This 5-Day Big 5 Wildlife Safari In Tanzania is a 4-night/5-day Tanzania wildlife safari, designed to deliver wonderful Big 5 game viewing and any other savannah animals as you visit Tanzania’s must-see wildlife destinations: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire National Parks.
Your safari begins in the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park, home to rare tree-climbing lions. Next, move to Tanzania’s showpiece: the Serengeti which is home to the big cats (Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah) and spectacular wildebeest migration.
From there, go for game drives on the flat floor of the Ngorongoro Crater for more opportunities to spot the Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, and Rhino), as well as flamingos and hippos in the Crater wetlands. Ngorongoro offers east Africa’s most reliable Big 5 sightings.
Finally, visit Tarangire National Park, which has Tanzania’s biggest elephant herds and magnificent ‘upside-down trees’ (Tarangire’s signature baobabs).
Day 1: Lake Manyara National Park
Day 2 & 3: Serengeti National Park & Olduvai Gorge
Day 3: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Day 4: Tarangire National Park
Day 5: Depart
Day 1: Transfer from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park via Mto wa Mbu Villa. Enjoy an afternoon game drive on arrival.
Day 2: Transfer to Serengeti National Park. Make a stop en route at Olduvai Gorge. Enjoy the afternoon game drive upon arrival.
Day 3: Full-day Game drives in Serengeti National Park.
Day 3: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater for an afternoon game drive
Day 4: Morning game drive in the Crater then transfer to Tarangire National Park
Day 5: Morning game drive & then transfers back to Arusha.
Your 5 days big five wildlife safari in Tanzania starts with pickup from your hotel in Arusha hotel or at Kilimanjaro International Airport latest by 9.00 am.
After safari briefing, embark on a 2-hour drive north to Lake Manyara National Park. Pass through impressive countryside landscapes and Mto wa Mbu, a pleasant small village, a fascinating snapshot of small-town African life, and home to some 18,000 people from 120 different Tanzania tribes!
Arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. After lunch, take some time to relax and go on an afternoon game drive in the park. A wonderful part of Great Africa’s Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park‘s diversity of habitats is set around the soda lake, described by Ernest Hemingway as the ‘loveliest I have seen in Africa’.
The lake is a bird lover’s paradise, hosting large flocks of flamingos and other fantastic waterbirds. The open savannah plains and lush forests support a big elephant population as well as herds of Buffalos, Giraffes, Wildebeests, Zebras, baboons, and many species of elegant antelopes.
Predators are also present in the park and topping the list are Lake Manyara’s famous lions that have unusual habits of climbing trees.
After your exciting game drive, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
Midrange: – Manyara Kirurumu Camp
Budget: – Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 110km/2 hours
Activities & Services: –
Optional Activity: –
On day two of the 5 days big five wildlife safari in Tanzania, enjoy a delicious breakfast at 6.30 am. Then, embark on a scenic drive of around 5-6 hours to the north. Drive through beautiful Masai villages and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Make a stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. It was here in 1959 that Mary Leakey unearthed a 1.8-million-year-old ape-like skull from an early hominin (human-like creature) now known as Australopithecus boisei. This discovery, along with that of fossils of over 60 early hominids, including Homo habilis fundamentally changed the way we understood the evolution of man.
At about midday, arrive in the vast Serengeti wilderness, the home of the Wildebeest Migration, the largest terrestrial mammal migration on Earth! Even outside the Great Migration season, Serengeti offers incredible game viewing.
Its lion prides are large, the birdlife is exceptional, and you’ll see all sorts of predators and plains game including the African Big 5 animals.
Enjoy a game drive on your way to your accommodation in central Serengeti. Have a picnic lunch en route, so as to not cut into your game viewing time in this wonderful part of Serengeti. This area is home to the striking Seronera Valley, the best place in Africa to see Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs on thrilling hunts.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Serengeti Serena Lodge/Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Midrange: – Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
Budget: – Kijereshi Tented Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 250km/5-6 hours
Activities & Services: –
Your third day of the 5 days big five wildlife safari in Tanzania commences with a hearty breakfast at the lodge/camp.
