3-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
A private 3-day safari by road from Arusha: two nights in the central Serengeti, then a game drive on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater on the way home, with mid-range lodges or tented camps.
This is the shortest way to sleep inside the Serengeti without flying. You drive over the Ngorongoro highlands to the central Serengeti, where lions, leopards and cheetahs live all year, and spend the next day on game drives across its plains and kopjes. On the last day you go down into the Ngorongoro Crater before driving back to Arusha.
Three days is short for two parks this far apart, and the first and last days include a lot of driving. If you can add a day, our 4-day safari also visits Tarangire and makes the last day easier.
Highlights
- Two nights in a mid-range camp or lodge in the central Serengeti
- A full day of game drives in the Serengeti, good in every month
- A game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Your own private vehicle and driver-guide for the whole trip
Route Map
- By road
- Day of the trip
- Arusha
Lines show the order of travel, not the exact roads.
Your driver-guide collects you early from your hotel in Arusha. The road goes west past Mto wa Mbu and Karatu, then climbs through the forest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and along the crater rim before dropping down to the Serengeti plains.
From the park gate at Naabi Hill your game drive begins, with a picnic lunch on the way, and continues across the plains to your camp in the central Serengeti in the late afternoon. Allow about 7 to 7½ hours on the road, plus the game drive.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge or tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
A whole day in the central Serengeti, where the Seronera River keeps water in the area all year. You can go out early, come back to camp for lunch, or take a picnic and stay out all day; your guide will plan the day with you around where the animals are.
Lions, leopards and cheetahs are resident here, along with giraffes, elephants, buffalo, hippos and herds of zebra and antelope. When the Great Migration passes through the centre of the park, usually around April to June and again in November and December, there are also large herds of wildebeest.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge or tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
An early start: you drive back across the plains to the Ngorongoro Crater, about 4 hours, and go down the steep road to the crater floor. Here buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and lions are seen on most days, and the crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to look for black rhino, usually at a distance.
After a picnic lunch on the crater floor you climb out and drive about 3 hours back to Arusha, arriving in the evening. It is a long day, but it saves a night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Price Per Person — Private Safari
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $2,390 |
| 2 People | $1,590 |
| 3 People | $1,430 |
| 4 People | $1,290 |
| 5 People | $1,240 |
| 6 People | $1,190 |
Price per person in US dollars for a private safari, by the number of people travelling together in one vehicle. Groups of 7 or more receive a personal quote on request.
Accommodation
- Mid-range lodges or tented camps
- Nights 1–2 in the central Serengeti
- Rooms for one, two or three people; tell us your group when you enquire
Includes
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Arusha
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All park fees, the Ngorongoro Crater service fee and government taxes
- 2 nights' accommodation in the central Serengeti
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Drinking water on game drives
Excludes
- International and domestic flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for the guide
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
Questions Travellers Ask
Is 3 days enough for the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater?
It is enough for a first taste: one full day in the Serengeti and a game drive on the crater floor. The first and last days include long drives, so if you have one more day, a 4-day safari gives you more time in the parks and an easier last day.
How long are the drives?
About 7 to 7½ hours from Arusha to the central Serengeti on the first day, plus the game drive. On the last day it is about 4 hours from the Serengeti to the crater and about 3 hours from the crater back to Arusha. These times depend on the roads and on stops for animals.
What is included in the price?
Your private vehicle and driver-guide, all park and crater fees, two nights in a mid-range camp or lodge, the meals listed in the itinerary and drinking water. International flights, visas, insurance, tips and drinks are not included.
When is the best time for this safari?
It works all year, because the central Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater have animals in every month. June to October is dry and good for game viewing; April and May are the rainy months, with fewer visitors.
Can we fly instead of driving?
Yes. Our 4-Day Serengeti Fly-In Safari from Arusha flies you to the Serengeti and drives you back through the Ngorongoro Crater. Ask us and we will compare the two for your dates.
