6 Days Tanzania Big 5 Safaris
Tanzania teems with wildlife. Across vast plains, over mountain ridges, and skimming volcanic lakes, the animals range and wander through this diverse landscape in the heart of Africa. This corner of the country is scarred and marked by the movement of the Earth’s plates, with volcanoes once having risen from the land, lakes now filling in the depressions, and animals taking advantage of the vegetation springing forth from the activity.
This safari will see you taking in all of these different elements of Tanzania, with birdwatching at Lake Manyara where you can expect to see up to 400 avian species, as well as take an adventure across the water. From the lake, the acacia dotted plains of the Serengeti await, with a more terrestrial mix of animals to enjoy. The Ngorongoro Crater takes you into the heart of a now-extinct volcano, showing you how nature always finds a way.
Across the diverse parks that you visit there are plenty of animals, such as:
- Lion
- Leopard
- Elephant
- Zebra
- Buffalo
- Gazelle
And so many more that they can’t be adequately listed. To help you navigate the animals and the parks themselves, your expert Tanzanian safari guide is ready to assist you. Your tour is private, with no one else joining.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park (130 km, 3 – 4 hours)
From the regional capital of Arusha, your safari guide and driver will collect you at your hotel, residence, or from the airport. With no time to lose, straight away you’ll head southwest in the direction of Lake Manyara National Park. En route you will be able to drink in the countryside and culture of Tanzania as daily life thrives along the highways.
Arriving at the national park, you are thrown straight into a game drive, with chances to see:
- Zebras
- Giraffes
- Gazelles
- Hippos
- Baboons
Living on the plains that are fed by this acidic lake. Along with some of the great herbivores of Africa, there are plenty of birds to see too. Over four hundred bird species have been recorded on the lake, and you’ll probably first notice the flocks of flamingos that number into the hundreds of thousands. Ensuring you get the maximum possible time surrounded by nature, lunch will be served in the park, picnic style.
After a running start to your safari adventure, you will be taken to your selected camp or lodge for the evening for dinner and rest. Facilities available may include spa treatments and viewing terraces; take your pick for how you’d like to relax this evening. Included in the first day of your Tanzanian safari is:
- Accommodation at your camp or lodge
- Overnight stay inside Lake Manyara National Park
- Lunch and dinner, no breakfast
- Drinking water, other drinks are extra
Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park – Serengeti National Park (290 km, 5 – 6 hours)
Start the day early with a hearty breakfast and then head out towards the world-renowned Serengeti. On the journey you will pass the Ngorongoro Crater, a wonderful sight and a place you will return to later in your safari adventure. In the meantime, it’s onwards north to one of the most densely populated parks in Africa.
You’ll initially pass through the Serengeti to make your way to the camp or lodge accommodation that you’ve chosen. Here you can unload your bags and take lunch before heading back out on to the plains for an afternoon game drive. In this park lives the big five of African safari:
- Elephants
- Buffalo
- Lions
- Leopards
- Rhinos
And with such high concentrations of animals across the territory, your chances of seeing all of them throughout your time is extremely high.
As the sun descends below the horizon and the animals head to their nightly slumber, it’s time for you to return to your accommodation. You will be given dinner and then time to relax before an action-packed day ahead. The second day of your African safari adventure includes:
- Accommodation at your camp or lodge
- Overnight stay inside Serengeti National Park
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Drinking water, other drinks are extra
Day 3: Full Day inside Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti plays host to some of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. To be able to understand a day in the life of this park, take a sunrise game drive and watch and listen to the savanna come to life. Birds begin their morning calls, herbivores start their grazing, predators being to stalk their prey during the early sunlight that spills over the grasses. Once you’ve witnessed the breaking of dawn you’ll return to your accommodation for breakfast and head straight back out on to the plains.
Animals thrive here, with a range of habitats. The rivers and bodies of water are host to hippos and crocodiles, whilst in the acacia dotted plains you’ll see
- Dik-diks
- Impalas, and
- Giraffes
Each taking leaves from different levels of the trees.
Whilst in the Serengeti, you are invited to visit the village of the humans who inhabit these lands: the Masai. For centuries, they have thrived in the Serengeti, herbing their cattle across challenging terrain and building a unique culture. You’re welcomed with singing and dancing before being given the chance to look around the village and go inside one of the homes. This amazing experience is an optional extra and there’s an additional fee of $20 per person.
