5 Day Tanzania Safari Manyara Serengeti & Ngorongoro | 5 Days Manyara, Serengeti, Olduvai & Ngorongoro | 5 Days 4 Nights Safari Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater | 1 Night Lake Manyara National Park, 2 Nights Serengeti National Park & 1 Night Ngorongoro Crater | 1 Night Lake Manyara, 2 Nights Serengeti & 1 Night Ngorongoro Tanzania Safari | Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater | Tanzania Road Safaris | Tanzania Wildlife Safaris & Tours
This 5-day, Tanzania road safari itinerary takes you on a journey through Tanzania’s well-loved Northern Safari Circuit. Beginning and ending in Arusha, the tour starts with the beauty of Lake Manyara with its thousands of Flamingos and famous tree-climbing Lions before moving on to encounter the spectacle of the Ngorongoro Crater floor, home to Africa’s Big 5.
The sweeping plains of the Serengeti provide a backdrop for the tour’s grand finale. Departing from Arusha, we travel by road to Lake Manyara National Park, encountering animals and birds, and enjoying the African bush scenery on game viewing drives.
The national park is dominated by the Great Rift Lake of Lake Manyara, a shallow alkaline lake attracting numerous water birds. Lake Manyara is best known for the huge seasonal Flamingo flocks fringing its shores, along with various other waterfowl.
Lake Manyara national park is also known for its tree-climbing lions, often spotted sleeping in the trees or in the shade below, as well as its big baboon troops. On our game drive, we lookout for Elephants, Hippos, Buffalos, banded Mongooses, Monkeys, Klipspringers, and numerous Gazelle and Antelope species.
On Day two, we continue with the journey to the Serengeti National Reserve, passing the village of Mto Wa Mbu and Karatu town. We travel into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, making our way to the higher-lying ground. Along the way, we stop to admire the views over the Rift Valley below.
Heading further along the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater we drive down the outer slopes towards the open plains of the Serengeti. Driving past rural villages where the pastoralist Maasai people live we make our way to the Serengeti National Park. Arriving at the entry gate near Naabi Hill you can take a short walk to the viewpoint and survey the vast grasslands from above.
Driving into the central area of Serengeti Park, known as the Seronera section, the game viewing adventure continues. We embark on a game drive en route to our accommodations, stopping for lunch along the way.
This is one of the best safari destinations in the world, rivaling Kenya’s Masai Mara. Here you will see a rich variety of wildlife roaming the African savannahs that stretch out as far as the eye can see. Our overnight camp/ lodge is located in the central part of the Serengeti National Park, deep in the bush.
We spend the whole of day three exploring the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania, pausing for a picnic lunch in the wilderness. Here we will hopefully see the Big Five of Africa (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant, and Buffalo), as well as a dazzling assortment of other wildlife.
Day four starts with breakfast at camp, as the sun rises. Then we take a game drive through Serengeti Park on our way out of the national park, stopping for lunch as we go.
Keep your eyes open for wildlife, especially in the early morning hours when animals and birds are more active. Next, we visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
Day five we descend to the Ngorongoro Crater floor, taking in stunning views of the world’s largest unflooded caldera on the way down. The crater is home to the Big Five and almost every kind of big mammal found in Africa.
After a rewarding game drive in this World Heritage Site, we climb out of the crater and drive to Arusha. Our magical 5-day Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Tanzania Safari comes to a close in the evening in Arusha.
Itinerary summary
Day 1: Arusha – Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
Day 2: Lake Manyara – Drive to Serengeti National Park
Day 3: Explore Serengeti National Park
Day 4: Serengeti – Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
Day 5: Ngorongoro – Drive to Arusha
Itinerary in Detail
Day 1: Arusha – Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
Depart Arusha for Lake Manyara National Park. Arrive at the lodge by lunchtime. Lunch and afternoon game drive follow in this very scenic park with fabulous views over the valley to the lake below.
Lake Manyara National Park is small, beautiful, and richly diverse; its manageable size makes it possible to see virtually every highlight in a day, from its pods of Hippos wallowing in the lake alongside the pink fluttering of a million Flamingos to its rich wildlife and perhaps some of the park’s famous tree-lounging Lions.
Overnight Accommodation option: Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, Kirurumu Manyara, Manyara Green Camp, and Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
Meal Plan {Lunch and Dinner}
Day 2: Lake Manyara – Drive to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, we depart Lake Manyara and head to the Serengeti National Park via the famous Olduvai Gorge. We stop to visit the Olduvai Museum and Gorge, the archaeological site where fossils of our earliest human ancestors and their tools have been unearthed.
