Duration
5-Day
Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
This 5-day comfort safari allows us to experience the highlights of the Northern Safari Circuit. We experience breathtaking wildlife in the midst of diverse landscapes; monkeys in the forest, lions on trees, elephants amongst the acacia tree, and a huge variety of animals inside a collapsed volcano. We also visit Serengeti National Park, home to some 3 million animals. These spectacular grass plains offer the best opportunity to viewing cheetah, leopard, rhino, and lion, in the true wild.
Plan snapshot
Duration
5-Day
Route
Arusha to Arusha
Via Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP
Country & park
Tanzania / Tarangire National Park
Style
Mid-range safari
Group size
1-12 travelers
Starts
Any day if available
Minimum age
3 years
Activities
game drives
Accommodation
Mtoni River Lodge - Mid-range lodge in Arusha (City) – Breakfast Included
Meals
Breakfast Included; All Meals Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
USD
Rates
USD
Before booking
Quote flow
This mid-range tour uses lodges and tented camps.
This tour will be organized exclusively for you and won't be shared with others.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Solo travelers cannot book this private tour.
The minimum age for this tour is 3 years.
Day 1
Mid-range lodge in Arusha (City) – Breakfast Included
Breakfast Included
Day 2
Mid-range lodge 1-2hr drive from Tarangire NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 3
Luxury tented camp inside Central Serengeti NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 4
Mid-range lodge in Karatu (Town) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 5
(No accommodation)
Breakfast & Lunch Included
Tour step
You'll be collected from the airport. Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) which caters to domestic flights, you will be met by an African Big Cats Safaris representative who will drive you to your accommodation in Arusha. Overnight will be at Mtoni River Lodge. Mid-range lodge located in Arusha (City) Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2
Early morning after breakfast. We depart to Tarangire National Park. The Park is named after the Tarangire River which runs through it. This ‘river of warthogs’ is the only source of water for wildlife in the region during the dry season. In places, the vegetation is quite dense, including elephant grass and acacia woodlands. The Park is well known for its elephant families, which can often be seen congregating by the river. You may also see giraffe, bushbuck, and hartebeest. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators, including lions and leopards. There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire National Park than anywhere else on the planet. Home to Tanzania's largest population of elephants, Tarangire is the best place to see these gentle giants in their natural habitat – from the adorable calves all the way up to the intimidating bulls. After a packed lunch, we head for our accommodation for dinner and overnight at Eileen's Tree Inn or similar. Mid-range lodge located 1-2hr drive from Tarangire NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3
Early morning after breakfast, we depart to Ngorongoro crater. When you first see Ngorongoro Crater, it looks like a forgotten world. You will have an opportunity to spot the endangered black rhino and large families of lions. The crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago. It is famous for both its geological delights and for being a natural reserve that is home to some of the densest large mammal populations in the whole of the African continent. The drive down into the crater is an adventure in itself and when you reach the crater floor, you quickly find yourself amongst large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and more than 500 bird species. The crater provides you with the best chance of seeing the endangered black rhino, which can sometimes be spotted in the open grass. After a packed lunch drive to the Serengeti National Park. Dinner and overnight at Embalakai Camp. Luxury tented camp located inside Central Serengeti NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 4
We will enjoy an early breakfast and set off on our game viewing drive at about 6:30 am. We will have 6 to 7 hours to explore this incredible park. The Serengeti is the habitat for an abundance of wildlife, such as impala, buffalo, crocodile, and hippo, but is more well-known for its great migrating herds of zebras (two hundred and fifty thousand), wildebeest (one and a half million!), and antelope (half a million). The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year. Apart from the migrating herds, we may see the predators, such as leopard, cheetah, and lion plying their rough trade. At roughly 14:00 we drive back to Karatu, arriving at our carefully selected mid-range partner lodge for dinner in an excellently appointed restaurant, with a pool for relaxation if desired, a digestif by the fire below the endless African sky perhaps, and our capacious quarters awaiting us for a night of ease and dreams of wild cats! Overnight will be at Eileen's Tree Inn. Mid-range lodge located in Karatu (Town) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 5
Early breakfast will be served at the Lodge. We make a short drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Manyara, a relatively small but diverse park 120 km west of Arusha, is named for the shallow salt lake that occupies a good seventy percent of the park's land. Flooding and drying seasonally, this soda lake is home to thousands of flamingos and over 500 other bird species. On our exploration of the park we will see monkeys, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, elephants, and with some luck, lions lounging on trees. The park is known for its diverse landscapes; not only open grassy plains but also primate-filled woodlands and baobab dotted cliffs. We return to Arusha after a packed lunch, our adventure having here come to its inevitable close, arriving in time for your flight back home or a flight to Zanzibar. Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Tour step
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Park fees (For non-residents)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water (On all days)
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Offered by
African Big Cats has distinguished itself from the crowd for its commitment to excellent service and innovative itineraries. Our safaris are conducted with optimum care to provide our customers with a truly memorable experience. We strive to introduce you to the country, its culture, its people, as well as the wildlife. We have a closely knit team of professionals to guarantee your satisfaction.