Lunch will be served as a picnic to keep you as close to nature for as long as possible. Following your afternoon game drive, you will return to your chosen camp or lodge for dinner and chance to rest after a thrilling day in the Serengeti. Included in the third day of your safari in Tanzania is:
- Accommodation at your camp or lodge
- Overnight stay inside Serengeti National Park
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Drinking water, other drinks are extra
Day 4: Full Day inside Serengeti National Park
As another day unfolds on your Tanzanian safari, you once again head out into the grasses as the wildlife stirs. Every day is different, and each break of dawn will offer you a fresh perspective on the rugged terrain and the animals that range across it. Early morning light is perfect for photography; your guide will be able to get your vehicle into prime position for great photography angles whilst being respectful of the animals.
Return to your accommodation for breakfast and return to the plains for more animal-spotting. The three big cats of Africa:
- Lions
- Cheetahs
- Leopards
Hunt here and with luck you will get to spot them all during your expedition through the park. Discuss with your guide the animals that are on your wish list; by using their expertise and communicating with other vehicles in the area, your Tanzanian safari guide will do their best to find the animals you want to see.
Once more, your lunch will be served as a picnic, ensuring you can go deep into the wilds without having to return to your camp or lodge until the evening. When the time to rest does arrive, you will go back to your accommodation to take dinner and rest. This fourth day of your African safari will include:
- Accommodation at your camp or lodge
- Overnight stay inside Serengeti National Park
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Drinking water, other drinks are extra
Day 5: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area (160 kms, 3 – 4 hours)
Bid farewell to the wonders of the Serengeti after breakfast and journey south through the park on one final game drive. As you make your way down through the park you have the opportunity to visit Olduvai Gorge and the museum created from the laboratory of Dr Leakey. Although not a household name, Dr Leakey is famed in the world of archaeology for unearthing some of the oldest human remains, as well as evidence of early tool making. A visit here will show you a different, important, and often overlooked understanding of this region. As an optional activity, a visit to the museum costs $45 per person.
As you reach the crater, you will descend the steep slopes 600 metres and be welcomed into nature’s melting pot. Here, you will see an array of animals in a unique location, deep inside the bowels of an extinct volcano. Forested areas are host to some of the rarest rhinos in the world; Lake Magadi has flocks of fuchsia-pink flamingos; and wildebeest and buffalo graze on the open grasslands. You will be able to explore the floor of the crater all afternoon, with lunch served as a picnic within the park.
As the sun begins to set behind the crater rim, it’s time to drive up the edge and to your accommodation that will either be on the edge of the rim or on the lands just outside. The views over the plains will be stunning as you eat dinner and relax for the evening. The fifth day of your safari in Tanzania includes:
- Accommodation at your camp or lodge
- Overnight stay inside Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Drinking water, other drinks are extra
Day 6: Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Arusha (191 km, 3 – 4 hours)
The final day of your safari offers you an experience completely different to the rest of your trip: a chance to guided nature walk in the Ngorongoro Highlands with your guide. After breakfast you’ll be taken out into the wooded area and have the chance to get up close to some of the small-scale flora and fauna and gain an understanding of a different aspect of the wildlife on Tanzanian safari.
Your final game drive will see you leave the park and bid farewell to the multitude animals you’ve spent so much time with. You’ll then pass through the countryside of Tanzania, on different highways to your outbound journey. It’s time to return to civilisation, with a gentle return as you have lunch during your return journey.
Once in Arusha you can request that your guide drop you off at a hotel you’ve book, your residence, or at the airport, depending on your onwards plans. Your final day on safari in Africa includes:
- No accommodation, this is the final day
- Breakfast and lunch, no dinner
- Drinking water, other drinks are extra
INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
What’s Included
- All transfers
- All accommodations during the tour
- All meals and drinking water during the tour
- Flying Doctors medical, emergency, and rescue cover
- All game drives as noted in the itinerary
- Transport in a private 4 x 4 Safari Land Cruiser
- English speaking tour guides/driver
- All applicable government taxes, levies and entry fees
- Personalized private service
What’s Not Included
- International flights and taxes
- Passports and visa applications and processing
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities for drivers/guides
- Personal laundry
- Alcoholic drinks
- Entrance fee for activities noted as optional