5 day safari Tarangire Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater

Tarangire’s giant baobabs and elephant herds make a strong opening, but the real prize is the change of scenery over five days: dry woodland, open Serengeti plains, and the enclosed bowl of Ngorongoro Crater. You get three major wildlife areas without changing tour companies or arranging meals and park transport yourself.

I like the private format, since your group controls the pace more than it would on a shared vehicle. I also like the practical setup: lodges or self-contained tents, hot showers, five lunches, and a 4×4 safari vehicle are included. The main drawback is the amount of time spent on the road, especially on the route to and from Serengeti. This is an active safari, not a slow resort holiday.

Key points at a glance

• Tarangire opens with elephants and baobabs: The park is especially known for large elephant herds, unusual trees, and rare species such as greater kudu and fringe-eared oryx.
• Serengeti gets two full wildlife windows: You reach the Seronera area on Day 2, then spend most of Day 3 on a full game drive.
• Ngorongoro packs wildlife into one dramatic setting: The crater supports about 30,000 animals, including a chance to see black rhino.
• Your group has the vehicle to itself: The private arrangement is useful for families, couples, and friends who want a more personal schedule.
• Comfort is built into the price: Lodging, meals, drinking water, park transport, and guide service are covered.
• The strongest praise goes to the guides: John, Joseph, Jackson, Muro, Sixie, Emanuel, and others are singled out for spotting animals, explaining nature, and working hard to make the days productive.

Three parks, five days, and a lot of road

At $2,211.29 per person, this safari is not a budget weekend outing. It is priced as a mid-range, private package covering some of Tanzania’s most sought-after parks. The value depends on how much you would otherwise spend arranging a 4×4 vehicle, guide, park fees, lodging, meals, and transfers separately.

Here, those main safari costs are bundled together. You receive breakfast and dinner for four nights, lunch on all five days, 1.5 liters of drinking water per person each day, accommodation during the safari, and transport in a 4×4 vehicle. International flights, Arusha lodging, airport transfers, drinks other than the supplied water, laundry, tips, and optional activities are extra.

The tour starts at 8:30 a.m. from Msumbi Coffees at TFA Shopping Complex in Arusha and finishes back at the same meeting point. You should plan your arrival and departure around that fact. A night in Arusha before the safari is not included, and airport pickup is not part of the package.

The private setup matters. You are not joining a large bus and following a fixed group mood. Your own party participates, which can make long drives more comfortable and gives you a better chance to discuss animal sightings, photo stops, and the pace of the day with your guide.

Day 1: Tarangire’s elephants and baobabs

After breakfast, you drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park for a full day of game viewing with a picnic lunch. The day lasts about seven hours, though the actual time in the vehicle includes both driving and wildlife stops.

Tarangire has a different feel from Serengeti. Acacia woodland, giant African baobabs, and broad swamp areas give the park a varied setting. The Tarangire River and swamps attract animals during the dry season, when water becomes a major reason for wildlife to gather.

This is one of the best places in the itinerary for elephants. The park is known for large herds, and the combination of elephants, thick woodland, and baobabs gives your first game drive a strong sense of place. You are not simply ticking off animal names. You are seeing how water and vegetation shape animal movement.

Tarangire also offers a chance to look for greater kudu, fringe-eared oryx, and Ashy starlings. None of these sightings is guaranteed, but they add interest beyond the usual lion and elephant search.

The drawback is timing. A full day after breakfast, followed by the drive out of Arusha, can feel long. Still, Tarangire earns its place here because it gives you a clear contrast with the open plains that follow.

Day 2: Crossing the highlands into Seronera

Day 2 is the transition day. After breakfast, you travel through the farmland around Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before continuing toward Serengeti National Park. The route takes about six hours.

The changing scenery is part of the experience. You leave the higher farmland behind and enter a much more open part of northern Tanzania. By the time you reach the central Serengeti and the Seronera area, the sense of space is striking.

Seronera is a smart base for a short safari because the Seronera River draws wildlife. It is known as one of the park’s strongest animal areas, with habitats that support many of the Serengeti’s species.

This day is not as packed with game-viewing time as Day 3. Much of it is spent reaching the park, so you should not expect a full morning and afternoon of searching. The payoff is that you arrive in the central area for a longer game drive the next day.

Lodging and tents are described as self-contained, with hot showers. That is an important detail after hours on rough park roads. Accommodation standards can vary by property, so you should ask Bestday Safaris for the exact names before paying if the lodge itself matters to you.

Day 3: A full day on the Serengeti plains

Day 3 is the safari’s main wildlife day. After breakfast, you spend about ten hours on a full game drive, with lunch at the lodge or campsite.

The Serengeti gives you the widest sense of open country on this route. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, eland, wild dogs, gazelles, crocodiles, and many birds are all part of the park’s known wildlife. You may also hear about or look for the wildebeest migration, depending on the season and location.

A ten-hour game drive can produce memorable sightings, but it also demands patience. You may spend time scanning grassland before anything appears. That is normal safari work. The guide’s eye and radio communication can make a major difference, and this is where the praised guides matter most.

John and Joseph are repeatedly associated with strong guiding and careful animal spotting. Jackson is described as both friendly and highly informed about the park, while Muro is praised for noticing small details and keeping an ear open for sightings. Sixie is also singled out for finding the Big Five. Your actual guide may be different, but these names give you an idea of the service style to expect from Bestday Safaris.

Do not measure the day only by whether you see every famous animal. One safari group did not find the Big Five but still considered the experience outstanding. Wildlife is not a stage show, and even a skilled guide cannot order a leopard into view.

