentic, raw, and respectful cultural travel that directly supports the Hadzabe. To round off the adventure, unwind in style with a two-day stay at a luxury safari lodge complete with a pool, incredible meals, and picturesque game drives through one of Tanzania’s iconic Tarangire park. Spotting elephants, lions, leopards, and buffalo. We finish with a trip to the stunning Ngorongoro crater, the world’s biggest intact (unbroken) volcanic caldera on Earth, packed with diverse wildlife.

Day 1: Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO, directly serving Paris, Amsterdam and Doha) and transfer to your lodge in Arusha. Settle in, meet your guide and group, and enjoy a welcome dinner and expedition briefing. Rest up before the wilderness adventure begins.
Day 2: After breakfast, we’ll depart on a five-hour drive to the Lake Eyasi area, where we will start our adventure with the Hadzabe tribe. Lunch will be in Karatu whilst en route to Lake Eyasi, while dinner will be cooked once we set up camp and introduce ourselves to the tribe.
Day 3: Early morning wake-up around 5:30 am to set off on the hunt, leaving camp before sunrise. We will spend anywhere from an hour to a few hours following the hunters of the tribe as they try to catch wild game — birds, antelope, or even monkeys — for that day’s meal for the entire tribe (anyone who gets tired will be escorted back to camp by a junior hunter).
Returning back to the camp, they will butcher and cook whatever they catch over an open fire, some of which they will offer to anyone willing to try a bite. Alternately, guests can wake up a bit later, have breakfast, and participate in foraging for berries and other foodstuffs from the surrounding area with the women of the tribe.
Day 4: Hands-on survival training: master fire-starting without modern tools, build shelters from natural materials, and learn how the Hadzabe find and purify water. Deepen your understanding of bushcraft and self-reliance. You can sleep in the shelter you built from now on if you prefer (we recommend bringing a mosquito net).
Day 5: One day—weather and conditions permitting—we’ll join a traditional honey-hunting expedition with the Hadzabe. Using their distinctive whistle, they call the Greater Honeyguide, a wild bird that leads them to hidden honeycombs deep in the bush.
Day 6: We will continue our adventure with the Hadza, as well as learn additional bushcraft skills from our instructors.
Day 7: After a final hunt and breakfast, we’ll break camp and head to our lodge in Karatu for some well-earned rest. Relax by the pool, tour the grounds and organic farm, or simply unwind with a drink. Lunch will be served after arrival, with dinner around 7:30 p.m.
Day 8: After an early breakfast, explore the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater. In the afternoon, return toward Tarangire National Park, where our lodge sits inside the park. While there won’t be time for a full safari today, a night game drive is available after dinner.
Day 9: Enjoy a full day of game drives in Tarangire, known for its large elephant herds, diverse landscapes, and rich wildlife — from lions and giraffes to over 550 bird species. After a hot lunch around 1:00 p.m., we’ll return to Arusha in the late afternoon, with time to freshen up before a farewell dinner in town.
Day 10: Departure. Breakfast is provided at the hotel, after which guests are welcome to relax at the hotel until transport to the airport for their onward flight (approximately 3.5 hours before the flight is scheduled).

The Hadza Tribe

The Hadza, or Hadzabe, are one of the last true hunter-gatherer tribes on Earth, living wild and free in the remote savannahs near Lake Eyasi, Tanzania. With a way of life virtually unchanged for over 10,000 years, they hunt with handmade bows, forage wild roots and berries, and follow ancient trails known only to them. They speak a unique click-based language and share an almost mythical bond with the Greater Honeyguide bird, which leads them to hidden honey deep in the bush. To spend time with the Hadza is to step back into humanity’s origins — a rare and powerful glimpse into a world few ever see, and even fewer truly understand.

A Typical Day with the Hadzabe

6:00 Wake up and morning hunting
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Learn about Hadzabe culture and bushcraft skills including fire-making and building shelter
12:00 Lunch and rest
15:00 Cultural Bushcraft Skills: Hunting techniques and bow & arrow poisons
17:00 Foraging with Hadza women: digging eatable roots and collecting honey and berries
20:00 Bush dinner
21:00 Campfire & story-telling time

All activities mentioned
Safari in Tarangire National Park
2 nights in a luxury lodge (twin rooms – shared)
2 nights in Arusha (twin rooms – shared)
All meals and drinks

International flights
Visas, if required
Personal travel insurance
Personal kit. We will be sending you a more detailled version after booking.
Personal expenses

With the Hadza, you’ll sleep in your own tent with a comfy mattress. If you’d like, you’re also welcome to build and sleep in your own bushcraft shelter. You’ll share a twin room with another guest during the safari portion unless you select the single-room supplement.

