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4 days · Tanzania · Mid-range

4 Days Ultimate Northern Tanzania Safari: Serengeti & Ngorongoro

A four-day lodge safari focused on northern Tanzania's two icons: two nights on the Serengeti with a full day on the plains, then a lodge night on the crater rim and a game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor.

  • 4 days
  • Tanzania
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Arusha
  • Ends Arusha
Lion tree tree climbing

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
4 days
Country
Tanzania
Destinations
Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
Safari style
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Arusha
Ends
Arusha

Best for

  • Short trips
  • Couples
  • Travellers who prefer lodges

The route

A round trip from Arusha

  1. Stop 1Arusha
  2. Stop 2Serengeti
  3. Stop 3Ngorongoro Crater
  4. Stop 4Arusha

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Two nights in a Serengeti lodge
  • A full day of game drives on the Serengeti plains
  • A lodge night on the Ngorongoro Crater rim
  • Optional balloon safari over the Serengeti

Day by day

Four days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Lion lioness golden light

Day 1

Arusha → Serengeti National Park

North-west to the Serengeti

Depart Arusha in the morning and journey north-west across the Crater Highlands to the Serengeti plains, climbing through farmland and forest before the land opens into endless grassland. Arrive in the afternoon for a game drive through a world-famous landscape of grassland, kopjes and acacia, where lion, elephant, buffalo and many other animals live in impressive numbers. Dinner at your lodge.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive
Lion male lion sunset

Day 2

Serengeti National Park

A full day in the majestic plains

Begin with an optional balloon flight over the plains (by pre-arrangement, extra cost). Then leave the lodge early with picnic lunches for a full day in the Serengeti. The park is famous for the wildebeest migration, which moves through different regions of the ecosystem across the year, while lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and serval cat are present throughout.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch
Lion lioness portrait

Day 3

Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater

One last drive, then the crater rim

After breakfast, take one last game drive on the Serengeti, looking for the big cats and grazing herds that make the park famous. Then head east to the Ngorongoro highlands, with lunch on the way, as the grassland gives way to hills and forest. Arrive in the evening at your lodge on the crater rim, where the view across the caldera at dusk is spectacular and the air turns noticeably cool.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive
Zebra seen during an East African safari

Day 4

Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha

A crater game drive

After breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive of up to six hours. Almost every large African animal except giraffe can be found on the crater floor, including endangered black rhino, wildebeest, lion, buffalo, zebra and spotted hyena. The steep walls and open floor make the wildlife easy to follow. Afterwards, drive back to Arusha for drop-off at your hotel.

Main activities
Crater game drive

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Serengeti · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Ngorongoro · 1 night

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • 4×4 Land Cruiser in Tanzania
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • All meals while on safari (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Services of a professional driver-guide
  • All park entrance fees
  • All game drives

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • Travel and personal insurance
  • Items of personal use
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Optional activities, including the Olduvai Gorge museum and cultural visits
  • Accommodation and flights for Zanzibar
  • Tips and gratuities

Your written quotation confirms the exact inclusions for your dates.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price subject upon request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

Optional experiences

Add a different perspective.

Availability, location, age limits and extra costs are confirmed for your final itinerary.

Hot-air balloon safari over the Serengeti

Optional · extra cost · pre-arrangement required

Olduvai Gorge museum visit

Optional · extra cost

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External review source

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External review source

Tripadvisor

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on Tripadvisor, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 4 Days Ultimate Northern Tanzania Safari: Serengeti & Ngorongoro cost?

The 4 Days Ultimate Northern Tanzania Safari: Serengeti & Ngorongoro is quoted individually (price subject upon request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts and finishes in Arusha. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

Nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Keep exploring

Similar routes compared with the same practical details.

Start planning with a local expert

Your safari starts with a conversation.

Tell us your dates, travel style and what matters most. A Nairobi-based planner can shape the details with you.

PricingPrice subject upon request
Request Safari