Day 4: A final Serengeti morning and the move to Ngorongoro

Day 4 begins with an early breakfast and a morning game drive. You then leave Serengeti for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with more animal viewing along the route. The listed game-drive time is about four hours.

An early start gives you a useful chance to see animals when they are active. It also makes the departure feel less abrupt. You get one last look at the Serengeti before the route turns toward the crater highlands.

This day has less wildlife time than Day 3, but it serves an important purpose. The itinerary does not waste a full day simply transferring between parks. You still have a morning drive, then continue toward the next major stop.

The tradeoff is another long travel period. If you dislike frequent vehicle days, five days may feel tight for three parks. If your priority is to see the headline areas in a limited amount of time, the route is efficient.

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater’s concentrated wildlife

After breakfast, you descend into Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive and picnic lunch. The crater section lasts about six hours, followed by a late-afternoon drive back to Arusha.

Ngorongoro is different from both Tarangire and Serengeti. Wildlife gathers within a natural bowl with a dependable water supply and grazing areas. The result is one of the highest concentrations of animals in the region, with an estimated 30,000 animals.

You might see wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and elephants on the crater floor. Predators include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the hard-to-find leopard. The crater is also one of the places where you may have a chance to see black rhino.

The setting helps make this final day memorable. Instead of searching across seemingly endless plains, you are moving through a contained area where many species live close together. That does not guarantee every sighting, but it gives the day a strong chance of varied wildlife.

A picnic lunch on the crater floor is convenient, but it also means another meal outdoors after several days of driving. Some people love that safari rhythm. Others may prefer a shorter final drive and a relaxed lunch indoors.

The return to Arusha is scheduled for late afternoon. Do not book an evening flight based on this arrival time. The safari ends back at the starting meeting point, and road conditions or wildlife viewing can affect the schedule.

Lodging, food, and vehicle comfort

The package includes accommodation during the safari, with lodges and tents described as self-contained and equipped with hot showers. That makes this a more comfortable option than a basic camping trip, but it is not the same as a luxury lodge circuit.

Meals are included throughout the five days: four breakfasts, four dinners, and five lunches. Lunch is a picnic on Day 1 and Day 5, and is taken at the lodge or campsite on Day 3. The information does not give specific menus, so tell the operator about dietary needs before departure.

The supplied water allowance is 1.5 liters per person per day. You may want to confirm how easily extra water can be purchased, since long drives and warm conditions make hydration important.

Transport is by 4×4 safari vehicle. The vehicle type is well suited to park roads and wildlife viewing, but rough tracks and long hours seated are part of the deal. Pack soft luggage where possible, and keep essentials such as sunscreen, a hat, binoculars, and camera gear easy to reach.

Guide quality can shape the whole safari

The most praised part of this experience is the guiding. John and Joseph are repeatedly described as professional, helpful, and determined to find animals. Other guide names connected with successful trips include Jackson, Muro, Sixie, and Emanuel.

That matters because a safari guide does more than drive. The guide watches animal behavior, explains the parks, listens for sightings, and decides how to use limited daylight. A patient guide can turn a quiet stretch of road into a useful lesson about tracks, birds, or habitat.

Bestday Safaris assigns the guide, so you cannot assume a particular person will lead your trip unless the company confirms it. If you have a strong preference, ask before booking. The private format should also make it easier to explain what interests you, such as birds, predators, elephants, photography, or the migration.

The 99 percent recommendation rate and 5 rating from 83 reviews indicate very strong satisfaction overall. Still, wildlife sightings vary, and guide performance can differ by person, vehicle, and season. I would treat the praise as a reason for confidence, not a promise of the Big Five.

Who should book this five-day route?

I would choose this safari if you have five days, want Tanzania’s major wildlife names, and prefer a private vehicle with meals and lodging arranged. It works especially well for couples, families, and small groups that value privacy and do not want to coordinate several separate bookings.

It also suits first-time safari visitors who want a clear introduction to northern Tanzania. Tarangire gives you elephants and baobabs, Serengeti gives you open plains and predator possibilities, and Ngorongoro gives you a concentrated final wildlife day.

I would hesitate if you want a slow trip with long stays in one lodge. The route covers a lot of ground. I would also reconsider it if you need airport transfers, Arusha hotel nights, flights, or optional experiences included in one price.

Optional activities such as balloon rides and visits to local villages, including Maasai village visits, are not part of the package. Tips for the driver-guide and any cook are also extra, so budget for those separately.

Should you book it?

Book this safari if the three-park route matters more to you than a relaxed pace. The combination of a private group, hot showers, included meals, a 4×4 vehicle, and strong praise for several guides makes the $2,211.29 price reasonable for a mid-range safari package.

Before paying, ask for the exact accommodation names, confirm the assigned guide if possible, and check how the operator handles your arrival and departure from Arusha. If you are comfortable with long drives and uncertain wildlife sightings, this is a practical way to see Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro in five focused days.

FAQ

Where does the safari start and finish?

It starts at 8:30 a.m. at Msumbi Coffees, TFA Shopping Complex, JMFH+RR3, Sokoine Road, Arusha. The safari ends back at the same meeting point.

Is this a private safari?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity, and transport is provided in a 4×4 safari vehicle.

What meals are included?

The package includes four breakfasts, four dinners, and five lunches. Lunch is provided during each safari day, with picnic lunches listed for Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater.

Is accommodation included?

Yes. Accommodation during the safari is included. The tour describes lodges and self-contained tents with hot showers.

Are airport transfers and Arusha hotel nights included?

No. Nights in Arusha, airport transfers, and domestic or international flights are not included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours ahead are not accepted for a refund. If poor weather cancels the safari, you are offered another date or a full refund.