5 days ยท Classic
5-day Tanzania safari
The northern circuit in five days, without a single wasted morning.
Five days is the shortest trip that reaches the Serengeti and still feels unhurried. Tarangire and Lake Manyara first, a night in the middle of the Serengeti, then the crater on the way home.
- Elephant herds among the Tarangire baobabs
- Tree-climbing lions and flamingos at Lake Manyara
- A night in the heart of the Serengeti
- The Ngorongoro Crater floor on the final morning
- Balanced days with no long transfers
Day by day
The itinerary
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Day 1
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Depart Arusha after breakfast for the two-hour drive to Tarangire, through farmland and villages. The park is known for its elephant populations and its baobabs, and the river pulls wildlife in year round, so first-afternoon sightings are usually generous: elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and antelope. Picnic lunch in the park, then on to the lodge.
Overnight Tarangire area lodge
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Day 2
Tarangire to Lake Manyara
An early breakfast and a short drive to Lake Manyara, a small park with an unusual amount packed into it. Groundwater forest with baboons and blue monkeys, grassland with elephant and buffalo, and a lakeshore where flamingos and water birds gather. This is the park for tree-climbing lions if you are lucky. Afternoon game drive, then the lodge.
Overnight Lake Manyara or Karatu lodge
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Day 3
Lake Manyara to the central Serengeti
The drive west climbs through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the highlands before the country opens out into the Serengeti. The transfer is a game drive in itself. An afternoon drive around Seronera brings lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant and giraffe, and the big herds of wildebeest and zebra.
Overnight Central Serengeti camp
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Day 4
Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
An early morning game drive while the animals are active and the light is worth photographing, then breakfast and more time in the park before turning east. The road back crosses scenic highland country with wildlife along the way, and there is a stop at a viewpoint over the crater before you reach the rim.
Overnight Ngorongoro rim lodge
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Day 5
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
An early breakfast and the descent to the crater floor for a morning game drive. Lion, elephant, black rhino, hippo, buffalo and large grazing herds share a compact area with very good visibility. Picnic lunch inside the crater, then the climb out and the drive back to Arusha for your hotel or the airport.
Overnight Trip ends in Arusha
Yours, not ours
Make it yours
This is the version we start from. Here is what usually changes. Tell us which one and we will work it through with you.
- How many days Add a night in the Serengeti, or drop one and go straight for the crater.
- The camps Simple and comfortable, mid-range lodges, or canvas with a view and a bath.
- Add-ons A balloon at first light, a walking safari, an afternoon in a village.
- Pace for children Later starts, shorter drives, and a pool at the end of the day.
- Zanzibar extension Three or four nights on the coast once the last game drive is done.
Included
- Airport and lodge transfers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking woman guide
- All park entrance and conservation fees
- Full-board accommodation on safari
- Picnic lunches on game-drive days
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Government taxes and levies
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for your guide and camp staff
- Optional activities such as balloon safaris
Parks on this trip
Worth adding
Optional, priced separately, and easy to slot in when we build your itinerary.
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Balloon safari over the Serengeti
An hour above the plains at dawn, then a bush breakfast where you land.
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Maasai village visit
An afternoon in a boma, with someone who can actually translate.
Questions about this kind of trip
Is Tanzania safe for a woman travelling alone?
Yes, with a licensed operator. You are with your guide from arrival to departure, lodges and camps are staffed around the clock, and we brief you on the few things worth knowing about towns and markets.
Can I request a woman guide?
Every Savanna Soul safari is led by a woman guide unless you ask otherwise. Tell us in the inquiry if you have a preference for a particular guide.
What does the single supplement cost?
It varies by lodge and by season, and it is the one figure people are most often surprised by, so we quote it as a separate line on your itinerary rather than burying it in the total.
Will I be put in a vehicle with strangers?
Not unless you ask to be. Every trip is private by default. Your vehicle holds your group and your guide, and nobody else joins it. The one exception is a group departure, which shares the cost, so if you would like us to look for one, say so and we will tell you what is running.
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