Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

Two full days in the Serengeti instead of a rushed overnight stop

A 5-day private safari from Arusha combining Tarangire National Park, two days in the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater, with your own 4x4 vehicle and guide. Hotel pickup is included. Your guide handles all park permits and speaks English, French or German. All meals, park entry fees and soft drinks travel with you in the vehicle.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Tarangire and game drives

• Pick up from Arusha or Kilimanjaro hotel
• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Guide handles park entry permits
• Start morning game drive
• Picnic lunch in the park
• Afternoon game drive
• Transfer to budget accommodation
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Drive to Serengeti and afternoon game drive

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Drive to Serengeti National Park via Karatu and Ngorongoro Highlands
• Guide handles Serengeti permits
• Picnic lunch in Serengeti
• Afternoon game drive
• Transfer to public campsite
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 3: Full day game drives in Serengeti

• Early breakfast
• Full day game drives in Serengeti
• Picnic lunch in the park
• Explore Seronera Valley and Moru Kopjes
• Return to campsite
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4: Serengeti game drives and transfer to Ngorongoro

• Early breakfast
• Morning game drives in Serengeti
• Picnic lunch in Serengeti
• Transfer game drive leaving Serengeti
• Arrive at Ngorongoro campsite
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater game drive and return

• Early breakfast
• Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
• Guide handles crater permits
• Game drives in Ngorongoro Crater
• Picnic lunch near hippo pool
• Continue game drives
• Exit crater and drive to Arusha or airport

The experience

You start with pickup from your Arusha or Kilimanjaro hotel and a 2–3 hour drive to Tarangire National Park, where your guide secures entry and you begin game drives the same afternoon. Tarangire's elephant herds anchor the park, but you'll also spot lions, leopards, zebras, wildebeest and giraffes. A picnic lunch happens in the park around noon. The afternoon drive pushes deeper into the landscape before you settle at budget accommodation for the night.

Day two takes you through the Ngorongoro Highlands to the Serengeti, where the real rhythm of the safari shifts. You spend two full days here, not a single overnight, which means early-morning game drives when predators are active, long stretches to follow herds across the plains, and afternoon exploration of areas like Seronera Valley (known for lions and leopards) or Moru Kopjes. Meals and drinks travel with you. You sleep at a public campsite inside the park both nights.

On day four, you leave the Serengeti with a transfer game drive, spotting wildlife as you travel toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Your final morning starts before dawn for the crater descent: a steep, winding drive into one of Africa's most concentrated wildlife zones. The Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, black rhino) live here year-round, along with hyenas, zebras, wildebeest and hundreds of bird species. A picnic lunch sits near the hippo pool. Afternoon game drives continue until late afternoon, when you climb out and head back to Arusha or the airport.

What’s included

• Private 4x4 vehicle for all five days.
• hotel pickup from Arusha or Kilimanjaro.
• all national park entry permits and fees.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner at campsites and in the parks.
• soft drinks, water, beer and wine in the vehicle.
• live guide in English, French or German.
• all taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (34 to 60 years) · Senior (70 to 90 years) · Youth (10 to 25 years) · Child (6 to 9 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 8 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 10

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Travel wise Safari

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, French or German throughout the safari, so you follow the commentary and wildlife insights in real time without translation delays. The private vehicle means no other tourists sharing your space or your guide's attention, and the two full Serengeti days let you chase wildlife behavior instead of racing to the next camp.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 25 years); Child (6 to 9 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What animals am I most likely to see on a 5-day Tanzania safari?

The Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhino) are present across all three parks, though the Ngorongoro Crater offers the highest concentration. Tarangire is famous for its elephant herds; the Serengeti holds massive wildebeest and zebra migrations plus active predators; Ngorongoro's crater floor confines wildlife in a smaller area, raising sighting odds. Giraffes, warthogs, hyenas, antelopes and dozens of bird species appear throughout.

How much time do I actually spend on game drives each day?

Days one and two include morning and afternoon game drives with a midday break for lunch. Days three and four are full-day drives with an early start before sunrise and a return to camp by sunset. Day five is a morning drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, ending by early afternoon when you depart for Arusha or the airport.

What's included in the meals during the safari?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included at your campsites and as picnic lunches in the parks. Soft drinks, water and either beer or wine travel with you in the vehicle throughout the day. You cover all meals from day one through day four. Day five ends before lunch.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation to the starting point?

Hotel pickup from Arusha or Kilimanjaro is included. Your guide meets you at your accommodation and handles all transport in a private 4x4 vehicle for the entire 5 days. International flights to Tanzania are not included.

What kind of accommodation will I stay in?

Budget-level campsites provide your overnight stays: Jua Manyara Lodge & Campsite or similar on night one, Serengeti Nyani Public Campsite on nights two and three, and Ngorongoro Simba Campsite on night four. All include dinner and breakfast.