8 Day Tanzania Safari – Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Day 1. Arrival at Kilimanjaro and transfer to Arusha

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport a Hazina Afrika visa specialist meets you in the arrivals area. They assist with the tourist visa, help with luggage and walk you through customs. Just outside the secure zone a transfer representative welcomes you and starts the drive toward Arusha, which usually takes about one hour depending on traffic.

Once you reach The African Tulip Boutique Hotel you can check in, relax and enjoy dinner. During the evening your transfer host reviews the plan for the next day, goes over a simple safari safety checklist and answers any first questions. This first night is kept flexible so you recover from flights before the game viewing begins.

Day 2. Tarangire National Park

After an early breakfast you begin the drive to Tarangire National Park, which normally takes around two hours. As you approach the park entrance the landscape changes and the first baobab trees appear. Inside the park you follow the Tarangire River, a key dry season water source that attracts elephant herds and many other species.

During the main dry months from June to November wildlife gathers in impressive numbers along the river. Large elephant families and mixed herds of zebra and wildebeest create busy scenes, while lions and other predators work the edges. In the late afternoon you leave the park and continue to Osupuko Tarangire Lodge just outside the gate for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 3. Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley

Following breakfast at Osupuko Tarangire Lodge you travel toward Lake Manyara National Park. The drive is fairly short, usually about thirty minutes, so you arrive with good time for a full day in the park. Once you enter, the road winds through lush groundwater forest where monkeys, birds and butterflies are often active in the morning.

As the day develops, you move between forest, open clearings and lakeshore. Lake Manyara is known for its rich birdlife and for the possibility of seeing lions resting on large branches, although such sightings depend on conditions and a little luck. If you enjoy cultural experiences it is also possible to visit Mto wa Mbu village nearby for a short tour of farms and markets.

In the late afternoon you continue up the Rift Valley escarpment to Country Lodge in Karatu for dinner and overnight. The cooler air and garden setting here make a gentle transition between the first game areas and the plains of Serengeti that follow.

Day 4. Karatu to Serengeti National Park

Today you leave Karatu and climb gently through the Ngorongoro highlands before descending toward the open plains. The road passes Maasai bomas and wide views before you reach Naabi Hill, the main entrance to Serengeti National Park. While your guide completes the park formalities you can walk the short viewpoint trail for a first look at the plains that stretch into the distance.

Once inside Serengeti you begin game driving toward the central area. Along the way you pass granite kopjes that often shelter lions and other species that like rocky ground. By late afternoon you arrive at your tented camp such as Kati Kati or a similar central Serengeti lodge, ready for the next days of wildlife viewing.

Day 5. Full day in central Serengeti

Central Serengeti holds a mix of river lines, open plains and kopjes. Because of this variety it supports resident lions, leopards and cheetahs throughout the year. You can head out early to catch first light on the grass and to look for predators returning from night hunts.

Later in the day you may choose to stay out with a picnic lunch or return to camp for a break and head out again in the afternoon. As the sun drops, the light becomes softer and the mood of the plains changes. Many guests like to use this time for slow sightings with elephants, giraffes and antelope. Your guide adjusts the timing around your interests so that you see a good balance of predators, general game and open landscapes.

Day 6. Second full day in Serengeti

With a second full day in Serengeti you are free to explore different loops. One option is to work the river systems more deeply and look for crossings by zebra and wildebeest in season. Another possibility is to stay close to known leopard territories and wait for movement around trees or rocky ridges.

Because you already know the rhythm of the park you can also choose to rest longer at camp in the middle of the day and keep more time for sunrise and sunset sessions. Over these two days the guide builds on what you enjoyed most. As a result, the second day often feels even more tailored and steady, especially for photographers or guests who like to watch one scene quietly rather than move quickly between sightings.

Day 7. Olduvai and Ngorongoro Highlands

After a final morning drive in Serengeti you begin the journey back toward the highlands. On the way you visit the Olduvai area, which is often called the cradle of humankind. Here you can see a small but important museum that explains the work of the Leakey family and the early human and animal fossils found in the gorge.

Later in the day the road climbs to the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. On a clear afternoon the lodge at the rim offers wide views into the caldera and across to the far wall. This is a good place to slow the pace, enjoy the cooler air of the highlands and prepare for the early crater descent the next morning.

Day 8. Ngorongoro Crater and return to Arusha

At first light you leave the lodge and descend into Ngorongoro Crater ahead of the larger group tours. The floor of the crater holds a very high concentration of wildlife in a compact area, which means that game viewing often begins as soon as you reach the grass. There is a good chance to see large buffalo herds, healthy lion prides and, with a bit of patience, the endangered black rhino.

Once you have enjoyed a picnic breakfast at a quiet viewpoint, the morning continues with unhurried game drives. In the early afternoon you climb back up the crater wall and drive toward Arusha. A day room or overnight stay at The African Tulip can be added if you prefer extra rest before your transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your international departure.