Plan your safari
5 Days Tarangire Serengeti Ngorongoro Safari

5 Days Tarangire Serengeti Ngorongoro Safari

Five days across northern Tanzania, from Tarangire's baobabs and elephant herds to the endless plains of the Serengeti, an afternoon in the Ngorongoro Crater and the forest shores of Lake Manyara

5 DaysDuration TanzaniaCountries PrivateGroup type
Overview Highlights Daily itinerary Accommodation Inclusions
Enquire now
Overview

Safari after the elephants and the big cats

This 5-day Tanzania safari is best from June to October, when elephants gather in Tarangire and the dry season enhances game viewing. However, it is rewarding year-round.

The 5-Day Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Safari is a private, tailor-made journey from Arusha through Tarangire National Park, central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Park. Northern Tanzania holds four of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife landscapes within a few days’ drive of one another, and this journey visits each in turn. It begins amongst Tarangire’s great baobabs, where elephant herds come down to the river in the dry months, then climbs over the Ngorongoro highlands and descends onto the plains of the Serengeti, which run without a fence to every horizon.

Two nights in the heart of the Serengeti allow a full day amongst its lion prides and granite kopjes, and the return carries you down into the Ngorongoro Crater for an afternoon on its floor, and at last through the fig forest of Lake Manyara on the road home. It is a short journey, so it is honest about its long days, and about the animals no guide can promise. Within those limits, it is as complete a northern Tanzania safari as five days allow.

At a glance

  • Duration5 Days
  • CountriesTanzania
  • Group typePrivate

Activities

A few additions past guests have chosen on this journey.

A dawn hot air balloon safari over the central Serengeti, with breakfast laid in the bush
A stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important palaeoanthropology sites on Earth
A visit to a Maasai community in the Ngorongoro highlands, arranged with your guide
A light-aircraft flight to the Serengeti in place of the Day 2 road
Moments to note

Standout moments

The moments past guests on this journey mention most

I

Tarangire's Elephants and Baobabs

A park of about 2,850 square kilometres where, from roughly June to November, elephant herds gather along the Tarangire River beneath baobabs centuries old.

II

Two Nights in the Heart of the Serengeti

Central Serengeti near Seronera holds resident lion prides all year, with leopard country along the river and granite kopjes rising from the grass.

III

An Afternoon in the Ngorongoro Crater

A descent onto the floor of a caldera some 20 kilometres across and 600 metres deep, home to around 25,000 large animals and one of the last places in Tanzania to see black rhino.

IV

Lake Manyara's Forest and Shore

A national park since 1960 between the Rift Valley wall and the lake, with a groundwater forest of fig and mahogany, baboon troops, elephant and, now and then, lions resting in the trees.

V

The Great Migration, in Its Season

Around 1.5 million wildebeest circle the Serengeti each year, and the herds pass through the central plains in their season, with your guide following where they lead.

VI

Four Landscapes, One Private Guide

Dry-season woodland, open grass plains, a volcanic caldera and a Rift Valley lake, each with its own cast of animals, travelled with a single guide from first morning to last.

Day by day

How the days break down

A starting shape: pace, order and length of each stage are all adjustable.

Day
01
Tarangire
Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Drive South-West From Arusha to Tarangire, Where Elephants Gather Beneath Ancient Baobabs

Your guide collects you in Arusha, or from Kilimanjaro International Airport on a morning arrival, and the road leads south-west out of the town and down into the open country of the Rift, a drive of two to three hours. The farmland gives way to acacia and grass, and then, quite suddenly, to the first great baobabs, their swollen grey trunks standing like sentinels over the plain.
Tarangire covers about 2,850 square kilometres and has been a national park since 1970, and in the dry months, roughly June to November, the Tarangire River becomes the only water for miles and draws elephant in herds that can number in the hundreds. Luncheon is followed by an afternoon game drive along the river, amongst elephant, buffalo, giraffe and the lions that follow them, before you settle in for your first night in the bush.

Where you rest

A lodge or tented camp in or beside Tarangire National Park · One night here, positioned for an early start west.

Day
02
Serengeti
Tarangire to the central Serengeti, by way of the Ngorongoro highlands

Cross the Ngorongoro Highlands and Descend Onto the Endless Plains of the Serengeti

Today is the longest of the journey, and one of the most beautiful. An early departure leads west through Karatu and up into the Ngorongoro highlands, where the road climbs through cool, misted forest along the crater's outer rim before falling away onto the short-grass plains beyond, roughly seven to eight hours in all, with a picnic luncheon on the way.
At Naabi Hill Gate the Serengeti begins in earnest, and the last hours to Seronera are a game drive in their own right, across plains that hold zebra, gazelle and, in their season, the herds of the Great Migration. You reach camp in the late afternoon, in the very heart of the park, as the light turns gold and the plains fall quiet.

