Safari

5-Day Four Parks Lodge Safari

Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport, Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Arusha

Duration: 5 days · 4 nights
Pace: Active
Best season: Year-round; June to October is driest

your journey

Overview

This safari takes in all four of the northern circuit's classic parks in five days, sleeping in lodges and tented camps with full board. You go straight from the airport to Tarangire, cross to the Serengeti for two nights, spend an afternoon in the Ngorongoro Crater and finish at Lake Manyara on the way home.

The pace is brisk. Day 2 includes a long afternoon drive, and Day 4 fits a sunrise Serengeti drive and a crater descent into one day, so this suits travellers who would rather see a lot than stay long in one place. The reward is variety: elephant country, open plains with their predators, the crater's Big Five and Manyara's forest and lake, all in one trip.

If you have one or two more days, ask your specialist about adding a second night in the Serengeti. It turns the busiest days into easy ones.

Who it suits

Travellers who want to see all four northern parks on a short schedule, prefer lodges and camps with proper beds and hot showers, and do not mind early starts and long drives.

Parks visited

Tarangire National Park · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Lake Manyara National Park

what makes it special

Highlights

Four parks in five days: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara
Two nights in the Serengeti with a full day on the plains
An afternoon game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
Tree-climbing lions and flamingos at Lake Manyara
Lodge and tented camp stays with full board

day by day

The itinerary

Your guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport and drives you west through farmland and Maasai grazing country to Tarangire National Park. You check in at your lodge or tented camp for lunch, then head out on your first game drive. Tarangire in the afternoon means elephants gathering along the river, giraffe browsing among the baobabs and, with luck, a lion pride resting in the shade. Dinner and the night are at your lodge.

Overnight: Lodge or tented camp in the Tarangire areaMeals: Lunch & dinner

An early breakfast gives you time for a morning game drive in Tarangire, when the animals are active and the light is good for photographs. After lunch at the lodge you set off for the Serengeti, crossing the Ngorongoro highlands and descending onto the open plains, with game viewing along the way. It is a long afternoon on the road, and you reach your lodge or camp in the Serengeti in the evening for dinner.

Overnight: Lodge or tented camp in the SerengetiMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

A whole day on the Serengeti plains, with a picnic lunch out in the park. Depending on the season, your guide may follow the wildebeest and zebra herds of the Great Migration, or search the kopjes and river valleys for lion, leopard and cheetah. The plains also hold topi, hartebeest, Thomson's gazelle, elephant and giraffe, and hyena and jackal are never far away. You return to your lodge at sunset for dinner.

Overnight: Lodge or tented camp in the SerengetiMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Leave before dawn for a last Serengeti game drive, then return for breakfast and set off for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. At the crater rim you stop to look over the caldera before driving down to the floor for a picnic lunch and an afternoon game drive. Look for black rhino, lion, hippo, elephant and buffalo, and for flamingos on the soda lake. In the late afternoon you climb back up to your lodge on or near the rim.

Overnight: Lodge on or near the Ngorongoro Crater rimMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

After a relaxed breakfast you drive down off the highlands to Lake Manyara National Park, below the wall of the Rift Valley. The park's groundwater forest is home to baboons and blue monkeys, and its open woodland to elephant, giraffe and buffalo. Keep watching the acacias for the tree-climbing lions the park is known for, and the lakeshore for flamingos and pelicans. After a picnic lunch and a final game drive you head back to Arusha or to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight.

Overnight: Safari ends in Arusha or at the airportMeals: Breakfast & lunch

in pictures

Gallery

the price

What is included

Included

Airport pick-up on arrival
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
Full board at lodges and camps: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Transport in a 4x4 Land Cruiser safari vehicle
Game drives as listed in the itinerary
National park entrance fees and Ngorongoro crater service fees
English-speaking driver-guide

Not included

International and domestic flights, with their taxes
Tanzania visa fee
Travel and personal accident insurance
Maasai cultural village visit
Activities not listed in the itinerary
Drinks, laundry, phone calls and other personal expenses
Tips for your guide and lodge staff

Prices

Price on request

before you ask

Common questions

You can go on safari here all year. The dry season from June to October is the easiest time for game viewing, because animals gather near rivers and the grass is short, but it is also the busiest. From November to May the parks are green, quieter and excellent for birds, with short rains around November and the long rains in April and May. Where the wildebeest migration is depends on the month, so tell us your dates and we will plan the route around them.

Our safaris use 4x4 safari vehicles with a pop-up roof, so you can stand up for game viewing and photography. On a private safari the vehicle and driver-guide are yours alone for the whole trip.

Each tour page lists exactly what is included and excluded. On our northern circuit safaris, such as the 7-day Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire trip, national park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance fees are included. If you are not sure, ask your specialist before you book.

Yes. Every itinerary on this site is a starting point. We can add or remove days, swap parks, or change the accommodation to suit your budget, and your specialist will send you a revised plan and quote.

Bring light, neutral-coloured clothes, a warm layer for early mornings and for the Ngorongoro Crater rim, which is cold at night, comfortable shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent. Binoculars and a camera with spare batteries and memory cards make a big difference. Soft bags pack into safari vehicles more easily than hard suitcases.

Most visitors need a visa. Apply online in good time through the official Tanzania Immigration website at eservices.immigration.go.tz, and do not use unofficial agents. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival. Requirements differ by nationality, so check the official site for your country.

Enquire

Ask about this itinerary

Every AAA Express Adventure trip can be changed to suit you: the pace, the lodges, the number of days. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and our team in Arusha will come back to you with a plan and a price.

Your journey

Price on request

5 days · 4 nights