8-Day Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater holds more wildlife per square kilometer than anywhere else on the continent.
An 8-day guided safari through Tanzania's Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a professional English-speaking guide, private 4x4 vehicle, all park entry fees, seven nights in hand-selected luxury lodges, and daily game drives with unlimited mileage. The itinerary includes a Maasai village visit, a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, and a cultural experience with the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers at Lake Eyasi. Airport transfers, all meals, bottled water and soft drinks are included. You arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and depart eight days later after breakfast at Lake Eyasi.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Arusha
- Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport
- Meet safari guide and transfer to hotel
- Relax and unwind at hotel
Day 2: Travel to Tarangire National Park
- Breakfast at hotel
- Drive to Tarangire National Park
- Explore wildlife and baobab trees
- Check in at luxury lodge
- Dinner at lodge
Day 3: Visit Lake Manyara National Park
- Breakfast at lodge
- Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
- Game drive and wildlife viewing
- Lunch at park
- Continue game drive
- Check in at hilltop lodge
- Dinner at lodge
Day 4: Journey to Serengeti National Park
- Breakfast at lodge
- Drive to Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge
- Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
- Check in at lodge
- Dinner with sunset views
Day 5: Full day in Serengeti National Park
- Breakfast at lodge
- Full day wildlife exploration
- Relaxing sundowner
- Dinner at lodge
Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Breakfast at lodge
- Morning game drive in Serengeti
- Visit Maasai village
- Drive to Ngorongoro crater edge
- Dinner with crater views
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Eyasi
- Descend into Ngorongoro Crater
- Wildlife viewing in crater
- Lunch in crater area
- Drive to Lake Eyasi
- Check in at lodge
- Dinner at lodge
Day 8: Lake Eyasi cultural visit and departure
- Visit Hadzabe hunter-gatherer community
- Return to lodge for breakfast
- Drive back to Arusha with lunch stop
- Transfer to airport for departure
What’s included
- Professional English-speaking safari guide.
- private 4x4 vehicle with pop-up roof, fridge and binoculars.
- seven nights' luxury accommodation in hand-selected lodges.
- all national park entry fees and Ngorongoro Crater service fee.
- daily game drives with unlimited mileage.
- breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
- unlimited bottled water, soft drinks, tea and coffee during game drives.
- Maasai village cultural visit.
- Hadzabe hunter-gatherer experience at Lake Eyasi.
- arrival and departure airport transfers.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Information
Eight-day luxury safari across Tanzania's four flagship parks with expert guide, private 4x4 vehicle.
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The experience
The safari opens with arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your guide meets you for the transfer to Arusha. Day two takes you into Tarangire National Park, where massive baobab trees rise above grasslands and large elephant herds move across the landscape. The park's river system concentrates wildlife during the dry season, and your guide navigates the game drive routes with knowledge of where lions, leopards and cheetahs are most likely to be found. You stay in hand-selected luxury lodges each night, with dinner and a full day's rest built into the rhythm.
Lake Manyara comes next: a compact park where lush forests meet open savannah along the lakeshore. The park holds more than 400 bird species, and tree-climbing lions rest in acacia woodland inland from the floodplain. From there you drive toward the Serengeti, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important archaeological sites on Earth. Two full days in the Serengeti follow, where the park's resident wildlife includes around 3,000 lions and roughly 1,000 leopards. Game drives run from dawn until evening, with a sundowner break as light fades.
The Ngorongoro Crater (a volcanic caldera roughly 20 kilometers across and 600 meters deep) comes on day six. You descend to the crater floor, where the enclosed space concentrates lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos and water birds around Lake Magadi in the southwestern corner. Before reaching the crater, you visit a local Maasai village for a cultural exchange. The final leg takes you to Lake Eyasi, where a morning visit to the Hadzabe hunter-gatherer community lets you observe their traditional hunting routines and learn survival techniques passed down through generations. You return to Arusha the same day with a lunch stop en route, then transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 17 years).
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What wildlife can I expect to see across the four parks on this 8-day safari?
Tarangire holds large elephant herds and excellent birdlife; Lake Manyara is known for tree-climbing lions, flamingos and over 400 bird species; the Serengeti supports around 3,000 lions and 1,000 leopards across open plains; and the Ngorongoro Crater concentrates lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos and water birds in a single enclosed ecosystem. Your guide's knowledge of animal movement and behavior shapes where and when you encounter them.
How much time do I spend on game drives each day?
Game drives run from early morning until evening, with a lunch break and rest at your lodge during the hottest part of the day. Two full days are dedicated entirely to the Serengeti, and each park receives at least one full day of exploration. The pace allows for unhurried wildlife viewing rather than rushing between stops.
What cultural experiences are included in the itinerary?
You visit a Maasai village on the drive from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro, learning about their pastoral traditions and way of life. At Lake Eyasi, a morning visit to the Hadzabe hunter-gatherer community includes observing their traditional hunting routines and ancient survival techniques. Both experiences are led by your guide and woven into the safari schedule.
Are meals and drinks included throughout the safari?
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided each day at your lodges and during game drives. Unlimited bottled mineral water, soft drinks, tea and coffee are included during all game drives. Alcoholic beverages and personal purchases are not included and can be arranged separately.
What happens on arrival and departure days?
Your guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport on day one and transfers you to your hotel in Arusha, where the evening is at leisure. On day eight, you start with a cultural visit to the Hadzabe community at Lake Eyasi, return to the lodge for breakfast, then drive back to Arusha with a lunch stop. You transfer to the airport for your departure flight the same day.
Operated by Gosheni Safaris (T) Limited. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 11 days ago
8-Day Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
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from US$ 8,999 per person
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