Private or Group Tanzania safari
5 Days Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Safari
The northern circuit with room in it: three habitats and a full Serengeti day.
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Tanzania
- Midrange
- Private or Group
Choose your level
One route, three ways to travel it.
The road, the parks and the day-by-day itinerary are the same at every level. What changes is where you sleep, what you travel in and what it costs.
Trip facts
- Duration
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Country
- Tanzania
- Destinations
- Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro
- Safari level
- Midrange
- Travel type
- Private or Group safari
- Starts
- Arusha
- Ends
- Arusha
- Price
- On request
Overview
The journey at a glance.
Five days is the version of the northern circuit we would recommend to most travellers. It keeps Lake Manyara as the way in, gives the Serengeti two nights and a full stationary day, and still finishes on the crater floor.
Nothing on it is rushed. The one genuinely long drive — over the Ngorongoro highlands and down onto the plains — is a highlight rather than an obstacle.
It also sits at the point where the accommodation upgrade really pays. Kubu Kubu in the Serengeti and the properties on the Ngorongoro rim are a step up that changes the trip.
RouteArusha · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Arusha
Featured journeyA core northern circuit route, with the lodge depth to support strong midrange and luxury upgrades.
Your route
5 points.
One unfolding story.
Where you stay, and for how long. The full route is listed in text below the line, so it reads the same however you are viewing this page.
- 01ArushaIn transit
- 02Lake Manyara1 night
- 03Serengeti2 nights
- 04Ngorongoro1 night
- 05ArushaIn transit
Day by day
5 days, read as a journey.
Timings are indicative and depend on road and park conditions on the day. Meals shown are those included in the safari price.
Day 1Arusha → Lake Manyara
Under the Rift wall.
West from Arusha to Mto wa Mbu and into the park. Manyara compresses groundwater forest, acacia woodland, floodplain and alkaline lake into a few kilometres, with baboon troops in the forest and hippo and flamingo on the shore.
- Activities
- Road transfer from Arusha · Afternoon game drive
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Manyara · Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, or similar
Day 2Lake Manyara → Serengeti
Over the highlands, onto the plains.
The road climbs through Karatu farmland to the Ngorongoro rim, runs along it, and then descends onto the Serengeti. There is an optional stop at Olduvai Gorge. You enter the park in the afternoon with a game drive en route to camp.
- Activities
- Road transfer to the Serengeti · Optional Olduvai Gorge stop · Game drive en route
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Serengeti · Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge
- Optional
- Olduvai Gorge stop (USD 35 pp, paid locally)
Day 3Serengeti
A full day on the plains.
Out after breakfast with picnic lunches. With no transfer to make, the day belongs to the wildlife: the kopjes for lion, the river lines for leopard, and the short-grass plains for cheetah and, in season, the migration herds.
- Activities
- Full-day game drive with picnic lunch
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Serengeti · Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge
Day 4Serengeti → Ngorongoro
A last morning, then the climb to the rim.
A morning game drive on the way out of the park, then east and up into the highlands. The rim sits above 2,200 metres and is usually cold and often misty by evening.
- Activities
- Morning game drive · Road transfer to the Ngorongoro highlands
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Ngorongoro · Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, or similar
Day 5Ngorongoro → Arusha
Down into the crater.
An early descent for the morning on the crater floor — black rhino, lion, elephant and the birdlife around Lake Magadi — then up and back to Arusha in the afternoon.
- Activities
- Ngorongoro Crater game drive · Road transfer to Arusha
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Overnight
- The journey ends today
Accommodation · Midrange
A place to pause between chapters.
These are properties Ndurumo may recommend or use at this level on this route. Final accommodation is confirmed with your quotation and remains subject to availability.
Lake Manyara · Midrange1 night
Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, or similar
A good gateway night into the northern circuit.
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safariSerengeti · Midrange2 nights
Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge
Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge is the recommended midrange option for Serengeti nights.
