6 days · Tanzania · Mid-range
Six days covering all four classic northern Tanzania parks on a mid-range lodge safari: Lake Manyara, Tarangire, two nights on the Serengeti and a six-hour game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater.
Safari snapshot
The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.
Best for
The route
Safari highlights
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.
Day 1
Arusha → Lake Manyara
Leave the bustle of Arusha for Lake Manyara, with lunch on the way. In the afternoon, explore Lake Manyara National Park, where springs feed a groundwater forest that shelters elephant herds, baboon troops, giraffe and hippo. Flamingos may gather on the soda lake, the park is known for its tree-climbing lions, and hot springs bubble up at its southern end.
Day 2
Lake Manyara → Tarangire National Park
After a hot breakfast, leave with picnic lunches for Tarangire National Park and spend the afternoon on a game drive. Tarangire is home to a large population of elephants, and the Tarangire River is a magnet for lion, cheetah, buffalo, impala, kudu, gazelle, giraffe and eland. Fringe-eared oryx are occasionally seen, and the park has recorded over 500 bird species.
Day 3
Tarangire → Serengeti National Park
Leave Tarangire behind and head for the Serengeti plains, climbing through the Ngorongoro highlands before descending onto the grassland. The Serengeti is home to more than 35 species of large mammal — lion, cheetah, giraffe, leopard, hippo, crocodile and spotted hyena among them — and over 350 bird species. Game viewing begins as you enter the park. Arrive at your lodge for dinner.
Day 4
Serengeti National Park
Begin with an optional balloon flight (pre-arranged, extra cost), then leave early with picnic lunches for a full day on the plains. The migration moves across the Serengeti through the year, following the rains, while lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, warthog and serval cat are present year-round. With the whole day in the park, your guide can cover the kopjes, river valleys and open grassland.
Day 5
Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, take one last game drive in the Serengeti, a final chance to look for big cats and the season's herds. Then travel to the Ngorongoro highlands with lunch on the way, climbing out of the plains into the forested hills around the crater. Arrive in the evening at your lodge, where the cool highland air and views set the scene for the crater tomorrow.
Day 6
Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
After breakfast, take a packed lunch and descend 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive of up to six hours. The crater's woodland, grassland and swamps support a high concentration of wildlife, from endangered black rhino and big cats to zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo and elephant. Later, drive back to Arusha for drop-off at your hotel.
Recommended accommodation
Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.
Accommodation category
Mid-range · Lake Manyara · 1 night
Accommodation category
Mid-range · Tarangire · 1 night
Accommodation category
Mid-range · Serengeti · 2 nights
Accommodation category
Mid-range · Ngorongoro · 1 night
What’s included
What’s not included
Your written quotation confirms the exact inclusions for your dates.
Flexible pricing
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.
Made around you
Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.
Optional experiences
Availability, location, age limits and extra costs are confirmed for your final itinerary.
Optional · extra cost · pre-arrangement required
Optional · extra cost
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Read our reviews on TripadvisorBefore you travel
The 6 Days Best of Tanzania: Lake Manyara, Tarangire, 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.
It starts and finishes in Arusha. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.
Nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.
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