Four days, three famous parks, two nights in the Serengeti
Elephants beside a game-drive vehicle in the Serengeti.
Our most-asked-for short safari. Tarangire's elephants on day one, the Serengeti for two nights, and the Ngorongoro Crater on the way home: the essentials of northern Tanzania in four days.
Choose budget lodges and tented camps or more comfortable mid-range ones; the itinerary is the same. Pick-up can be from your Arusha hotel or from Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport.
Two nights in the Serengeti give you one full day in the central plains, where lions, leopards and cheetahs live all year. Depending on the season, the third night is either in the Serengeti again or near the crater, so the last day is easier.
Three of Africa's best-known parks
A full day in the central Serengeti
Two comfort levels to choose from
Unlimited game-drive distance
Your guide collects you from your Arusha hotel, or from Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport, and drives straight to Tarangire. The park is known for big elephant herds and ancient baobabs, and in the dry season the river is the only water around, so zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and elephants crowd its banks. After a full day of game drives you go on to your lodge outside the park.
After breakfast you climb through the green Ngorongoro highlands and drop onto the Serengeti plains. Past the gate the game drive begins; with a picnic on board you can keep exploring until the late afternoon, when you reach your camp.
The central Serengeti has water and grass all year, so its animals stay in every season. Your guide searches the plains, rivers and rocky kopjes for lions, leopards and cheetahs, along with giraffes, elephants, hippos and big herds of grazers. You sleep in the Serengeti again or, depending on the season, drive towards Ngorongoro in the late afternoon.
An early descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best places in Tanzania for black rhino. Expect lions, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas and flamingos on the soda lake. After a picnic lunch you drive back to Arusha, Moshi or the airport. A Maasai village visit can be added on the way for an extra fee.
Budget level: simple lodges and tented camps. Mid-range: more comfortable lodges and tented camps. Lodges named when we confirm your dates.
The line shows the order of the trip, not the exact road. Press ↻ to play it again.
| Season | 2 Guests | 3 Guests | 4 Guests | 5 Guests | 6–7 Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High SeasonJune – October · 20 Dec – February | $1,795 | $1,625 | $1,455 | $1,425 | $1,345 |
| Low SeasonMarch – May · 1 Nov – 19 Dec | $1,675 | $1,525 | $1,370 | $1,335 | $1,265 |
| Season | 2 Guests | 3 Guests | 4 Guests | 5 Guests | 6 Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High SeasonJune – October · 20 Dec – February | $2,045 | $1,930 | $1,715 | $1,710 | $1,605 |
| Low SeasonMarch – May · 1 Nov – 19 Dec | $1,805 | $1,730 | $1,505 | $1,520 | $1,405 |
High Season: June to October and 20 December to the end of February. Low Season: March to May and 1 November to 19 December.
Private trip for your group only: the more of you share the vehicle and guide, the lower the price per person. For 7 or more people we send a quote.
How booking works: a 30% deposit confirms your trip and the balance is paid on arrival in Tanzania, before the trip starts. We reply within 3 hours. Booking terms
Budget lodges and camps are simple; mid-range places are more comfortable. The route and the game drives are the same.
This trip is priced for 2 to 7 travellers sharing. For a single traveller we send a quote.
Sometimes: the herds pass through the central Serengeti around April to June and in November and December. The resident animals are there all year.
Two nights inside the Serengeti, then down into the Ngorongoro Crater.
Luxury camps, two Serengeti nights and an optional balloon flight.
Four parks at a comfortable pace, in mid-range lodges.
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and how many of you are travelling. We reply within 3 hours.
