3-Day Serengeti and Ngorongoro Safari from Arusha

Serengeti lion and elephant hunting, then Ngorongoro Crater rhino and hippo viewing in natural amphitheater

A 3-day group safari departing from Arusha that covers two days of game drives in Serengeti National Park and a full day exploring Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The itinerary includes hotel pickup from Arusha, an English-speaking guide, and midrange lodge accommodations at Seronera and Karatu. You start with an afternoon drive on day one, continue with an early morning game drive on day two before heading to the highlands, and finish with a descent into Ngorongoro Crater on day three, returning to Arusha by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Serengeti National Park arrival and game drive

• Pick up from Jeva's Hotel
• Drive to Serengeti National Park
• Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
• Arrive at midrange lodge
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2 — Serengeti game drives and transfer to Karatu

• Breakfast at lodge
• Early morning game drive in Serengeti
• Hot lunch
• Continue game drive
• Drive to Karatu area
• Arrive at lodge in Karatu
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 3 — Ngorongoro Crater game drive and return

• Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
• Descend into crater for game drive
• Picnic lunch by hippo pool
• Ascend from crater
• Return to Arusha
• Drop off at Jeva's Hotel

The Experience

The safari begins with pickup from Jeva's Hotel in Arusha and a drive through scenic landscapes into Serengeti National Park. Your first afternoon game drive puts you on the endless plains where lion prides, elephants, and other wildlife move across the grassland. You'll stay overnight at Intimate Camp Seronera, a midrange lodge inside the park, so the next morning's early drive starts without the travel time.

Day two starts before dawn with another game drive across Serengeti, tracking cheetahs, zebras, and the herds that define the ecosystem. After a hot lunch, you continue driving before heading toward Karatu in the late afternoon, staying at one of three available lodges depending on availability—Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams, or Country Lodge. The route itself carries wildlife sightings as you move between zones.

On the final day, you drive to Ngorongoro Crater and descend into it for a game drive inside the crater floor, where rhinos, hippos, and birdlife concentrate in the natural bowl. A picnic lunch sits by the hippo pool before you climb back out and return to Arusha, arriving at Jeva's Hotel by evening. The crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa's densest wildlife viewing zones—the geography itself funnels animals into a smaller space than the open Serengeti plains.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Arusha.
• three days of game drives led by an English-speaking guide.
• two nights' accommodation at midrange lodges (Intimate Camp Seronera in Serengeti, then one of three options in Karatu).
• breakfast and dinner on nights one and two.
• hot lunch on day two.
• entry to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
• a picnic lunch inside Ngorongoro Crater on day three.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Suricata Safaris

Is this one for you?Pickup from Arusha means you don't need a car or arrange your own transport to the parks—the guide handles the drive and the route. A midrange safari sits between budget camping and high-end lodges, so you get comfortable beds and meals without the premium price; the trade-off is smaller group sizes and shared vehicles rather than private ones, which is what keeps the cost down and the schedule tight enough to cover both parks in three days.

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Top questions

What wildlife will I actually see on the Serengeti game drives?

Serengeti's game drives put you in front of lions, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, and wildebeest herds across the open plains. The exact animals present depend on the season and migration patterns, but the park's diversity means sightings span big cats, large herbivores, and smaller species throughout the two days there.

Is the Ngorongoro Crater different from the Serengeti, and why visit both?

Ngorongoro Crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a natural amphitheater where animals concentrate on the crater floor, making wildlife viewing denser in a smaller area. The Serengeti offers endless plains and the freedom of large-scale migration; the crater offers intensity and a unique geological setting. Both are included because they show two different ecosystems in one trip.

How early do the game drives start, and what's the pace like?

The first day includes an afternoon drive after arrival. Day two starts with an early morning game drive, which is when wildlife is most active. The pace follows the animals and the light rather than a fixed schedule—you stop when sightings warrant it and move when the guide reads the landscape.

What kind of accommodation will I have, and where exactly?

Night one is at Intimate Camp Seronera, a midrange lodge inside Serengeti National Park. Night two is at one of three lodges in Karatu—Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams, or Country Lodge—depending on availability. Both are comfortable midrange properties, not luxury camps and not budget hostels.

I don't have a car in Arusha—how does pickup work?

Hotel pickup from Jeva's Hotel in Arusha is included, so you don't arrange your own transport to the park. The guide collects you there on the morning of day one and returns you there on the evening of day three.