Your 5-day northern Tanzania safari kicks off with a scenic drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park — often overlooked, but a favorite among experienced safari-goers. Known for its vast herds of elephants and towering baobab trees, Tarangire is especially rewarding during the dry season when animals crowd around the river.

Enjoy a full afternoon game drive with chances to spot lions lounging in the grass, giraffes walking the floodplains, and even rare sightings of fringe-eared oryx. As the sun sets over the dusty savannah, head to your nearby lodge or tented camp for dinner and your first night in the bush.

After breakfast, begin your long but scenic journey toward the Central Serengeti. The drive takes you through varied terrain: village lands, highland forests, and finally the rolling plains of the Serengeti. Packed lunch is enjoyed en route or upon entering the park.

Arrive in time for an afternoon game drive in the Seronera Valley, one of the Serengeti’s most famous wildlife zones, renowned for frequent leopard and lion sightings. This area has excellent resident wildlife year-round, making it a hotspot for action. As dusk approaches, check in to your lodge or tented camp nestled in the park’s heart.

Rise early for a sunrise game drive when big cats are on the move and the light is perfect for photography. The day is yours to explore different pockets of the Central Serengeti, including riverine areas, open savannahs, and rocky outcrops known as kopjes, where lions often bask in the sun.

Depending on the time of year, you may encounter migrating herds of wildebeest and zebra — or stay focused on predators and classic plains wildlife like buffalo, impala, and giraffe. After a picnic lunch in the bush, continue game viewing until sunset. Return to camp for a relaxed dinner under a star-filled sky.

Today, say goodbye to the Serengeti’s wide-open plains as you head southeast toward the Ngorongoro highlands. You’ll enjoy a final game drive en route, with a chance to spot wildlife on the move — cheetahs, hyenas, and plains game still active in the morning hours.

Continue through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and exit toward Karatu, a lush farming town on the crater’s outer rim. Check in at your highlands lodge and enjoy the cool mountain air and green landscapes — a peaceful contrast to the Serengeti’s dry plains.

On your final day, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa’s most iconic safari destinations and home to an astonishing density of wildlife. Explore this collapsed volcanic caldera on a half-day game drive with a chance to see lions, elephants, buffalo, and — with luck — the endangered black rhino.

Visit the hippo pools, watch for flamingos on the crater lake, and enjoy your final bush picnic with a view. In the afternoon, begin your return drive to Arusha, arriving in the early evening — your safari complete, your memory card full, and your heart full of Tanzania.