Can be taken back-to-back with Tanzania: Udzungwa & Rubeho. 

Day 1: Arrivals into Dar-es-Salaam International Airport (DAR) for overnight nearby.

Day 2: This morning, we will take a flight to the small island of Pemba, where we will stay for one night. We will focus on the four island endemics: Pemba Scops Owl, Pemba Green Pigeon, Pemba White-eye, and Pemba Sunbird, but we will also visit various habitats for other species like the much-wanted Crab-plover, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Mangrove Kingfisher, "Pemba" African Goshawk and with luck Sooty Gull or even Saunder's Tern. Night on Pemba Island.

Day 3: After some final birding on Pemba, we will fly to Tenga, from where we transit to Lushoto in the West Usambaras. There will be some birding on the way, including to find Zanzibar Red Bishop. We’ll then continue onwards to spend three nights in the West Usambaras targeting all endemics and near-endemics!

Day 4-5: With two full days of birding in the West Usambaras, our focus will be on the skulking Spot-throat, White-chested Alethe, Usambara Akalat, Usambara Thrush, Usambara Double-collared Sunbird, Usambara Weaver, Red-capped Forest Warbler, “Usambara” Montane Nightjar, "Stripe-faced" Olive-headed and "Usambara" Black-headed Greenbuls. Other more widespread species may include African Black Duck, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Trogon, Shelley’s Greenbul, Black-fronted Bushshrike, and Oriole Finch, among many others. Nights in West Usambaras.

Day 6: Today we will transit to the East Usambaras, where we will spend the next three nights. We will make a few stops on the way to connect with more widespread species like Grey-olive Greenbul, Striped Pipit, East Coast Boubou and will have time for some initial exploration.

Day 7-8: Two full days of birding in the remaining montane forest patches of the East Usambaras should leave us ample time to connect with all regional specialties, like Fischer’s Turaco, “Usambara” Fraser’s Eagle Owl, the Critically Endangered Long-billed Forest Warbler, Kretschmer’s Longbill, Tanzanian Illadopsis, Sharpe’s Akalat, and Banded Green, Amani, Uluguru Violet-backed, and Plain-backed Sunbirds. In the foothills, we will be on the look-out for the difficult Usambara Hyliota, but also Lowland Tiny and Fischer's Greenbuls, Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, Red-throated Twinspot, Green Tinkerbird and many more. Nights in East Usambaras.

Day 9: Today will mostly be a transit day to Morogoro, at the base of the Uluguru Mountains, where we will spend the next four nights. We will make some strategic stops and detours on the way to connect with a few more special birds like the stunning Böhm’s Bee-eater, unassuming but range-restricted Coastal Cisticola, and the rare Ruvu Weaver. There is also a small chance for the undescribed "Coastal Canary", which is currently subsumed within Black-throated Canary. Night in Morogoro.

Day 10-11-12: We will have three full days to explore various sites in the north and south Ulugurus and Ukagurus. We will have to hike a fair bit through plantations to reach the good forest in the north where Uluguru Bushshrike is known to occur. This species is thought to number fewer than 1000 individuals, but with several days we stand a very good chance of success! Many other species occur in this submontane forest, like Livingstone’s Turaco, White-chested Alethe, Sharpe’s Akalat, Loveridge’s Sunbird, Olive-flanked Robin-Chat, and Betram’s Weaver, among others. We will also visit a different site for Uluguru Mountain Greenbul, which requires a tough hike to reach. We will also explore the North Ukaguru Mountains where we will look for Winifred's Warbler, Rubeho Akalat, Moreau's Sunbird and Yellow-throated Mountain Greenbul. Nights in Morogoro.

Day 13: After some final birding near Morogoro, where we could find Red-necked Falcon, Eastern Black-headed Batis, Brown-breasted Barbet, Dusky or Purple Indigobirds, we will drive towards our next accomodation at Sanje for an overnight. On the way, we will be crossing Mikumi National Park and seeing Giraffes and Elephants as we drive past, and probably some birds too! In the late afternoon at Sanje, a short walk from our accomodation will give us a chance of finding the rare Lesser Seedcracker.

Day 14: In the mid-1980s, a Swiss birder working as a doctor in the Kilombero Basin noticed that the weavers and cisticolas along that river were different to other described species. Now three different endemics have been described from this locality: Kilombero Weaver, White-tailed Cisticola, and Kilombero Cisticola, all of which we will target this morning! Lots of other widespread species occur in these wetlands, and we might well find Coppery-tailed Coucal, Red-necked Falcon, White-crowned and African Wattled Lapwings, African Skimmer, White-fronted and Little Bee-eaters, Parasitic Weaver, and Zebra Waxbill, plus many more. After our morning session, we transfer to the huge Mikumi National Park for a two-night stay. We will probably have time for some initial exploration in the miombo forest close to the national park.

Day 15: We will have a full day of birding to do Mikumi’s vast savannas and woodlands justice! A number of good miombo specialties occur here, such as Pale-billed Hornbill, Racket-tailed Roller, Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Northern Pied Babbler, "Cinnamon-breasted" Rufous-bellied Tit, "Hofmann’s" Shelley's Sunbird, and Orange-winged Pytilia, Arnot's Chat, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Stierling's Wren-Warbler or even Black-eared Seedeater. Birding these vast plains and miombo woodland will contrast starkly with the tough forest birding of the previous week. Birds are abundant, and mostly show very well! Some more highlight species may include Coqui Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Martial Eagle, Secretarybird, “Scheffler’s” African Barred Owlet,  the scarce Brown-necked Parrot, Purple-crested Turaco, Pale Batis, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Jameson’s Firefinch, among many others. Additionally, mammals are a strong feature of Mikumi, so we should see Giraffe, Spotted Hyena, African Elephant, Burchell’s Zebra, and maybe even Wild Dog or Honey Badger with some luck, a great and comfortable way to end this tour! Night at Mikumi National Park.

Day 16: After some final birding, those flying home will take a road transfer back to Dar-es-Salaam International Airport (DAR), where the tour will end late afternoon. Those continuing on the Udzungwa & Rubeho tour will make their way southwards towards Iringa, after having met those coming from Dar-es-salaam.