8-Day Tanzania Safari: Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Tarangire

Four national parks, tree-climbing lions, the crater floor, and a day with the Hadzabe

This 8-day family safari through Tanzania combines game drives across Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Tarangire with cultural encounters and guided wildlife viewing from a modified 4WD Land Cruiser. You descend into Ngorongoro Crater, spend a full day tracking lions and herds across the Serengeti plains, visit the Hadzabe people at Lake Eyasi, and end with elephant herds and baobab woodlands in Tarangire. Private airport transfers, all meals, accommodation and park fees are included throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to lodge

• Arrive at Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport
• Meet driver-guide and receive bottled water
• Transfer 45–50 minutes to lodge in Arusha
• Enjoy dinner and overnight at lodge
• Receive safari briefing from driver-guide

Day 2: Game drives at Lake Manyara

• Breakfast at 7:30 am
• Depart hotel with packed lunch
• Game drives in Lake Manyara National Park
• Observe wildlife and hippos on wooden trail
• Lunch at picnic site
• Drive to lodge or camp for dinner and overnight

Day 3: Travel to Serengeti via Ngorongoro

• Breakfast at 8:00 am
• Drive to Serengeti via Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Visit crater viewpoint
• Optional Maasai boma or Olduvai Gorge visit
• Lunch at Naabi Gate
• En route game drive to lodge or camp
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4: Full day game drives in Serengeti

• Early morning game drives in Serengeti
• Observe lions, zebras, wildebeests, elephants
• Lunch at picnic spot
• Afternoon game drives back to lodge or camp
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater game drives

• Breakfast at lodge
• Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for game drives
• Observe diverse wildlife species
• Lunch inside crater
• Ascend crater walls and drive to Lake Natron
• Dinner and overnight at Lake Natron

Day 6: Cultural tour with Hadzabe tribe

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Lake Eyasi
• Meet and interact with Hadzabe tribe
• Learn about hunting and foraging traditions
• Drive to Manyara for dinner and overnight

Day 7: Game drives at Tarangire and return

• Breakfast at lodge
• Depart for Tarangire National Park with packed lunch
• Game drives in Tarangire National Park
• Lunch at scenic spot in park
• More game drives en route to park exit
• Drive to Arusha for dinner and overnight

Day 8: Departure day transfer

• Leisure time until departure
• Transfer from hotel to airport

The experience

Lake Manyara National Park opens the safari on day one with game drives through thin green forests at the base of the Great Rift Valley, where tree-climbing lions rest in acacia branches and hippos surface along the soda lake. You'll spot wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, elephants and baboons from the 4WD, then walk an elevated wooden trail to watch hippos in their natural habitat before lunch at a picnic site. The next morning you cross into Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, pausing at the crater viewpoint before an en route game drive delivers you to camp.

Day three is a full day in Serengeti National Park, where the landscape shifts to endless savannah. Lions hunt at dawn, zebras and wildebeests move in synchronized herds, and leopards may cross your path as the 4WD navigates the rugged terrain. The Great Migration's thundering hooves set the rhythm of the day, punctuated by lunch at a picnic spot and further game drives on the return to camp. The following morning you descend into Ngorongoro Crater itself (a volcanic caldera spanning over 102 square miles ringed by 2,000-foot walls), where black rhinoceros, secretary birds, ostriches, lions, elephants and hyenas share the crater floor. After game drives and lunch, you ascend the walls and drive to Lake Eyasi.

Day five shifts from wildlife to culture. The Hadzabe people at Lake Eyasi are among the last Tanzanian tribes living a traditional lifestyle centered on hunting and foraging, much like the Kalahari Bushmen. You spend the morning with them, learning their customs and history through hands-on experience before driving back to Manyara. On day six, Tarangire National Park closes the safari with herds of African elephants, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes and warthogs grazing beneath acacia trees and baobab woodlands. Lions, hyenas and colorful birds complete the final game drives before the drive back to Arusha. Your last morning is unhurried, timed to your flight departure.

What’s included

• Return airport transfers in a private car.
• transport and wildlife drives in a modified 4WD Land Cruiser with photographic roof.
• all park entry and concession fees.
• accommodation and meals as per the itinerary.
• picnic lunches on game drive days.
• 3 liters of mineral drinking water per person daily.
• coffee and tea.
• cultural tour and nature excursions.
• 24/7 office assistance.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (11 to 15 years) · Senior (16 and older) · Youth (5 to 10 years) · Child (3 to 4 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian

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.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 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tanzania Good Friends Safaris

Is this one for you?Families and small groups travel together in one 4WD with a dedicated guide, so children and adults experience the parks at the same pace and share the wildlife moments as they happen. The eight-day span lets you move through four distinct ecosystems (forests, crater, plains and woodland) without rushing between them, and the cultural day with the Hadzabe breaks the rhythm of game drives with a different kind of encounter.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 10 years); Child (3 to 4 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What wildlife can I expect to see on the Serengeti game drives?

Serengeti National Park is home to prides of lions, herds of zebras and wildebeests moving in synchrony, elusive leopards, towering elephants, and numerous exotic bird species. The Great Migration's movement across the plains is a centerpiece of the full day spent there on day three.

What happens on the day with the Hadzabe tribe?

On day five at Lake Eyasi, you spend the morning with the Hadzabe people, an indigenous group living a traditional lifestyle based on hunting and foraging. The tour includes hands-on experience and direct learning of their customs, history and daily practices from the community itself.

How does the Ngorongoro Crater tour work?

On day four you descend into Ngorongoro Crater (a volcanic caldera over 102 square miles in size with 2,000-foot walls) for game drives on the crater floor. The crater is home to black rhinoceros, hippos, lions, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, gazelles and numerous bird species. After lunch and further drives, you ascend the crater walls and continue to Lake Eyasi.

What is included in the accommodation and meals?

All accommodation at lodges and camps, all meals as listed in the itinerary, coffee and tea are included. Picnic lunches are provided on game drive days. You also receive 3 liters of mineral drinking water per person each day.

How is transport arranged between parks and during game drives?

A modified 4WD Land Cruiser with a photographic roof is used for all wildlife drives and transfers between parks. Private airport transfers in a car are included on arrival and departure days. Your guide drives and leads all game drives and excursions.