5-Day Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara
This all-inclusive 5-day safari with Collective African Tours & Safaris (CATS) offers a perfect introduction to Tanzania’s most iconic parks and wildlife. You’ll start with a choice: the lush jewel of Lake Manyara National Park or the quieter, elephant-rich Tarangire National Park—either option guarantees unforgettable wildlife encounters.
From there, we journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping at the legendary Olduvai Gorge, a world-renowned site revealing fossilized remains and artifacts of early humankind. Finally, the adventure culminates in the vast plains of the Serengeti, one of Africa’s richest ecosystems, teeming with wildebeest, lions, and countless other species.
For five days, immerse yourself in Tanzania’s landscapes, wildlife, and culture, guided by CATS’ expert driver/guides.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha – Lake Manyara or Tarangire
Lake Manyara: 2½ Hour Drive | Tarangire: 3 Hour Drive
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
7:30 am – Your CATS driver/guide will pick you up in a private 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep from your hotel, residence, or airport.
Option 1: Lake Manyara
Travel through Maasai country, passing colorful herders and cattle en route to Lake Manyara. This scenic park is home to pink flamingoes, baboons, blue monkeys, giraffes, buffalo, and even tree-climbing lions resting in acacia trees.
Option 2: Tarangire
Known for its large elephant populations and dramatic baobab-studded landscapes, Tarangire provides a quieter safari experience while still offering an abundance of wildlife.
Your first evening is spent relaxing at your safari lodge or tented camp, sharing stories of your first encounters with Tanzania’s amazing wildlife.
Day 2: Lake Manyara / Tarangire – Serengeti
Lake Manyara: 4 Hour Drive | Tarangire: 7 Hour Drive
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Early morning game drive and breakfast, then depart for Serengeti National Park. Along the way, enjoy scenic stops and a delicious lunch.
Arrive in the Serengeti and take in the vastness of the plains, home to wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and buffalo, along with the park’s legendary big cats. Spend the evening at your Serengeti lodge or tented camp, preparing for the game drives ahead.
Day 3: Full Day in the Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today is dedicated to unlimited game drives. Track lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and over 3,000 lions that roam the park. Don’t miss the smaller species, including baboons, monkeys, and the rare African wild dog. Explore the rivers and marshes for hippos, crocodiles, and a diverse array of birdlife.
Enjoy a picnic lunch on the plains, surrounded by awe-inspiring wildlife, and return to your Serengeti accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Serengeti – Ngorongoro
Approx. 3 Hour Drive | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart early for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, a site of immense anthropological significance, to explore fossilized artifacts and ancient hominid remains.
Next, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, home to dense wildlife including lions, leopards, black rhinos, elephants, zebras, antelopes, hippos, and flamingoes. Spend the day game driving, enjoying lunch in the crater, and photographing the unparalleled scenery.
Return to the crater rim in the late afternoon to catch a breathtaking sunset before heading to your Ngorongoro lodge for the night.
Day 5: Ngorongoro – Arusha
Approx. 3½ Hour Drive | Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Wake early to watch the sunrise over the crater rim before a final 4×4 drive in search of wildlife. After breakfast, depart for Arusha, stopping along the way for lunch and to soak in the scenic landscapes.
Arrive in Arusha in the afternoon and be dropped off at your hotel, residence, or airport. You leave Tanzania with unforgettable memories, countless photos, and stories of five days spent in some of Africa’s most spectacular parks.
From everyone at Collective African Tours & Safaris (CATS), a heartfelt Asante Sana for sharing this safari adventure!
Tour Includes
- Transport in a 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep
- Pick-up and drop-off at Arusha location
- Experienced, friendly English-speaking (or other language) guide/driver
- Bottled drinking water
- Park entrance fees
- Game viewing drives
- All meals as indicated
- Government taxes and local levies
- Flying Doctors emergency medical evacuation/rescue insurance