This 5-day Tanzania safari combines three of the country’s best-known wildlife areas: Lake Manyara National Park, the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. It starts and ends in Arusha and is designed for travellers who want a classic northern-circuit safari in a short time.
You will see vast open plains in the Serengeti, home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and the herds of the Great Migration, then descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where animals gather on the crater floor, including black rhinos. Game drives are led by an experienced driver-guide in a 4×4 safari vehicle.
Your driver-guide collects you from your hotel in Arusha and drives you to Lake Manyara National Park, about 2 to 3 hours away. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive through the groundwater forest and along the lake shore, where you may see elephants, baboons, hippos, giraffes and many bird species. Dinner and overnight at a lodge near the park or in Karatu.
After breakfast, drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stop at the rim for views over the crater. Continue to the Serengeti, with a stop at Olduvai Gorge on the way if time allows. The journey takes most of the day, and you will have a game drive on the plains in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at a camp or lodge in the Serengeti.
Spend a full day on game drives in the central Serengeti, one of the best areas in Africa for seeing big cats. Look out for lions resting on the rocky outcrops, leopards in the acacia trees, cheetahs on the open plains, and herds of zebras, wildebeest, giraffes and elephants. The exact position of the migration herds depends on the season. Packed lunch in the bush; dinner and overnight at your camp or lodge.
Enjoy an early morning game drive in the Serengeti, then drive back towards the Ngorongoro highlands, arriving in the late afternoon. Relax at your lodge near the crater rim and prepare for an early start the next day. Dinner and overnight.
After an early breakfast, descend about 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater for a morning game drive on the crater floor, home to lions, hippos, buffaloes, elephants, hyenas and some of Tanzania's black rhinos. Enjoy a picnic lunch by the hippo pool, then climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha, arriving in the evening. Transfer to your hotel or to Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport.
- Airport pick-up and drop-off in Arusha
- Transport in a 4x4 safari vehicle with an experienced driver-guide
- Accommodation for 4 nights in safari lodges or camps
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- National park and conservation area entry fees
- Crater service fees for the Ngorongoro Crater descent
- Game drives as per the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water during game drives
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for the guide and lodge staff
- Optional activities such as hot-air balloon flights
- Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
Northern Tanzania can be visited all year. The dry season from June to October is the easiest for game viewing, while the green season brings fewer visitors and good birdwatching. The Great Migration moves through the Serengeti ecosystem during the year, so its exact location depends on the month.
The migration herds are always on the move, and where they are depends on the rains. Your guide will aim for the areas with the best game viewing during your dates, but sightings of the migration cannot be guaranteed. The Serengeti has excellent wildlife all year, including big cats.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a huge volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its floor covers around 260 square kilometres, and the crater walls rise about 600 metres. It holds a large concentration of wildlife in a small area, including black rhinos.
Airport transfers, a 4×4 safari vehicle with driver-guide, accommodation, meals as specified, national park and conservation area entry fees, crater service fees and game drives are included. International flights, visa fees, travel insurance, tips and optional activities are not.
Most visitors need a visa, which you can apply for online through the official Tanzania e-visa system before you travel. Check the current requirements for your nationality, and speak to your doctor or a travel clinic about vaccinations and malaria prevention.
