5-Day Tanzania Big Five Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Summary

• Destination
  Arusha, Tarangire, Karatu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Arusha
• Duration
  5 days / 4 nights

The classic northern circuit with a full day dedicated to the Serengeti. After Tarangire you spend two nights in the Serengeti before moving to the Ngorongoro highlands for a final day in the crater.

Travel: By road in a 4×4 safari vehicle

Highlights

• A full day exploring the Serengeti
• Option of a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the plains
• Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
• Tarangire’s elephants and baobabs
• Optional Maasai boma visit or Olduvai Gorge stop on the way to the Serengeti (extra cost)

Day by day

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire

Meet your driver-guide in Arusha and head to Tarangire National Park for a full day of game viewing. Baobabs and acacias line the Tarangire River, which draws large herds in the dry season, and the park is one of the best places to see greater kudu and fringe-eared oryx. Lunch is a picnic overlooking the river, though the resident monkeys will happily help themselves. Continue to Karatu for the night.

Day 2: Karatu to the Serengeti

After breakfast, climb through the misty highland forest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where buffalo, baboons and sometimes elephants or leopards are spotted, then continue to the Serengeti (around four hours to the gate). A Maasai boma visit or a stop at Olduvai Gorge can be added along the way at extra cost. Your first Serengeti game drive brings huge herds of wildebeest and zebra, giraffes and elephants, plus the chance of lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena.

Day 3: Full day in the Serengeti

Set out at first light, when lions and leopards are often hunting, or swap the early drive for an optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight with champagne breakfast. After breakfast you take a packed lunch and spend the whole day on the plains, with your guide planning the route to give you the best chance of the Big Five and the migrating herds.

Day 4: Serengeti to Ngorongoro

Enjoy a final game drive in the Serengeti, returning by a different route to look for anything you missed earlier. Then make your way up to the Ngorongoro highlands for dinner and the night.

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha

Descend from the crater rim into Ngorongoro Crater, a vast green caldera that is home to more than 120 mammal species, including all of the Big Five. It is one of Tanzania’s best places to see the endangered black rhino, with hippo pools, buffalo, big herds of wildebeest and zebra, and predators such as lion, cheetah, jackal and hyena. In the afternoon, drive back to Arusha for your onward journey.

Where you stay

Mid-range:

• Marera Valley Lodge
• Tamba Tented Camp
• Ngorongoro Tortilis

Luxury option:

• Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge
• Serengeti Acacia Bliss
• Ngorongoro Serena

Included

• Safari and accommodation as set out in the itinerary
• 4×4 safari vehicle (6/7-seat extended vehicle)
• Professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Full-board meals as per the itinerary
• Drinking water during the safari
• All activities mentioned in the programme
• All national park and conservation entry fees
• Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover during the safari

Not included

• Domestic and international flights
• Optional activities
• Alcoholic and soft drinks
• Visa fees
• Tips for your driver-guide
• Personal spending (souvenirs and similar)
• Travel insurance
• Serengeti hot-air balloon safari

Senior-friendly and wheelchair accessible

Accessible Travel Kenya caters to everyone. As specialists in inclusive tourism, the company can adapt this trip as a senior-friendly holiday or a wheelchair accessible safari. Tell Accessible Travel Kenya your access needs before you book. The company confirms lodge rooms and bathrooms, arrange a suitable safari vehicle and set a comfortable daily pace, and suggest alternatives where a stop would be difficult.

Prices on request: contact Accessible Travel Kenya for a quote for your dates and group.