Office In
Tanzania
Size
20-50 employees (Founded in 2013)
Member Of
TATO & TTB
Tour Types
Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
Destinations
Tanzania
Traveler feedback
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5My family and I had the most incredible experience with African Big Cats Safaris during our recent trip to Tanzania! From the moment we were picked up at Kilimanjaro Airport, everything was seamless and professionally handled. Our guide, Obeydi, was not only knowledgeable about the wildlife and ecosystems but also incredibly friendly. We visited the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park — each destination offering breathtaking landscapes and unforgettable wildlife encounters. We saw all the Big Five, including a rare sighting of a leopard lounging in a tree and a pride of lions with cubs just a few meters from our vehicle! The accommodations were top-notch, blending comfort with the authentic safari experience. The team ensured we were well-fed, safe, and informed throughout the journey. I highly recommend African Big Cats Safaris to anyone looking for a well-organized, ethical, and truly magical safari experience in Tanzania. I would definitely book with them again!
Joanna · United Kingdom
OUTSTANDING LIFETIME EXPERIENCE We searched Safaribookings.com intensely and chose African Big Cats Safaris because they ticked all the boxes for us. From the initial contact, the staff were very professional and helpful. Joshua and Naomi answered any questions quickly and with a friendly approach. The meetings at the start and end of the safari with Emanuel (Managing Director) shows the dedication and personal care this company has. The itinerary for the Photographic Safari was excellent. We added an extra day in Arusha at the start without any problem. The safari was well planned and the accommodation in each location was superb. This excellent safari was made OUTSTANDING by our driver/guide FESTO. He is a human encyclopaedia when it comes to the birds, animals and culture of his country. His driving skills are impressive. His passion is infectious. Each day we shared wonderful, magical experiences. Festo became a friend in the short time we were with him. This was our first safari and we were lucky to have chosen African Big Cats Safaris. They would be the only company we would go back to. We highly recommend them.
Julie · United Kingdom
It's been a month since our safari trip. It was an amazing trip. Beyond my expectations. The collaboration with African Big Cats started from months before the trip. The operators, including Salim and others, were helpful. Most of our specified lodging requests were fulfilled and we were able to finalize the trip. They communicated efficiently and accurately. The entire trip was well planned. We went to Tarangire, Serengeti Central, Serengeti North and Ngorongoro. Some highlights are of course the great migration, the wildebeests crossing in Serengeti, the great view in the Ngorongoro crater, seeing cheetah in the night safari in Tarangire. Our guide Khalid is professional. He knows all the animals. We were able to get to know a lot of species in the trip. He helped us mark in our book so we always know what we saw in the trip. We also enjoyed listening to stories about the national parks, Masaai/Meru/Arusha tribes, the culture and thelife in Tanzania. The guide has been very friendly and our time together was great. Our mom's big hope in the trip was to see the crossing. But we were unlucky on the first full day in the north Serengeti. By the end of the day we were unsure about if we still had any chance to see it because we needed to go back to the central Serengeti on the next day. Our guide suggested to wait for the crossing as much as we could on the next day. Because of his suggestion we were able to see the crossing. We saw a huge herd crossed and crocodiles preying wildebeests. It was awesome! On the first day the manager Emanuel gave us a detailed briefing in Arusha. That's a good experience to start the trip. For the lodgings, the first day's lodging in Mtoni River Lodge Arusha is a bit small for 3 persons in a room. Other than that its good. If I have the privilege to get to safari tour in Tanzania again, I would be going with African Big Cats and Khalid again.
JC · United States
Our experience with African Big Cats was absolutely fantastic! We did a private safari in Spanish, and from start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. Our guide, Endeni, was simply amazing — incredibly knowledgeable about wildlife, always kind and patient, and truly passionate about what he does. He made every game drive special, spotting animals we would have never seen on our own and sharing fascinating stories about each one. The organization was flawless: great communication, well-planned itinerary, comfortable accommodations, and no hidden surprises. Everything was handled with care and attention to detail. You can really tell that the team goes above and beyond to make sure you enjoy every moment. Overall, the value for money was excellent, and we came home with unforgettable memories. We 100% recommend African Big Cats to anyone looking for a trustworthy and professional safari operator in Tanzania — especially if you want a personalized, smooth, and truly memorable adventure!
Ignacio · Mexico
Practical answers
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in US dollars (USD).
This tour accepts children who are 3 years and older.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Mtoni River Lodge - Mid-range lodge in Arusha (City) – Breakfast Included. Meals: Breakfast Included
This tour starts and ends in Arusha
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Operator policy
This tour is offered by African Big Cats Safaris, not SafariBookings.
This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
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