5-Day Tanzania Safari: The Complete Northern Circuit
Explore Tours
This 5-Day Tanzania Safari is a well-balanced journey through three of Tanzania’s most important wildlife areas: Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. It gives you enough time to enjoy the safari properly, with two nights in Serengeti and full game drives in landscapes that are very different from one another.
The trip begins in Tarangire, where large elephant herds gather around riverbeds and ancient baobab trees. You then travel through the Ngorongoro highlands into Serengeti National Park, home to vast plains, big cats and the famous wildebeest migration. Your final safari day takes place inside Ngorongoro Crater, one of the best wildlife-viewing areas in Africa.
EKO Tanzania Adventures arranges this as a private safari from Arusha. You will travel in a comfortable 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and an experienced English-speaking driver-guide. The trip can be booked with budget camping, comfortable mid-range lodges or luxury safari camps, depending on your travel style.
This safari is ideal for couples, families, small groups and travellers who want to see Tanzania’s leading parks without feeling rushed.
5-Day Tanzania Safari : Highlights
- Visit Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one safari
- See elephants, baobab trees and river wildlife in Tarangire
- Spend two nights close to the wildlife in Serengeti National Park
- Search for lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras and wildebeest
- Explore the vast Serengeti plains with a professional safari guide
- Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for excellent Big Five wildlife viewing
- Travel in a private 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof
- Choose accommodation that matches your budget and comfort level
Safari at a Glance
Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Route: Arusha – Tarangire – Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha
Start and finish: Arusha, Tanzania
Safari type: Private Tanzania wildlife safari
Vehicle: 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
Accommodation: Budget camping, mid-range lodge or luxury safari camp
Best for: Couples, families, friends, first-time safari guests and small groups
Detailed 5-Day Tanzania Safari Itinerary
Day 1 of 5-Day Tanzania Safari : Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Your 5-Day Tanzania Safari starts in Arusha. In the morning, your EKO Tanzania Adventures driver-guide will collect you from your hotel. Airport transfers can also be arranged from Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport if your arrival schedule allows.
After a safari briefing, begin the drive to Tarangire National Park. The journey takes approximately two to three hours and passes through local towns, farmland and Maasai country.
Tarangire National Park is famous for its elephant population. It is one of the best places in Tanzania to see elephant families moving through the landscape, feeding beneath baobab trees or gathering close to the Tarangire River. During the dry season, the river becomes especially important because many animals come to drink.
After entering the park, your game drive begins. Apart from elephants, Tarangire is home to buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, gazelles, warthogs, baboons and many bird species. Lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas also live in the park, although all wildlife sightings depend on natural movements.
You will enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated site inside the park, then continue with an afternoon game drive. The park’s mixture of woodland, grassland, river areas and swamps creates a rewarding wildlife experience.
In the late afternoon, leave Tarangire and drive to your lodge or camp near Karatu or Mto wa Mbu. Check in, enjoy dinner and rest for the night.
Meals included: Lunch and dinner
Overnight: Lodge or camp in Karatu / Mto wa Mbu area
Day 2 of 5-Day Tanzania Safari : Karatu to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, depart for Serengeti National Park. Today’s journey is scenic and gives you a gradual introduction to the highlands and plains of northern Tanzania.
You will pass through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the landscape rises into cooler highlands. If weather and time allow, you may stop at the Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint for wide views over the crater floor before continuing west towards Serengeti.
The road eventually opens onto the famous Serengeti plains. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word Siringet, often translated as “endless plains.” The open space, rocky kopjes, acacia trees and distant wildlife make the drive part of the safari experience.
Once inside Serengeti National Park, begin your game drive. Depending on the season, you may see large herds of wildebeest and zebras, especially if the Great Migration is moving through or near central Serengeti. Serengeti is also a leading destination for predators. Lions are often seen resting in grasslands, on kopjes or beneath trees. Leopards may be found around riverine woodland, while cheetahs prefer open plains where they can scan the area.
Continue with a game drive as you head towards your camp or lodge in central Serengeti. Arrive in the evening, settle into your accommodation and enjoy dinner in the middle of the park.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Safari camp or lodge in Serengeti National Park
Day 3 of 5-Day Tanzania Safari : Full-Day Serengeti Wildlife Game Drive
Today is dedicated to exploring Serengeti National Park. After breakfast, leave with a packed lunch for a full-day game drive.
Your guide will select the day’s route according to recent wildlife sightings, weather, season and animal movements. Central Serengeti, also known as Seronera, is one of the strongest areas for year-round game viewing. It has permanent water sources, grassland, woodland and kopjes, which attract a wide variety of animals.
You may see lions with cubs, elephant herds moving through the plains, giraffes feeding from acacia trees and zebras or wildebeest grazing in large groups. Other wildlife may include buffaloes, spotted hyenas, jackals, hippos, warthogs, mongooses, baboons, impalas, gazelles and many bird species.
