6-Day Serengeti Safari Tour from Arusha: Four Parks

Six days tracking elephants, crater wildlife and flamingoes across Tanzania's north circuit

A 6-day camping and lodge safari from Arusha through four national parks: Tarangire (known for elephant herds), the Serengeti (three days watching the wildebeest migration), Ngorongoro Crater (a crater floor where animals concentrate), and Lake Manyara (flamingoes and tree-climbing lions). A guide and chef travel with you in a custom safari jeep with a pop-up roof, and the itinerary gives you time to watch predators hunt and relax between game drives.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• Pick up from hotel at 7:30 am
• Meet guide, chef, and clients
• Drive to Tarangire National Park (2 hours)
• Game drive in Tarangire National Park
• Lunch at Tarangire river picnic site

Day 2: Mto wa Mbu to Serengeti via Ngorongoro

• Breakfast at Mto wa Mbu
• Drive to Serengeti with stops
• Stop at Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint (20 minutes)
• Optional visit to Maasai village (20-45 minutes)
• Arrive Serengeti late afternoon
• Game drive in Seronera area
• Experience Serengeti sunset

Day 3: Full day Serengeti game drives

• Early breakfast
• Early morning game drive in Serengeti
• Lunch break
• Afternoon game drive
• Return to campsite for dinner and overnight

Day 4: Serengeti to Ngorongoro

• Early breakfast
• Morning game drive in Serengeti
• Lunch and pack at camp
• Game drive while exiting Serengeti
• Drive to Simba campsite near Ngorongoro rim (2 hours)

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater exploration

• Early breakfast
• Descend into Ngorongoro Crater
• Game drive searching for black rhino and other animals
• Lunch in crater
• Afternoon game drive
• Ascend crater and drive to Fig Big Tree Lodge & Campsite

Day 6: Lake Manyara National Park game drive

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Game drive viewing flamingoes and wildlife
• Visit hippo pool and hot springs
• Return from park

The experience

The tour starts with a 7:30 am pickup from your Arusha hotel and a two-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, where ancient baobab trees frame the largest elephant concentration in the country. You'll game drive through the park following animal sightings, then lunch at the Tarangire River picnic site where monkeys and baboons work the tables. That night you stay at Fig Lodge & Campsite.

Day two is a six-hour drive to the Serengeti, passing through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a brief stop at the crater viewpoint (20 minutes) and an optional visit to a Maasai village (20–45 minutes, entrance 10–20 USD). You arrive in the late afternoon and do a game drive around Seronera in the center of the park, watching the sunset with animals in view. The next two full days stay in the Serengeti, with early game drives, midday rest, afternoon drives, and evening returns to Seronera Campsite. Wildlife movements dictate which direction the guide takes you (north, south, east or west), so the route changes based on where predators and herds are reported.

Day five moves you to Ngorongoro Crater, with an early game drive on the way out of the Serengeti and a two-hour drive to Simba Campsite near the crater rim. The next morning you descend into the crater floor to search for black rhino (the hardest animal to spot here) and other wildlife concentrated on the crater floor. After lunch and an afternoon game drive, you ascend and drive to Fig Lodge & Campsite near Lake Manyara. The final day is a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park, where you watch flamingoes on the water, hippos in the hippo pool, and the hot spring, plus buffaloes, wildebeest, warthogs, birds and monkeys, and if you're lucky, the tree-climbing lions the park is famous for.

What’s included

• Guide and chef accompanying the group in a custom safari jeep with pop-up roof.
• camping equipment including sleeping bag and sleeping mattress.
• all park entrances and taxes.
• soft drinks and bottled water (3 litres or more daily).
• hotel pickup in Arusha at 7:30 am on day one.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (15 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (12 to 14 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 7

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 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Safari G.O.A.T.S

Is this one for you?Early starts on most days mean you're on game drives by sunrise when predators are active and animals move. The six-day length gives you three full days in the Serengeti rather than a rushed one-day pass-through, so you see the migration and predator behavior unfold instead of just the landscape.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

10 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 14 years); Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5).

What animals will I actually see on a 6-day Serengeti safari?

Tarangire holds the largest elephant herds in Tanzania, and you'll see giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, lions, cheetahs and leopards throughout. The Serengeti is home to over a million wildebeest and 250,000 zebras migrating together, plus predators on kills. Ngorongoro Crater concentrates animals on its floor, making sightings easier, though black rhino are hardest to spot. Lake Manyara is known for flamingoes, hippos, and tree-climbing lions, though the lions are rarely seen.

How much time do I spend actually driving and watching animals each day?

Most days include an early morning game drive after breakfast, a midday break at camp for lunch and rest, and an afternoon or evening game drive. The exact timing depends on animal movements and where the guide takes you, but the itinerary is built around game drives rather than long travel days: except day two, which is a six-hour drive to the Serengeti with stops at the crater and optional Maasai village.

Do I sleep in a tent or a lodge on this tour?

You stay at a mix of campsites and lodges: Fig Lodge & Campsite near Tarangire and Lake Manyara, Seronera Campsite in the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Simba Campsite near the crater rim. The tour includes camping equipment (sleeping bag and mattress), so you're set for the tent nights.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay extra for?

All park entrances and taxes, camping equipment, a guide and chef, soft drinks and bottled water (3 litres or more daily) are included. Tips, flights and visas are not included. The optional Maasai village visit costs 10–20 USD extra if you choose it.

What is the Ngorongoro Crater, and why is it different from the other parks?

Ngorongoro is a massive volcanic crater with a floor that acts like a natural enclosure, concentrating wildlife in one area and making animals easier to spot than in open parks. You descend into the crater on day five, game drive on the floor, and ascend back out in the afternoon. The crater is famous for its landscape and wildlife density, though black rhino sightings are rare.