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8 days · Tanzania · Budget

8 Days Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lobo, Lake Natron & Manyara

An eight-day budget safari that goes beyond the usual circuit: Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater, two nights on the central Serengeti, the remote Lobo area in the north, and the stark soda flats of Lake Natron before Lake Manyara.

  • 8 days
  • Tanzania
  • Budget
  • Starts Arusha
  • Ends Arusha
Flamingo flight lake

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

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

Best for

  • Adventurous travellers
  • Second-time visitors
  • Photographers

The route

A round trip from Arusha

  1. Stop 1Arusha
  2. Stop 2Tarangire
  3. Stop 3Ngorongoro Crater
  4. Stop 4Serengeti
  5. Stop 5Lobo
  6. Stop 6Lake Natron
  7. Stop 7Lake Manyara
  8. Stop 8Arusha

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Ngorongoro Crater game drive
  • Two nights in the central Serengeti
  • The quieter Lobo area of the northern Serengeti
  • Lake Natron's volcanic landscape

Day by day

Eight 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 family seen during an East African safari

Day 1

Arusha → Tarangire

The first game drive

Your guide collects you from your Arusha hotel for the drive to Tarangire National Park, crossing the dry Maasai steppe south-west of the city. Spend the afternoon on a game drive among the park's baobabs and along the Tarangire River, where elephant herds often gather along with buffalo, giraffe, zebra and antelope. It is a fine introduction to northern Tanzania and a very different landscape from the Serengeti.

Overnight
Tarangire · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Tarangire → Ngorongoro Crater

Down to the crater floor

After breakfast, drive up into the Ngorongoro highlands and descend to the crater floor for a game drive. The caldera's enclosed grassland, swamp and lake are home to lion, buffalo, black rhino, zebra and wildebeest, and the steep walls make a dramatic backdrop to every sighting. Ascend to the rim in the afternoon for the night, when the air turns cool and mist often settles over the forest.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · camp or lodge
Main activities
Crater game drive
Elephant herd seen during an East African safari

Day 3

Ngorongoro → Serengeti

Olduvai and the central plains

After breakfast, drive towards the Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge, where the optional museum explains the region's early human history, with a game drive on the way into the park. The central Seronera area is known for resident lions and leopards along its river valley, and for large herds when the migration passes through. It marks the start of three days exploring different parts of the Serengeti.

Overnight
Serengeti · camp or lodge
Main activities
Game drive en route

Day 4

Serengeti National Park

Morning, midday and afternoon drives

Spend a full day in the Serengeti with early-morning, midday and afternoon game drives. Your guide will explore the Seronera valley and surrounding plains in search of big cats, elephant, giraffe and the season's herds. Breaking the day into several drives follows the wildlife's rhythm: predators are often active early and late, while the heat of midday draws animals towards shade and water.

Overnight
Serengeti · camp or lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drives

Day 5

Serengeti → Lobo

North to the Lobo hills

After breakfast, head north to the Lobo area of the Serengeti, a region of granite hills and kopjes that sees far fewer vehicles than the centre. Game viewing continues on the way, through changing country of open plains and wooded valleys. In the later months of the year, migration herds may pass through here on their way to or from Kenya's Maasai Mara, and resident wildlife is present year-round.

Overnight
Serengeti · camp or lodge
Main activities
Game drive
Elephant calves seen during an East African safari

Day 6

Lobo → Lake Natron

Descending to the soda lake

After breakfast, leave the Serengeti for Lake Natron, arriving around lunchtime after a rough but scenic drive through remote country. The landscape here is stark and dramatic: a caustic soda lake beneath the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, where lesser flamingos breed when conditions allow. Spend the afternoon exploring the area, a striking contrast with the green plains of the past days.

Overnight
Lake Natron · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon excursion

Day 7

Lake Natron → Lake Manyara

Back to the forest and the lake

After breakfast, drive south to Lake Manyara, arriving around lunchtime after following the Rift Valley back towards the northern circuit. An afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National Park follows. The park's groundwater forest and lakeshore attract elephant, baboon, giraffe and hippo, and it is known for tree-climbing lions. Flamingos and pelicans may gather on the lake, depending on water levels.

Overnight
Lake Manyara · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive
Elephant herd palms

Day 8

Lake Manyara → Arusha

A last drive and the return

After breakfast, enjoy a final game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, where the forest, open grassland and lakeshore can bring elephants, baboons, giraffe and a wide variety of birds. Then depart for Arusha, climbing the Rift Valley escarpment and crossing the Maasai steppe. The safari ends with drop-off at your hotel, after eight days from Tarangire to the Serengeti's north and Lake Natron.

Main activities
Morning 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 · Tarangire · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Ngorongoro · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Serengeti · 3 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Lake Natron · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Lake Manyara · 1 night

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • Three meals a day while on safari
  • Services of a professional driver-guide
  • All park entrance fees
  • All game drives

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • Personal insurance
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Mineral water
  • Maasai village visit
  • Tips

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

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Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 8 Days Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lobo, Lake Natron & Manyara cost?

The 8 Days Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lobo, Lake Natron & Manyara 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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PricingPrice on request
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