This is the itinerary we point most first-time guests toward: five days by private 4x4, starting in the baobab-studded plains of Tarangire, crossing the Ngorongoro Highlands, and pushing on into the Serengeti's grasslands before a final full day down in the Ngorongoro Crater. Every night is spent at a lodge or tented camp chosen mainly for its location and views.
Safari HighlightsYour guide picks you up from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives southwest to Tarangire National Park. After lunch, head out on an afternoon game drive through baobab country, following the Tarangire River where the park's elephant herds tend to gather.
🏨 Overnight: Tarangire Treetops (Luxury)Leave early and drive west across the Ngorongoro Highlands, stopping at the crater rim for the view, before continuing across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area into the Serengeti. You'll arrive in time for an afternoon game drive across the plains.
🏨 Overnight: Serengeti Pioneer CampSpend the whole day in the Seronera Valley and the kopjes around it, home to a resident population of lion, leopard and cheetah. Depending on the time of year, you may also cross paths with the migrating herds passing through.
🏨 Overnight: Serengeti Pioneer CampAfter a final morning game drive, head back east to the Ngorongoro Highlands. You'll reach your crater-rim lodge in the afternoon, with time to settle in and take in the views before tomorrow's descent.
🏨 Overnight: Escarpment Luxury LodgeDescend at dawn into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the largest intact volcanic calderas on earth, for a morning of game viewing among dense concentrations of lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo. A picnic lunch on the crater floor rounds things off before you climb back out and drive to Arusha for your onward departure.
✈ Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport| Season | Per Person (sharing) | Group of 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Peak Season (Jul–Sep, late Dec) | $4,670 | $23,820 |
| High Season (Jun, Oct) | $4,090 | $20,860 |
| Low Season (Mar–May) | $3,410 | $17,390 |
June through October is the long dry season, when thinner vegetation generally makes wildlife easier to spot across Tarangire, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Highlands, with comfortable daytime temperatures for game drives. December through February also works well, with greener scenery and calving season on the southern Serengeti plains. The long rains from March to May bring the lowest rates of the year and quieter camps, dramatic skies too, if you don't mind the occasional shower.
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