Skip to content
Budget Holiday SafarisBudget Holiday Safaris
Plan

Explore East Africa

Smartly planned from Nairobi.

Plan My SafariWhatsApp us

5 days · Tanzania · Mid-range

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

Five days on a mid-range lodge safari through Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater — comfortable lodge nights and a full day on the plains at an unhurried pace.

  • 5 days
  • Tanzania
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Arusha
  • Ends Arusha
Flamingo lake 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
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Arusha
Ends
Arusha

Best for

  • Couples
  • Families
  • First safari in Tanzania

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 groundwater forest and hot springs
  • Two lodge nights in the Serengeti
  • A full day on the plains
  • Ngorongoro Crater descent

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 seen during an East African safari

Day 1

Arusha → Lake Manyara

A stunning park beneath the Rift wall

Leave Arusha and head to Lake Manyara, with lunch on the way, arriving for an afternoon game drive. The park's groundwater forest, fed by springs, supports elephant herds, baboon troops, giraffe and hippo, with flamingos sometimes gathering on the lake shore. Raptors such as Rüppell's vulture, peregrine falcon, augur buzzard and Verreaux's eagle hunt along the escarpment, and the park is known for its tree-climbing lions.

Overnight
Lake Manyara · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive
Lion cubs seen during an East African safari

Day 2

Lake Manyara → Serengeti National Park

A world teeming with wildlife

Leave the Manyara region for the Serengeti plains, climbing through the Ngorongoro highlands before descending onto the grassland. The park supports more than 35 species of large mammal — lion, cheetah, giraffe, leopard, hippo, crocodile and spotted hyena among them — and over 350 bird species, including vultures, ostriches and eagles. Game viewing begins on the way in. Arrive at your lodge for an evening on the edge of the plains.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Game drive en route

Day 3

Serengeti National Park

A full day on the plains

Start with an optional balloon flight (pre-arranged, extra cost), then leave early with picnic lunches for a full day in the park. The wildebeest migration is the Serengeti's great draw, moving across the ecosystem as the rains shift, while lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and serval cat are present throughout the year. A full day lets your guide explore widely and linger wherever the wildlife is most rewarding.

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

Day 4

Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater

Out of the Serengeti

After breakfast, enjoy one last game drive in the Serengeti, looking for the lions and cheetahs of the plains before heading out of the park. Then travel east to the Ngorongoro highlands, with lunch on the way, as open grassland gives way to hills and montane forest. Arrive in the evening at your lodge for dinner, with the crater descent planned for the following morning.

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

Day 5

Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha

Woodland, swamp and grassland

After breakfast, take a packed lunch and descend 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater. Its landscape of woodland, grassland and swamp supports a high concentration of wildlife, from endangered black rhino and the big cats to zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo and elephant. Hours on the crater floor make a fitting finale to the safari. 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 lodge

Mid-range · Lake Manyara · 1 night

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
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

Proof, connected to its source.

We only show traveller stories that link directly to the published review.

External review source

SafariBookings

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

Read our reviews on SafariBookings

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 5 Days Tanzania Safari: Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater cost?

The 5 Days Tanzania Safari: Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater 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

You may also like

Similar routes compared with the same practical details.

Destinations on this route

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.

Plan My Safari WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)
PricingPrice subject upon request
Request Safari