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5 days · Tanzania · Budget

5 Days Camping Tanzania Safari: Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Five days of camping-style safari across northern Tanzania with two nights on the Serengeti: Lake Manyara's forest and flamingos, a full day on the plains and a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater.

  • 5 days
  • Tanzania
  • Budget
  • Starts Arusha
  • Ends Arusha
Zebra herd seen during an East African safari

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
5 days
Country
Tanzania
Destinations
Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
Safari style
Budget
Price
Price on request
Starts
Arusha
Ends
Arusha

Best for

  • Adventurous travellers
  • Travellers on a budget
  • Migration season visits

The route

A round trip from Arusha

  1. Stop 1Arusha
  2. Stop 2Lake Manyara
  3. Stop 3Serengeti
  4. Stop 4Ngorongoro Crater
  5. Stop 5Arusha

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Lake Manyara's hot springs and groundwater forest
  • Two nights in the Serengeti
  • A full day of Serengeti game drives
  • Ngorongoro Crater floor

Day by day

Five 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.

Giraffe herd woodland

Day 1

Arusha → Lake Manyara

A gem beneath the escarpment

Leave the bustle of Arusha for Lake Manyara, with lunch on the way, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive. The groundwater forest, fed by springs from the Rift Valley wall, supports elephant herds, baboon troops, giraffe and hippo, while flamingos may gather on the soda lake. The park is also known for its tree-climbing lions and hot springs, and for raptors such as the augur buzzard and Verreaux's eagle.

Overnight
Lake Manyara · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive
Lion lioness cub

Day 2

Lake Manyara → Serengeti National Park

Into the Serengeti

Leave Manyara for the Serengeti, a landscape teeming with wildlife like few others in the world. More than 35 species of large mammal live here, including lion, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, hyena and hippo, and over 350 bird species — from vultures and eagles to ostriches — have been recorded. Arrive for an afternoon game drive and your first sunset on the plains.

Overnight
Serengeti · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 3

Serengeti National Park

A full day on the plains

An optional balloon flight can start the day (by pre-arrangement, extra cost). Then leave camp with picnic lunches for a full day in the Serengeti. The park is best known for the wildebeest migration, which moves through different regions across the year following the rains. Its residents — lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, warthog and serval cat — can be seen year-round.

Overnight
Serengeti · camp or lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch
Lion male lion golden light

Day 4

Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater

Last Serengeti drive and the highlands

After breakfast, take one last game drive to watch wildlife interactions on the Serengeti, where lion, cheetah and the season's grazing herds share the open grassland. Then head east to the Ngorongoro highlands, with lunch on the way. The route leaves the plains behind and climbs into cooler, forested hills around the crater. Arrive in the evening, check in for dinner and rest for tomorrow's crater descent.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · camp or lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive
Zebra golden light

Day 5

Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha

Descending 600 metres

After breakfast, leave with a packed lunch and descend 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater. Its floor combines grassland, swamp, woodland and a seasonal lake, supporting a high concentration of wildlife — endangered black rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo and elephant. Later, 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 camp/lodge

Budget · Lake Manyara · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Serengeti · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · 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 on 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
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

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

Verified guest voices

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External review source

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External review source

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Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 5 Days Camping Tanzania Safari: Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro cost?

The 5 Days Camping Tanzania Safari: Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro is quoted individually (price on 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 camp/lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

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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.

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PricingPrice on request
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