3-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Group Joining Safari
A 3-day camping safari from Arusha in a shared vehicle: a night in the middle of the Serengeti, a night on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and a morning on the crater floor.
The Serengeti and the Crater on a Budget
What "group joining" means: you share the vehicle, the guide and the campsites with other travellers who booked the same departure, up to 6 people, so everyone has a window seat. It costs less than a private safari, and it is a good way to meet people. Solo travellers are welcome.
The trip is short and full: two long driving days through the Ngorongoro highlands, game drives in the central Serengeti, where lions, cheetahs and leopards live all year, and a game drive on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater before you head back to Arusha.
Camping here means simple public campsites with shared toilets and showers. Your cook travels with you and prepares hot meals at camp.
Prefer your own vehicle and lodges? See the private 3-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari →
Highlights
- Two game drives in the central Serengeti
- A game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- A night camping on the crater rim
- Shared vehicle with up to 6 travellers, each with a window seat
- Camp cook and all meals included
What to bring
- A sleeping bag (or ask us to rent you one)
- A warm jacket: nights on the crater rim are cold
- A torch or headlamp
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sun cream
- Your passport
Read our park guides
Route Map
- By road
- Day of the trip
- Arusha
Lines show the order of travel, not the exact roads.
Your driver-guide collects you from your hotel in Arusha in the morning, and you meet the rest of the group. You drive west through Mto wa Mbu and Karatu, over the Ngorongoro highlands and down onto the Serengeti plains, with a game drive on the way to the campsite in the central Serengeti.
It is a long day in the vehicle, about 7 to 8 hours with stops.
Overnight: Public campsite in the central Serengeti (tents)
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
An early game drive in the central Serengeti, when the animals are most active. After lunch you drive back east to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and set up camp on the crater rim, at about 2,300 metres. The evening is cold, so keep your warm jacket handy.
Overnight: Public campsite on the Ngorongoro Crater rim (tents)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After an early breakfast you drive down into the crater for a game drive of up to about six hours, with a picnic lunch. Buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and lions are often seen, and the crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to look for black rhino, usually far away. In the afternoon you drive back to Arusha, arriving in the early evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Price Per Person — Group Joining
| Departures | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| Every Monday and Thursday · shared vehicle, up to 6 travellers | $790 |
Price per person in US dollars, sharing a tent with your travel partner. Solo travellers can share with another traveller of the same gender, or pay extra for a tent of their own (ask us).
Departures run once 4 travellers are booked, with a maximum of 6 in the vehicle. If fewer have booked about a week before departure, we offer you another date, or a private safari at the private price.
Optional extra: a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the central Serengeti, about an hour in the air, followed by a bush breakfast. About 599 US dollars per person for flights in 2026 and about 660 US dollars from 1 January 2027. Children from 7 years. Ask us to add it when you book.
Trip Notes
- Start and end: your hotel in Arusha
- Departures every Monday and Thursday
- Group of 4 to 6 travellers in one vehicle
- Camping at public campsites with shared toilets and showers
- Private upgrade: see our private 3-day safari
Includes
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Arusha
- Shared 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof, up to 6 travellers, each with a window seat
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide and a camp cook
- All park entry fees, camping fees and the Ngorongoro Crater vehicle fee
- Dome tents, foam mattresses and camping equipment
- All meals on safari and drinking water
Excludes
- A sleeping bag (bring your own, or ask us to rent one)
- Accommodation in Arusha before and after the safari
- International flights and visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Tips for the guide and cook
- Drinks other than drinking water
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
Questions Travellers Ask
What is a group joining safari?
You share the vehicle, guide and campsites with other travellers on the same departure, up to 6 people. Everyone has a window seat, and the price per person is lower than on a private safari.
When does it depart?
Every Monday and Thursday from Arusha. A departure runs once 4 travellers are booked. If fewer have booked about a week before, we offer you another date or a private safari at the private price.
Can I join on my own?
Yes. Solo travellers are welcome. You can share a tent with another traveller of the same gender, or pay extra for a tent of your own.
What is camping like?
You sleep in dome tents on foam mattresses at public campsites with shared toilets and showers. A cook travels with the group and prepares hot meals. Bring a sleeping bag, or ask us to rent you one.
Can I make it private?
Yes. Our private 3-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari uses mid-range camps and your own vehicle, on the dates you choose.
