7-Day Tanzania Safari: Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Tarangire

Track elephants and lions across four parks, then walk through a village of 120 tribes.

A 7-day guided safari tour from Arusha covering Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with professional guides, all accommodations and meals included. You spend two full days game driving in the Serengeti, descend into Ngorongoro Crater to see rhino and massive herds, and finish with a cultural visit to Mto Wa Mbu village before returning to Arusha.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Tarangire National Park game drive

• Pick up from hotel or airport
• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Game viewing with picnic lunch
• Afternoon game drive
• Transfer for dinner and overnight

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park visit

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Game viewing in park
• Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 3: Travel to Serengeti National Park

• Breakfast at lodge
• Depart for Serengeti National Park
• Game drive en route with picnic lunch
• Optional stop at Olduvai Gorge or Maasai village
• Dinner and overnight at Serengeti camp

Day 4: Full day Serengeti game viewing

• Morning game drive
• Picnic lunch or hot lunch at camp
• Afternoon game drive
• Dinner and overnight at Serengeti camp

Day 5: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Highlands

• Early breakfast
• Game drive en route to Ngorongoro Highlands
• Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro lodge

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater game drive

• Early breakfast
• Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
• Transfer to Hando Coffee Lodge
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Day 7: Cultural tour of Mto Wa Mbu Village

• Leisure breakfast
• Visit Mto Wa Mbu Village
• Explore markets, art centers, and eateries
• Drive back to Arusha

The experience

The tour picks you up from your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport at 8:35 am on day one and heads straight to Tarangire National Park for your first game drive. You'll see massive elephant herds, baobab trees and a mix of birds and plains animals before a picnic lunch in the park. The afternoon continues with more driving, then you overnight at Suricata boma lodge. Each day follows the same rhythm: early breakfast, a morning game drive, lunch (sometimes in the field), an afternoon drive, and dinner at your lodge. The parks rotate: Lake Manyara on day two with its tree-climbing lions and ground water forests, then the long drive to Serengeti on day three with a stop at Olduvai Gorge or a Maasai village if you want.

Days four and five are yours to spend entirely in Serengeti. You choose between a full day in the field with a packed lunch or splitting the day between the lodge and two separate drives. The herds move constantly, so your guide reads the landscape and positions you where buffalo, elephants, giraffes, lions and leopards are active. On day six you drive north toward Ngorongoro, game viewing en route. Day seven takes you down into Ngorongoro Crater itself: a natural amphitheater holding over 30,000 animals and some of the last remaining rhino in Tanzania. The final day is leisure time after breakfast, then a visit to Mto Wa Mbu village, a settlement of 120 different tribes living side by side. You walk through banana plantations, food markets, art workshops and local eateries, learning how the community shares agriculture, commerce and languages. The drive back to Arusha closes the tour.

Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or one additional language and drives all the game viewing yourself: no group transfers between parks. Soft drinks, house wines and water travel with you during each drive. All seven nights' lodging, breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, along with park entry fees and taxes. Airport transfers from Kilimanjaro or Arusha are part of the booking.

What’s included

• All seven nights of accommodation at lodges including Suricata boma lodge, Lake Manyara Serena Hotel, Serengeti Heritage Luxury Camp and Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
• soft drinks, house wines and water during safari.
• all national park entry fees and taxes.
• game driving with professional guides.
• airport transfers from Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 69 years) · Senior (70 and older) · Youth (15 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Wildlife Experience Tanzania - Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want two full days in Serengeti to follow the herds at your own pace rather than rushing through in a single afternoon. The 7-day length is what fits Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and the cultural village into one trip without skipping any of them.

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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 (15 to 17 years); Child (5 to 14 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): free.

What animals will I actually see on a 7-day Tanzania safari?

Tarangire is known for its massive elephant herds and baobab trees. Lake Manyara holds tree-climbing lions, baboons and blue monkeys in ground water forests. Serengeti hosts buffalo, giraffes, leopards and all three African jackal species, with herds moving across the plains. Ngorongoro Crater contains over 30,000 animals including some of the last remaining rhino in Tanzania.

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

Days one, two, three, five and six each include a morning drive and an afternoon drive, with breakfast and lunch between them. Days four and seven are full-day options: you can spend the entire day in the field with a packed lunch, or return to the lodge for a hot lunch and head out again. The exact timing depends on where the animals are and what your guide finds.

What is Ngorongoro Crater and why is it worth a full day?

Ngorongoro is a natural depression in the highlands holding over 30,000 animals year-round, making it one of the densest wildlife concentrations in Africa. The crater walls are steep and the floor is a self-contained ecosystem, so animals stay within it rather than migrating. A full day of game driving lets you work the crater floor systematically and spot species you might miss on a quick pass.

What happens on the cultural day in Mto Wa Mbu village?

Mto Wa Mbu is home to 120 different tribes living in one small town, an unusual mix of cultures and languages found nowhere else in Tanzania. You walk through banana plantations, food markets, art workshops and local eateries, meeting residents and learning about their shared agriculture, commerce and daily life. The village sits on two wildlife migration routes, so you may see giraffe, wildebeest, elephants, zebra or gazelle on the drive there.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to and from the airport?

Airport pickup from Kilimanjaro or Arusha is included in the booking, so your guide meets you and drives you to your first lodge. The return transfer to the airport on day seven is also covered.

What meals are provided, and are there dietary options?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day. Soft drinks, house wines and water travel with you during game drives. The lodges can accommodate dietary requests, though specific options depend on availability at each property.