5 day Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro crater safari experience
With overnight stays in or near parks, a 5-day Serengeti, Manyara, and Ngorongoro safari offers an exciting Northern Tanzania Circuit tour that usually begins in Arusha and covers Lake Manyara (birdlife, tree lions), the Serengeti (big cats, vast plains, migration), and the Ngorongoro Crater (high density of wildlife, Big Five), offering a variety of habitats and iconic wildlife encounters in a brief, intense timeframe. It’s a cost-effective method to see the finest of Tanzania, typically involving a combination of camping or lodge stays, park admission, and a 4×4 vehicle with a guide, balancing well-known areas for an unforgettable introduction to African wildlife.
You will fly out from Serengeti back to Arusha or Zanzibar depending on your extended program after the safari.
Summary Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha to Lake Manyara. Game drives in Lake Manyara Park
Day 2: Transfer to Central Serengeti. Afternoon game drives in Central Serengeti
Day 3: Morning game drives in Central Serengeti and transfer to Ngorongoro/Karatu
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours). Transfer to Karatu/Tarangire
Day 5: Tarangire game drives and transfer to Arusha
Accommodation options
The packages listed below include a few well-liked ensuite alternatives for your tour. Tented camps or lodges known as “ensuite hotels” may be found within or near national parks. A private room with an attached bathroom will be yours. Hotels give meals.
First option: Value Accomodations
- Stay at Omega View Hotel, Karatu [Full Board]
- Stay at Tukaone Camps, Central Serengeti [Full Board]
- Stay at Omega View Hotel, Karatu [Full Board]
- Safari with Land Cruiser
Second option: Classic Accommodations
- Stay at Migombani Cottage, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park) [Full Board]
- Stay at Zuri camp, Serengeti, Central Serengeti [Full Board]
- Stay at Ngorongoro Kuhama Camp, NCA, NCA [Full Board]
- Stay at Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, Tarangire (Outside the Park) [Full Board]
- Safari with Land Cruiser
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 – Arusha to Lake Manyara
After picking you up from your Arusha hotel at 8:30 AM, take a picnic lunch and head to Lake Manyara National Park for a full-day game drive. Lush forests of mahogany and acacia trees greet you as soon as you approach the national park, setting the tone for what lies ahead. The game drive will continue into the evening, with a brief picnic lunch stop. Keep an eye out for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, baboons, and blue monkeys while on the game drive. The tree-climbing lions are another sight to behold in Lake Manyara National Park, but it takes luck to spot them. Millions of flamingoes’ flock to the shoreline at the appropriate season, causing it to turn pink. You will return to your camp or lodge after the wildlife drive, where a delectable dinner is waiting for you.
Day 2 – Lake Manyara to Central Serengeti
Following breakfast, we travel through the stunning highland farms of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on our way to the Serengeti National Park. We leave the highlands behind and head into the Serengeti National Park, the heart of untamed Africa, with its vast grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see. We travel to the Seronera area, which is in the center of the park and is home to some of the most abundant wildlife habitats. The Seronera River serves as a vital water source for the area, drawing in wildlife that is representative of the majority of the Serengeti’s species. We do a wildlife drive in the Serengeti National Park in the afternoon after arriving in time for lunch.
Day 3 – Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro
You will go on a morning wildlife drive in Serengeti National Park following breakfast. Afterwards, have a picnic lunch and head to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The world’s largest collapsed volcano crater, Ngorongoro Crater, is fourteen kilometers of secluded natural splendor. About 30,000 animals live on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater, which is surrounded by a ring of extinct volcanoes and has watering holes. After a hearty dinner and a restful night’s sleep in your lodging, the exciting day comes to a close.
Day 4 – Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) to Tarangire
Head down to the crater floor for a five-hour game drive after an early breakfast. Lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, flamingos, jackals, rhinos, antelopes, and numerous birds are all likely to be sighted. Eagles, vultures, flamingos at Crater Lake, storks, bats, sacred ibis, kori bustards, blacksmith plover, long-necked herons, and cattle eagles are among the birds that may be observed here. You will start a tough climb to the top exit of the crater after having a picnic at the lovely Hippo pool. The day will conclude with a two-hour drive to your lodging in Karatu. At your preferred lodging, a freshly prepared, delectable dinner is kept ready for you. You’ll be exhausted from all these safari days, so getting enough sleep is crucial. The final portion of your safari will start the following day.
Day 5 – Tarangire to Arusha
After a delicious breakfast, your safari’s last day will start as normal at 8:00 AM. Today’s trip will take you to Tarangire National Park, where you will go on a half-day wildlife drive. The third-largest national park in Tanzania is renowned for its magnificent baobab trees, which dwarf the creatures that graze beneath them. This park, which is known for having some of Africa’s greatest elephant populations, is centered around the Tarangire River. Lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, oryx, eland, giraffe, and zebra may be seen here. You will split up by the middle of the afternoon and travel to Arusha, where you will be dropped off at your desired destination by around six o’clock at night. This is the time to say farewell to your team after an amazing experience and a ton of memories to treasure.
Addons
Add-on tours in Serengeti
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
Rhino Tracking: USD 130 per person
Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Add-on tours in Ngorongoro
Masai Village Tour: USD 25 per person
Olduvai Gorge museum visit: USD 35 per person
Ngorongoro Crater Rim Hike: USD 35 per person
Add-on tours in Lake Manyara
Canoeing in Lake Manyara: USD 74 per person
Night Game drives in Lake Manyara NP: USD 114 per person
Treetop Walkway: USD 54 per person
Add-on tours in Tarangire
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 600 per person
Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Night Game Drives (for clients staying inside): USD 100-200 per person depending on lodge
Add-on tours in Karatu
Coffee Plantation Tour: USD 20 per person
Iraqw Village Tour: USD 25 per person
Endoro Falls & Elephant Caves visit: USD 35 per person