7-Day Big Five Serengeti Safari

Drive to Lake Manyara National Park in the morning. Set against the steep escarpment of the Rift Valley, you’ll find Lake Manyara National Park with its evergreen groundwater forest and various ecosystems, including acacia woodland, grassy plains, a swampy fan delta, and – of course – the expansive lake. This diversity attracts various mammal, bird, and wildlife species. The park offers excellent game viewing with buffalo, impala, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, hippos, and many elephants roaming near the lake. Also, look out for blue monkeys, velvet monkeys, and very active olive baboons.

• Overnight at Highview Hotel (with lunch, dinner & breakfast) or similar

Head out after breakfast for the drive to Serengeti National Park. ‘Serengeti’ is derived from the Maasai language, meaning ‘endless plain.’ En route to the Serengeti, you may visit Olduvai Gorge (at an additional fee), known as the Cradle of Humanity. This museum is a testament to the long journey that humanity has made from its humble roots in East Africa to its current state as the dominant species on Earth. Enjoy a game drive en route to your camp.

• Overnight at Serengeti Safari Lodge or Serengeti Wildebeest camp (with lunch, dinner & breakfast) or similar

Relax for a full day in the Serengeti – unequaled for its beauty and home to the Great Wildebeest Migration. The huge herds of plains game, such as wildebeest, zebra, and antelope, dominate the park, while the attendant predators, such as lion and cheetah, are to be found amongst the many kopjes scattered across the plain. Its landscape varies from open grass plains in the south, savanna with scattered acacia trees in the center, hilly, wooded grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west.

• Overnight at Serengeti Safari Lodge or Serengeti Wildebeest camp (with lunch, dinner & breakfast) or similar

Enjoy a morning game drive en route to Ngorongoro Crater. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for game driving and exploration. The crater is 600m deep, 16km across, and 265 sq km in area. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the world’s eighth wonder. Many of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos can be seen grazing on the open grassland of the crater floor, surrounded by some of the 20,000 large animals that occupy the crater, including lion, cheetah, eland, zebra, and gazelle. Flamingos, among other bird species, can often be seen feeding at Makat Soda Lake. Afternoon drive to your lodge for your overnight stay.

• Overnight at Highview Hotel (with lunch, dinner & breakfast) or similar

Drive to Tarangire National Park in the morning. Tarangire is traversed by the Tarangire River, which never dries up. Being the only water source during the dry season, it draws hundreds of animals to the park, making wildlife and bird viewing spectacular. The landscape is varied, with grassy savannah plains, swamps, hills, and spectacular baobabs.

• Overnight at Springlands Hotel (with lunch, dinner & breakfast) or similar

Enjoy a leisurely morning before your transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for your flight home.