5 Days Best of Tanzania Safari

5 Days Best of Tanzania Safari | Four Northern Circuit Parks

If your time in Tanzania is limited but you still want to see the country’s four best-known northern parks, this 5 Days Best of Tanzania Safari is built to do exactly that. It moves through Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park — the core of the Northern Circuit without the trip feeling rushed at any single stop.

Along the way, expect strong sightings of the Big Five, alongside wildebeest, zebra, and the varied landscapes that make each park distinct: Lake Manyara’s groundwater forest and tree-climbing lions, the Serengeti’s open plains, Ngorongoro’s self-contained caldera, and Tarangire’s baobab studded elephant country.

This itinerary suits travelers who want genuine breadth across Tanzania’s headline parks on a tight schedule and who are comfortable with a fast-moving pace in exchange for covering four destinations in five days rather than settling into just one or two.

Quick Facts

Highlights

• Day 1: Pick up, transfer to Lake Manyara National Park, game drive and walking safari
• Day 2: Drive to Serengeti National Park
• Day 3: Full day game drive in Serengeti National Park
• Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater drive
• Day 5: Tarangire National Park and departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Pick Up, Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park, Game Drive and Walking Safari

Your guide will collect you from your hotel in Arusha and, after a short briefing, set off for Lake Manyara National Park. This first stop gives you an excellent introduction to Tanzania’s wildlife, with a game drive through the park’s varied habitat.

After a picnic lunch, take part in a guided nature walk for a closer look at the park’s surroundings and views before heading to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Hhando Coffee Lodge or Manyara Safari Lodge

Day 2: Drive to Serengeti National Park

Enjoy an early breakfast at your lodge before setting off for Serengeti National Park. After lunch, take a late-afternoon game drive across the savannah plains, searching for the Big Five including elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes & rhinos and taking in the scenery, including the kopjes where lions often rest while watching for prey. Continue to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Central Serengeti Tanzania Bush Camp or equivalent

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Full Day Game Drive in Serengeti National Park

After an early breakfast, head out on a morning game drive around central Serengeti, watching for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, impalas, gazelles, kudu, and rhinos, among others.

Enjoy a picnic lunch out in the wilderness before continuing with an afternoon game drive. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater Drive

After breakfast at camp, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. With a packed lunch, descend 600 meters into Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive amid dramatic scenery, including sightings of the crater’s own Big Five.

Look out for wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and elephant, alongside predators such as lions, hyenas, jackals, and leopards. After the game drive, continue to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Hhando Coffee Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Tarangire National Park and Departure

Elephant in Tarangire National Park

On your last day, enjoy breakfast at the lodge before setting off with packed lunch boxes for Tarangire National Park, known for its large elephant herds and giant baobab trees. Spend the morning on a game drive, watching for zebras, giraffes, lions, and elephants, among other wildlife.

Enjoy lunch out in the wilderness, with a further game drive as you leave the park. Your guide will drop you at the airport in time for your outbound flight or at your hotel in Arusha, bringing your 5 Days Best of Tanzania Safari to an end.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

What’s Included

• 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
• Accommodation per the itinerary
• Meals as per the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
• Services of an English-speaking guide
• National park entrance fees as per the itinerary
• Mineral water while on safari
• Crater and concession fees
• Government taxes

What’s Not Included

• Flights
• Visas and related costs
• Personal expenses
• Alcoholic drinks, tips, laundry, telephone calls, and other items of a personal nature
• International and local flights
• Optional excursions and activities not listed in the itinerary
• Anything else not included in the itinerary