The Serengeti is famous for the Great Migration, when huge numbers of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles move through the wider ecosystem in search of fresh grass and water. The migration’s location changes throughout the year according to rainfall. Your guide will always make the best effort to follow the wildlife activity close to your safari route, but nature cannot be scheduled or guaranteed.
You will enjoy lunch at a safe picnic site in the bush. The afternoon game drive continues at a relaxed pace, giving you time to watch animal behaviour and enjoy the changing light over the plains.
Return to your camp or lodge for dinner and your second night in Serengeti.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Safari camp or lodge in Serengeti National Park
Day 4 of 5-Day Tanzania Safari : Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After breakfast, leave Serengeti National Park and begin the journey towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is not simply a transfer day. You will enjoy a morning game drive as you travel, with final chances to look for Serengeti wildlife along the way.
As you move east, the wide grasslands gradually give way to the rolling Ngorongoro highlands. You may see Maasai communities and livestock in the conservation area, where people and wildlife share the wider landscape under conservation rules.
Arrive at your lodge or camp in the Karatu or Ngorongoro area in the afternoon. This gives you time to rest before the crater game drive the next morning. An early night is recommended because the best crater game-viewing hours begin soon after the gates open.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Lodge or camp in Karatu / Ngorongoro area
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive and Return to Arusha
After an early breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater rim. From the viewpoint, the crater floor spreads out below you, with grasslands, a central lake, woodland and distant animals visible on clear days.
You will descend around 600 metres into the crater for a half-day game drive. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world and one of Tanzania’s most concentrated wildlife areas.
The crater floor supports lions, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, hyenas, jackals, gazelles and many other species. It is also one of the best places in Tanzania to look for black rhinos. Rhinos are rare and no sighting can be promised, but the crater offers a genuine opportunity to search for them with an experienced guide.
You may see large elephant bulls with impressive tusks, lions resting in long grass and flamingos near Lake Magadi when water conditions are right. At the official picnic area near a hippo pool, enjoy lunch before continuing with your final game drive.
Later, ascend the crater rim and begin the drive back to Arusha. Your guide will drop you at your hotel, Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport according to your onward travel arrangements.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Wildlife You May See
This 5-day Tanzania safari offers a strong variety of wildlife opportunities. You may see:
- African elephants
- Lions
- Leopards
- Cheetahs
- African buffaloes
- Giraffes
- Wildebeest
- Zebras
- Hippos
- Spotted hyenas
- Warthogs
- Baboons and monkeys
- Impalas, gazelles and other antelopes
- Ostriches, eagles, flamingos and other birdlife
Wild animals move freely through the parks. Your guide will work hard to find wildlife, but sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Best Time to Travel
This safari can be enjoyed throughout the year.
June to October is Tanzania’s main dry season. Wildlife is often easier to see around water sources, especially in Tarangire. The weather is usually dry, with clear days and cooler mornings.
November to May brings green scenery, seasonal flowers and excellent birdlife. The Great Migration changes location depending on rainfall and grass conditions. If the migration is important to your trip, EKO Tanzania Adventures can advise the most suitable Serengeti area for your travel dates.
Accommodation Options
Budget camping safari: Suitable for guests looking for a more affordable, close-to-nature experience.
Mid-range lodge or tented camp: Comfortable rooms, private bathrooms, good food and a relaxed safari setting.
Luxury safari lodge or tented camp: Premium rooms or tents, quality service, scenic locations and a more refined experience.
We will send you the available accommodation options before booking, so you can choose clearly.
What Is Included of 5-Day Tanzania Safari
- Private 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari driver-guide
- All national park and conservation fees
- Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- Four nights’ accommodation
- Meals as shown in the itinerary
- Drinking water during game drives
- Government taxes and VAT where applicable
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arusha, according to the itinerary
What Is Not Included of 5-Day Tanzania Safari
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Alcoholic drinks and drinks not included by your accommodation
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
- Personal expenses, souvenirs and laundry
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
Book Your 5-Day Tanzania Safari
EKO Tanzania Adventures can customise this safari to suit your dates, accommodation preference, group size and budget. We can also arrange extensions to Zanzibar, more days in Serengeti, a Kilimanjaro climb or airport transfers.
Contact our team for a personal quotation.
WhatsApp: Chat with EKO Tanzania Adventures
Email: info@ekotanzaniaadventures.com
Alternative email: ekotanzaniaadventure@gmail.com
Related Tours
Your Tanzania journey starts here
Ready to Plan Your Perfect Adventure?
Whether you want a Tanzania safari, Mount Kilimanjaro climb, Zanzibar beach holiday or a combination of all three, EKO Tanzania Adventures will help you plan it around your travel dates, group and budget.
Helpful Tanzania travel information
