4-Day Camping Safari Arusha: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro

Campsites in Tanzania stay unfenced, so you wake to the sounds of the reserves themselves.

A 4-day camping safari from Arusha visiting Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a professional guide, all park fees and campsite stays included. You'll watch herds of elephants and wildebeest on game drives, descend into the Ngorongoro crater to spot lions and leopards, and sleep at campsites on the crater rim and in the Seronera area, with meals prepared by the safari cooks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• Breakfast in Arusha
• Visit Arusha Town for shopping
• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Game drive with picnic lunch
• Dinner and overnight at campsite

Day 2: Tarangire to Serengeti National Park

• Breakfast at campsite
• Depart for Serengeti via Karatu and Ngorongoro
• Arrive Serengeti and have lunch
• Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
• Dinner and overnight at campsite

Day 3: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

• Relaxing morning at Serengeti
• Early lunch
• Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
• Dinner and overnight at Simba campsite

Day 4: Ngorongoro tour back to Arusha

• Early breakfast
• Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for wildlife viewing
• Visit Lake Magadi
• Late afternoon transfer to Arusha
• Dinner and overnight or airport drop off

The experience

How do you fit three of Tanzania's most visited reserves into one trip without rushing through each one? This 4-day safari chains them together in sequence, starting with Tarangire and its 3,000-strong elephant herds, then moving into the Serengeti's endless plains and the Seronera River area where wildlife congregates year-round, and finishing at Ngorongoro where you descend over 600 meters into the crater itself. The route works because each park sits within reach of the next, and the guide handles the driving while you watch the landscape change.

Camping here means something different than it does elsewhere in Africa. The sites (Jambo, Fanaka and Simba campsites) sit unfenced, so you're not separated from the reserves by a perimeter. Your guide and the safari cooks manage the camp and the meals. You settle in and let the place work on you. Dinner comes after the day's game drive, and breakfast happens before the next one. On day four, after an early descent into the crater to spot flamingos at Lake Magadi and the predators that hunt the herds, you transfer back to Arusha by late afternoon.

The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or German, and knows the parks well enough to explain what you're seeing as it happens: why the wildebeest gather where they do, which riverbank the leopards favor. All park fees, camping equipment, sleeping bags and meals are included. You bring personal items and tips. Minimum age is 15, and the itinerary involves long days in the vehicle and uneven terrain, so it suits travelers comfortable with that pace.

What’s included

• Camping equipment and sleeping bag.
• all park entry fees.
• roundtrip airport transfer from Arusha.
• all accommodation at the campsites.
• all meals prepared by the safari cooks.
• a professional driver-guide.
• taxes and VAT.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (15 to 90 years) · Under 15: can't be booked

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Sky View Adventure Tours & Safaris

Is this one for you?This tour runs as a shared group with a fixed 4-day itinerary, so the pace and stops are set, which is what keeps three major parks and the crater descent inside a single trip without backtracking. Book it if you want the three reserves in one go and don't mind traveling with other guests and sleeping in unfenced camps.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What animals will I actually see on a 4-day Tanzania safari?

Tarangire holds up to 3,000 elephants alongside 25,000 wildebeest and 30,000 zebras in its annual cycle, plus baobab trees that frame the landscape. The Serengeti's Seronera area attracts most of the park's species year-round because the river provides water. Ngorongoro crater hosts herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and eland, and a dense population of predators including lions, hyenas, cheetahs and leopards. Lake Magadi in the crater's corner draws flamingos, hippos and water birds.

Do I need my own camping gear, or is it provided?

Camping equipment and sleeping bags are included in the tour price. You don't need to bring your own tent or bedding.

What happens on the last day at Ngorongoro?

After an early breakfast, you descend into the crater to view wildlife and visit Lake Magadi. The afternoon brings a transfer back to Arusha, with airport drop-off or hotel accommodation available by late day.

Are meals included, and who prepares them?

All meals are included throughout the 4 days. Safari cooks travel with the group and prepare dinner after each day's game drive and breakfast before the next one, so you eat at the campsites.

How does the guide help during the game drives?

A professional driver-guide leads all game drives and handles navigation between parks. The guide explains the wildlife and natural features you encounter and can spot animals that require a trained eye, like leopards.