Overview
Three of the Northern Circuit's strongest parks feature on this 5-day camping itinerary. The Ngorongoro Crater holds one of the highest concentrations of game anywhere in Africa. The Serengeti, the heart of wild Africa, supports a massive resident wildlife population. Tarangire is known for its elephant herds and its dramatic, baobab-studded landscape.
Camping throughout makes the trip more affordable than an equivalent lodge-based safari, and you still get to experience the same parks.
Our budget safari cost guide has the details, and you can contact us to book this itinerary.
Day 2-4
Day 4-5
Day 1-2
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (5 days)
Non-game-viewing travel time: 2½ hours
Distance: 130 km
You are collected in Arusha, ready for your 5 Day Budget Safari, and transferred to Lake Manyara national park.
We reach the lodge in time for lunch, and afterward we enter Lake Manyara National Park for an afternoon game drive. This is one of Tanzania’s most dramatically set wildlife areas: a huge but shallow soda lake, covering two-thirds of the park, lies at the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment. The varied habitat draws a wide range of animals, among them one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants, the unique tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara, and big flocks of flamingos that come for the algae in the lake.
Dinner and overnight at HKH Safari Lodge, full board included
Non-game-viewing travel time: 6 hours
Distance: 205 km
Following breakfast, we make our way toward Serengeti National Park through the lovely high farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We leave the highlands and descend into the heart of wild Africa, the Serengeti National Park, whose endless plains roll out as far as the eye can see. Our destination is the central area of the park known as Seronera, one of its richest wildlife habitats. The Seronera River supplies valuable water here and so draws wildlife representing most of the Serengeti’s species.
We arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in Serengeti national park.
Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Campsite
Join the few lucky people who float in a Hot Air Balloon over the Serengeti Plains (available at supplementary cost by pre-arrangement). You drift silently above the waking bush, spotting wildlife and taking in the wonderful scenery of Africa, over rivers and a number of small villages.
Travel time without game viewing: 4 hours
Distance: 145 km
After breakfast at the lodge, we leave for the Ngorongoro Conservation area, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, a site whose history goes back to the dawn of time. Here the anthropologists Drs. Lois
and Mary Leakey found the skulls of ‘Nutcracker Man’ and ‘Handy Man,’ two very important links in the chain of human evolution.
Non game-viewing travel time: 4 hours
Distance: 190 km
After breakfast we drive back to Arusha, where lunch is served and our African safari adventure comes to a close. The group should tip the guide around $20 a day. You will then be dropped at your hotel, which marks the end of our safari services.
*If you do not have to leave Arusha early, an additional half-day game drive in the Ngorongoro conservation area is possible, though extra cost will apply.
Departure dates
Departure dates for our whole 5 Day Budget Safari are fully flexible to suit your own needs. Get in touch for more detailed information, and for details of our trekking packages and cultural safari packages in Tanzania.
Rates Per Person
See "Accommodation & Meals" on the Overview tab for the general comfort levels available — send us your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Serengeti National Park and ends in Tarangire National Park.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport and Mwanza Airport are the most common arrival points, depending on your route.
Transfer Information
Airport pickup and all transfers between destinations are included and arranged by our team.
Accommodation Before/After
Need a night in Mwanza or Arusha before or after this trip? We can arrange that on request.