3-Day Serengeti & Crater from Zanzibar
Zanzibar Arusha Serengeti Ngorongoro Arusha Zanzibar
From, per person$1,449
Tanzania safari
3-Day Tanzania Safari: Serengeti Express by Road
Overview
Got three days between a Kilimanjaro climb, a business trip or a flight to the coast? This express road safari is built for exactly that gap. Your guide picks you up in Arusha at 6 a.m., so you reach the Serengeti in time for a picnic lunch inside the park and a full afternoon of game viewing.
Nights are spent at a mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti and at a lodge or camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rim. On the second day you can break the drive between the two at Olduvai Gorge, the canyon famous for its early human fossils. The final day is given over to the crater floor, with a hot picnic lunch down among the wildlife and a visit to a Maasai village before you head back to Arusha or the airport.
Tanzania Tourism Safaris runs the trip privately, in a 4×4 Land Cruiser with an English-speaking guide. Expect early starts and long drives; in return you see the Serengeti and the crater without taking more than three days out of your plans.
Tour highlights
- 6 a.m. start so you reach the Serengeti by lunch
- Mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti
- Optional stop at Olduvai Gorge
- Hot picnic lunch on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Maasai village visit before returning to Arusha
Day by day
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Day 1 Early Departure for the Serengeti Plains Stay Mid-range tented camp in central SerengetiMeals Lunch, Dinner
Your guide meets you at your Arusha hotel at 6 a.m. and the long drive west begins, climbing through the Ngorongoro highlands and dropping onto the plains. Lunch is a picnic inside the Serengeti at around 1 p.m. The afternoon is a game drive toward the center of the park, looking for lion, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, hippo and the big herds of grazers. Reach your tented camp in the early evening for dinner.
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Day 2 Dawn Drive, Olduvai Gorge and the Rim Stay Lodge or tented camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rimMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Leave camp early, when predators are most active, for a morning game drive on the central plains. After a picnic lunch, start the drive east out of the park. If you wish, stop at Olduvai Gorge, a deep ravine cut into the plains where some of the best-known early human fossils were found, and look around the small museum. Continue up to the crater rim for dinner and a night with a view over the caldera.
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Day 3 Crater Game Drive and Return to Arusha Meals Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, wind down the crater wall for a game drive on the floor of the caldera. The permanent water and grazing here keep wildebeest, zebra, eland, buffalo and hippo in the bowl all year, along with lion, hyena and jackal, and the rare black rhino. Lunch is a hot picnic on the crater floor. Late in the afternoon, visit a Maasai village, then drive back to Arusha or the airport.
Prices by season
Per person in US dollars. The price depends on when you travel and how many travelers share the trip.
| Season | 1 traveler | 2 travelers | 4 travelers | 6 travelers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low season 1 Mar – 31 May | $1,892 | On request | $1,069 | $1,004 |
| High season 1 Nov – 20 Dec and 6 Jan – 29 Feb | $1,992 | $1,328 | $1,125 | $1,057 |
| Peak season Now 1 Jun – 31 Oct and 21 Dec – 5 Jan | $2,214 | $1,476 | $1,251 | $1,175 |
Tour price includes
- Pickup from your Arusha hotel and private transfers
- Private 4×4 Land Cruiser (up to 7 travelers) with an English-speaking local guide
- National park and conservation area fees and taxes
- Two nights of accommodation as listed
- Meals as listed, including picnic lunches in the parks
- All activities in the itinerary, including the Maasai village visit
Tour price excludes
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Souvenirs and other personal spending
Questions about this safari
Can I add this safari to a Kilimanjaro climb?
Yes. Many climbers rest for a night in Arusha or Moshi after coming off the mountain and then start this safari the following morning. Tell us your climb dates and we will line up the pickup so the two trips run back to back.
Why does the first day start so early?
The Serengeti is a long drive from Arusha. Leaving at 6 a.m. means you reach the park around lunchtime and still have the whole afternoon for game viewing on the way to camp, instead of arriving at dusk.
Is the Olduvai Gorge stop included?
It is an optional stop on the second day’s drive from the Serengeti to the crater rim. Your guide will suggest it if time and road conditions allow, and you can decide on the day whether you would rather spend that time on the stop or arrive at the rim earlier.
Before you go
- Best Time To Visit Tanzania
- How Much Does a Tanzania Safari Cost?
- Top Safari Packing List in Tanzania
- The Best Guides on Tanzania Visa Requirement
- Tanzania Travel Insurance
- Tanzania Travel Safety
- Tipping In Tanzania Safari
- Tanzania Safari Faqs
Listed in Cultural safaris
Where you will go
Parks on this safari
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