On this 5-day northern Tanzanian safari, you will experience the excitement of game viewing in some of the most spectacular wildlife reserves in Africa!

This unforgettable journey is designed to give you extra time to explore the great Serengeti National Park, while allowing you to get a glimpse of Lake Manyara National Park and the sublime Ngorongoro Crater, nicknamed the eighth natural wonder of the world. 

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 needs and preferences with departure dates that are completely flexible.

Accommodation

On this safari, you will spend your nights in basic campsites with facilities.  However, we have something to offer for every budget, from camping, to mid-range accommodation, to superior and luxury tented camps and lodges. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you should require a price for another accommodation category or if you would like to add additional visits or experiences to your itinerary (example: a visit to a traditional Massai village or a hot-air balloon flight over the Serengeti Plains).

Itinerary

Day 1

Lake Manyara National Park

Activities: Travel (4.5 hrs from Moshi/2.5 hrs from Arusha) to Lake Manyara / Half-day game drive
Meals: Lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Camping

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 campsite 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 adventure-filled afternoon, we will head back to the campsite for dinner and overnight stay.  

Day 2

Serengeti National Park

Activities: Travel (6 hours) with en-route game drive / Half day game drive in Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Camping

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.

It’s a long drive, but witnessing the sublime landscapes and spotting wild animals along the way makes it well worth it…

Upon arrival at the entry gate to Serengeti National Park, we will stop for a well-deserved lunch before heading out to the central 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 campsite. Here you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 3

Serengeti National Park

Activities: Full-day game drive
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Camping

After breakfast, we will continue our exploration of the Serengeti following the Sogore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River. This area is good for spotting lions, Thomson gazelle, topis, ostriches and cheetahs among other animals. The Visitor Centre close to the Serengeti Seronera Lodge and public campsites is well worth a visit after the morning’s game drive. This nicely designed centre offers some interesting wildlife displays as well as a gift shop selling information leaflets and maps of the area. Here we will enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch in the shade of the giant acacia trees.

After lunch, our game drive will continue on the Kopjes Circuit, which goes anti-clockwise around the Maasai Kopjes. This area usually attracts a number of lions and some large cobras. Kopjes are weathered granite outcrops, scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rock after the rains. This makes the kopjes particularly good for spotting wildlife in the dry season – including predators such as lions who like to lie in wait of their prey as they go there to quench their thirst.

Our game drive will end at sundown as we travel back to our campsite for dinner and an 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

Serengeti - Ngorongoro area

Activities: Half-day game drive in Serengeti / Travel (4 hours) to Ngorongoro area
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Camping

This morning we will embark on a sunrise game drive in Serengeti, after which we will head back to the campsite for brunch and a short rest. Our game drive will then continue as we make our way to the exit of Serengeti National Park in the early afternoon. 

The excitement will continue as we take the journey back through the amazing Ngorongoro Conservation Area where we will once again take in the incredible scenery and watch the wildlife as they graze in the area. 

We will arrive at our campsite just before sunset for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5

Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha or Moshi

Activities: Half-day game drive in Ngorongoro Crater / Travel (4 hrs to Arusha or 6 hrs to Moshi)
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

This morning we wake up very early for breakfast in order to spend as much time as possible exploring Ngorongoro Crater.

The crater alone is home to approximately 25,000 animals, all of which live together in this natural enclosure, including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos. Here you will spot the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros) as well as a multitude of other wild animals, from the pink flamingos of Lake Makat, to large herds of wildebeest, zebras, buffaloes, elands, and warthogs. Another big attraction in this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which includes hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot.

We will also visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner of the crater, home to a large number of hippos and water birds. We will have lunch in this beautiful area before heading toward the exit of the park at around 2:00 p.m. and hitting 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 in Moshi or Arusha or at Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport on Day 5
• All meals prepared by and experienced cook, except breakfast on Day 1 & dinner on Day 5
• Bottled water
• Campsite accommodation with common showers, flush toilets & common dining area

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)
• Tips for your safari guide and cook (suggested amount : $30 per day per vehicle for your guide / $15 per day per vehicle for your cook)