6-Day Tanzania Safari: Four Parks
Arusha Tarangire Serengeti Ngorongoro Lake Manyara Arusha
From, per person$1,578
Tanzania safari
Long road transfers play no part in this trip. After a night on a coffee estate near Arusha, light aircraft carry you into the Serengeti and between its camps, so your days go to watching wildlife rather than sitting in a vehicle on the highway. Two nights in the central Serengeti come first, close to the Seronera valley and the Moru Kopjes, an area known for big cats. A short hop north then brings you to the Mara River for two nights in a seasonal camp placed for the migration.
Both Serengeti stays are in small, high-end tented camps with attentive staff, private verandahs and meals served in camp or out in the bush. Game drives are in open-sided 4×4 vehicles, which give clear sightlines and good angles for photography. A dawn balloon flight over the central plains can be added.
Tanzania Tourism Safaris arranges the flights, camps and guiding as one private package. Local drinks are included, and on the final morning you fly out from Kogatende to Arusha, or straight to Zanzibar if the beach is next.
Your guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the drive of roughly an hour to Arusha. The first night is at a lodge set among the coffee bushes of a working estate, a calm place to recover from the long journey. Stroll through the gardens, enjoy an unhurried dinner and sleep well. Tomorrow you leave for the Serengeti by air, so there is no early start for a long day on the road.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a flight of about 50 minutes to the Seronera airstrip. Your guide is waiting with an open-sided vehicle, and the game viewing starts on the way to camp. The migrating herds pass through this part of the park on their journeys north and south, and its rivers and kopjes draw lions, leopards and cheetahs throughout the year. Settle into your tent and watch the plains turn gold from your verandah.
If you have added the balloon flight, you are collected before dawn to drift over the plains as the sun comes up, then rejoin your guide for the rest of the day. Otherwise, set out early for the Seronera valley and the granite outcrops of the Moru Kopjes, where lions lounge on warm rock and leopards rest in the trees. Take a picnic for a long drive, or return to camp at midday for lunch and a quiet afternoon before heading out again.
A flight of about 30 minutes lifts you over the park to the northern Serengeti, a landscape of hills, riverine woodland and long views toward the Kenyan border. Your camp here moves with the seasons to stay near the herds, so you are close to the river from the moment you arrive. Spend the afternoon on a first drive toward the Mara, then return for a fire, dinner and a sky full of stars.
Today belongs to the river. Start early, take breakfast out in the bush among the grazing herds and let your guide choose a position near the crossing points. Wildebeest gather on the banks, hesitate, and then plunge in, past crocodiles and grumbling hippos. Crossings cannot be timed, so the day is about patience; when the river is quiet, there are lions, elephants and plenty of plains game to watch nearby.
After a final breakfast, transfer to the Kogatende airstrip. Your flight takes you either back to Arusha, about an hour away, for onward travel or a connection home, or directly to Zanzibar if you are continuing to the coast. Either way, the view of the northern Serengeti falling away beneath the aircraft makes a fitting close to the safari. Tell us your onward plans when you book so the flight can be matched to them.
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 | $9,618 | $6,412 | $5,856 | $5,643 |
| High season 1 Nov – 20 Dec and 6 Jan – 29 Feb | $10,125 | $6,750 | $6,165 | $5,940 |
| Peak season Now 1 Jun – 31 Oct and 21 Dec – 5 Jan | $11,250 | $7,500 | $6,850 | $6,600 |
The Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti usually happen between July and October, which is when this route works best. If you want to travel at another time of year, we can swap the northern camp for one closer to where the herds are likely to be during your dates.
Both trips fly between high-end Serengeti camps. This one starts with a night on a coffee estate near Arusha and finishes beside the Mara River for the dry-season crossings. The calving safari flies straight to the Serengeti on arrival day and spends three nights at Ndutu during the early-year births.
Yes. On the last morning you can fly from Kogatende directly to Zanzibar instead of Arusha, which makes this an easy safari to pair with a beach stay. The beach nights themselves are not part of this package, so tell us how long you would like on the island and we will add them to your quote.
Listed in Luxury safaris
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Tripadvisor reviews
Excellent Trip of a Lifetime
Our family had the trip of a lifetime over the holidays. Our guides were amazing and always checked to make sure that we had everything we needed. In less than 2 weeks we got to do a short safari in Ngorongoro Crater, did a family visit as part of the cultural experience (my kids are still talking about how good the food was!!), visited Moshi for shopping, went to Dar Es Salaam and did a 2 day trip to Zanzibar. The logistics were all very smooth and the guides added humor and levity to the entire trip. We were in good hands and will never forget the hospitality shown to us while there. The best thing about the packages is that you can work with the team to tailor it to your exact timeline. We had to get back to work and school so opted for a short Christmas trip but we'll eventually go back to do a longer summer trip. Forever indebted for such a great experience!
Trip of a life time!! But why not go back?
BEST VACATION!!!! Eye opening, amazing, Beautiful and REAL. The safari was my favorite part. Seeing animals you learn about and dream of seeing right in front of your face. The food was great I ask you to be open and not get your norm. Safe? Yes. Of course there’s times you question a new country, area and people. There was never a moment I was in question of people or my surroundings. Next time I’m bring my kids they’re older and can help pay… hahaha. I heard it’s best not to go during the rainy Season it’s just easier and more enjoyable to get around. Just what people have said.
Great experience
Had a wonderful Safari experience in Nothern Tanzania. Got to see some Lions very closely. Best experience in a very long time tbh.
It was an amazing experience!
Awesome experience! Beautiful and exciting destination full of nature! We went during fall but anytime of the year is recommended. Planning for my next trip there!