Standard Wildlife Safaris
5 Days in Tanzania The Essential Wildlife Expedition
- Overview
Each park offers a unique ecosystem and impressive wildlife concentrations. In Tarangire, you’ll find massive elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. Ngorongoro’s volcanic caldera shelters lions, rhinos, and thousands of ungulates. Lake Manyara surprises with tree-climbing lions, flamingos, and verdant forest trails. Then, the Serengeti delivers the ultimate safari climax: lions hunting, cheetahs sprinting, and possibly a glimpse of the Great Migration depending on the season.
With comfortable mid-range lodges selected for their location, charm, and amenities, you’ll enjoy game-packed days and restful nights. Your private safari vehicle and expert guide ensure flexibility, insight, and unforgettable encounters from the first sunrise to the last.
- Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Depart Arusha after breakfast and journey south to Tarangire National Park, about a 2-hour drive. Known for its dramatic landscape of baobab trees and winding rivers, the park is a haven for elephants—often seen in large family herds. You’ll begin your game drive immediately, scanning for giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and predators hidden in the brush.
Lunch will be a delicious picnic served in the heart of the park, offering scenic views while you dine. Your guide will then take you deeper into the park’s seasonal swamps and riverbanks before you exit in the late afternoon. You’ll head to your lodge near the park boundary, where you’ll enjoy a warm dinner and rest under the stars.
Accommodation
Tarangire Simba Lodge
Amenities
- Cozy en-suite rooms with wood-burning stoves
- Hot water bottles for chilly nights
- Restaurant with buffet-style meals
- Bar and fireplace lounge
- Scenic forest setting with wildlife sightings
- Eco-friendly solar electricity
Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park – Drive to Ngorongoro Highlands
After breakfast, travel a short distance to Lake Manyara National Park. This compact yet diverse park is home to flamingos, blue monkeys, hippos, and the famed tree-climbing lions. You’ll drive through lush groundwater forest, open grassy plains, and lakeshore, enjoying the changing habitats and birdlife.
Following your game drive and a scenic picnic lunch, continue up the escarpment into the Ngorongoro Highlands. The landscape shifts dramatically as you climb into the cool, misty highlands. By late afternoon, arrive at your crater-rim lodge, where wildlife often wanders near the property. Relax by the fire and enjoy a hearty meal before turning in.
Accommodation
Rhino Lodge
Amenities
- Cozy en-suite rooms with wood-burning stoves
- Hot water bottles for chilly nights
- Restaurant with buffet-style meals
- Bar and fireplace lounge
- Scenic forest setting with wildlife sightings
- Eco-friendly solar electricity
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive – Transfer to Serengeti
After an early breakfast, descend 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater for a half-day game drive. The crater floor offers a microcosm of East African wildlife in a compact space — lions, buffaloes, hippos, jackals, and (if you’re lucky) the rare black rhino. Your guide will navigate through marshes, plains, and acacia groves as you learn about this geological wonder.
After a picnic lunch near a hippo pool, begin your journey toward Serengeti National Park, entering via the Naabi Hill Gate. The route itself is part of the safari, with possible wildlife sightings along the way. Arrive in Central Serengeti just in time for sunset and dinner at your tented camp deep in the bush.
Accommodation
Into the Wild Tented Camp
Amenities
- Spacious walk-in tents with en-suite bathrooms
- Solar-powered lights and charging station
- On-site dining and bush bar
- Fire pit lounge under the stars
- Excellent location for big cat sightings
Day 4: Full Day in Serengeti National Park
Wake early for a sunrise game drive when wildlife is most active. The Central Serengeti is known for its abundance of predators — lions resting on kopjes, cheetahs stalking prey, and hyenas scavenging. Depending on the season, you might even witness part of the Great Migration with massive herds of wildebeest and zebras on the move.
Return to camp for lunch and some downtime, or enjoy a full-day drive with a packed lunch for deeper exploration into different parts of the park. End your day with a golden-hour game drive, followed by storytelling and dinner around the campfire under a blanket of stars.
Accommodation
Into the Wild Tented Camp
Amenities
- Spacious walk-in tents with en-suite bathrooms
- Solar-powered lights and charging station
- On-site dining and bush bar
- Fire pit lounge under the stars
- Excellent location for big cat sightings
Day 5: Morning Serengeti Game Drive – Fly or Drive Back to Arusha
Enjoy a final morning game drive in the Serengeti, soaking in the last glimpses of its breathtaking wildlife and landscapes. Watch giraffes feed on acacias, hippos laze in muddy pools, and birds swoop over the plains. Depending on your departure plan, you’ll either fly back to Arusha (recommended for convenience) or take a scenic drive with a lunch stop en route.
Your adventure concludes with drop-off in Arusha at your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport. You leave with unforgettable memories and thousands of stunning photos.
Accommodation
- Included in this Tour
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All park fees and Ngorongoro crater entry
- 4 nights mid-range accommodation (FB)
- Daily game drives as per itinerary
- Bottled water during safaris
- All government taxes and levies
- Not Included in this Tour
- International/domestic flights (optional Serengeti–Arusha flight)
- Airport transfers (can be arranged)
- Visa fees and travel insurance
- Tips to driver-guide and hotel staff
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Additional activities (e.g. Maasai village, Olduvai Gorge)
ENQUIRY FORM
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