5 Days Lake Manyara – Ngorongoro – Serengeti – Tarangire Safari

Total driving time: Approx. 2–3 hours | Afternoon game drive: 3–4 hours

Your safari begins with an early morning pickup from your hotel in Arusha. You will be transferred to the Trailark Tours and Safaris office for a safari briefing, final trip arrangements, and an introduction to your guide.

After the briefing, you depart for Lake Manyara National Park, enjoying scenic drives through rolling countryside and local villages along the Great Rift Valley escarpment. A picnic or lodge lunch will be served en route.

In the afternoon, you will embark on an extended game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, exploring its dense forests, open plains, and the lake area. The park is home to elephants, giraffes, hippos, large flocks of flamingos, and the famous tree-climbing lions, which may be seen resting in acacia trees. Birdwatchers will enjoy the vast variety of species that populate the lake shores.

Dinner and overnight stay will be in basic fixed tents with beds and bedding, giving you an authentic safari experience close to nature.

Total driving time: Approx. 3–4 hours | Afternoon exploration: 2–3 hours

After an early breakfast, you will leave Lake Manyara and drive toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing through scenic highlands and Maasai villages. Along the route, there will be opportunities to take photographs of the lush countryside and local wildlife grazing along the roadsides.

Upon arrival near the Ngorongoro Crater rim, you will check in to your lodge or camp and enjoy lunch while taking in panoramic views of the crater from above. In the afternoon, you can explore the highland areas around the crater rim, spotting wildlife in the surrounding grasslands and learning about the crater’s geological history.

Dinner and overnight accommodation will be arranged at a lodge or camp near the Ngorongoro Crater, ensuring an early start for the crater exploration the following day.

Crater game drive: 5–6 hours | Drive to Serengeti: 3–4 hours

Start the day with an early breakfast before descending approximately 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most wildlife-rich areas in Africa. During the morning game drive, your guide will take you through the crater floor where you can expect to see the Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and black rhino—along with large herds of wildebeest, zebras, hippos, and flamingos near the soda lake.

A picnic lunch will be served in the crater amidst wildlife and surrounded by towering crater walls. After lunch, you will ascend from the crater and drive toward Serengeti National Park, enjoying the changing landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Upon arrival in Serengeti, you will take a short evening game drive, offering the first glimpse of predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas in their natural habitat. Dinner and overnight will be at a safari camp within or near the Serengeti.

Morning game drive: 3–4 hours | Drive to Tarangire: 4–5 hours

Begin with an early morning game drive in Serengeti National Park, the prime time to observe predators returning from a hunt and herbivores grazing on the plains. The morning safari may include sightings of lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, and vast herds of wildebeest and zebras.

After a hearty breakfast at the camp, you will drive toward Tarangire National Park, known for its majestic baobab trees, large elephant herds, and varied birdlife. Lunch will be provided en route or at a picnic site inside the park.

Arriving in Tarangire, you will enjoy an afternoon game drive to explore its quiet plains and acacia woodlands, offering opportunities to photograph elephants, giraffes, zebras, and an array of bird species in their natural habitat. Dinner and overnight will be at a lodge or camp near Tarangire.

Morning game drive: 3–4 hours | Drive back to Arusha: 4–5 hours

On your final day, wake up early for a morning game drive in Tarangire to observe wildlife in the cooler hours of the morning. This is an excellent time to see elephants moving through the savannah, lions hunting, and flocks of birds in the park’s diverse ecosystems.

After the game drive, you will return to the camp for breakfast before starting your journey back to Arusha, passing through small towns and local villages. Lunch will be provided en route, and you are expected to arrive in Arusha in the late afternoon, marking the end of your unforgettable 5-day safari with Trailark Tours and Safaris.