5-Day Tanzania Safari: Serengeti & Ngorongoro from Arusha

Game drives at dawn and dusk reveal Serengeti's wildlife as the landscape shifts around you.

This 5-day safari tour from Arusha visits Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a private 4x4 vehicle and driver-guide who leads morning and afternoon game drives across both reserves. You stay four nights in selected safari lodges with full board, and the itinerary is built around the wildlife rhythms: early starts catch the animals moving, midday rest breaks the heat, and late-afternoon drives often yield the best sightings. The driver-guide speaks your choice of language and handles all logistics from airport pickup onward.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Arusha

• Arrive at Arusha Airport
• Meet driver-guide
• Transfer to hotel in Arusha
• Introduction to city and country

Day 2: Travel to Serengeti and game drive

• Drive from Arusha to Serengeti (7 hours)
• Enjoy lunch
• Afternoon game drive in Serengeti

Day 3: Full day game drives in Serengeti

• Breakfast at lodge
• Morning game drive in Serengeti
• Picnic lunch
• Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
• Return to lodge for dinner

Day 4: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

• Breakfast at lodge
• Morning game drive in Serengeti
• Picnic lunch
• Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Settle in at lodge
• Dinner at lodge

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater and departure

• Early morning game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
• Picnic lunch in crater
• Return to Arusha Airport
• Flight home

The experience

The tour starts at Arusha Airport, where your driver-guide meets you and drives you into the city for your first night. The next morning, you head west toward Serengeti: a seven-hour journey (335 kilometers) that crosses Tanzania's changing terrain. After lunch at the lodge, you join an afternoon game drive to adjust to the vastness of the park and spot early wildlife. The sheer scale of the plains takes most travelers by surprise. The horizon simply rolls away.

Days three and four are full game-drive days in Serengeti. You wake early, have breakfast, and set out with your guide for the morning drive while the light is still soft and animals are most active. After a picnic lunch at the lodge, you rest through the hottest hours, then drive again in the late afternoon and early evening. Your guide explains the behavior and ecology as you watch: the predator-prey dynamics, the seasonal patterns, the way the landscape changes subtly as light moves across it. On day four, you drive east toward Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping for lunch before arriving at the lodge overlooking the crater.

Your final morning is spent on a game drive inside Ngorongoro Crater itself, often called a wonder of the world. The crater walls rise around you as you search for wildlife in this enclosed ecosystem: a completely different setting from the open Serengeti plains. After a picnic lunch in the crater, you drive back to Arusha Airport for your departure flight. Breakfast and lunch on the final day are included. Dinner is not. Throughout the tour, soft drinks, coffee, tea and water are provided during game drives, and your accommodation includes dinner each night except the last.

What’s included

• Private 4x4 Toyota Cruiser and driver-guide for all game drives.
• one night accommodation in Arusha with dinner and breakfast, four nights in safari lodges with full board.
• park entry fees for Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
• morning and afternoon game drives on days two through five.
• soft drinks, coffee, tea and water during all game drives.
• airport pickup in Arusha.

Options for this experience

4 options

Comfort LodgingGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timeGlamping accommodation: tents offering a glamping experience with private bathrooms, at Kibo Palace Hotel in Arusha and Tortilis Camps (or similar options). Pickup is included.

Comfort Plus LodgingGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timeQuality accommodation: upscale lodges with modern amenities and private bathrooms, at Serena lodges (or similar options). Pickup is included.

Luxury LodgingGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timeFive-star accommodation at Gran Melia, Kubu Kubu Lodge and Sanctuary Ngorongoro (or similar options). Includes pickup.

Luxury Plus LodgingGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timePremium accommodation: luxurious boutique lodges and refined safari camps, including Gran Melia, Lemala Nanyukie and Craters Edge Lodge. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 5d, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 3,010.30 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayLast departure this season: 31 Dec

GroupPrivate8 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

AgesAdult (16 to 70 years) · Senior (71 to 85 years) · Youth (13 to 15 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

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

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Easy Travel Tours LTD

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to see both Serengeti's vast plains and Ngorongoro's enclosed crater ecosystem without arranging vehicles, guides or lodge bookings yourself: the five-day window captures the best of Tanzania's Northern Circuit without the time commitment of a longer safari. Pick your preferred lodge tier (Comfort, Comfort Plus, Luxury or Luxury Plus) at checkout. All options follow the same itinerary and include the same meals and game drives.

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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 (13 to 15 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

How long is the drive from Arusha to Serengeti?

The journey west from Arusha to Serengeti takes seven hours and covers 335 kilometers, crossing through different landscapes and giving you a sense of Tanzania's geography and character before you reach the park.

What time do the game drives happen each day?

Game drives run in the morning after breakfast and in the late afternoon, which are the times when wildlife is most active and the light is best for viewing and photography.

What is Ngorongoro Crater and why is it different from Serengeti?

Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera surrounded by steep walls, creating an enclosed ecosystem where wildlife congregates in a smaller area than the open Serengeti plains. You'll see a concentrated variety of animals in a dramatically different landscape.

Are meals included on this safari?

Accommodation includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each night, plus soft drinks, coffee, tea and water during game drives. On the final day, breakfast and lunch are included but dinner is not.

What vehicle will I be in for the game drives?

You travel in a private 4x4 Toyota Cruiser with your own driver-guide throughout the tour, so you're not sharing the vehicle with other groups.