Yes, we do cater for vegans. However, it’s essential to understand that the Hadza will continue hunting as part of their daily life which can be distressing to some guests. While we often share food with them, our accompanying chef prepares three delicious African meals a day over the fire. You’ll also join the Hadza on their hunts, and they may offer fresh meat from the day’s catch which we encourage guests to only eat at thier own discretion as we can not guarantee cooking standards.

In June, mosquito levels around the Hadza territory near Lake Eyasi are generally low. It’s the beginning of the dry season, so there’s less standing water for mosquitoes to breed in, which reduces bite risk and lowers the chance of malaria. However, as a precaution, antimalarials are recommended.

You will need to fly to Kilimanjaro (JRO) international airport with direct flights from Paris, Amsterdam and Qatar, amongst others.

During the safari portion of your adventure, you will see massive elephant herds, often seen wandering among ancient baobab trees. You may also spot lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest, ostriches, and baboons. Tarangire is also a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 500 bird species, including colourful lovebirds and massive kori bustards. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of elusive animals like cheetahs or caracals.

During your time with the Hadzabe, you’ll learn essential bushcraft and survival skills from friction fire-starting (bow and hand drill), building natural shelters, sourcing and purifying water in the wild, and mastering foraging, animal tracking and hunting techniques using handmade bows and arrows. You’ll also gain insight into tracking wildlife, identifying edible plants, and understanding the Hadza’s deep, instinctive connection to the land — knowledge that’s as ancient as it is practical.

During dry season, when we go, daytime temperatures stay comfortably warm, between 24–28°C (75–82°F), perfect for exploring without overheating.

Nights, especially around Lake Eyasi, can cool down quickly to 10–15°C (50–59°F), so you’ll definitely feel the difference once the sun drops. Humidity is low, and rain is very unlikely during this time.

Tip: Bring layers. Breathable clothing for the warm days, and something warmer — like a fleece or light jacket — for the evenings. It’s all about adapting as the temperature shifts.

The level of the excursion and pace of the trip depends on the activities you want to be involved in, plenty of the expedition will be slower around the camp. However at sunrise we will join the Hadza for a hunt which can be hard to keep up even for the fittest of us. we will also take a few hikes. To make the most of your trip. We feel the fitter you are, the better (as with life as a whole!). So, several months before you leave, we will send you a few exercises you might choose to do to strengthen your lower back and legs.

Your guide for this adventure will be Tom Williams, the founder of Desert Island Survival and the winner of the TV series Alone UK. Learn more about Tom here. He will be joined by 4 local guides who will help as interpreters, cooks and all round super heros.

Check out our other FAQs or contact us here.

Getting here

If you’re travelling from Europe, getting to Tanzania is surprisingly straightforward. There are direct flights from several major European cities to Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is the closest hub to Arusha. Tanzania is also well-connected to the Middle East and other parts of Africa, making it accessible from most global regions.

From the airport, it’s about a one-hour drive to Arusha, the bustling gateway to northern Tanzania’s wild landscapes. That’s where we meet — at a hotel in Arusha.

Google flights is our favourite flight search engine; however, we always recommend booking directly with the airline once you have found your flights as you will have a preferential cancellation policy and better upgrade potential.

“It felt like going back in time to the dawn of humanity — and then forward again to safari luxury. Truly once in a lifetime.”
Maria L.

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People love us

“Best trip ever with the best group ever! I’ve done Survival trips in the past, but Tom & the team have a way to make the trip so enjoyable and exciting that it was the best one I’ve done. I completely recommend this trip to anyone looking for a lifetime adventure.”

Baptiste Desfarge
“This was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Every day had something unforgettable happend – from catching a shark, to going spearfishing for triggerfish, to having deep conversations or the biggest belly laugh of your life with your island mates, learning a critical survival skill, starting a fire using bow drills, watching dozens of baby sea turtles crawl across the beach, or staring at an incredible sunset or night sky filled with stars.”

Peter M
“WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!! Finally we did it, highly recommended. Tom took care of every detail. I’m glad I’ve done this.. it’s a one life experience that I was really looking forward. It was a very good thing to start this adventure with Tom, and have his help and advice. Really nice person, extremely helpful and nice to know”

Daniel Loza