6-Day Big Five Safari in Africa!

Arusha National Park - Lake Momella

Day 1: Welcome to Arusha!

Welcome to Africa! You'll depart from your Arusha accommodations after breakfast and make your way to nearby Arusha National Park, where you'll get the chance to enjoy a walking safari as well as a traditional game drive.

Your day will start with a once in a lifetime walking safari through the park's beautiful forest as you make your way to a stunning waterfall at the heart of the park. Along the way you'll see black and white colobus monkeys, zebras, buffalos, and a variety of antelope species. You'll also have the chance to see the more than 400 species of birds that call the park home.

After you've enjoyed a picnic lunch out in the bush, you'll return to your car for an afternoon game drive through the park. You'll pay a visit to the Momela Lakes where you'll see brightly colored flamingoes looking for their lunch, and enjoy fantastic views of both Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Arusha National Park - Lake Manyara National Park

Day 2: Spend Time at Lake Manyara National Park

Departing from Arusha at 8am, the 2-hour drive to Lake Manyara takes you through the farming and market town of Mto Wa Mbu where souvenir hunters can practice their bartering skills with the local people. From here, you will enter Lake Manywara National Park where photographers are in for a real treat.

The park is teeming with wildlife including the world famous tree climbing lions, thousands of brightly colored flamingos, and the largest baboon troops in Africa. Witness the sun setting over the Great Rift Valley as your day comes to an end, before retiring to your accommodation for the evening.

Dinner will be provided at the campsite or lodge.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - Serengeti National Park

Day 3: Explore the Magnificent Serengeti

You'll begin the day with the scenic drive towards the Serengeti. Along the way, you'll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you might be lucky enough to glimpse cape buffalo, baboons, or even elephants and leopards. You can choose an optional activity as well.

You can visit the Oldupai Gorge Museum. Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Oldupai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found.

You can also pay a visit to one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you'll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market. 

After a delicious lunch at the Serengeti National Park picnic area, it’s time to explore the Serengeti itself.

Serengeti National Park - Serengeti National Park

Day 4: Spot Wildlife Around Ngorongoro Crater

You'll start your day bright and early so that you can go on a sunrise game drive. See the majesty of the sun setting fire to the savannah as lions, leopards, and cheetahs take advantage of the cooler temperatures to hunt for game.

Accompanied by the melodic singing of birds, you'll see the Serengeti as you've never seen it before. After breakfast, you will get right on the road back towards the Ngorongoro Crater National Park. Your drive takes you back through the Serengeti via a different route, offering plenty of opportunities to spot the animals that eluded you on day three. 

You will have the chance to spot lean cheetahs and shy leopards, foraging hyenas, and last but not least, the king himself; the lion.

Ngorongoro Crater Floor

Day 5: Visit the Stunning Ngorogoro Crater Floor

After breakfast you will proceed to Ngorongoro Crater for a full-day game drive. Seen by many as the 8th Natural Wonder of the World, Ngorogoro Crater offers an unparalleled opportunity to see the Big 5 in the wild.

After a brief stop at the lip of the crater to take in the stunning panoramic view of the ancient caledera, you'll wind yout way down to the valley floor where more than 120 species of mammals can be found. Ngorogoro Crater offers unmatched opportunities to see hippos wallowing in shady pools, vast flocks of flamingos feeding in shallow salt lakes, and even the chance to see the elusive black rhinoceros. 

Your guide will be an invaluable help, spotting animals from some distance away and ensuring you get to see the many wild and wonderful animals that call the crater home. You'll return to your Karatu accommodations for the evening for dinner and rest.

Tarangire National Park - Arusha

Day 6: Spend Your Last Day at the Tarangire

You'll depart your accommodations early for the drive south to Tarangire where you'll spend your day driving through Tanzania's most underrated national park. You will begin the game viewing at the rich vista of an endless golden savannah. You will see the Tarangire River where Baobab trees grow all along the riverbanks.

Enjoy a picnic overlooking the river and watch in amazement as animals come to the watering hole to escape the day's heat. Each year, thousands of animals migrate from the Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. In addition to elephants, lions, zebra, giraffes, and antelope, you might also be able to see three rare species of animals: the Greater Kadu, the Fringe-eared Oryx, and even a few Ashy Starlings.

You'll then return to Arusha sometime after lunch. From here, you can continue your onward journey. Safe travels, and visit again soon!