5 Day Lodge Safari - Lake Manyara Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park

5 Day Lodge Safari - Lake Manyara Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park

During this 5-day lodge safari you will visit three of the most well-known reserves on Tanzania’s “northern circuit” – the Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. With all the diverse landscapes and a crater full of animals, this safari has something for everyone and is ideal for those with limited time.

DAY 1 – KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO ARUSHA

Arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by one of our experienced driver guides, ready to greet and escort you to Arusha and your chosen hotel. He will introduce you to this wonderful city and country.!

Welcome to Arusha and welcome to Tanzania!

Accommodation: Zawadi House Lodge
Meal Plan: Dinner

DAY 2 – ARUSHA TO LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

Today, you collect your picnic lunch box and your safari really begins as we start early from your Arusha hotel for our pleasant drive westwards to Lake Manyara National Park. exploring the stunning landscape of the park, looking for wildlife on the plains, in the acacia woodlands and by the shores of the shallow alkaline lake.

Lake Manyara is rightly famous for its tree-climbing lions, but they’re far from the only highlight: by the end of an exhilarating afternoon, you could easily have spotted elephant, hippo, wildebeest, buffalo and giraffe, plus many other species. Pink-hued flamingos, one of 400 bird species recorded here, provide a splash of colour. At the end of the afternoon, it’s back to your camp for some relaxation and a delicious dinner.

Accommodation: Sangaiwe Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner

DAY 3 – LAKE MANYARA TO SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, we collect our lunch boxes and leave Lake Manyara National Park. Our journey takes us west and north, our exciting destination being a name familiar to everyone – the Serengeti! Along the way, the sheer scale of the territory and the raw beauty of the landscapes reveal themselves and your driver-guide will help you to spot animals and birds. This is just a preview of things to come, for the Serengeti is home to what is possibly the world’s greatest gathering of wildlife.

After enjoying a picnic lunch, you’ll be eager to pursue some more great wildlife-spotting opportunities in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set in the grasslands, savannahs, woods and mountain scenery, which creature will show itself next? These ‘endless plains’ are home to elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo and crocodile… the adventure has truly begun. At the end of the afternoon, exhausted and exhilarated, it’s back to your chosen accommodation for dinner and to talk about the many fantastic experiences you’ve had today.

Accommodation: Serengeti Thorn Tree Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner

DAY 4 – SERENGETI TO NGORONGORO CRATER TOUR

The exciting sounds of Africa will rouse you from your sleep. We make the most of the day, your driver-guide meeting you for a 08:00 start, to head off on our morning game-drive. Later, the adventure will continue when we travel up to Ngorongoro, another African natural icon.

It’s almost impossible to spend too much time in Serengeti and with more than 1.6 million herbivores – plus thousands of predators – there’s always something new and interesting to see. The changing seasons and natural light simply add to the diversity. This morning your driver-guide will help you spot some more of the many species at Serengeti, teaching you about their fascinating habits and habitats.

After a pleasant picnic lunch, it’s time to drive eastwards to visit another spectacular setting for Tanzania’s wildlife, the famous Ngorongoro Crater. On arrival, settle in at the camp while a tasty, hot dinner is prepared for you. Tomorrow, the wonders of the Ngorongoro Crater await us.

Accommodation: Hhando Coffee Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner

DAY 5 – NGORONGORO CRATER TOUR TO AIRPORT

Today may be ‘departure day’, but there will be plenty of time to enjoy another true spectacle, before your thoughts turn to home. Ngorongoro Crater is often referred to as a wonder of the world and your early morning game drive shows you why.

First, there’s the volcanic caldera (the world’s largest), full of grassland, forest and swamp, a setting of jaw-dropping beauty. Secondly, the permanent water of the crater floor supports a resident population of more than 25,000 large mammals. Here you’ll find many of the reasons you chose to come on safari: elephant, lion,
leopard, hyena, jackal, wallowing hippo, waterbuck, baboons… even the rare black rhino finds shelter here.

Sharing this awesome space with the animals are the Maasai, grazing their cattle in an area which has been a separate conservation area since 1956 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. This harmonious co-habitation of man and beast makes Ngorongoro unique in Tanzania and your driver guide will be pleased to explain this incredible co-existence to you.

After your early morning game drive, we have our picnic lunch in the crater before we return to the airport for your flight home. You will drive for 5 hours from Ngorongoro Crater floor to Kilimanjaro International Airport:

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Picnic lunch box