3 daysLake Manyara · Ngorongoro Crater · Tarangire
3-Day Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire Safari
The best-value way to see three completely different landscapes and stand a real chance of the Big Five in three days.
From
$750 USD pp
Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater safaris
The trip most people come to Tanzania for: the Serengeti plains and the Ngorongoro Crater, in a private 4x4 with your own guide. Three to eight days from Arusha, tented or lodge, from $750 per person — and 10% of what you pay goes to the Fruitful Orphanage.
From
$750 per person
Length
3 to 8 days
Starts
Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport
Isaac Sumary answers every enquiry himself, usually within 24 hours. His family runs both these safaris and the Fruitful Orphanage — 10% of what you pay goes to the children.
Which trip length suits you
Every trip below is private: your group, your vehicle, your guide. Camping prices use comfortable tented camps; lodge versions add about $100 per person per night. Prices are per person for a group of six and include park and crater fees, meals on safari and transport from Arusha.
| Trip | Parks | Tented | Lodge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Tarangire | $750 | $950 |
| 5 days | Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire | $1,450 | $1,850 |
| 7 days | Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara, Tarangire | $2,450 | $3,050 |
| 8 days | Full northern circuit with extra Serengeti time | $2,700 | $3,400 |
Per person, group of six sharing. Smaller groups cost more per person — ask for an exact quote.
How to choose
- 3 days — the crater and two nearby parks. Great if you have a short window, but it does not reach the Serengeti.
- 5 days — the classic: two nights in the Serengeti plus the crater. The shortest trip we recommend for the Serengeti.
- 7 days — slower pace, more game drives, better chance of the migration and the big cats.
- 8 days — the full northern circuit with extra Serengeti time for photographers and first-time visitors who want it all.
What a day on safari looks like
Early breakfast, then a morning game drive while the animals are active. Lunch in camp or as a picnic in the park, a rest through the hot middle hours, then an afternoon drive until the gates close. Evenings are around the fire with dinner cooked by our camp team.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a full descent day: 600 metres down onto the crater floor, where black rhino, lion, elephant and flamingos live in one enclosed bowl. It is the single most reliable day of wildlife in Tanzania.
What's included
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, guaranteed window seat
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All park, crater and conservation area fees
- Accommodation (tented camp or lodge) and all meals on safari
- Drinking water throughout
- Pick-up and drop-off in Arusha or at Kilimanjaro Airport
- 10% of your payment donated to the Fruitful Orphanage
Optional extras
- Serengeti balloon safari at sunrise — from $600 per person
- Maasai village visit, paid directly to the community — from $30 per person
- Lodge upgrade — about $100 per person per night
- Extra nights in Arusha before or after your safari
When to go
June to October is dry, cooler and best for general game viewing. January and February bring the calving season in the southern Serengeti. The green months of March to May are quieter and cheaper, with dramatic skies and some rain. Use our month-by-month planner if you are still deciding.
Trips you can book
View itinerary
5 daysTarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
5-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
Two full nights inside the Serengeti plus a crater day — the shortest itinerary that does the migration justice.
From
$1,450 USD pp
7 daysTarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
7-Day Northern Circuit Safari
Every park in the northern circuit, unhurried, with three nights inside the Serengeti.
From
$2,450 USD pp
8 daysTarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
8-Day Northern Circuit & Serengeti Safari
The full northern circuit with three nights inside the Serengeti and room for a balloon flight or a cultural day.
From
$2,700 USD pp
Read before you book
Planning
How Much Does a Tanzania Safari Cost? Real 2026 Prices
Quotes for the same itinerary can vary by a factor of ten. Here are our actual prices, the official park fees behind them, and where the rest of the money goes.
Parks
Serengeti vs Ngorongoro: Which Should You Visit?
One is vast and unpredictable, the other compact and almost guaranteed. They are not really competitors.
Wildlife
The Great Migration: Where the Herds Are Each Month
The migration is not an event with a date. It is a continuous 800-kilometre loop, and knowing where it is decides where you should sleep.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most before booking.
- How much is a Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari?
- From $1,450 per person for five days tented, or $1,850 in lodges, based on six people sharing a vehicle. Shorter three-day trips covering the crater start at $750. Park and crater fees are already included.
- How many days do I need for the Serengeti?
- Five days is the shortest trip we recommend if the Serengeti is the point of your visit — that gives two nights on the plains plus the Ngorongoro Crater. Seven or eight days lets you go deeper and drive less each day.
- Is the Ngorongoro Crater worth it?
- Yes. It is the one place in Tanzania where you can reasonably hope to see black rhino, and lion, elephant, buffalo and flamingos all live inside the same crater floor, so a single day delivers a great deal.
- Camping or lodge?
- Our tented camps are comfortable, with real beds, hot showers and a cook. Lodges add space, pools and more privacy for about $100 per person per night. Many travellers mix the two.
- When will I see the migration?
- The herds move all year. December to March they are in the southern Serengeti calving, around June they cross the Grumeti, and July to October they are in the north near the Mara River. Tell us your dates and we route the trip to where they should be.
Send us your dates and group size and Isaac will reply with a written itinerary and price within 24 hours.