Arusha, Tanzania · Licensed Tour Operator
5-Day Northern Highlights Safari
A comfortable five-day journey through Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, with time to enjoy each stop.
Trip overview
Five days is just enough to feel the change from Tarangire's elephant country to the wide Serengeti plains and finally the sheltered world of Ngorongoro Crater. We'll handle the driving and the stays, so you can settle in and enjoy being out in the bush.
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Leave Arusha with your guide and head to Tarangire for your first game drive among baobabs and elephant herds. We'll take the river route, stopping for wildlife and a picnic whenever the moment feels right. Watch for giraffe among the trees and elephants moving across the dry riverbed. After a full afternoon in the park, we continue to Motto Cottages Lodge in Mto wa Mbu for dinner.
- Accommodation:
- Motto Cottages Lodge, Mto wa Mbu
- Meals:
- Lunch, dinner
- Travel:
- About 2 hours from Arusha, plus game driving
- Day 2: Mto wa Mbu to the Serengeti
We climb through the Ngorongoro highlands before the landscape opens onto the Serengeti plains. There's time to stop at the crater viewpoint before we continue through Naabi Hill Gate. The drive into central Serengeti is a game drive in its own right: zebra, wildebeest and perhaps your first big cat can appear at any point. We reach camp in time for dinner and a night under the stars.
- Accommodation:
- Tented camp, central Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Travel:
- About 5–6 hours with stops and game viewing
- Day 3: Full day in the Serengeti
Today belongs entirely to the Serengeti, with your guide choosing the best wildlife areas for the season. We start early while the light is soft and predators are still active, then follow the river valleys and rocky kopjes in search of lion, leopard and cheetah. A picnic lunch lets us stay out in the park instead of rushing back to camp. By evening, we'll return for a hot meal and stories around the fire.
- Accommodation:
- Tented camp, central Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Travel:
- Full-day game driving
- Day 4: Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands
Take one last morning game drive before heading east towards the crater highlands. The morning is a chance to revisit a favourite sighting or explore a quieter corner of the park. After lunch we cross the open plains and climb into cooler highland air, stopping for views along the way. Settle into your lodge near the crater and rest up for tomorrow's early start.
- Accommodation:
- Highland lodge, Karatu
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Travel:
- About 4–5 hours with stops
- Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater and return to Arusha
An early descent takes us onto the crater floor for a final, unforgettable game drive. We'll explore the grasslands, woodland and lakeside, looking for buffalo, elephant, lion and the elusive black rhino. After a picnic lunch we climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha, where your guide drops you at your hotel or onward connection.
- Accommodation:
- Departure
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch
- Travel:
- Crater game drive plus about 3–4 hours to Arusha
