5‑Day Classic Ngorongoro + Serengeti Safari
PRICE
USD 3,839 per person
GROUP
6 People
SUITABLE
Couples, Family, Friends
PRICE
USD 3,839 per person
Note: With help from a safari expert, you can customize this trip to suit your preferences or join a group on set departure dates.
Itinerary Overview
5‑Day Classic Ngorongoro + Serengeti Safari
If there’s one thing five days in Northern Tanzania will teach you, it’s that the wild moves at its own pace—and yours is about to slow way, way down. This safari isn’t a sprint. It’s a steady immersion. You’ll start in Tarangire, where elephants roll in red dust and baobabs stretch toward the sky like ancient totems. Then you’ll head straight to the Serengeti, the grand stage of the wild, where lions stalk through the grass and sunsets turn the sky into a painting you can’t replicate.
You’ll spend two nights in the Serengeti because one here would be regrettable. Then you’ll pass through the Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcano that now holds one of the most concentrated wildlife populations on Earth. Your final morning wraps up in Mto wa Mbu, which is a small village where life tastes like banana beer and people smile with their whole face.
Serengeti Lion Safaris handles every detail so you can live fully in the moment. No noise. No filters. Just the real Africa experienced up close, personal, and humbling in the best way.
Summary Itinerary
- Day 1 – Arusha/Moshi to Tarangire: The Elephant Kingdom
- Day 2 – Serengeti National Park: The Call of the Plains
- Day 3 – Serengeti National Park: Full-Day Game Drive
- Day 4 – Serengeti to Karatu via Ngorongoro Crater: Earth’s Greatest Amphitheater
- Day 5 – Mto wa Mbu Cultural Visit & Return to Arusha/Moshi
Itinerary Gallery
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Arusha/Moshi to Tarangire: The Elephant Kingdom
After a meet and greet by your safari guide, we pick you and depart for your journey that begins with a drive to Tarangire National Park, Tanzania’s quiet giant. While the Serengeti gets the headlines, Tarangire is where you find the soul. Massive elephant herds roam freely among towering baobab trees. Wildebeest, giraffes, and buffalo move across the riverbed in lazy lines. If it’s dry season, the river is the only water source for miles, and the concentration of wildlife is something out of a nature film.
You’ll take your time here. Stop when something moves. Wait when something watches. By the end of the day, you’ll wonder why more people don’t know about this place.
Your lodge tonight is close to the park, nestled in nature but with enough comfort to keep the family happy.
Accommodation:
Camping: Zion Campsite
Budget: Tarangire Safari Lodge (Budget Rooms)
Standard: Sangaiwe Tented Lodge
Luxury: Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Day 2 – Serengeti National Park: The Call of the Plains
Today you depart Tarangire and hit the road for the legendary Serengeti. The drive may be rough but, it’s part of the experience. You drive past the Ngorongoro highlands, with glimpses of the crater rim teasing you with what to expect but a on the way, you might meet the Maasai herders wrapped in crimson shukas, walking with staffs like modern-day warriors.
By early afternoon, you’re in the Serengeti, have lunch and proceed to experience the beauty of this great destination. It starts subtle—golden grasses, far-off movement. Then it hits full scale at your first Serengeti game drive which you immediately begin after your arrival in the early afternoon. Lions in the grass. Gazelle herds skimming the horizon. And that sky… wide enough to make your problems feel microscopic.
Your first game drive here sets the tone. This is nature with no fence, no script. Just instinct, rhythm, and raw beauty.
Accommodation:
Camping: Seronera Campsite
Budget: Into Wild Africa
Standard: Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp
Luxury: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge
Day 3 – Serengeti National Park: Full-Day Game Drive
No alarms needed—the Serengeti wakes you up and immediately, you’ll head out at dawn with breakfast packed and cameras ready. Early light turns the savannah into gold, and predators take advantage of the cool air. It’s prime time for action.
Today, your guide knows the terrain like the back of his hand. Maybe it’s lions with cubs this morning. Maybe a leopard draped across a branch. Or maybe the wildebeest migration is in town, and the ground is literally moving.
You’ll stop for meals out in the wild, stretch your legs under lone acacias, and share quiet moments that don’t need explanation. This day isn’t rushed. It flows, like the land itself.
Accommodation:
Camping: Seronera Campsite
Budget: Into Wild Africa
Standard: Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp
Luxury: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge
Day 4 – Serengeti to Karatu via Ngorongoro Crater: Earth’s Greatest Amphitheater
You rise early and say goodbye to the Serengeti. But nature’s not done with you yet. After arrival at the famed Ngorongoro Crater, watch out for incredible wildlife sightseeing here in this green-bowl-like filled with wildlife and ancient echoes. Here, predators and prey live in close quarters, the scenery is cinematic, and every bend in the road might hold a new surprise.
Watch black rhinos graze in the distance as lions lounge like they own the place but don’t forget to sight the hippos cluster in muddy pools, snorting in the afternoon heat.
You may have lunch by the water side, with birdsong as your background music. By afternoon, you ascend the crater wall and descend into the quiet farming town of Karatu, where your lodge offers warm beds and the comfort of soft sheets.
Accommodation:
Camping: Panorama Campsite
Budget: Eileen’s Tree Inn
Standard: Country Lodge Karatu
Luxury: The Retreat at Ngorongoro
Day 5 – Mto wa Mbu Cultural Visit & Return to Arusha/Moshi
Your last morning is for the people. You’ll stop in Mto wa Mbu—a melting pot of Tanzanian cultures where over 120 tribes live and work side by side. With a local guide, you’ll walk the dusty roads, visit banana plantations, peek into artisan workshops, and maybe even join in a local dance if the mood’s right.
You’ll share laughs, stories, and a fresh local lunch—probably eaten with your hands, just how it should be.
Then, later proceed for a drive back to Arusha or Moshi. The vehicle is quiet, not because you’re tired (though you will be), but because the wild has given you something to think about.
Accommodation:
Camping: N/A
Budget: Drop-off at Arusha/Moshi hotel
Standard: Drop-off at Arusha/Moshi hotel
Luxury: Drop-off at Arusha Coffee Lodge or airport if flying out
Inclusions
Park Entrances, All activities as indicated, All meals, Accommodation, Airport Transfers, Fueled Vehicle, Experienced English speaking guideExclusions
Visas, Personal expenses, Optional activities, Tips, International Flights
Engage an expert
Emma, Tony & Brenda have been planning this Serengeti expedition for the last decade with five-star feedback and would enjoy nothing less than planning it with you.
They will take care of all the ground logistics and manage your trip to the dot. Let them know you are interested!
GET A QUOTE
Get a free quote now.
