5 Days Tanzania Camping Safari to (Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater)
This is a friendly package that enables you to spot a variety of wildlife in Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro Crater. A cultural tour of Bushmen at Lake Eyasi and Masai villages in the Ngorongoro Highlands is part of your safari. We mostly offer private budget tent camping safaris in Tanzania for family, friends, and groups, which are more fun, flexible, and enjoyable at affordable prices.
The Serengeti National Park is Africa’s most famous. Renowned for its incredible concentrations of predators and the Great Migration of two million grazers, a safari here is guaranteed to be exceptional. The endless grassy plains are among the richest grazing grounds in the African bush and therefore home to the largest herds and the highest concentrations of predators on the planet.
The Serengeti in Africa is one of those very rare places that has a huge reputation yet somehow manages to surpass expectations and take your breath away. Surrounded by remarkable tribes such as the Massai and Hadzabe, this wider area is also fascinating from a cultural perspective. The whole park is a world heritage site, and the varied ecosystem coupled with the huge volume of wildlife means you can spend ample time in different locations and never feel like you’ve seen it all. From the dramatic Kjopes in the north to the acacia-dotted endless plains in the south, it is not just the animals that make a safari in the Serengeti so remarkable. In a nutshell, it is rightly the most celebrated wildlife reserve in the world; there is nowhere else to match it. It is outstanding!
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park – Lake Eyasi
After breakfast meet your safari driver guide to begin the safari. You will stop first in Arusha town for the last minutes shopping if any. Afterward drive to Lake Manyara National Park. This beautiful Park nestling at the base of Great Rift Valley is blessed with rich overlapping habitats, swamps and lake. All these support a large number of animal and bird species. The park has a large number of baboons found nowhere else in the world, Lake Manyara tree climbing lions and huge flocks of flamingos are some highlights of this park. You may expect to spot giraffe, zebra, elephant, wildebeest, hippos, buffalo and predators like leopard, hyena, jackal and countless number of bird species.
In the afternoon depart for Lake Eyasi for some cultural encounter. The driving is up and across the Great East African Rift Valley, with driving time to Lake Eyasi about 1.5 hours. On arrival you will visit the Datoga tribe who will take you around their homes and you will interact with them & ask as many questions as you wish. After visiting the Datoga tribe, a visit to the black smith & later in the afternoon you might go for a sunset walk along the Lake shore before driving to the campsite for dinner & overnight.
Day 2: Lake Eyasi – Serengeti National Park
On this day we take you for an early morning hunting with the (Hadzabe) bushmen. The hunting is with bows & arrows and it includes tips on survival skills. Bushmen at Lake Eyasi are divided into three clans of Hadzabe, Tindiga & the Datoga who live by hunting & gathering of eggs, wild fruits & root tubers pretty much the same as humankind who lived in the Stone Age. After the hunting you will return back to your campsite for a full breakfast before starting on your way to the vast Serengeti plains via Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Your 5 Days Tanzania camping safari continues as you drive to Serengeti National park, along the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu up to Ngorongoro gate. After check in you will drive up & around the Crater rim. You will have a brief stop at the view point of the Crater for some nice photos. On the way you will visit one of the Masai villages for some more cultural encounter, a Masai warrior will invite you in and around their houses where you can meet kids & other family members. You may ask questions & have some pictures with them. Later they will sing & dance their favorite songs which involves high jumping. If you wish you can join the dancing.
Afterward, drive down into the heart of the “wild Africa” Serengeti National park with its endless rolling plains. Break for picnic lunch at Naabi Hills Gate or at the Copjes (Rocky outcropping) when heading to the Central Serengeti area called Seronera. This is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park endowed with the Seronera River, the valuable water supply in this area, that attracts a vast number of wildlife around the Serengeti. An afternoon game drive searching for the big cats & the Great Serengeti Wildebeest Migration (depending on traveling dates). It’s a late afternoon sunset drive to your campsite for dinner & overnight.
Day 3: Full day Game drive in Serengeti
On this 3rd day of your 5 days Tanzania camping safari on the vast Serengeti plains, we take you for an early morning game drive with packed breakfast box and lunch box. Early morning game drives gives you a chance to spot some cat families on the road as they try to avoid morning mist. You may also see other nocturnal predators coming back from their long night of hunting or a group of lioness organizing morning ambush or eating along the road. Later break for breakfast somewhere in the bush & after if the Great Wildebeest Migration is packed in the Serengeti, which you should already know, you will start early & go straight to where they are and spend time waiting with them in anticipation of experiencing some animal actions like fighting, hunting, eating and even killing.
You may expect to spot predators like lion, leopard, hyena, cheetah, jackals & others. Herds of buffalo, elephants, giraffe warthog, zebra & many antelopes can also be seen wondering around the Serengeti plains. Late afternoon, during or before sunset drive back to the campsite for dinner & overnight.
Day 4: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
This is your last day in Serengeti, if you wish you can do another early morning game drive & spend time in the Serengeti doing game drives. Then you will have an early hot lunch before you start on your way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area; reaching Ngorongoro for a wonderful sunset at the crater rim then dinner & overnight.
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha
On this last day of your 5 Days Tanzania camping safari you will have an early breakfast and a descent into Ngorongoro Crater floor for a wonderful game drive (picnic lunch will be served in the Crater floor). As very few animals migrate in and out of the Crater with its 600 meters high walls you may expect to spot herds of African elephant, zebra, buffalo, warthog, hippos & the rare black rhinos in their natural habitat.
Another big drawing card in this big caldera is the denser population of predators which includes lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs & the ever- illusive leopard which sometimes needs binoculars to spot.
You will visit Lake Magadi a large but shallow salt Lake on the southwest corner of the crater floor frequently visited by flocks of flamingos & other aquatic birds. Some hippos and other animals can also be seen around the lake.
Later afternoon you drive back to Arusha for a drop off at Kilimanjaro International Airport or for overnight in Arusha. (Accommodation on this day can be included upon request at extra cost).
Price quotation
Price quotation
To reserve this tour, a payment of 30–40% of the total price must be made at the time of reservation. The balance of 60–70% can be made on arrival in Tanzania, prior to the departure of your tour. This package is recommended for private groups.
Included
Park fees, All Taxes/VAT, All activities (unless labeled as optional), All accommodation, A professional driver/guide, Round trip airport transfer, All Meals (as specified in the itinerary) and Drinks (as specified in the itinerary).
Excluded
International flights, Additional accommodation before and after the tour, Tips for driver/guide, Personal items, Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees and Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees.