Mid-range

5 Days Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari

Our best-selling short safari: two nights and a full day in the Serengeti, then a morning in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Style: Mid-range
Starts in: Arusha
Accommodation: Comfortable mid-range lodges and tented camps, full board
Best time to go: Year-round; the migration is on the southern plains December to March and moves north from June.

Overview

If you want to see the two icons of Tanzania in five days, this is the trip. You drive through the Ngorongoro highlands and across the plains to the central Serengeti, spend a full day searching for lion, leopard, cheetah and migration herds, then descend into the crater for one of the densest wildlife concentrations in Africa. Mid-range lodges and tented camps keep the price friendly without sacrificing comfort, and the itinerary is paced so you are never on the road for too long.

Two nights and a full day in the central Serengeti
Best chances for lion, leopard and cheetah around Seronera
Crater-floor game drive with black rhino chances
Olduvai Gorge stop, the "Cradle of Mankind"
Private vehicle with pop-up roof

Day-by-day itinerary

Day1 Arusha to Karatu

Drive west past Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley escarpment, stopping at Mto wa Mbu market. Climb to the cool, green highlands around Karatu for a relaxed afternoon and early dinner.

Stay: Mid-range lodge in the Karatu highlands Meals: Lunch, dinner
Day2 Karatu to the Serengeti

Cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing Maasai villages and the short-grass plains, and enter the Serengeti at Naabi Hill gate. Game viewing continues all the way to your camp in the central Serengeti, with a late-afternoon game drive.

Stay: Tented camp in the central Serengeti Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Day3 Full day in the Serengeti

Enjoy dawn and late-afternoon game drives around Seronera and the river valleys, with a picnic lunch in the bush. This is prime territory for lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, hippo and, in season, migration herds.

Stay: Tented camp in the central Serengeti Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Day4 Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands

Enjoy a morning game drive, then leave the Serengeti via the plains and Olduvai Gorge, where early human fossils were found. Arrive at the crater rim area in time for sunset and an early night before your descent.

Stay: Mid-range lodge on or near the Ngorongoro rim Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Day5 Ngorongoro Crater and return to Arusha

Descend 600 metres to the crater floor at dawn for a half-day game drive and a picnic lunch by the hippo pool. After lunch, drive back to Arusha (about 4 hours).

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Love this itinerary?

We can adjust the dates, the pace and the accommodation to suit you. Get a free quote today.

Request a Quote WhatsApp +255752330352

What's included

Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and a guaranteed window seat for every guest
Professional English-speaking driver-guide for the whole safari
Accommodation as listed on a full-board basis (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
All national park, conservation area and crater service fees
Airport pickup and drop-off in Arusha or at Kilimanjaro Airport
Bottled drinking water on game drives, plus binoculars on request