5-Day Tanzania Wildlife Safari with Serengeti and Ngorongoro

• Pick up from Arusha and transfer to Lake Manyara National Park.

• Have lunch at the camp and head into Lake Manyara National Park for an afternoon game drive. This national park is one of Tanzania's most dramatically located wildlife areas, consisting of a massive but shallow soda lake covering two-thirds of the park, set 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, Lake Manyara's unique tree-climbing lions, as well as large flocks of flamingos drawn by the algae in the lake.

Dinner and overnight stay at Lake Manyara Jambo Campsite.
Non-game-viewing travel time: 2.5 hours.
Distance: 130 km.

• Head towards Serengeti National Park via the beautiful high-lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

• Descend into the heart of wild Africa - Serengeti National Park - with its endless plains rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see.

• Continue to the central park area known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source and therefore attracts abundant wildlife.

• Have lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park.

Dinner and overnight in the centre at Serengeti Seronera Nyani Campsite.

Non-game-viewing travel time: 6 hours.

Distance: 205 km.

• Glide in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti Plains, available at supplementary cost by pre-arrangement.

• Float silently above the awakening bush while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing scenery of Africa, across rivers and over numerous small bushes.

• Drive along the Sogore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River and offers possible sightings of lions, Thomson gazelles, topi, ostriches, and cheetahs. The Visitor Centre near the Serengeti Seronera Lodge and public campsites is also well worth a visit after the morning's game drive.

Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Seronera public campsite.

• Depart for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

• Have lunch at the camp and descend more than 600 m into the crater for a half-day safari tour. Supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, Ngorongoro National Park supports a vast variety of animals, including herds of wildebeests, zebra, buffaloes, elands, warthogs, hippos, and giant African elephants.

• Visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner and one of the main features of the crater.

• See a large number of flamingos, hippos, and other water birds.

Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Simba Campsite.

Non-game-viewing travel time: 2.5 hours.

Distance: 145 km.

• Depart for Tarangire National Park. The park runs along the line of the Tarangire River and is mainly made up of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. Its natural vegetation mainly consists of Acacia woodland and giant African baobab trees, with huge swamp areas in the south. Both the river and the swamps act like a magnet for wild animals during Tanzania's dry season. Tarangire National Park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. This African national park is also home to three rare species of animals - the Greater Kudu, the Fringed-eared Oryx, as well as a few Ashy Starlings.

• Have a picnic lunch and go on an afternoon game drive.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Arusha town.

Non-game-viewing travel time: 2 hours.

Distance: 120 km.