Where you rest

A lodge or tented camp in the central Serengeti, near Seronera · Two nights here, positioned for a full day exploring the park

Day
03
Serengeti
Full day exploring the central Serengeti

Follow Seronera's Lion Prides From Dawn to Dusk Across the Heart of the Serengeti

The day begins before sunrise, whilst Seronera's resident prides are at their most active and the light is at its kindest. Morning drives wind amongst the granite kopjes, ancient outcrops where lion like to rest and survey their country, and across plains of zebra, gazelle, topi and buffalo, with cheetah often found on the open grass. The Serengeti covers close to 15,000 square kilometres and has been a national park since 1951 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.
After luncheon and a rest at camp, the afternoon follows the Seronera River, whose fringe of trees is some of the finest leopard country in Africa, though a leopard can never be promised, and the pools where hippo lie in the shallows. A dawn hot air balloon safari is available this morning, for those who would see the plains from above before the day's drives begin.

Where you rest

Second night in the central Serengeti · Second night here.

Day
04
Ngorongoro Crater
Central Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater, with an afternoon on the crater floor

Leave the Plains After an Early Drive and Descend Into the Ngorongoro Crater by Afternoon

A last early game drive leads you out of the Serengeti by way of Naabi Hill and back up into the highlands, roughly three to four hours, to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was created in 1959 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979, and the first sight of the caldera from its rim, a world entire some 600 metres below, is one few travellers forget.
After an early luncheon you descend onto the crater floor, some 20 kilometres across and home to around 25,000 large animals: lion, buffalo, elephant, zebra, wildebeest and hippo, and one of the last places in Tanzania where black rhino may still be seen, though never with certainty. Giraffe are absent from the floor. The climb back to the rim is timed for the last of the light, as every vehicle must leave the crater by 6:00 pm.

Where you rest

A lodge on the Ngorongoro Crater rim · One night here, above the caldera.

Day
05
Arusha
Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara National Park, then on to Arusha

Wind Through Lake Manyara's Fig Forest and Along Its Shore on the Road Home to Arusha

After breakfast on the rim, the road descends through Karatu to Mto wa Mbu and the gate of Lake Manyara National Park, roughly two hours. A national park since 1960, Manyara is a narrow strip between the towering wall of the Rift Valley and the lake itself, and its gate opens onto a groundwater forest of fig and mahogany, cool and green, where baboon troops forage on the track and elephant move quietly through the trees.
The drive leads on to the open shore and its hippo pools, with flamingo in large numbers in some seasons, and, now and then, lions resting in the branches of the acacias, a habit for which Manyara is known though seldom witnessed. After a picnic luncheon the road returns to Arusha, roughly two to two and a half hours, arriving in the late afternoon, five days and four great parks after you set out.

What you'll likely see

Key species on this route

Based on past travellers' experiences, here's what this route is really about.

· · · · · · ·
Elephant
Elephant
97% chance
Giraffe
Giraffe
96% chance
Zebra
Zebra
95% chance
Lion
Lion
95% chance
Buffalo
Buffalo
92% chance
Hippo
Hippo
90% chance
Wildebeest
Wildebeest
90% chance
Spotted Hyena
Spotted Hyena
88% chance
Cheetah
Cheetah
65% chance
Leopard
Leopard
60% chance
The details

What's included

What's included

  • Collection from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport on Day 1, and return to Arusha on Day 5
  • Private vehicle and driver guide throughout the safari
  • Park and conservation area fees for Tarangire, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Manyara
  • Ngorongoro Crater descent fee for the Day 4 afternoon
  • All meals during the safari (full board), including picnic luncheons on Days 2 and 5
  • Game drives on every day of the safari
  • Bottled water throughout

What's not included

  • International flights to and from Tanzania
  • Tanzanian visa fees, Travel insurance, including any mandatory visitor insurance in force at the time of travel
  • Accommodation in Arusha before or after the safari
  • Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
  • Optional extras such as the hot air balloon safari, an Olduvai Gorge stop, a Maasai community visit or a flight to the Serengeti
  • Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport on Day 5, unless arranged
  • Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
  • Personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, curio purchases)

Notes about this trip

  • The Big Five are a real chance on this route, never a promise. Black rhino are possible only in the Ngorongoro Crater, and leopard is never certain anywhere
  • The Ngorongoro Crater visit is an afternoon of around four hours on Day 4. Descents close to new entries at 4:00 pm and all vehicles must leave by 6:00 pm
  • Tree-climbing lions at Lake Manyara and its flamingos are seasonal and occasional, and are never promised
  • The position of the Great Migration varies by month and from year to year, and your specialist will advise where the herds are likely to be for your dates
Responsible travel

Four Parks, and a Promise to Protect Them

We believe a responsible Tanzania safari should leave each park a little better protected for your having come. On this journey the fees you pay are shared across four protected areas, and your guide will gladly tell you where they go and why they matter.

