6-Day Serengeti Safari from Arusha: Wildlife & Waterfalls

Herds of up to 300 elephants roam Tarangire, and the crater floor makes spotting rarer animals easier than the open plains.

This 6-day group safari from Arusha visits four northern parks in a custom jeep with pop-up roof, led by a guide and chef, staying in campsites and eating together. You spend two full days in the Serengeti watching over a million wildebeest and 250,000 zebras, descend into Ngorongoro Crater to hunt for black rhino on the crater floor, and spend a day hiking to Materuni Waterfalls and learning Chagga coffee farming. Groups stay under six travelers, and all park fees, camping gear and meals during the safari are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Game drive in Tarangire
• Overnight at Tarangire campsite

Day 2: Mto wa Mbu to Serengeti

• Drive from Mto wa Mbu to Serengeti
• Stop at Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint
• Optional Maasai village visit
• Late afternoon game drive in Serengeti
• Overnight at Seronera campsite

Day 3: Serengeti to Ngorongoro

• Early morning game drive in Serengeti
• Lunch and pack at camp
• Game drive exiting Serengeti
• Drive to Simba campsite near Ngorongoro
• Overnight at Simba campsite

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater exploration

• Early breakfast and descend crater
• Game drive searching for black rhino
• Lunch in crater
• Afternoon game drive and ascend crater
• Drive to Fig lodge and campsite

Day 5: Lake Manyara National Park

• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Game drive viewing flamingoes and wildlife
• Visit hippo pool and hot springs
• Return to lodge in Arusha

Day 6: Materuni Waterfalls and Coffee Tour

• Drive to Materuni Village
• Hike to Materuni Waterfalls
• Swim at waterfall pool
• Return to village
• Traditional Chagga lunch

The experience

The route moves through the north circuit parks in sequence, each one built around a different kind of wildlife. Tarangire opens the tour with its elephant herds. The park is probably one of East Africa's best places to get close to them, with groups of up to 300 roaming the savannah between giant baobab trees. The landscape shifts between seasonal swamps and grassland, and over 550 bird species live here. After an extensive game drive, you camp at Tarangire for the night.

The drive to Serengeti takes six hours and crosses through Ngorongoro, stopping at the crater rim to see the view before descending into the park itself. Serengeti is the largest of the parks and famous for the migration: over a million wildebeest move across it alongside 250,000 zebras. You arrive in late afternoon, do a game drive in Seronera (the center of the park) until sunset, then camp there. The next morning starts before dawn with an early game drive to catch animals at their most active, then you head toward Ngorongoro Crater, spotting wildlife as you exit the park. Ngorongoro itself is a crater floor. A natural enclosure that makes animals easier to see than on open plains. You descend at 6:15 am to search for black rhino, the hardest animal to spot in the crater, then do a second game drive after lunch before ascending to camp near Lake Manyara.

Day 5 moves to Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its flamingoes and the rare tree-climbing lions (though they are rarely seen). A game drive takes you past hippo pools, hot springs, and herds of buffalo, wildebeest and warthogs. The final day shifts away from the parks: a guide picks you up in the morning and drives you to Materuni Village, home of the Chagga tribe and the last settlement before Kilimanjaro National Park. A 40-minute walk leads to Materuni Waterfalls, over 80 meters high, with a pool at the base for swimming. On the way, your guide explains Chagga culture, village life and the local plants and animals. You return to the village for a traditional Chagga lunch and a coffee tour showing how the beans are grown and processed on the slopes.

What’s included

• Camping equipment (sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, tent).
• all park fees.
• transport in a custom safari jeep with pop-up roof.
• a guide and chef traveling with the group.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner during the safari days.
• a traditional Chagga lunch on Day 6.
• the Materuni Waterfalls hike and coffee tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 80 years) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 13 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 7 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Serengeti African Tours

Is this one for you?Groups of up to six work well for this tour because the small jeep with a pop-up roof lets everyone stand and photograph at the same time, and the shared meals and campsites build a close group dynamic over six days. If you want to see the Serengeti migration and the crater floor without arranging logistics yourself, the fixed itinerary and included meals and camping gear handle that. If you prefer a private vehicle or a different pace, a custom itinerary would suit you better.

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Top questions

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 a 6-day Serengeti safari from Arusha?

Tarangire is known for elephant herds of up to 300, and the Serengeti holds over a million wildebeest and 250,000 zebras during migration. Ngorongoro Crater makes spotting buffalo, wildebeest, warthogs, eagles and other wildlife easier because they're confined to the crater floor. Lake Manyara is famous for flamingoes and hippos. Black rhino is the hardest to spot in any of the parks.

Do I need camping experience, or will the gear be provided?

All camping equipment is included: sleeping bag, sleeping mattress and tent. No prior experience is needed, and the tour suits all fitness levels.

What meals are covered during the 6 days?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included throughout the safari portion of the tour. A chef travels with the group. Day 6 includes a traditional Chagga lunch in Materuni Village after the waterfall hike.

How many people will be in my group?

Groups are capped at six travelers, traveling together in one custom safari jeep with a pop-up roof so you can stand and photograph wildlife.

What is the Materuni waterfall hike like on Day 6?

Materuni Waterfalls is a 40-minute walk from the village through Chagga farmland. The waterfall is over 80 meters high with a pool at the base for swimming. Your guide explains the local culture, village life and surrounding plants and animals along the way. With clear weather, you may see Kilimanjaro's summit from the trail.

Does the tour include a visit to a Maasai village?

A stop at a Maasai village is optional and not included in the tour price. Many travelers choose to skip it. The stop lasts 20 to 45 minutes if you decide to visit and learn about Maasai culture.