Trip Overview
This 5-day expedition is a focused deep-dive into Tanzania’s two most famous wildlife destinations: the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. By bypassing other parks, this itinerary maximizes your time on the “Endless Plains,” ensuring a rich experience in the predator-dense Central Serengeti. You will witness the sheer scale of the savannah, track big cats in the Seronera Valley, and then descend into the geological marvel of the Ngorongoro Crater for a chance to spot the Big Five in a single day. It is an ideal itinerary for travelers who want to see the very best of Tanzania’s wildlife in a concise timeframe.
Itinerary
Your Tanzanian adventure begins as you touch down at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), the gateway to the safari circuit. On a clear day, you may catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak from the tarmac. You will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel in Arusha, a vibrant city nestled at the foot of Mount Meru. Depending on your arrival time, you safari briefing may take place today or early tomorrow meaning.
Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: Gran Melia Arusha – Deluxe City View
After an early breakfast, you will embark on a scenic and adventurous drive towards the Serengeti. The journey takes you up the Great Rift Valley escarpment and through the cool, misty highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will stop at the crater rim viewpoint for a breathtaking look at the caldera before descending onto the vast plains. As you pass Naabi Hill Gate, the trees disappear, replaced by the golden grasslands that stretch to the horizon. The drive to the Central Serengeti (Seronera) serves as your first game drive, offering chances to spot hyenas, zebras, and gazelles before arriving at your camp in the late afternoon.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Melia Serengeti Lodge – Lagoon View
You have a full day dedicated to exploring the Seronera Valley, the vibrant heart of the Serengeti. This region is renowned for its year-round wildlife abundance, largely due to the permanent waters of the Seronera River. Your guide will help you track the Big Five, with a special focus on leopards, which are frequently spotted lounging in the branches of sausage trees along the riverbanks. You might also encounter cheetahs using termite mounds as vantage points to scout for prey, or massive prides of lions resting in the shade of kopjes (rocky outcrops). A picnic lunch in the bush allows you to maximize your time viewing the complex interactions of this ancient ecosystem.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Melia Serengeti Lodge – Lagoon View
After a final morning game drive in the Serengeti to track any wildlife you may have missed, you will bid farewell to the plains and drive back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This return journey offers a second chance to spot wildlife across the plains, such as hyenas and jackals. You will ascend into the crater highlands, arriving at your lodge on the crater rim (or in nearby Karatu) in the late afternoon. The evening is spent relaxing and enjoying the spectacular views, preparing for the descent into the crater the next day.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Lodge by Melia – The Rim Room
You will start this final day very early to maximize your time in the crater. It is a short drive from Karatu to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate, where you will descend 600 meters to the crater floor. This ancient volcanic caldera is a self-contained ecosystem teeming with wildlife, including the Big Five. You will spend the morning exploring the crater floor, with high chances of spotting lions, hyenas, and the critically endangered Black Rhino. After a picnic lunch near the hippo pool, you will ascend the steep walls and begin the drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The drive takes you past Arusha and on to the airport, arriving in the early evening.
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch
Includes/Excludes
Cost included
- All accommodations
- All transportation (Unless labelled as optional)
- Meals (As specified in the day- by-day section)
- Taxes / VAT
- Activities (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Park fees
- Professional guide
Cost Exckude
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- International & Domestic flights
- Option Balloon Safari (On offer for US $ 550 per person)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$15.00 pp per day)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
