5 Day, 4 Night Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

Your Day-by-Day Itinerary Break Down

This is a camping safari built around two full days in the Serengeti, with Tarangire on the way in and the Ngorongoro Crater on the way out. It suits guests who want to spend more time actually in the parks rather than moving between them, and who are happy with a simpler camping setup instead of lodges.

Day 1

Arusha to Tarangire

After breakfast, you drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park, around two hours away. You enter mid-morning and start game viewing straight away, stopping for lunch inside the park before continuing with an afternoon game drive. Tarangire is Tanzania’s sixth largest park and offers some of the country’s richest game viewing outside the Serengeti, known for its large elephant herds and its more than 500 recorded bird species. You’ll also likely see wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, gazelle, warthog and, with some luck, lion and leopard. In the evening, you continue on to a campsite near Mto wa Mbu, close to Lake Manyara, purely as an overnight stop on the way to the Serengeti. Overnight at your campsite.

Day 2

Mto wa Mbu to Serengeti

After breakfast, you continue to the Serengeti, a drive of around five to six hours with lunch on the way. You arrive in the late afternoon for a game drive on your way to camp. The Serengeti spans nearly 15,000 square kilometres and is Tanzania’s largest and best-known park. Depending on the time of year, it’s also home to the wildebeest migration, when hundreds of thousands of zebra and Thomson’s gazelle join well over a million wildebeest moving across the plains in search of fresh grazing. Buffalo, elephant, giraffe, lion, hippo and hyena are seen here regularly too. Overnight at your camp in the heart of the Serengeti.

Day 3

Full day in the Serengeti

An early game drive catches the Serengeti at sunrise, one of the best times to be out. You return to camp for lunch, then head out again for an afternoon and evening game drive, finishing as the sun sets over the plains. Overnight at your camp.

Day 4

Serengeti to Ngorongoro

A morning game drive covers more of the Serengeti before you return to camp for lunch. In the early afternoon you depart for the Ngorongoro Crater, a drive of around three to three and a half hours. You arrive at your campsite on the crater rim in the evening, where elephant, warthog and zebra sometimes wander close to camp. Overnight at your campsite.

Day 5

Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha

After an early breakfast, you descend into the crater for a half day game drive. Ngorongoro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, with walls rising around 2,000 feet above a floor roughly 10 miles across. Wildlife here includes elephant, black rhino, hippo, buffalo, eland, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, waterbuck, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, baboon, vervet monkey, lion, cheetah, hyena, jackal and, occasionally, leopard. In the afternoon you climb back out and drive to Arusha, arriving in the evening, where the safari ends or you can connect on to Zanzibar.

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Helpful Tips

  • This is a camping safari, so pack a warm layer and a torch for the Ngorongoro crater rim, which gets cold at night.
  • A visa is needed for Tanzania. Check current requirements for your nationality before you travel.
  • Days 2 and 4 involve several hours of driving, so bring snacks or a book for the road.
  • Binoculars are useful across all three parks, especially in the open plains of the Serengeti.
  • Carry Tanzanian shillings or US dollars in small notes for tips and extras.

Price Includes

  • Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
  • Professional driver-guide
  • All park entry fees
  • Camping accommodation for 4 nights, with meals as stated in the itinerary
  • Game drives as listed
  • Bottled water during the safari

Price Excludes

  • International flights
  • Visa and travel insurance
  • Tips for your driver-guide and camp staff
  • Drinks other than water
  • Zanzibar extension, if added
  • Personal items and souvenirs

FAQS

It depends on timing. The herds move through the Serengeti ecosystem year round, so whether the migration is nearby during your visit depends on the month you travel.
This itinerary is built around camping, which keeps the cost down while still getting you two full days in the Serengeti. Ask us if you’d prefer a lodge-based version instead.
Your best chance is inside the Ngorongoro Crater, which holds a small population. Tarangire’s rhino population was wiped out by poaching decades ago and hasn’t been reintroduced.
Yes. Check current visa or eTA requirements for your nationality with the Tanzanian High Commission or an official government site before booking.
Yes. Day 5 ends in Arusha, from where you can fly on to Zanzibar. Ask us about adding a beach stay there.
safari pricing

Your dates. Your lodge level. Your quote.

Safari rates change with the season, number of travellers and available accommodation. 

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