A night near the Mara River in five days
Per person, 2 adults sharing, mid-range accommodation, peak-season park fees.
Reaches the Mara River area in five days for travellers who want a chance of the crossings on a short trip.
Tarangire, the central Serengeti, a night in the northern Serengeti near the Mara River, then a long drive back to the Ngorongoro highlands for a final crater morning.
Elephants · Baobab woodland · Lions · Giraffes · Leopards · Cheetahs · Hippos · Wildebeest herds (Jul–Oct) · Crocodiles · Black rhino (rare)
Wild animals move freely; sightings are never guaranteed.
Shown at the Mid-range level. Select a day to highlight it on the map.
Morning pick-up from your Arusha hotel (or Kilimanjaro Airport by arrangement). Explore Tarangire, a park of baobabs, acacia and seasonal swamps that holds some of the north's largest elephant herds. Overnight at Marera Valley Lodge.
Marera Valley Lodge
Mid-range · Lodge · Karatu town
Lunch, Dinner (Full board)
After breakfast, travel to the central Serengeti. Game drives in the central Serengeti around the Seronera River, an area known for resident lions and leopards. Overnight at Serengeti Classic View Camp.
Serengeti Classic View Camp
Mid-range · Tented camp · Central Serengeti NP
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Full board)
Full day near the Mara River in the northern Serengeti, where the herds usually attempt crossings between July and October. Overnight at Heritage Mara Camp.
Heritage Mara Camp
Mid-range · Tented camp · Northern Serengeti NP
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Full board)
After breakfast, travel to the central Serengeti. Explore the Serengeti's central plains, rivers and rock outcrops in search of big cats and grazing herds. Overnight at Ang'ata Ngorongoro Camp.
Ang'ata Ngorongoro Camp
Mid-range · Tented camp · Under 1 hr from Ngorongoro Crater
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Full board)
After breakfast, travel to the Ngorongoro Crater. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive on the caldera floor, with a picnic lunch at a designated site. Return to Arusha in the afternoon for your onward journey, or transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. End of services.
Breakfast, Lunch · End of services
Leaflet map with OpenStreetMap data. Road lines follow OpenStreetMap routing where available; anything else is drawn dashed and labelled as a straight line. Lodges are plotted only when their coordinates are verified.
Mid-range: properties for this route. Availability is confirmed at quotation; an equivalent property of the same level is offered if one is full. Where a lodge has not yet supplied photos for our use, we show a photo of its area — your consultant sends the lodge’s own photos with the quotation.
Karatu town
Mid-range · Lodge · 1 night (day 1)
Central Serengeti NP
Mid-range · Tented camp · 1 night (day 2)
Northern Serengeti NP
Mid-range · Tented camp · 1 night (day 3)
Under 1 hr from Ngorongoro Crater
Mid-range · Tented camp · 1 night (day 4)
Prices depend on the travel dates, the number of travellers sharing the vehicle, children’s ages and the accommodation level. Adjust the estimator to see an indicative price; your consultant confirms the final price with lodge availability.
Add nights, change the order, swap a lodge or add Zanzibar — every Wild Host safari is tailored before you book.
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3 daysPopular choiceA short, high-impact luxury safari with a night in the Serengeti
The shortest practical way to see both the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, staying at a luxury tented camp.
3 daysThree parks in three days from one Karatu lodge
Three contrasting parks without changing rooms: Tarangire's elephants, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.
3 daysFly straight to the calving plains
A light-aircraft flight puts you on the Ndutu plains in under two hours, in the middle of the calving season.
