5 Day Big Five Tanzania Wildlife Safari – Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater

Day 1: Drive to Manyara National Park; Afternoon Game Drive

This affordable 5-Day Big Five Tanzania Wildlife Safari starts at 8.00 am with a pick-up from your hotel in Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport. After a short tour briefing, your tour guide shall take you on a drive of about 2 hours north towards Lake Manyara National Park, which is home to four of Africa’s big five animals – Lion, Leopard, Elephant, and Buffalo.

You will through villages and towns, where busy markets and locals in the traditional, bright dress line the route. You’ll arrive at your lodge in time for lunch and some relaxation, before embarking on an afternoon game drive.

Hemingway described Lake Manyara as, ‘the loveliest I had seen in Africa’. Nestle at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, this scenic little park of 330km² is the perfect introduction to a variety of habitats and wildlife. The various habitats of lush forests, acacia woodlands, grassy floodplains, and the lake itself are home to prey and predators, as well as over 400 bird species!

Manyara is known for its tree-climbing lions, massive baboon troops, and thousands of flamingos. Elephants are commonly sighted, including big bull elephants with impressive tusks. The park is also home to plenty of hippos and big herds of Buffalos, Giraffes, Wildebeests, Zebras, and Antelopes. After your game drive, return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge

Midrange: – Manyara Kirurumu Camp

Budget: – Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 110km/2 hours

Activities & Services: –

• Drive to Lake Manyara
• Afternoon game drive

Optional Activity: –

• Night game drive

• Mto wa Mbu village walk

Day 2: Transfer to Serengeti National Park via Ngorongoro Conservation Area & Olduvai Gorge Museum

Your day two of the 5-Day Big Five Tanzania Wildlife Safari begins with an early breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, embark on a long rewarding journey of about 5 to 6 hours north towards the world-famous Serengeti National Park.

You drive through rural Maasai villages and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, before making a stop at the historic Olduvai Gorge, where Dr. Leakey discovered Homo habilis, one of the earliest members of the human genus. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the Gorge visitor center courtyard, before walking around the museum to learn more about this extraordinary place and its secrets. Later enter Serengeti.

The name Serengeti is derived from the Maasai word Siringet which means a “place where the land runs forever”. Spanning 14,763km², this legendary reserve is renowned for hosting the annual Great Wildebeest Migration, the largest overland mammal migration on earth, and one of Africa’s 7 Natural Wonders. The migration is an awe-inspiring spectacle and worth seeing at least once in your lifetime.

The vast open plains of Serengeti are also home to all the Big 5 animals with a dense population of lions, leopards, cheetah, and hyenas, plus many other types of animals at home in their natural habitat. Enjoy a game drive up to your accommodation in Central Serengeti – the Big Cat Capital of Africa.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Serengeti Serena Lodge/Serengeti Sopa Lodge

Midrange: – Serengeti Kati Kati Camp

Budget: – Kijereshi Tented Camp (Bungalow)

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 250km/5-6 hours

Activities & Services: –

Drive to Serengeti

Visit Olduvai Gorge

Serengeti NP evening game drive

Day 3: Full Day Safari in the Serengeti National Park

After an early breakfast today, head out for a full-day safari in Serengeti. You’ll take a picnic lunch and water to keep you energized to take tons of photos before returning to camp in the late afternoon. Serengeti is one of the few places where you can witness all the “Big Five” animals living together in the wild.

The lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo are now more prized as wildlife photography subjects, rather than trophies. These majestic creatures join over 2 million Wildebeest, Zebras, and Gazelles that form the Great Migration.

Sighting of Cheetahs, Spotted hyenas, Hippos, Crocodiles, Giraffes, Gazelles, Baboons, Warthogs, Elands, Topis, Impalas, Bushbuck, Reedbucks, Hartebeests, and Waterbucks are very common. But keep an eye out for lesser-known species, like hyraxes, Dik-dik, Klipspringers, Honey badgers, Aardwolves, Serval, Caracals, Jackals, and Bat-eared foxes. You might also come across Chameleons, colorful Agama Lizards, and huge Nile monitor lizards.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Serengeti Serena Lodge/Serengeti Sopa Lodge

Midrange: – Serengeti Kati Kati Camp

Budget: – Kijereshi Tented Camp

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services: –

• Game drives

Optional Activity:-

• Hot air balloon ride

Day 3: Half-Day Game Drive in Serengeti National Park. Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on day four of your 5-Day Big Five Tanzania Wildlife Safari and then go on another game drive to see more of the African iconic animals in Serengeti. You’ll return to camp/lodge in time for lunch.

