5 Day Tanzania Safari Tarangire Serengeti & Ngorongoro

5 Day Tanzania Safari Tarangire Serengeti & Ngorongoro | 5-Day Arusha Safari Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater | Tanzania Safari 2 Nights Serengeti National Park, 1 Night Ngorongoro Crater & 1 Night Tarangire National Park | 5 Day Tanzania Northern Safari Circuit Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Tarangire | 5 Day Tanzania Budget Safari | 5 Tanzania Luxury Safaris | 5 Day Tanzania Road Safaris

This is a magnificent 5-day Tanzania road safari that takes you to the best parks in the Northern Tanzania safari circuit including the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park.

Beginning and ending in Arusha Tanzania, this 5-day tour opens with Tarangire National Park, known for its big herds of elephants. We explore the game park in a customized 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof. We stop in the bush for a picnic lunch on our game drive.

Tarangire hosts an array of wild animals, including Lions and Buffalos, as well as various Antelopes, Wildebeest, Giraffes, and Zebras. The national park covers some 2600km² of wilderness, characterized by undulating plains dotted with baobab and acacia trees.

After our wildlife adventure, we head to our first overnight stay at a tented camp/ lodge in or near Tarangire National Park. Accommodation options include Oliver’s Tented Camp, Chem Chem Safari Lodge, Swala Safari camp Maramboi tented camp, and Tarangire Sopa Lodge.

Day two starts with a drive to the Serengeti National Park. We stop for lunch along the way and enjoy a game drive en-route to the camp/ lodge, Serengeti 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 is located in the central part of the Serengeti National Park, deep in the bush. Accommodation options include Acacia Seronera Luxury Camp, Acacia Seronera Luxury Camp, Zawadi Serengeti Camp, Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, and Olakira Camp.

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 the annual wildebeest migration, usually between October and November, and again from April to June, masses (mostly Wildebeest, Gazelles, and Zebras) of plains game migrate across the rivers and plains of the Serengeti ecosystem.

On day four, we take a game drive through Serengeti Park on our way out of the national park, stopping for lunch as we go. We make our way to Olduvai Gorge, a deep ravine in the East African Rift Valley. We visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to see the excavated remains of our ancestors, with Homo erectus remains that date as far back as 1.2 million years ago.

Next, we visit the Ngorongoro Crater, home to one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Accommodation options include The Highlands Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater, Gibb’s Farm, The Manor At Ngorongoro, and Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

On 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.

The crater floor supports a variety of wildlife, including Elephants, Monkeys, Hyenas, Jackal, and herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, and other Antelope species. After a rewarding game drive in this World Heritage Site, we climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha.

Our magical 5-day Tanzania road safari comes to a close in the evening in Arusha.

Itinerary summary

Day 1: Arusha – Drive to Tarangire National Park
Day 2: Tarangire – Drive to Serengeti National Park
Day 3: Explore Serengeti National Park
Day 4: Serengeti – Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
Day 5: Explore Ngorongoro Crater – Drive to Arusha

Safari Itinerary in Detail

Day 1: Arusha Town – Drive to Tarangire National Park

0730 Hours: Depart Arusha or Moshi by road to Tarangire National Park. The Distance from Arusha is 130 Kilometers while from Moshi is 210 Kilometers.

1000 Hours: Arrive at the park and proceed on a game drive. Wildlife to be seen include Elephants, famous tree-climbing Pythons, Leopards, Zebra, Giraffe, Dik Dik, and Ostrich and different species of birds can be seen.

1300 Hours: We arrive at our accommodations in time of lunch. After lunch relax before the afternoon game drive.

1530 Hours: Depart for the afternoon game drive.

With a permanent water source, the park is virtually guaranteed enormous herds and excellent game viewing including Cheetah, Lion (some tree-climbing!), Leopard and Hyena, and a herd of 3,500 Elephants.

The park is also host to several rare species including eland, Oryx, Kudu, and Gerenuk. Tarangire is popular as a birding destination. There are over 550 bird species found here which include the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world, ostriches, etc.

1830 Hours: We return to our accommodations for the night.

Overnight Accommodation: Oliver’s Camp Tarangire, Tarangire Treetops, Chem Chem Safari Lodge, Tarangire Sopa Lodge, Maramboi Tented Camp
Meal Plan: {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2: Tarangire – Drive to Serengeti National Park

0730 Hours: Depart after breakfast at the lodge/ camp and drive 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.

1200 Hours: Arriving at the entry gate near Naabi Hill and have our lunch. Later 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 camp/ lodge. 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.

1800 Hours: Our overnight camp is located in the central part of the Serengeti National Park, deep in the bush.

Overnight Accommodation: Serengeti Sopa Lodge, Serengeti Angata Camp, Serengeti Osupuko Camp, Serengeti Acacia Camp
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3: Explore Serengeti National Park

0730 Hours: First we have breakfast at the comfortable camp/ lodge and then we set off for an adventure-packed day of game viewing in the Serengeti.

We spend the whole of day three exploring the Park, 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.

1800 Hours: After a remarkable day of game viewing in Serengeti National Park, we return to the tented camp surrounded by the African wilderness.

Overnight Accommodation: Asanja Moru, Dunia camp (Asilia Africa), Four Seasons Safari Lodge, or Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 4: Serengeti – Drive to Ngorongoro Crater

0730 Hours: Enjoy breakfast at camp/ lodge, 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. Then we make our way to Olduvai Gorge, a deep ravine in the East African Rift Valley.

The gorge features one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, hosting some of the earliest fossils of our humanoid ancestors. We visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to see the excavated remains of our ancestors, with Homo erectus remains that date as far back as 1.2 million years ago.

1600 Hours: From Olduvai, we continue to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.

Overnight Accommodation: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge or Ngorongoro Serena Lodge or Similar
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner}

Day 5: Explore the Ngorongoro Crater – Drive to Arusha

0700 Hours: We enjoy breakfast early in the morning and dip some 600m down into the crater for an action-packed day of game viewing in this wildlife paradise. Our 4×4 game drive takes us through the diverse habitats of the crater floor, where we encounter a variety of wild animals.

While in the crater we have a picnic lunch. The Ngorongoro Crater is renowned for its high concentration of animals, with most wildlife species represented here. Due to the high density of animal populations, we are likely to see an excellent array of animals in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

1500 Hours: Ascending the crater walls after our game viewing adventure, we return to Arusha.

1830 Hours: Our magical 5-day Tanzania road safari comes to a close in the evening in Arusha.