4-Day Serengeti, Tarangire & Ngorongoro Safari Tour

Four days crossing three parks: elephants at Tarangire, the migration in Serengeti, sunrise over the crater

A 4-day guided safari tour through Tanzania's three flagship parks: Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. You spend a full day at Tarangire watching herds of up to 300 elephants, nearly two days in the Serengeti for game drives and the wildebeest migration, and a full day descending into Ngorongoro Crater to see 25,000 animals in a single ecosystem. A professional guide leads all drives. Accommodation is in campsites inside or at the edge of each park.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• Early breakfast in Arusha
• Full day game drive at Tarangire
• Picnic lunch during game drive
• Dinner and overnight at Sun bright campsite

Day 2: Tarangire to Serengeti

• Breakfast at campsite
• Travel through fertile highlands
• View Ngorongoro Caldera
• Arrive at Serengeti National Park
• Extensive game drive in Serengeti
• Dinner and overnight at Seronera campsite

Day 3: Serengeti to Ngorongoro

• Early coffee at campsite
• Morning game drive in Serengeti
• Travel to Ngorongoro Crater edge
• Overnight at Simba campsite on crater edge

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater tour to Arusha

• Sunrise views at crater edge
• Breakfast at campsite
• Drive down into Ngorongoro Crater
• Game viewing inside crater
• Lunch inside crater area
• Ascend crater walls
• Travel back to Arusha
• Overnight at Arusha tourist inn hotel

The experience

The route moves through three distinct landscapes, each one a different reason to come. Tarangire holds the largest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti during the dry season: herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and antelope mass around the river bed when water runs short elsewhere. You spend a full day there with a picnic lunch, then drive north through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing through highlands where the Iraqw people grow wheat and coffee, to reach the Serengeti by evening.

The Serengeti itself is the largest park in Tanzania, and the wildebeest and zebra migration, involving 1.5 million animals, moves through it almost constantly, following water and grass across grassy plains, swamps, lakes and savannah. You have an evening game drive on your first night, watching the sunset from central Serengeti, then a full morning drive the next day before heading south toward Ngorongoro. The animals roam freely through unfenced reserves, so sightings are uninterrupted.

Ngorongoro Crater is the final stop: a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the seven wonders of Africa, formed three million years ago by a volcanic explosion. It is 610 meters deep, covers roughly 260 square kilometers, and holds about 25,000 animals in a single enclosed ecosystem: the highest concentration of game in any Tanzanian park. You arrive at the crater's edge on day three and sleep at Simba Campsite overlooking it. On the final morning, you drive down the steep track into the crater floor itself, where you can see wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, elephants and over 500 bird species, plus the occasional black rhino. After lunch you ascend and return to Arusha.

What’s included

• Professional guide for all game drives.
• park entry to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
• accommodation in campsites.
• picnic lunch on day one.
• all meals at campsites.
• hotel pickup from Arusha.
• free WiFi inside the safari jeep.
• all taxes and fees.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 89 years) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 13 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by MERU SLOPES TOURS AND SAFARIS

Is this one for you?This is a shared-group tour with a professional guide leading all drives, so you watch wildlife from the vehicle rather than exploring on your own. Choose it if you want expert interpretation of animal behavior and migration patterns, and if you prefer the social aspect of traveling with other visitors. The guide handles navigation and timing, leaving you to focus on what you see. The four-day length packs three major parks into one trip, so it suits travelers with limited time who want to see the Serengeti migration and the crater in a single journey.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years); Child (5 to 13 years); Infant (under 5).

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

Tarangire is known for herds of up to 300 elephants, plus wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle and antelope species like the fringe-eared Oryx and gerenuk found nowhere else in Tanzania. The Serengeti holds the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard), and the wildebeest migration of 1.5 million animals. Ngorongoro Crater, with 25,000 animals in one enclosed space, offers the best chance to see multiple species in a single day, including the endangered black rhino.

How much time do I actually spend game driving each day?

Day one is a full day of game drives at Tarangire with a picnic lunch. Day two includes a drive from Tarangire through the highlands to Serengeti, arriving by evening, then an evening game drive in central Serengeti. Day three starts with an early morning game drive in Serengeti before you travel to Ngorongoro Crater. Day four is a full crater tour: an early sunrise drive, descent into the crater floor, and game viewing until lunch, then the return drive to Arusha.

Where do I sleep on this tour?

You stay in campsites: Sun Bright Campsite near Tarangire on night one, Seronera Campsite inside the Serengeti on night two, Simba Campsite on the crater's edge on night three, and Arusha Tourist Inn Hotel on the final night after the crater tour.

What is the Ngorongoro Crater actually like compared to the other parks?

Ngorongoro Crater is a single enclosed ecosystem formed by a volcanic explosion three million years ago. At 610 meters deep and 260 square kilometers across, it holds roughly 25,000 animals in one space: the highest animal density of any park in Tanzania. Because the animals cannot leave the crater, you see more game in a shorter time than in the open parks, and the crater's walls create a natural amphitheater for viewing. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Africa's seven wonders.