At around sunrise go on a morning game drive, followed by an afternoon game drive, since the animals tend to be more active in the cooler hours of the day. You will return to your accommodation during the hotter hours in the middle of the day, where you’ll enjoy a delicious meal, relax and maybe take a nap.
Depending on wildlife movements/opportunities for sightings, the drive may continue through lunch and last the whole day. In this case, you’ll return to the camp or lodge in the late afternoon for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
The endless Serengeti plains span some 14,700 square kilometers, and their main claim to fame is over 3 million beautiful wild animals that reside here.
Massive herds of grazers and many predators can be observed: Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Buffalos, Elephants, Giraffes, Impala, Topi, Hippos, Ostriches, Crocodile, Lions, Cheetahs, and Hyena. The interaction between the various species often provides some of the world’s best wildlife viewing opportunities.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Serengeti Sopa Lodge/Serengeti Serena Lodge
Midrange: – Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
Budget: – Kijereshi Tented Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
Optional Activity:-
After a good breakfast, have a morning game drive as you leave the Serengeti plains to the cool highlands of Ngongoro Crater– a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You drive through picturesque Maasai Villages, arriving in time for lunch at your lodge.
After lunch, have some time to rest before descending 600 meters to the crater floor. On the way into the crater, learn some amazing facts about this incredible natural wonder of Africa, seen by many as the 8th Natural Wonder of the World.
Formed by a massive volcanic eruption about 1.5 million years ago, this is the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera which is about 260 square kilometers in size and offers a year-round home to over 30,000 animals. It is one of the only places in Africa where you can see all of the African ‘big five animals in a single day.
Enjoy a bush picnic lunch on the crater floor before continuing with your game drive. In the evening, retire to your accommodation on Crater’s rim.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge/Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Midrange: – Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge
Budget: – Karatu Simba Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
On day four of your 5 days big 5 wildlife safari in Tanzania, rise early for another thrilling 4×4 game drive on in Ngorongoro Crater.
During the game drive, look out for the rare Black rhinos, Blue wildebeests, Plains zebras, Lions, Leopards, Buffalos, Hippos hyenas, painted wolves, Jackals, Cheetahs, Bat-eared foxes, and Caracals, as well as many bird species including flamingos, Ostrich, Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Golden-winged Sunbirds, etc.
After a game drive, enjoy a picnic lunch and drive up the steep road out of the crater. Then embark on a 4-hour drive to Tarangire National Park.
Tarangire is a lovely quiet park, home to Tanzania’s biggest herds of elephants and magnificent ‘upside-down trees’ (Tarangire’s signature baobabs) as well as big cats and riverside wildlife. It has an atmosphere of remoteness and fewer visitors than all the other parks in northern Tanzania.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Midrange: – Tarangire Kirurumu Camp
Budget: – Roika Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 150km/2½ hours
Activities & Services: –
Optional Activity: –
After an early breakfast, have a morning game dive in the wonderful Tarangire.
Explore the park as you look for the ‘Giants of the Tarangire’ – African elephants and baobabs. Drive towards the Silale Swamp, a key part of the Tarangire ecosystem. Silale swamp serves as a giant sponge during the rainy season and slowly releases water during the dry season, attracting thousands of animals.
Huge herds of herbivores flood the park in the quest for water, attracting lions, leopards, hyenas, Cheetahs, and African wild dogs. And if you’re a bird lover, this is the best place to see many of the park’s 550 bird species.
After a game drive, embark on a 2½-hour drive to Kilimanjaro Airport for drop-off at the end of this fantastic 5 days Big 5 wildlife safari in Tanzania.
Please note: Extensions to Zanzibar, Uganda/Rwanda (for mountain gorilla trekking), or parks in Kenya can easily be arranged. Don’t hesitate to contact us.
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