5-Day Private Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
5-Day Private Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Discover the incredible wildlife and breathtaking landscapes of northern Tanzania on this 5-day private safari with Serengeti Budget Safari. Explore three of Tanzania’s most famous wildlife destinations: Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater.
Travel in a private 4x4 safari vehicle accompanied by an experienced local safari guide who will help you discover Africa’s remarkable wildlife, learn about animal behaviour, and experience the wilderness at your own pace.
This itinerary combines exciting game drives, scenic journeys through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, comfortable accommodation, and excellent opportunities to spot the Big Five. If you travel between December and March, the itinerary can also focus on the Ndutu area, where wildebeest gather during the calving season, depending on rainfall and migration movements.
Explore Tarangire National Park
Your adventure begins in Tarangire National Park, famous for its impressive elephant herds, ancient baobab trees, and diverse wildlife. Enjoy a game drive through open savannah, woodland, and seasonal swamps while searching for elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes, and various antelope species.
Tarangire also offers opportunities to spot predators, including lions and leopards, as well as an impressive variety of birdlife. After your wildlife adventure, travel to Fig Tree Lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Journey to Serengeti National Park
On Day 2, travel through the beautiful landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards the legendary Serengeti National Park. Enjoy views of the highlands, vast grasslands, and traditional Maasai pastoral landscapes along the way.
From December to March, your safari route may include the Ndutu area, depending on road conditions, the itinerary, and the location of the migrating herds. Ndutu is particularly famous during the wildebeest calving season, when large numbers of wildebeest gather to give birth and predators follow the herds.
After entering the Serengeti ecosystem, enjoy wildlife viewing as you make your way towards your camp. Spend the night at Tukaone Camp, surrounded by the atmosphere of the African wilderness.
Discover the Wildlife of Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is one of Africa’s most celebrated safari destinations, renowned for its endless plains, extraordinary wildlife, and the Great Wildebeest Migration.
During your safari, look for lions resting in the grass, cheetahs scanning the open plains, leopards hidden among trees, and herds of elephants, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest. Your experienced local guide will use knowledge of the area and recent wildlife movements to help you make the most of your game drives.
If your visit coincides with the migration, you may encounter large herds of wildebeest and zebras moving across the ecosystem. Wildlife sightings depend on the season, weather, and natural animal movements.
Enjoy another overnight stay at Tukaone Camp, giving you more time to experience the Serengeti’s remarkable wildlife and peaceful wilderness atmosphere.
Scenic Journey to Karatu
On Day 4, enjoy a morning game drive in the Serengeti before travelling towards Karatu through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The journey offers beautiful views of rolling hills, open landscapes, and the distinctive highlands of northern Tanzania.
Along the way, you may see Maasai communities and livestock grazing across the countryside. Arrive in Karatu later in the day and settle into Omega Hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
This overnight stop prepares you for the final highlight of your adventure: a safari inside the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater.
Explore Ngorongoro Crater
Your final day takes you to the Ngorongoro Crater, one of Tanzania’s most remarkable wildlife destinations and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Descend into the crater for a game drive across its diverse habitats, including grasslands, woodland, and wetlands.
The crater supports a rich concentration of wildlife, offering opportunities to spot lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, and many other species. With luck, you may also encounter the endangered black rhino.
After your crater safari, begin your return journey towards Arusha or your agreed drop-off location, concluding five memorable days exploring Tanzania’s extraordinary wilderness.
Travel with a Local Tanzania Safari Operator
With Serengeti Budget Safari, you travel with a locally based Tanzanian safari operator committed to sharing the country’s wildlife, landscapes, and culture. Your private safari gives you the flexibility to enjoy wildlife viewing at your own pace, ask questions, and make the most of your time in the national parks.
From Tarangire’s elephants and baobab trees to the Serengeti’s iconic predators and the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater, this five-day journey offers an unforgettable introduction to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit.
Your Safari. Our Home.
Trip highlights
- Explore Tarangire National Park and its large elephant herds
- Discover the Serengeti’s incredible wildlife and vast plains
- Experience the Ndutu wildebeest calving season from December to March
- Search for Africa’s Big Five, including the black rhino
- Explore the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater
- Enjoy a private 4x4 safari with an experienced local guide
What's included
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with an experienced local driver-guide
- All park entrance fees for Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance fees
- Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- Accommodation for four nights as specified in the itinerary
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- Drinking water during game drives
- Game drives in Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater
- Government taxes and applicable tourism levies
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips for the safari guide ($15–$20 per day)
- Personal expenses
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Accommodation before and after the safari
- Any services not specifically listed under “Included”
Day by day
Tarangire Safari: Discover Elephants and Giant Baobab Trees
Begin your 5-day private Tanzania safari with an exciting wildlife adventure in Tarangire National Park, one of the best places in northern Tanzania to experience African wildlife. After pickup from your hotel in Arusha, travel through beautiful countryside towards the park, famous for its giant baobab trees, scenic landscapes, and large herds of elephants.
