4-Day Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
A 4-day private safari by road from Arusha to Tanzania's three best-known parks: Tarangire, two nights in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, with budget or mid-range accommodation.
The shortest way to see the three best-known parks of northern Tanzania by road. You start in Tarangire among elephant herds and baobab trees, spend two days on the open plains of the Serengeti looking for lions, leopards and cheetahs, and finish on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater before driving back to Arusha. It is a private safari, so the vehicle and the guide are yours alone. Choose Budget or Mid-Range accommodation; the game drives and parks are the same on both.
Highlights
- Elephants and baobabs along the Tarangire River
- Two nights and almost two full days in the Serengeti
- Big cats in the central Serengeti, good all year round
- A game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Private vehicle and guide, with Budget or Mid-Range lodging
Your driver-guide collects you from your hotel in Arusha or from Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport, and you drive straight to Tarangire National Park. The park is known for its big elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. In the dry season the Tarangire River is the main source of water, so zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and elephants gather along its banks. After a full day of game drives you continue to your lodge outside the park.
Meals: lunch and dinner.
After breakfast you climb through the green Ngorongoro highlands and drop down onto the Serengeti plains. Once through the park gate, the game drive begins. With a picnic lunch on board, you can keep exploring until late afternoon, when you reach your camp in the Serengeti.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A full day in the central Serengeti, where water and grazing are available all year, so resident wildlife stays through every season. Your guide will search the plains, rivers and rocky kopjes for lions, leopards and cheetahs, along with giraffe, elephant, hippo and large herds of grazers. You spend the night in the Serengeti again or, depending on the season, drive towards Ngorongoro in the late afternoon.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
An early start takes you down into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best places in Tanzania to see black rhino. On the open crater floor you can also expect lion, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hyena and flamingos on the soda lake. After a picnic lunch you climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha, Moshi or the airport. A visit to a Maasai village can be added on the way for an extra fee.
Meals: breakfast and lunch.
Budget — Price Per Person Sharing
| Season | 2 Guests | 3 Guests | 4 Guests | 5 Guests | 6–7 Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low / Green SeasonApril – May | $1,475 | $1,335 | $1,185 | $1,160 | $1,085 |
| Shoulder Season1 Nov – 15 Dec | $1,535 | $1,385 | $1,230 | $1,195 | $1,125 |
| High SeasonSeptember – October · 6 Jan – March | $1,580 | $1,425 | $1,260 | $1,230 | $1,155 |
| Peak SeasonJune – August · 16 Dec – 5 Jan | $1,625 | $1,455 | $1,285 | $1,255 | $1,175 |
Mid-Range — Price Per Person Sharing
| Season | 2 Guests | 3 Guests | 4 Guests | 5 Guests | 6 Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low / Green SeasonApril – May | $1,550 | $1,470 | $1,260 | $1,275 | $1,165 |
| Shoulder Season1 Nov – 15 Dec | $1,665 | $1,590 | $1,365 | $1,380 | $1,265 |
| High SeasonSeptember – October · 6 Jan – March | $1,835 | $1,725 | $1,520 | $1,515 | $1,415 |
| Peak SeasonJune – August · 16 Dec – 5 Jan | $1,875 | $1,760 | $1,545 | $1,540 | $1,435 |
Prices per person sharing in US dollars, for a private safari. Solo travellers and groups of 8 or more receive a personal quote on request.
Budget Accommodation
- Simple lodges and tented camps
- Night 1 near Tarangire
- Nights 2–3 in the Serengeti, or near Ngorongoro depending on the season
Mid-Range Accommodation
- More comfortable lodges and tented camps
- Night 1 near Tarangire or in the Ngorongoro highlands
- Nights 2–3 in the Serengeti, or near Ngorongoro depending on the season
Includes
- Pick-up and drop-off in Arusha or at the airport
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- All park fees, crater fees and government taxes
- 3 nights' accommodation in your chosen level
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Unlimited drinking water and game drive mileage
Excludes
- International and domestic flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for the guide
- Maasai village visit (optional)
- 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
