5-Day Northern Tanzania Safari: Crater, Serengeti, Tarangire

Five days watching wildlife move through four distinct landscapes without arranging the route yourself

A 5-day lodge and tented camp safari through Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit starting from Arusha, with game drives in Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. You're picked up from the airport, driven between parks by a guide, and stay in mid-range partner lodges. The itinerary is fixed so the timing holds together without you building it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

• Picked up from airport
• Transfer to accommodation
• Overnight at Arusha Planet Lodge

Day 2: Tarangire National Park Safari

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Game drive from open roof truck
• Picnic lunch in park
• Drive to lodge
• Dinner and overnight at Eileen's Trees Inn

Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti

• Early breakfast
• Visit Ngorongoro Crater
• Drive to Serengeti National Park
• Arrive at tented camp
• Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp

Day 4: Serengeti Game Drive and Karatu

• Early breakfast
• Morning game drive in Serengeti
• Drive to Karatu
• Dinner and overnight at Eileen's Trees Inn

Day 5: Lake Manyara and Return to Arusha

• Breakfast
• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Explore Lake Manyara National Park
• Return to Arusha

The experience

Day one is arrival and rest at Arusha Planet Lodge. Day two takes you to Tarangire National Park, about two hours from Arusha, where a guide drives an open-roof safari truck through terrain known for elephant families, baobab trees and the river that gives the park its name. You'll see giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and predators from the truck, with a picnic lunch in the park. That night you stay at Eileen's Trees Inn in Karatu.

Day three is the early start to Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest volcanic caldera at nearly 20 kilometers wide and 600 meters deep. You spend the morning exploring the crater floor (a self-contained ecosystem with the Big Five, wildebeest, gazelle and over 500 bird species), then drive to Serengeti National Park in the afternoon, arriving at a tented camp around 6 p.m. The Serengeti is Tanzania's largest park, and the landscape shifts between grassy plains, swamps, lakes and savannah.

Day four is a full game drive in the Serengeti starting at 6:30 a.m., spending six to seven hours watching migrating herds of zebras, wildebeest and antelope, along with leopard, cheetah and lion. You return to Karatu by mid-afternoon for dinner and the night. On day five, a short drive takes you to Lake Manyara National Park, a small, diverse reserve 120 kilometers west of Arusha where a shallow soda lake covers most of the park and attracts thousands of flamingos and over 500 bird species. You'll see monkeys in woodlands, lions in acacia trees, and return to Arusha by around 5 p.m.

What’s included

• Airport pickup from Arusha.
• four nights' accommodation (lodge and tented camp).
• all game drives in open-roof safari trucks with a professional guide.
• park entry fees for Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Lake Manyara.
• picnic lunch on day two.
• meals at the lodges.

Information

Lasts 5d, runs every day at 09:00, from US$ 2,327 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00Another time? ›

GroupPrivate5 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

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

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Lion King Adventures

Is this one for you?Join other travelers on a fixed schedule visiting four parks across five days. Choose this if you want a structured itinerary that covers the Northern Circuit's highlights without deciding which parks to prioritize or how to sequence them.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

What animals am I likely to see on a 5-day safari through the Northern Circuit?

The Serengeti holds migrating herds of 250,000 zebras, 1.5 million wildebeest and half a million antelope, plus leopard, cheetah and lion hunting them. Tarangire is known for elephant families and baobab trees. Ngorongoro Crater hosts the Big Five, gazelle and reedbuck. Lake Manyara is home to tree-climbing lions, flamingos and over 500 bird species across all parks.

How much time do I spend actually driving and looking for wildlife each day?

Day two in Tarangire is a full day in the park from after breakfast until evening. Day three includes a morning at Ngorongoro Crater before the afternoon drive to Serengeti. Day four is a dedicated 6–7 hour game drive starting at 6:30 a.m. in the Serengeti. Day five is a shorter morning and midday visit to Lake Manyara before the return drive to Arusha.

Where do I sleep on this 5-day safari?

Night one is at Arusha Planet Lodge in Arusha. Nights two and four are at Eileen's Trees Inn in Karatu. Night three is at Serengeti Heritage Luxury Tented Camp inside the Serengeti. All are mid-range partner properties selected for the tour.

Does the price include getting from Arusha airport to the lodge?

Yes, airport pickup is included. A Lion King representative meets you at the airport and drives you to Arusha Planet Lodge on day one, so you don't arrange your own transport from the terminal.