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safariNgorongoro · Midrange1 night
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, or similar
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safari
Compare accommodation at all three levels
Budget
- Lake Manyara
- Fanaka Campsite
- Serengeti
- Seronera Camp
- Ngorongoro
- Simba Campsite
Midrange
- Lake Manyara
- Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, or similar
- Serengeti
- Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge
- Ngorongoro
- Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, or similar
Luxury
- Lake Manyara
- andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
- Serengeti
- Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp
- Ngorongoro
- Elewana The Manor at Ngorongoro, Gibb's Farm
What you’ll experience
The character of this route.
- 01
Three genuinely different northern-circuit habitats
- 02
Two nights in the Serengeti with a full day on the plains
- 03
The drive over the Ngorongoro highlands
- 04
A descent onto the crater floor
- 05
An optional stop at Olduvai Gorge
Package detail
What the price covers.
These lists apply to the midrange version of this route. Optional extras are listed against the day they fall on.
What’s included
- Transport in a 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser
- Airport pick-up on arrival
- Accommodation as set out in the itinerary
- All meals while on safari (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Services of a professional Ndurumo driver-guide
- All park and reserve entrance fees
- All game drives listed in the itinerary
- Statutory taxes
Not included
- International flights
- Kenya or Tanzania visas and entry fees
- Travel and personal insurance
- Single-occupancy supplement
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Optional activities, including balloon safaris and village visits
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
Pricing
Clear before you commit.
Price depends on travel dates, group size, accommodation level, park fees at the time of travel and vehicle arrangements.
We have not loaded a contracted rate for this tier yet, and we would rather quote you accurately than estimate. Price depends on dates, occupancy, park fees, vehicle arrangements and accommodation availability.
- Travel dates
- Required for a quotation
- Group size
- Required for a quotation
- Occupancy
- Per person sharing; single supplement quoted separately
- Child rates
- Quoted where the property applies them
This route, shaped around you
Begin with the journey already chosen.
Your enquiry carries this route and level automatically, so you only add the details we genuinely need to price it.
Is five days the right length for Tanzania?
For a first northern-circuit trip, yes. It covers the three headline destinations with a full day in the Serengeti and without a transfer every morning.
Why are some Tanzania prices shown as On Request?
Several of our current Tanzania pages repeat the same base figure across different durations, which we do not think is a safe basis for a quotation. We are reconfirming those rates, and in the meantime we price each Tanzania enquiry against the actual dates, park fees and camps.
Is the price per person?
Yes. Published rates are per person sharing a twin or double room. Solo travellers pay a single-occupancy supplement, which we quote with the rest of the trip.
What does the final price depend on?
Travel dates, the number of people travelling, your accommodation tier, park fees at the time of travel and vehicle arrangements. We reprice every enquiry for the exact dates rather than working from a fixed sheet.
Can the itinerary be changed?
Yes. The route below is the standard shape of the trip. Nights can be added or moved, and destinations can be swapped, as long as the driving distances still work.
Are park fees included?
Yes. All park and reserve entrance fees for the parks in the itinerary are included in the quoted price.
What vehicle will we use?
Road safaris use a 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser. Private departures have their own vehicle; group departures share the vehicle with fellow travellers.
Can children join this safari?
Yes. Tell us your children's ages when you enquire and we will confirm which properties on the route suit them and whether child rates apply.
Continue exploring
Other routes worth following.
4 Days Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Arusha · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Arusha
- 4 days / 3 nights
- Tanzania
- On request
6 Days Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire Safari
Arusha · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Tarangire · Arusha
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Tanzania
- On request
3 Days Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Arusha · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Arusha
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Tanzania
- On request
5 Days Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Let’s mark this route.
Share your dates and party, and we will come back with a quotation for this itinerary at the level you have chosen — or tell you honestly if a different route fits better.
A guided enquiry, not an instant booking. No obligation.