I

Fees That Keep Three National Parks Wild

Tarangire, the Serengeti and Lake Manyara are run by Tanzania National Parks, and the park fees paid on every day of your safari help to fund the rangers and anti-poaching patrols who protect them.

II

A Landscape Shared by People and Wildlife

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was created in 1959 as a place where people and wildlife share the land, a rare model in Africa, and its fees support the management of the crater, the highlands and the plains beyond.

III

Guarding the Crater's Black Rhino

Poaching once reduced the crater's black rhino to fewer than 20, and today's population of around 30, the largest single group left in Tanzania, survives because of constant protection that visitors' fees help to sustain.

IV

Plain About What We Cannot Promise

We would rather tell you the truth than a pleasing story. The Migration moves with the rains, leopard and rhino are never certain, and Manyara's tree-climbing lions are a rare delight, so every promise on this page is one we intend to keep.

Make it mine

Tell us who is travelling and what you hope to feel when you come home, and your specialist will shape this luxury Tanzania safari

Five days is a fine introduction to northern Tanzania, and we have always found that guests who come once tend to wish they had lingered. Add a night on the Ngorongoro rim for a full day on the crater floor, exchange the long Day 2 road for a short flight to the Serengeti, or stay a third night to follow the Migration. A Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari also closes beautifully with a few days on Zanzibar, and for honeymooners or a family celebration, we would be glad to arrange a private bush dinner under the stars.

Shape your Tanzania safari
If this isn't quite right

Similar safaris

4 Days Great Migration Calving Safari
Tanzania

4 Days Great Migration Calving Safari

Four days on the Ndutu calving grounds, with a full day inside Ngorongoro Crater, mid-December through…

4 Days View safari
7 Days Ndutu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Tanzania

7 Days Ndutu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater Safari

Seven days across Ndutu, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, three landscapes, one continuous circuit.

7 Days View safari
Ultimate Tanzania Safari
Tanzania

Ultimate Tanzania Safari

Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one tailor-made 6-day Tanzania safari.

6 days View safari
Common questions

Before you enquire

It is a private 5 day Tanzania safari that starts and ends in Arusha and visits four parks: Tarangire (one night), the central Serengeti (two nights), the Ngorongoro Crater (one night on the rim, with an afternoon on the crater floor) and Lake Manyara on the way back to Arusha.

Five days gives a rewarding first taste of both, with a full day in the central Serengeti and an afternoon of around four hours on the crater floor. It is a fast pace with two long road days, so many guests add a night at Ngorongoro or a third night in the Serengeti.

Day 2 is the longest, roughly seven to eight hours from Tarangire to the central Serengeti, with a game drive on the final stretch. Arusha to Tarangire is two to three hours, the Serengeti to the crater roughly three to four, and Lake Manyara to Arusha roughly two to two and a half. A flight can replace the Day 2 drive.

You have a real chance at all five, but no sighting can be guaranteed. Lion, elephant and buffalo are seen on most days, leopard is the one most often missed, and black rhino are possible only in the Ngorongoro Crater, where around 30 survive.

June to October is the finest window, when the dry season concentrates animals and Tarangire’s elephants gather at the river. January and February are also excellent, with the calving season on the southern Serengeti plains. The long rains, roughly April and May, bring greener landscapes and quieter parks, and some camps close for part of that time.

That depends on the month. The herds are usually on the southern plains from roughly January to March, pass through the central and western Serengeti from roughly April to June, and are in the north from roughly July to October. Your specialist will advise where they are likely to be for your dates.

Lake Manyara is known for lions that sometimes rest in the branches of its acacias, but the sighting is occasional and can never be promised. The park’s groundwater forest, baboon troops, elephant and lakeshore are reason enough to visit on their own.

It starts and finishes in Arusha. Your guide can collect you from an Arusha hotel or from Kilimanjaro International Airport, about 50 kilometres away, on a morning arrival. Day 5 returns to Arusha in the late afternoon, so a night in Arusha or a late-evening flight home is recommended.

Most visitors, including citizens of the United States, Germany, Finland and Japan, need a Tanzanian visa, which can be applied for online before travel. A yellow fever certificate is required only if you arrive from or through a country with yellow fever risk, and your specialist confirms current requirements, including any mandatory visitor insurance, before you book.

This is a private safari with its own vehicle and guide, tailored to your dates and group. Rates are not published on this page, because every trip is built around your dates, lodges and group size, and an enquiry returns a tailored quotation from your specialist.

Ready when you are

Ask about 5 Days Tarangire Serengeti Ngorongoro Safari

Tell us your dates and we'll confirm whether the timing works, then adjust the route from there.

Start planning this trip