After that depart Serengeti for Ngorongoro Crater, another of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. This world’s largest intact volcanic caldera is home to the highest density of big game in Africa – some 25000 animals in little more than 260 km² (100 mile²). It is not unusual to see the Big 5 in a single day and there are other surprises too: snorting hippos, laughing hyenas, and large herds of wildebeest. You’ll arrive at your lodge near the crater rim for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Ngorongoro Crater Lodge/Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Midrange: – Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge

Budget: – Karatu Simba Lodge

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx.140km/3-4 hours

Activities & Services: –

• Serengeti game drive
• Transfer to Ngorongoro

Day 4: Early Morning Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater In Search Of the Big Five. Transfer Tarangire National Park

After an early breakfast at the lodge, descend 2000 feet into Ngorongoro Crater for a 6-hour game drive. Often referred to as “the eighth wonder of the world”, the crater is best known for its incredible natural beauty and abundant wildlife.

Within this UNESCO World Heritage caldera, you’ll look out for massive bull Elephants, rare Black rhinos, black-maned Lions, Laughing hyenas, Painted wolves, Black-backed jackals, Cheetahs, Hippos, Ostriches, and much more.

After tracking down the crater animals, enjoy pleasant picnic lunch on the crater floor. Then, ascend the crater and take a 4-hour drive south to Tarangire National Park. This quite 2850km² is home to Tanzania’s biggest herds of Elephants and the bizarre upside-down trees (baobabs). It’s one of Tanzania’s finest birding destinations, as there are over 550 species in the park. You’ll arrive at your lodge in the park in the late after afternoon for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Tarangire Sopa Lodge

Midrange: – Tarangire Kirurumu Camp

Budget: – Roika Tented Lodge

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 150km/2½ hours

Activities & Services: –

• Transfer to Tarangire
• Afternoon game drive

Optional Activity: –

• Night game drive

Day 5: Morning Game Drive in Tarangire. Return to Arusha

After an early breakfast, you set off on a morning game drive. Elephants are the main attraction in Tarangire, with up to 3,000 roaming the park, especially during the dry season of June to November. Other common animals include Giraffes, Zebras, Wildebeests, Lions, Gazelle, Elands, Impalas, and Ostriches.

However, the real prizes in Tarangire are the Dwarf mongoose, Fringe-eared Oryx, and long-necked gerenuk, also called the “giraffe gazelle”, though sightings are rare. The best part is that, because Tarangire is a quiet, often overlooked park, there are fewer crowds to witness its amazing wildlife. After a game drive, embark on a 2½-hour drive back to Arusha at the end of this fantastic 5 Day Big Five Tanzania Wildlife Safari.

Please note: Extensions to Zanzibar, Uganda/Rwanda (for mountain gorilla trekking), or parks in Kenya can easily be arranged. Don’t hesitate to contact us.

• Full Board Accommodation on Safari
• Transportation in either 4X4 Safari Van or 4X4 Safari Land Cruiser all with Pop up roof &AC
• Fuel
• Professional English Speaking driver guide. Any other foreign language speaking guide can be arranged on request.
• Entrance fees to the tourist sites including protected areas mentioned
• Activity fees of the tourist activities mentioned
• Bottled water while on safari

• General tips for the driver guide, site guides, and service staff at the lodges
• Laundry Services
• Other Beverages/drinks of personal nature like Alcohol
• International Flights
• Domestic Flights (Arranged on request)
• Visas
• Optional Activity fees
• Other extras not mentioned in the Itinerary
• Airport Transfer (Arranged on request)
• Accommodation in Arusha (Arranged on request)