Enjoy a game drive across Tarangire’s open savannah, woodlands, and seasonal swamps while searching for elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes, and different species of antelope. Keep an eye out for predators such as lions and leopards, as well as the park’s impressive birdlife.
Tarangire is especially rewarding for wildlife photography, offering opportunities to capture elephants walking beneath ancient baobab trees and animals gathering around seasonal water sources. Your experienced local safari guide will help you spot wildlife and share insights into the animals and their natural environment.
After an unforgettable day exploring Tarangire National Park, leave the park and travel towards Mto wa Mbu, where you can relax after your first day of safari in Tanzania. Get ready for the next stage of your adventure as you journey towards the legendary Serengeti National Park.
Journey to Serengeti via Ngorongoro: Discover the Great Wildebeest Migration
After breakfast, continue your 5-day private Tanzania safari towards the world-famous Serengeti National Park, travelling through the spectacular landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Enjoy scenic views of rolling highlands, vast grasslands, and traditional Maasai pastoral lands as you make your way into one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife regions.
From December to March, your route may include the Ndutu area, renowned for the Great Wildebeest Migration and the calving season. During this period, large herds of wildebeest gather across the southern Serengeti ecosystem to give birth, attracting predators such as lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. The exact wildlife movements depend on rainfall and seasonal conditions.
As you enter the Serengeti ecosystem, admire the endless plains and begin looking for wildlife along the way. Depending on your route and the day’s conditions, you may spot zebras, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, and other animals before continuing towards your camp.
Your experienced local safari guide will share insights into the migration, the Serengeti ecosystem, and the wildlife that makes this region so extraordinary. After an exciting journey and wildlife-viewing opportunities, arrive at Tukaone Camp for dinner and an overnight stay in the heart of the wilderness, ready for another day of safari adventures.
Full Day Serengeti
Sunrise game drive: The best hour of any safari day. Predators that hunted overnight are often still visible, and the Seronera region wakes up around you in gold light.
Breakfast in the bush: A table set wherever the morning finds you. It's a strong contender for the best breakfast view you'll ever have.
Full-day exploration: Your guide reads the radio and the tracks in the dirt to decide where the day leads. In migration season, this is when the drive can extend north toward the Mara River crossings.
Dinner, campfire stories: Back at camp, the day's sightings get told and retold around the fire. Ask your guide what "Serengeti" means in Maasai, and why the name has earned every syllable.
Morning Serengeti Game Drive and Scenic Journey to Karatu
Begin your day with breakfast before heading out for a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park, one of Africa’s most famous wildlife destinations. Explore the vast savannah with your experienced local safari guide, searching for lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other fascinating wildlife. You may also spot cheetahs or leopards, depending on the day’s conditions and animal movements.
If your visit coincides with the Great Wildebeest Migration, you may encounter herds moving across the plains in search of fresh grazing. From December to March, the southern Serengeti and Ndutu area can offer excellent opportunities to witness the wildebeest calving season, depending on rainfall and the location of the herds.
After your morning wildlife adventure, begin the scenic drive towards Karatu, passing through the beautiful landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Enjoy views of rolling hills, open grasslands, and traditional Maasai pastoral lands along the way.
Arrive in Karatu later in the day and check in at Omega Hotel. Relax, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the final highlight of your 5-day Tanzania safari: an unforgettable game drive inside the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro Crater Safari: Discover the Big Five in Tanzania
After an early breakfast, depart for the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, one of Tanzania’s most famous wildlife destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Descend into the crater for an unforgettable game drive across its diverse landscapes, including open grasslands, acacia woodlands, wetlands, and the shores of Lake Magadi.
With your experienced local safari guide, search for Africa’s Big Five: lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, and the rare black rhino. The crater is also home to zebras, wildebeest, hippos, hyenas, flamingos, and many other bird species, offering excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography.
Enjoy a picnic lunch in the designated area while taking in the unique scenery of this remarkable natural wonder. Throughout the day, your guide will share fascinating insights into the crater’s ecosystem, wildlife behaviour, and conservation efforts.
In the afternoon, ascend from the crater and begin your return journey to Arusha, bringing your 5-day private Tanzania safari to a memorable close. You will leave with incredible wildlife encounters, beautiful photographs, and lasting memories of Tarangire, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Common questions
Yes, the vehicle and guide are private to your group unless you specifically book a Group Joining departure. You set the pace and stops.
Yes, extra days, different parks or a Zanzibar extension can all be added. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the itinerary and price.
Yes, private safaris depart on any date you choose, subject to lodge availability in peak season (June–October).
Yes, airport pickup for the safari is included. Airport transfers before or after the safari, outside the scheduled itinerary, may incur an additional cost.
Neutral-coloured clothing, a warm layer for early mornings, sunscreen, a hat, binoculars and a camera. We send a full packing list once your trip is confirmed.
Yes, most lodges on this route welcome children of all ages, though some have a minimum age for game drives. Let us know the ages travelling and we will confirm.