5 Day safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti national parks and Ngorogoro crater
Tour overview
This 5 day tour takes you to the three most fantastic tourist destinations in Tanzania, these include; Lake Manyara national park, Serengeti national park and Ngorogoro conservation Area. Serengeti is the world’s plains and one of the popular safari destination liked by tourists. Here you will get chance to experience African wildlife with in the spectacular national park in east Africa. Serengeti national park covers an area of about 14750 square kms and it’s filled with lots of wildlife species including; 1000 leopards, over 3000 masai lions, white bearded wild beest, zebras, Nile crocodiles, honey badge, African bush elephant, eastern black Rhinoceros, African buffalos, 500 bird species including the love birds, vultures, marabou stock, martial eagles, ostriches, secretary birds, kori bustards etc.
The tour also takes you to Ngorogoro crater which is found in the conservation area and Ngorogoro is a UNESCO world heritage site located 180km west of Arusha in the crater highlands of Tanzania. The crater is the largest volcanic caldera within the area, it’s the world’s inactive, intact as well as unfilled volcanic caldera. This crater is 610 metres deep, and its floor covers 260 sq kms. The height of the original volcano also ranges from 4500 to 5800m and its 1800m above the sea level. The crater also harbours a lots of wildlife species including; elephants, hippos, lions, rhinos, zebras, common eland, Thomson gazelles, water bucks and many more.
The safari also takes you to Lake Manyara national park which is located in both Manyara region and also in Arusha region. It’s just 126km south west of Arusha and can also be reached with in 1 hour and half. It consists of 330km2 of arid land, forests and a soda like lake which is 200km2. The national park is mostly known for flamingos, 400 bird species, leopards, Masai lions, cheetahs, elephants, blue monkeys, dik dik, gazelles, Masai giraffes, impalas, as well as hippos. The park is also close to Tarangire national park as well as Manyara Airport which is located at the top of the rift wall.
Tour highlights
Day 1: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park
Day 2: From Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park
Day 3: Explore Serengeti plains
Day 4: Transfer to Ngorongoro crater
Day 5: from Ngorongoro crater to Arusha town
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park
Your pick up will be from Arusha and straight away start your journey to Lake Manyara national park. We shall arrive in time for lunch at the lodge, immediately after your lunch, proceed for a game drive with in the park, the park is Tanzania’s most dramatically located wildlife area which consist of massive soda lake that is located at the foot hills of the Great Rift Valley. This national park also attracts lots of wildlife species like the elephants, tree climbing, flamingos and many more.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Mid-range: Kiruruma tented lodge
Budget: Migunga forest camp
Day 2: Transfer to Serengeti national Park
Have your breakfast and after head to Serengeti National park passing via the beautiful high lying farm land of Karatu as well as the Ngorogoro conservation Area. We shall then descend into the wild heart of Africa which is the mighty Serengeti national park, which has got endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as your eyes can see. On arrival, we shall head to the central park area which is known as the seronera area which has lots of wildlife habitats in the park, with the famous Seronera River that provides valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife species to the park. We shall have lunch and then enjoy an afternoon game drive within the park were we shall view many animal species including; the leopards, lions, Nile crocodiles, birds, as well as black Rhinoceros.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Mid-range: Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Budget: Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
Day 3: Explore Serengeti plains
Be one of the lucky few to take a hot Air balloon over the Serengeti plains as you float silently above the bushes, spotting wildlife species and enjoying the scenery of African parks, water bodies as well as many local villages. You will as well do a game drive along the Sogore river circuit were you will view many animal species including the lions, gazelle, topis, cheetah and ostrich. There is also a visitor centre which is close to the Serengeti Seronera lodge and the public campsites which are worthwhile places for morning game drive. This centre offers so many interesting wildlife displays as well as gifts, information leaflets and maps of the area. You can as well get cold drinks and snacks as well as a picnic area and information trail up. We shall also have lunch at the same centre in shades of the acacia trees.
Later in the afternoon, we will follow the Kopjes circuit which is around the Maasai Kopjes that attracts lions and large cobras. These Kopjes are weathered granite crops and scattered around the plains with miniature ecosystems that provide drinking water and shade in the pools left within the rocks after the rains. These kopjes is good for spotting wildlife in the dry seasons like the lions and many more.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Mid-range: Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Budget: Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
Day 4: Transfer to Ngorongoro crater
Have your breakfast at the lodge and after depart to Ngorongoro Conservation Area having a stopover at Olduvai Gorge were the anthropologists Drs. Lois as well as Mary Leaky discovered the skulls of the Nutcracker man and Handy Man which skulls are both linked in the chain of Human Revolution.
We shall as well arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and after descend 600m into the Ngorongoro crater to view the many wildlife species found here. Some of these include; Wildebeest, zebras, buffalos, eland, warthogs, hippos, the giant African elephants, as well as lions, jackals, hyenas, cheetahs and the elusive leopards. We will as well visit Lake Magadi which is a large but also shallow alkaline lake with in the south western corner, which is the main feature in the crater. One can located many flamingos, hippos, as well as water birds.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Budget: Ngorongoro Farmhouse
Day 5: from Ngorongoro crater to Arusha town
Enjoy your breakfast and after transfer to Arusha town, on your arrival, have lunch and then the guide will either drop you at the hotel or at the Airport to catch your departure flight.
END OF SAFARI
Tour inclusions
- Services of a professional tour guide
- Transport
- Entrance fees
- All the activities in the itinerary
- Fuel
- Drinking water while on the safari
- Full board accommodation
Tour exclusions
- Tips
- Optional activities not detailed in the itinerary
- Visas or air tickets
- International flights
- Laundry services
- Items of personal nature
- Beverages and drinks
