Big Five Safari from Arusha: Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Tarangire

Four parks, one guide, nothing left to arrange

A seven-day safari tour from Arusha covering Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater with a professional English-speaking driver-guide, all park entry fees, game drives in a custom 4x4 Land Cruiser with roof hatches, and full board meals at each stop. The itinerary includes two full days in the Serengeti during the Great Wildebeest Migration season, a descent into Ngorongoro Crater to search for black rhinos among 20,000 large animals, and optional visits to a Maasai village or Olduvai Gorge en route. Round-trip hotel pickup from Arusha and 24-hour support from the operator's Moshi office are included throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Moshi

• Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport
• Meet driver with name sign
• Transfer to Moshi
• Overnight at Springlands Hotel

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park visit

• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Game viewing in diverse ecosystems
• Overnight at Highview Hotel Karatu

Day 3: Serengeti National Park and Maasai culture

• Drive to Serengeti National Park
• Visit Maasai Village or Olduvai Gorge
• Game drive en route to camp
• Overnight at Serengeti Wildebeest Camp

Day 4: Full day in Serengeti National Park

• Relax and explore Serengeti plains
• Observe wildlife and predators
• Overnight at Serengeti Wildebeest Camp

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater exploration

• Morning game drive to Ngorongoro Crater
• Descend and explore crater wildlife
• Afternoon drive to lodge
• Overnight at Highview Hotel

Day 6: Tarangire National Park visit

• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Wildlife and bird viewing near river
• Overnight at Springlands Hotel

Day 7: Departure from Kilimanjaro Airport

• Morning leisure time
• Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport

The experience

The tour starts with a driver meeting you at Kilimanjaro Airport and driving you to your first hotel near Moshi. From there, the route moves north through four distinct parks over six nights. Lake Manyara comes first: a narrow park wedged against the Rift Valley escarpment where elephants wade near the shore and blue monkeys move through the groundwater forest. The drive to Serengeti follows, with a choice to stop at a Maasai village to watch daily life and participate in tribal activities, or at Olduvai Gorge, the museum site where early human fossils were found. The landscape shifts as you travel: from acacia woodland and grassy plains to the endless open grassland the Maasai call Serengeti.

Two full days in the Serengeti let you hunt for the Great Wildebeest Migration: the massive herds of wildebeest, zebra and antelope that move across the park, followed by lions and cheetahs. The terrain varies from open grass plains in the south to hilly wooded grassland in the north, scattered with rocky outcrops called kopjes where predators rest. Your guide drives the 4x4 Land Cruiser with a roof hatch that opens so you can stand and photograph without the glass. Ngorongoro Crater comes next: a 600-meter-deep caldera 16 kilometers across, home to around 20,000 large animals including some of Tanzania's last black rhinos. You descend into the crater floor for a full game drive, then return to the rim. The final park is Tarangire, where the Tarangire River never dries: during the dry season it becomes the only water source for miles, drawing hundreds of animals. Baobab trees dot the landscape, and the river itself is lined with hippos and elephants.

Meals are included at every stop: breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotels, plus bottled water in the vehicle during drives. Your guide speaks English, Spanish or French depending on your booking choice. Park fees, the Ngorongoro Crater supplement, vehicle costs and government taxes are all built in. The 4x4 vehicles are custom-built for safari with high clearance and those roof hatches for viewing and photography. A morning of leisure before your final transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport gives you time to rest before flying out.

What’s included

• Round-trip hotel pickup from Arusha.
• professional English, Spanish or French-speaking driver-guide for all seven days.
• entry to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks.
• all game drives in a custom 4x4 Land Cruiser with roof hatches.
• the Ngorongoro Crater vehicle supplement.
• full board accommodation (breakfast, lunch and dinner) at each hotel.
• bottled water during safari drives.
• 24-hour support from the operator's office in Moshi.
• current government taxes and levies.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 16 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by ZARA TOURS

Is this one for you?This is a guided group tour with a fixed itinerary and schedule, so you travel with other bookings and follow set departure times. Choose it if you want all logistics arranged and a professional guide handling the route and wildlife spotting, rather than driving yourself or building a custom itinerary. The seven-day span and two full days in the Serengeti suit travelers who can commit a week and want time to track the migration instead of a quick sample of the parks.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

What's the difference between Lake Manyara and the Serengeti on this tour?

Lake Manyara is a narrow park set against the Rift Valley escarpment with evergreen forest, acacia woodland and a large lake where elephants, hippos, buffalo and monkeys gather near water. The Serengeti is vast open grassland (14,750 square kilometers), where the Great Wildebeest Migration moves in huge herds followed by lions and cheetahs. You get two full days there to track the migration.

Can I see black rhinos in Ngorongoro Crater?

Yes. The crater floor is home to some of Tanzania's last remaining black rhinos, grazing on open grassland alongside around 20,000 other large animals including lions, cheetahs, zebras, elands and gazelles. You descend into the crater for a full game drive to search for them.

How does the 4x4 vehicle work for wildlife viewing?

The Land Cruiser is custom-built for safari with a roof hatch that opens so you can stand and photograph animals without glass in the way. The vehicle has high clearance to navigate rough terrain and reach wildlife across the parks. Your guide drives and navigates from the front while you watch from the sides and roof.

What happens on the drive to Serengeti? Do I have to stop at a Maasai village?

The route to Serengeti offers a choice: visit a Maasai village to explore daily life and participate in tribal activities, or stop at Olduvai Gorge, a museum site where early human fossils were discovered. Your guide can advise on which suits your interests, but one stop is included in the itinerary.

Are meals included for all seven days?

Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) is included at every hotel throughout the tour. Bottled water is provided in the safari vehicle during game drives. Meals not listed in the itinerary, drinks beyond water, and any personal items are not included.