7-Day Tanzania Big Five Safari Tour

A 7-day safari to famous Northern Tanzania parks, with the chance to spot the "Big 5" – Elephants, Lions, Buffalo, rhinos, Leopards, and much more – an authentic African awe-inspiring experience. Your safari exploration begins at Lake Manyara, one of the Rift Valley's most renowned lakes and home to impressive concentrations of birds and large mammals.

Then make your way to the magical plains of the Serengeti, one of Africa's most iconic safari destinations. Venture deep into the Serengeti’s endless plains in the central Serengeti, where the game viewing is unquestionably one of the best, famed for a large concentration of animals including Wildebeest, Zebra, pride of lions, cheetahs, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, plus many, many more and fascinating birdlife.

You will end the tour by visiting the garden of God – N the renowned Ngorongoro Crater is often referred to as a wonder of the world; the crater floor is the home to thousands of everyday animals, including the rare black rhinos.

Tour Summary

This tour starts and ends in Arusha.

You'll visit Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Parks and Ngorongoro Crater.

Activities: Game drives

Game drives: Pop-roof 4×4 vehicle


Tour Features

Private tour - This tour will be organised exclusively for you and won't be shared with others.

Can start any day - If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.

Can be customised - You can request changes to this tour.

Suitable for solo travellers - Solo travellers can book this private tour.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Day: Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha

Arusha - Wikipedia

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our professional and personal driver guide and transferred to your hotel in Arusha for overnight relaxation and preparation in keenness for the coming safari adventure. Arusha is the pounding heart of the wild – the last port of civilisation before heading out into dense jungles and rich savannah plains. It is located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the east branch of the Great Rift Valley. The town’s temperate and calm climate is exciting. It is close to the infamous Tanzania National Park, which lures visitors to explore the fantastic Maasai culture and unique flora and fauna.

Today you can relax in Arusha, enjoy a quick briefing about your upcoming safari, recover from your journey, and soak up the vibrant atmosphere of Africa.

Day 2: Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara national park - tanzania national parks


After breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up and starts your adventure drive towards the Lake Manyara National Park, one of the Rift Valley's most renowned lakes and home to impressive concentrations of birds and large mammals. You will have a picnic lunch during noontime, proceed with more game viewing later in the evening, and drive to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Even though the park is small, 325 sq. kilometres, it has awe-inspiring scenery and is well- known for its growing population of baboons, tree-climbing lions and elephants. The game drives along the lake provide spectacular photo chances of giraffes and buffaloes in the foreground and the lake and its flamingos in the background. Moreover, the park is a bird watcher’s paradise where over 350 species of birds, including the lively flamingo, pelican, sacred ibis, grebe, and stork, can be spotted. A short visit to this tranquil park will diversify your African safari experience.

Day 3: Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park | Travel Connections Ltd


After breakfast, your exploration journey continues heading to the renowned Serengeti National Park, home of the Great Migration, driving through the beautiful high-lying farmland of Karatu and spectacular views of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will have multiple stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery, including stopping at the rim of the remarkable Ngorongoro Crater. You will enjoy a picnic lunch, then an afternoon game watching in Central Serengeti, and later in the evening, drive to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

The park has 14,763 sq. km, and more than 4 million large mammals live in total wilderness freedom. The park is unquestionably one of the best-known wildlife national parks globally. It is renowned for its annual wildebeest migration of 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras, and antelopes. As for the big cats and large predators, it's the place to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, with many television scenes like the famous River Crossings filmed in this park.

Day 4: On Safari - Central Serengeti

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK PHOTO JOURNAL - Journey Era


Waking up in the Serengeti is something extraordinary. Africa's sights, sounds, and smells are all around you, and a full day of adventure in the world's most famous national park is ahead.

You will enjoy full days in the Serengeti National Park, precisely we are entirely flexible with your preferences, and this day will be prearranged according to your desires. Your guide will discuss the best timings on every safari day, including the game drives and the wake-up time. For instance, on this day, you could do a morning game drive, return for lunch and relaxation and finish with an afternoon game drive. Alternatively, you could do a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch.

The Central Serengeti offers superb game viewing all year round due to its abundance of resident animals. Specifically, the Seronera River Valley in Central Serengeti is a ‘must see’ on every safari, regardless of the specific month of travel. Game viewing in Central Serengeti is at its best during the dry season (June - November), as animals are more concentrated in the immediate area due to the lack of water on the plains. Resident animals include impalas, buffaloes, hippos, warthogs, topi, hartebeests, lions, zebras, elephants, cheetahs and giraffes.

Day 5: On Safari - Central Serengeti

Serengeti National Park Safaris & Tours | Serengeti Safari


After breakfast, depart for a full-day game drive in Serengeti National Park, the home of the big five and wildebeest migration. You will have a picnic lunch, and more game viewing in the afternoon after the African sunset and drive back for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - Wikipedia


After breakfast, you will enjoy a morning game drive and return for brunch. After lunch, it’s time to drive eastwards to visit another spectacular setting for Tanzania’s wildlife, the famous Ngorongoro Crater; arrive late in the afternoon for relaxation, dinner and overnight. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment where people (the Maasai), livestock, and wildlife co-exist and share the same protected habitat. The stunning spectacle of the Ngorongoro Crater, its steep walls falling some 610 meters to the floor, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of a safari tour in Tanzania. The crater floor is home to thousands of everyday animals, including the rare black rhinos, zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, hippos, elands, elephants, and a large predator population of lions, hyenas, and jackals. It's also famous for its giant elephants globally and has massive tusks.

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater to Kilimanjaro International Airport

Ngorongoro Conservation Area: The Complete Guide

Today there will be plenty of time to enjoy another true spectacle - Ngorongoro Crater is often referred to as a wonder of the world. After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro crater floor for a game drive, exploring Africa's Garden of Eden. The crater is the grasslands, forests, and freshwater lake that inspire the migration of animals

and makes for the perfect chance to catch a glimpse of Africa's notorious Big Five (buffalo, elephants, leopards, black-maned lions, and the rare black rhinoceros).

After some exploring, enjoy a lunch picnic in the crater’s heart before we take in some more sights and drive up the steep road out of the crater, heading to Arusha or the airport for drop-off.

Inclusions:

  • Pick up and drop off at Arusha/Kilimanjaro International Airport
  • English-speaking driver-guide
  • Park fees
  • All activities as specified in the itinerary
  • Evacuation insurance (AMREF - Flying Doctors)
  • All accommodation - (Unless listed as upgrade)
  • All transportation - (Unless labelled as optional)
  • 4x4 Customized safari vehicle
  • All meals
  • Water in the car
  • Taxes

Exclusions:

  • International flights - (From/to home)
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
  • Tips - (Highly recommended)
  • Personal items - (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
  • Government-imposed increase of taxes and park fees
  • Meals not specified
  • Hot air balloon safari US$ 599 per person
  • Drinks and beverages
  • Laundry services

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