Tanzania · Safari

5-Day Tanzania Safari through Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti

5 Days Round trip from Arusha Easy pace

Witness gigantic animals in Serengeti National Park

Experience the flora and fauna of Ngorongoro Crater

Spot small wildlife at Serengeti National Park

View all 6 photos

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Explore the lush landscapes of Lake Manyara National Park
02 Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera
03 Spend three days in the Serengeti's endless plains searching for wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and big cats
04 Discover the wildlife-rich Seronera area, one of the richest habitats in Serengeti National Park

Explore Tanzania's natural wonders on this 5-day safari through Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park. Discover the lush landscapes of Lake Manyara, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a rewarding game drive, and spend three days in the Serengeti's endless plains searching for elephants, buffalo, black rhinos, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, lions, wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles. With game drives, picnic lunches, and stays at safari lodges and luxury tented camps, this journey offers an unforgettable wildlife experience.

The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you plenty of animal action, so keeping your camera ready is definitely recommended.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 5 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Arusha, Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Arusha to Lake Manyara Game Drive

Early in the morning, after breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch for a full-day game drive.

Your night's accommodation will be at Karatu Safari Lodge.

Meals: Lunch and dinner.

Day 02

Ngorongoro Crater Safari and Transfer to Serengeti

On this day of safari to Ngorongoro Crater, you will have an early start.

After a quick breakfast, you will descend at around 6:30 AM to the crater floor. The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you plenty of animal action, so keeping your camera ready is definitely recommended.
After a picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo Pool, you will begin the steep ascent to the crater's top exit.
After lunch, you will head towards Serengeti National Park, travelling through the never-ending plain grasslands.
You will enjoy game viewing en route across the endless plains of the Serengeti for a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, or a pride of lions lounging in the shade. The picnic lunch will be taken during the day-long game drive itself.

The eventful day comes to an end with a hearty dinner and a good night's rest at your accommodation.

Your accommodation will be Suenos Luxury Tented Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 03

Full-Day Game Drive in Central Serengeti

You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for a full-day game drive around 9:00 AM with a packed lunch, returning to the lodge in the late afternoon around 6:00 PM, or you can depart at 6:00 AM for an early morning game drive, later return to the accommodation for breakfast and some time to relax, and then head out again on an afternoon game drive with a packed lunch. Today, you will explore the central portion of Serengeti National Park.
Along with a picnic lunch during the full-day game drive, the day will come to a close at around 5:00 PM.

The long day comes to an end with a hearty dinner and a good night's rest at your accommodation.

Your accommodation will be Suenos De Africa Luxury Tented Camp.

Camp meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 04

Another Full Day on the Serengeti Plains

The day will begin in the centre of the majestic Serengeti. After a nourishing breakfast, we will continue our journey into the plains.
Since we have a full day of game driving, you will likely see hundreds of diverse animals that make their home within the Serengeti's endless plains. This day will likely offer sightings of the African mammals that make the park famous - lions, leopards, elephants, cheetahs, and water buffalo - all within a few feet of the jeep.

Your accommodation will be Suenos De Africa Luxury Tented Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 05

Return from Serengeti to Arusha

This is the last leg of your safari, with a 4-hour drive left to Arusha. The drive can be done early in the morning, and after breakfast, you will check out and drive back to Arusha town, where the Serengeti safari ends.
You will be dropped off at your preferred location in Arusha by 6:00 PM. With an incredible experience and loads of memories to cherish, this is the time to bid goodbye to your team.

Your accommodation and dinner overnight will be at the Arusha Fun Retreat Hotel.

Where this trip takes you

Lake Manyara National Park woodlands, Ngorongoro Crater floor, Serengeti National Park plains

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Arusha 5 cities · 5 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Park entrance fees
Ngorongoro transit fee
Crater service fee
All activities (unless labeled as optional)
All accommodations as stated in the itinerary
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
Round-trip transfer
All meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water on all days
Government-imposed increases of taxes and/or park fees

What's Not Included

International flights (from/to home)
Tips
Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Services not mentioned in the program
Items of a personal nature

What to bring

Personal safari clothes

Know before you go

Lake Manyara 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, 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, Lake Manyara's unique tree-climbing lions, as well as large flocks of flamingos attracted by the algae in the lake.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq km with a depth of over 2,000 feet, where African elephants, buffalo, black rhinos, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, and lions are found in plenty.
The legendary Serengeti National Park is the most renowned safari destination for its incredible population of lions and leopards.
The central portion of the Serengeti - known as the Seronera area - is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife representative of most of the Serengeti's species.
During the off-season of the migration, you must really look out for the many lion prides that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion prides provide an excellent game-viewing experience all year round.
You can spot cheetahs, leopards, lions, and the Big Five animals like lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and black rhino in Serengeti National Park.
Visitors will also have the chance to view some of the park's lesser-known but equally majestic animals, including elands, hyenas, gazelles, crocodiles, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, rhinos, and antelope.
Read the booking and cancellation policy.

Logistics