There is also the option of visiting a Masai village to encounter East Africa’s best-known ethnic group – the semi-nomadic Maasai. Then we enjoy an en-route game drive to our safari lodge or tented camp at the legendary Serengeti Park.
Serengeti covers about 14 760 km² of open plains and wilderness. This unique wildlife reserve hosts an awe-inspiring abundance of large mammals including masses of herbivores such as Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Buffalo, and Hartebeest among others.
The Serengeti Park is also famous for predator populations, especially big cats – Lion, Cheetah, and Leopard.
Overnight Accommodation option: Ang’ata Serengeti Camp, Four Seasons Safari Lodge, andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp, and Kiota Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner}
Day 3: Explore Serengeti National Park
First, we have breakfast at the comfortable tented camp and then we set off for an adventure-packed day of game viewing in this top African game park.
We spend the whole of day three exploring the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania, pausing for a picnic lunch in the wilderness. Here we will hopefully see the Big Five of Africa (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant, and Buffalo), as well as a dazzling assortment of other wildlife.
During and after the rainy seasons you may be lucky enough to catch the Great Migration in full force. Usually, between October and November, and again from April to June, masses of plains game migrate across the rivers and plains of the Serengeti ecosystem.
During the annual migration hundreds of thousands of herbivores (mostly Wildebeest, Gazelles, and Zebras), move between Masai Mara and the Serengeti along an ancient route. The migration catches the attention of the abundant predators of Serengeti, drawn to the easy prey of the migrating herds.
The timing and path of the Great Migration vary from season to season, but your safari guide uses his or her knowledge to find the optimal spots for catching the spectacle.
After a remarkable day of game viewing in Serengeti National Park, we return to the tented camp surrounded by the African wilderness.
Overnight Accommodation option: Ang’ata Serengeti Camp, Four Seasons Safari Lodge, andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp, and Kiota Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner}
Day 4: Serengeti – Drive to the Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, we take a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park, stopping for a picnic lunch at Nabi Hill gate. We then head for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area enjoying a game drive en-route.
Our journey takes us via the Malanja Depression through various Masai villages where these distinctive East Africans can be seen going about their daily lives.
We arrive at our safari lodge/ camp in the Ngorongoro Crater area in time for dinner.
Overnight Accommodation option: Bougainvillea Lodge, Country Lodge, Entamanu Ngorongoro, Gibbs Farm, Kirurumu Ngorongoro, Lemala Ngorongoro, and Neptune Ngorongoro
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner}
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater – Drive to Arusha
After breakfast, we set off for the game-rich Ngorongoro Crater and embark on a six-hour game drive. The Ngorongoro Crater is home to one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, with almost every large mammal represented across the range of natural habitats here.
Exploring the floor of the world’s largest unflooded volcanic crater offers superb wildlife sightings! A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ngorongoro is a huge caldera 18 km in diameter with walls as high as 600 meters.
The fertile crater supports a variety of wildlife, including Elephants, Monkeys, Hyenas, Jackal, and herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, and other antelope species, in diverse habitats.
We picnic in the crater and after an exciting day of game viewing, leave the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area and travel by road to Arusha arriving in the evening, bringing this 4 day Tanzania road safari to a close.
Meal Plan {Breakfast & Lunch}
5 Day Tanzania Safari Manyara Serengeti & Ngorongoro Prices
5 Day Tanzania Safari Manyara Serengeti & Ngorongoro Includes:
Accommodation as specified in the itinerary on full-board (3 meals a day) in Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater + Exclusive transport in a 4WD Land cruiser with a game viewing roof hatch + All park entry fees for clients, driver-guide and vehicle + Fuel, driver and car park fees, driver’s allowance & 3 game drives during the tour
| Dates From | Dates To | Price Per Person | Children Aged 2 to 12 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st January 2022 | 31st December 2022 | Request for rates | Request for rates |
5 Day Tanzania Safari Manyara Serengeti & Ngorongoro Excludes:
* International Airfare
* Cost of obtaining passport and visas
* Accommodations in Arusha or Moshi
* Gratuity for your professional driver-guide
* Gratuity for Porterage/ waiters at hotels, camps, and airports
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)
* Personal expenses such traveling insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include, laundry, emails, faxes, and phone calls beverages including luxury champagne, luxury spirits, beer, wines during meals or meals not indicated in the itinerary