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5 days · Tanzania · Mid-range

5 Days Upper Midrange Best of Tanzania: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara

A five-day upper mid-range safari through northern Tanzania's four best-known parks: Tarangire, two nights on the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and a final visit to Lake Manyara, with lodge stays throughout.

  • 5 days
  • Tanzania
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Arusha
  • Ends Arusha
Two elephants sparring

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

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

Best for

  • Couples
  • First safari in Tanzania
  • Travellers who prefer lodges

The route

A round trip from Arusha

  1. Stop 1Arusha
  2. Stop 2Tarangire
  3. Stop 3Serengeti
  4. Stop 4Ngorongoro Crater
  5. Stop 5Lake Manyara
  6. Stop 6Arusha

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Tarangire's baobabs and elephants
  • Two nights on the Serengeti
  • Ngorongoro Crater game drive
  • Lake Manyara on the way back to Arusha

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.

Elephant woodland track

Day 1

Arusha → Tarangire

Baobab country

Leave Arusha for Tarangire National Park, crossing the Maasai steppe south-west of the city. Arrive for an afternoon game drive among giant baobabs and along the Tarangire River, the park's lifeline in the dry months. The park is known for large elephant herds, particularly in the dry season, and for rich birdlife, while buffalo, giraffe and zebra are often seen near the water. Continue to your lodge for the evening.

Overnight
Tarangire · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive
Zebra herd seen during an East African safari

Day 2

Tarangire → Serengeti

Across the highlands to the Serengeti

Drive through the Ngorongoro highlands, with views over the crater from the rim road, and descend onto the Serengeti plains, passing Maasai grazing land on the way. The change from forested hills to open grassland is one of the great moments of a Tanzania safari. Game viewing begins as you enter the park, with the afternoon spent exploring the central plains and kopjes before reaching your lodge.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Game drive en route

Day 3

Serengeti National Park

A full day on the plains

Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti, where your guide will plan the route around the season — following the migration herds when they are within reach, or seeking out the lions, leopards and cheetahs that live on the plains year-round. The Seronera river valley and the granite kopjes are good places to look for big cats. Lunch is taken in the bush or at your lodge.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive
Lion pride seen during an East African safari

Day 4

Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater

A day inside the crater

Leave the Serengeti after breakfast, with game viewing on the way out of the park, and continue east to the Ngorongoro Crater. Descend to the crater floor for an afternoon game drive, looking for black rhino, lion, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest in the enclosed caldera. The steep crater walls make a dramatic setting. Then climb back to the rim for the night in the cool highland air.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · lodge
Main activities
Crater game drive
Zebra golden light

Day 5

Ngorongoro → Lake Manyara → Arusha

A final park on the way home

Descend the Rift Valley escarpment to Lake Manyara National Park for a last game drive through its groundwater forest and along the lakeshore, where elephant, baboon and giraffe are often seen and tree-climbing lions are sometimes found resting in the branches. The park is compact, making it an easy final stop. Then continue to Arusha for drop-off at your hotel, ending five days on the northern circuit.

Main activities
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 · Tarangire · 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

Inclusions are itemised in your quotation.

Park fees, meals, transport and accommodation depend on the final plan, so your planner lists exactly what is and is not included before you book.

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

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External review source

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External review source

Tripadvisor

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Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 5 Days Upper Midrange Best of Tanzania: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara cost?

The 5 Days Upper Midrange Best of Tanzania: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara 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.

Is the day-by-day plan fixed?

Not yet. The plan shown is a suggested outline for this route; the final day-by-day itinerary, activities and timings are confirmed with your quotation.

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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 subject upon request
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