4-Day Lodge Safari: Tanzanian Highlights
Get ready for a close encounter with the Big Five on this action-packed 4 day safari in Tanzania’s northern parks!
A Tanzanian safari is an experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, not everyone has enough time for an extended adventure. We have therefore designed this safari package to give you a short but intense taste of what Tanzania has to offer in three of her most amazing national parks including the endless plains of the Serengeti, voted most beautiful national park in Africa in 2021 for the third consecutive year.
We will first visit Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its lush landscapes and tree-climbing lions before heading on to the famous Serengeti plains where the supreme wildlife viewing and diverse scenery will astound you.
Last but not least, we will descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places in Tanzania and home to the endangered black rhino.
A safari fully adaptable to your needs
As with all of our safari packages, this suggested itinerary can be adapted to suit your own personal preferences. Departure dates are also completely flexible.
Accommodation
On this safari, you will spend your three nights in 4-star lodges on the outskirts of the national parks with the exception of Serengeti where you will sleep inside the park.
Please note however that we have something to offer for every budget, from basic campsites with facilities, to mid-range accommodation, to superior and luxury tented camps and lodges.
If you wish to enquire about the price for another category of accommodation for this safari package or add additional adventures to your safari (ex. hot air balloon flight over Serengeti), please do not hesitate to contact us.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arusha or Moshi - Lake Manyara National Park
Activities: Travel (2.5 hrs from Arusha or 4.5 hrs from Moshi) / Half-day game drive
Meals: Lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
Meet your professional tour guide/driver in Moshi or Arusha and receive a short briefing about your safari before hitting the road in direction of Lake Manyara National Park. We arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and then head out for our first game drive.
Lake Manyara National Park is a relatively small but diverse park, known for its massive but shallow soda lake that covers two-thirds of its surface, flooding and drying with the seasons and home to thousands of flamingos and 500 other bird species. Located at the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment, the park’s varied habitat attracts a wide variety of animals, including one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants, as well as monkeys, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes and the famous tree-climbing lions, although they are a rare sight.
After an event-filled afternoon, we will head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2
Lake Manyara - Serengeti
Activities: Travel (6 hours with en-route game drive) / Afternoon game-drive in Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
After breakfast, we head out towards Serengeti National Park via the beautiful high lying farmlands of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As we leave the highlands behind us, we descend into the heart of wild Africa with endless plains rolling in the distance as far as the eye can see, as well as diverse landscapes such as swamps, lakes, savannah, and mountains. These sublime landscapes are home to the Maasai herdsmen who live in relative harmony alongside the region’s abundant wildlife. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to an incredible abundance of animals, including Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, giraffes, wildebeest, zebra and large herds of buffalo.
Upon arrival at the entry gate to Serengeti National Park, we will stop for a hot lunch before heading out to the central park area known as Seronera, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. Here, the Seronera River provides a valuable water source to the area and therefore attracts an abundance of wildlife, well representative of most of the species common to Serengeti.
Our first Serengeti game drive will end at sunset as we travel to our lodge where you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3
Serengeti - Ngorongoro Crater
Activity: Sunrise game drive / Travel to Ngorongoro area with en-route game drive
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range lodge or tented lodge
After breakfast we will embark on our last game drive in Serengeti until lunch time, after which we will leave the park and head towards Ngorongoro via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We will again be driving through the amazing landscapes of this region, witnessing the Maasai as they graze their cattle and spotting a lot of game along the way...
It is also possible to stop at Olduvai Gorge (optional: $35 extra) on the way. This place boasts a history that dates back to the dawn of time. It was here that the anthropologists Lois and Mary Leakey discovered the skulls of the ‘Nutcracker Man’ and the ‘Handy Man’, both very significant links in the chain of human evolution.
We will arrive at our lodge in the late afternoon and will have some free time to settle in before dinner and our overnight stay.
- Optional: Be one of the fortunate few to glide in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti Plains at sunrise, floating silently above the awakening bush, across rivers and over numerous small villages while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing Tanzanian scenery. (Available at an additional cost / pre-booking is required).
Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha or Moshi
Activities: Half-day game drive / Travel (4 hrs to Arusha or 6 hrs to Moshi)
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
After breakfast, we will embark on an unforgettable safari across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater for a chance to see the endangered black rhinoceros in full view.
Home to the Big Five (elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos), the crater alone boasts a whopping 25,000 animals, all of which live together in this natural enclosure. Apart from the popular Big Five, you will see a multitude of other wild animals, from the pink flamingos of Lake Makat, to large herds of wildebeest, zebras, elands, and warthogs. Another big attraction in this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which includes hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, lions and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. We will then stop for lunch at Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the south-western corner of the crater, home to a large number of hippos and water birds.
After this exciting excursion, we will hit the road for the drive back to Arusha or Moshi.
Included in package
- Professional English speaking driver/guide
- Pick-up at Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport if arriving the day before the start of your safari
- Pick-up at your hotel in Moshi or Arusha on Day 1
- Drop-off at your hotel or Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport on Day 4
- All meals except breakfast on Day 1 & dinner on Day 4
- Bottled water
- Mid-range lodge accommodation
Not included in package
- Flight tickets
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, soft drinks, juice or alcoholic beverages, any other items of a personal nature)
- Tip for your safari guide (suggested amount: $30 per day per vehicle)