Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

Start and finish: Arusha, Tanzania

Safari style: Small group guided wildlife safari

Destinations: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara

Accommodation: Lodges and tented camps, depending on the selected package

Best for: Couples, solo travellers, friends and wildlife enthusiasts

Travel years: 2027, 2028 and 2029

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner during the safari, according to the package

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha, Tanzania

Accommodation: Arusha hotel or lodge

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be welcomed by your safari representative and transferred to your hotel in Arusha. After checking in, you can relax after your journey and enjoy the surroundings of this lively town.

If you arrive early, you may have time to explore Arusha town, visit a local market or enjoy views of Mount Meru, depending on the weather and your arrival time.

In the evening, meet your safari guide for a briefing about the journey, wildlife viewing, safety and the arrangements for travelling with the small group. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp near Tarangire or Karatu

After breakfast, leave Arusha and drive to Tarangire National Park. The journey takes approximately two to three hours, depending on traffic and the lodge location.

Tarangire is known for its large elephant herds, ancient baobab trees and wildlife found around the Tarangire River. During the game drive, look out for elephants, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, buffaloes, impalas and warthogs. Lions and leopards may also be seen.

Your guide will drive through different parts of the park, stopping whenever there is an interesting wildlife sighting. This is also a good day for photography, especially when elephants move through the open woodland or gather near water.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated site before continuing with the afternoon game drive. Later, leave the park and head to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

Tarangire is particularly known for its elephants and baobab landscapes.

Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park to Karatu

Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Karatu

After breakfast, travel to Lake Manyara National Park for a wildlife-viewing excursion. The park offers a different landscape from Tarangire, with groundwater forests, open grassland and lake scenery beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment.

During the game drive, you may see baboons, blue monkeys, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and several bird species. The lake can attract flamingos and other waterbirds when conditions are suitable. Lake Manyara is also known for reports of tree-climbing lions, although sightings are never guaranteed.

Enjoy lunch at a designated picnic area before continuing your exploration. In the afternoon, drive to Karatu, a small town surrounded by green hills and farmland near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Arrive at your lodge, relax and enjoy dinner. This is a good opportunity to prepare your camera equipment and personal items for the following days in the Serengeti.

Day 4: Karatu to Serengeti National Park

Accommodation: Tented camp or safari lodge in the Serengeti

After an early breakfast, depart for Serengeti National Park. The drive takes you through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with beautiful highland scenery before the landscape opens into the vast Serengeti plains.

Along the way, there may be opportunities to see wildlife and stop at suitable viewpoints. You will continue towards the Serengeti, with the exact route depending on your camp location and wildlife conditions.

After entering the park, begin your game drive. The Serengeti is famous for its open grasslands, large herds of herbivores and strong populations of predators. You may see wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, giraffes, elephants and buffaloes. Lions often rest in the shade or near rocky outcrops, while cheetahs may be spotted scanning the plains for prey.

Stop for a picnic lunch during the day, then continue exploring until late afternoon, subject to park regulations and your camp’s location.

Arrive at your accommodation, enjoy dinner and spend the night surrounded by the sounds of the African bush.

Day 5: Full-Day Game Drive in Serengeti National Park

Accommodation: Tented camp or safari lodge in the Serengeti

Today is dedicated to exploring the Serengeti, giving you more time to search for wildlife without making a long transfer between parks.

After an early breakfast, head out with your guide for a morning game drive. The cooler hours can be good for spotting predators, including lions, leopards and cheetahs. You may also encounter hyenas, jackals and large herds of wildebeest and zebras.

The Serengeti is also home to the Great Wildebeest Migration. Depending on the month, you may find migrating herds in the southern, central, western or northern areas. Their movements depend on rainfall and the availability of fresh grazing, so the exact location cannot be guaranteed.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in a designated area before continuing your afternoon game drive. Your guide will select the route according to recent sightings, weather and the conditions of the roads.

Return to camp in the late afternoon. Spend the evening relaxing, sharing stories with other travellers and enjoying dinner.

Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Karatu or near the crater rim

Wake up early for breakfast before setting off on a morning game drive in the Serengeti. This gives you another chance to spot animals that you may have missed on the previous days.

Depending on the location of your camp and the route chosen, you may spend several hours looking for wildlife as you make your way out of the Serengeti towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

The scenery changes along the way, from open plains to rolling hills and the cooler highlands. You may see Maasai pastoralists tending their livestock in permitted areas outside the national parks, offering a glimpse of how people and wildlife share this wider landscape.

Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon. If time allows, relax and enjoy the views around the highlands. Your guide will explain the arrangements for the next day’s descent into Ngorongoro Crater.

Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater Safari and Return to Arusha

Accommodation: Arusha hotel or lodge

After an early breakfast, travel to the Ngorongoro Crater for one of the main highlights of your Tanzania safari.

Descend into the crater in your 4×4 safari vehicle and explore the crater floor with your guide. The area has a variety of habitats, including grassland, woodland, wetlands and a soda lake. These habitats support many different animals within a relatively compact area.

During the game drive, look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest and hippos. Ngorongoro is also one of the places where you may have a chance of seeing the endangered black rhinoceros, although sightings are not guaranteed.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated site before continuing the game drive. In the afternoon, ascend the crater and begin the drive back to Arusha.

Arrive at your hotel in the evening, depending on road conditions and the length of the crater excursion. Enjoy dinner and your final overnight stay in Arusha.

Day 8: Departure from Arusha

Meals: Breakfast, subject to departure time

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before checking out. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have some free time to relax, shop for souvenirs or visit a local craft market if time permits.

Your driver will transfer you to Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport for your onward journey. If you are continuing to Zanzibar, your travel arrangements can be planned around the available flight schedule.

This marks the end of your 8-day Tanzania small group safari, with memories of the wildlife, landscapes and experiences shared along the way.

June to October

A popular period for safari, with generally drier conditions and good opportunities for wildlife viewing. Migration sightings depend on the herds’ location and the specific month.

January to March

A good period to consider the southern Serengeti and Ndutu for calving-season wildlife, particularly when the herds are in the area.

November to May

The landscape can be greener, and birdwatching can be rewarding. Some periods bring heavier rain, which may affect travel times and road conditions.