Arusha: 5-Day Safari Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

Five Days Chasing Elephants & Leopards Across Tanzania's Four Greatest Parks

You get five days in four parks (Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater) with a private guide, 4x4 vehicle, and lodge stays included. Airport pickup means no negotiating transport on arrival, and the fixed itinerary keeps you moving through the best wildlife zones without arranging timing yourself. Meals and game drives are built in. You just show up ready to watch.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• Breakfast at lodge
• Depart between 08:30 and 09:00
• Private safari with 4x4 vehicle
• Arrive at Tarangire lodge for lunch
• Afternoon game drive in Tarangire
• Dinner and overnight at Suricata Boma Lodge

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park Game Drive

• Breakfast at lodge
• Pick up at 08:30 - 09:00
• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Extended game drive in Lake Manyara
• Dinner and overnight at Suricata Boma Lodge

Day 3: Serengeti National Park Visit

• Breakfast at lodge
• Depart for Serengeti via Karatu and Ngorongoro
• Arrive Serengeti Seronera area
• Lunch at Serengeti
• Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
• Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Angata Tented Lodge

Day 4: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Area

• Early morning coffee, tea, and biscuit
• Early morning game drive 08:00 - 14:30
• Depart to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Game drive en route to lodge
• Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Angata Tented Lodge

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater and Return to Arusha

• Early breakfast with coffee
• Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for wildlife viewing
• Visit Lake Magadi in crater
• Transfer back to Arusha city
• Drop off at hotel

The experience

The pickup happens between 8:30 and 9 in the morning, and you're already wondering if you packed enough water. Your private guide arrives with a 4x4 safari vehicle, and the first thing you notice is how much space there is. Just you, your guide, and the road stretching toward Tarangire National Park. By lunchtime you're rolling through grassland thick with elephants, the park's signature draw. Tarangire in the dry season (June to November) fills with zebra herds in the thousands, wildebeest, cape buffalo, and the occasional lion lounging in the shade. The baobab trees are enormous, older than most countries, and your guide points out the difference between a giraffe and a Masai giraffe without making it feel like a lecture.

Day two takes you to Lake Manyara, where the flamingos gather in pink clouds along the water's edge, though they're thinner on the ground during dry months. The real surprise is the leopards. They actually climb into trees to rest between hunts, and spotting one means your guide knew exactly where to look. There's a hippo pond where you can step out of the vehicle and watch them from a safe distance, which feels both thrilling and slightly absurd. You're standing on the edge of a crater watching a two-ton animal yawn. The Serengeti comes next, and the drive there takes you through the highlands of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before dropping into what feels like the end of the world: endless plains rolling toward the horizon. The Seronera area, where you'll spend the afternoon, is the park's richest wildlife zone, fed by a river that draws everything from elephants to dik-diks.

Day four is the early-morning push: coffee and biscuits before dawn, then a game drive from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., hunting for the Big Five. After that, you're heading toward Ngorongoro while the landscape shifts around you. The final morning, you descend over 600 meters into the crater itself: a self-contained ecosystem where wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, hippos, and giant elephants live year-round thanks to permanent water and grass. Lake Magadi sits in the southwestern corner, shallow and alkaline, crowded with flamingos and water birds. The predators here are dense: lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and leopards that sometimes need a trained eye to spot. After the crater, your guide drives you back to Arusha for hotel drop-off, and you're already scrolling through photos, trying to pick which animal you saw first.

What’s included

Airport pickup from Arusha, private 4x4 safari vehicle with a professional guide, four nights' accommodation at midrange lodges (Suricata Boma Lodge and Serengeti Angata tented lodge), all meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, game drives at Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, entry fees to all parks and the crater, and return transfer to your Arusha hotel on the final day.

Information

Lasts 5d, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 3,600 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate7 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 27 pickup points.

AgesAdult (15 to 59 years) · Senior (60 to 75 years) · Youth (12 to 14 years) · Child (9 to 11 years) · Under 9: can't be booked

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Suricata Safaris

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the four major northern Tanzania parks in one trip without arranging transport, park permits, or timing between stops: the private vehicle and fixed schedule handle all of that, leaving you to focus on wildlife.

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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 (12 to 14 years); Child (9 to 11 years). Children under 9 can't be included in the booking.

What's included in the 5-day Arusha safari tour?

Airport pickup, private 4x4 vehicle with guide, four nights' lodge accommodation, all meals, and game drives at Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. Park entry fees are included.

How long is the drive from Arusha to the first park?

The tour departs between 8:30–9:00 a.m. after breakfast, and you arrive at Tarangire in time for lunch. Exact drive time depends on traffic and stops, but it's typically a few hours.

When is the best time to see flamingos at Lake Manyara?

Flamingos gather in large flocks during the wet season. In the dry season (June–November), they're less visible, but other wildlife like leopards, lions, and hippos are present year-round.

What animals can I expect to see in Ngorongoro Crater?

Wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, elephants, lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and sometimes leopards. Lake Magadi in the crater attracts flamingos and water birds.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the hotel before the tour starts?

No. Airport pickup is included, so your guide collects you and the tour begins. On the final day, you're dropped at your Arusha hotel.

How many people travel in the vehicle?

It's a private tour, so it's just you and your guide in the 4x4. Group size depends on your booking.

What happens if I want to skip a park or change the itinerary?

This is a fixed 5-day itinerary covering all four parks. Modifications would need to be discussed with the operator before booking.