5 days / 4 nights
Tanzania Big Cats & Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Arusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti
Track Tanzania's iconic big cats on a focused 5-day safari through some of Northern Tanzania's most productive wildlife areas. From the elephant-rich landscapes of Tarangire to the wildlife-dense Ngorongoro Crater and the predator-rich plains of the Serengeti, this itinerary is designed for travellers who want to maximise their chances of seeing lions, cheetahs and leopards while still enjoying the wider safari experience.
Safari highlights
- Excellent opportunities to see large prides of lions
- Search for elusive leopards in the Serengeti
- Track cheetahs across the open Serengeti plains
- Search for black rhino in Ngorongoro Crater
- Encounter elephants, buffalo and other Big Five wildlife
- See large herds of wildebeest and zebra
- Explore the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater
- Experience the endless plains and dramatic kopjes of the Serengeti
- Excellent opportunities for predator and wildlife photography
Out on safari
Day by day
5 days, 4 nights
The route below is the standard version. Game drives follow the wildlife rather than a timetable, and your guide adjusts as the animals move.
- 1
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Depart Arusha after breakfast and drive to Tarangire National Park. Begin your safari with a game drive through the park's diverse landscapes.
Tarangire is renowned for its elephants and ancient baobab trees, while its grasslands and river corridors can also support lions, leopards and other predators.
- 2
Tarangire to Ngorongoro Highlands
Enjoy a morning game drive in Tarangire before continuing toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Travel through scenic landscapes into the Ngorongoro Highlands. The afternoon is available for relaxation or an optional cultural experience.
- 3
Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti
Descend early into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive. The crater's enclosed ecosystem supports an exceptional concentration of wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest and, with luck, black rhino.
After the crater experience, continue toward the Serengeti with wildlife viewing en route.
- 4
Full-Day Serengeti Big Cat Safari
Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti, focusing on areas known for strong predator activity.
Search the open plains and rocky kopjes for lions, cheetahs and leopards, while also watching for their prey species such as wildebeest, zebra and gazelles. Your guide will use current wildlife movements and local knowledge to maximise your game-viewing opportunities.
- 5
Serengeti to Arusha
Enjoy an early morning game drive for a final opportunity to observe predators and other wildlife when they are often most active.
After the game drive, begin your journey back to Arusha, with a picnic lunch or lunch stop depending on the day's schedule.
Included
What the price covers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Private game drives throughout the safari
- 4 nights of accommodation
- Meals
- Tarangire National Park entry fees
- Serengeti National Park entry fees
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area and crater fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Arusha transfers as specified
- All applicable government taxes and tourism fees
Accommodation options: Your accommodation will be selected according to your preferred comfort level, travel dates, availability and safari route. Exact properties will be confirmed in your personalised quotation
Not included
What you arrange yourself
- International and domestic flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for safari guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Laundry and personal expenses
- Hot-air balloon safari
- Optional cultural activities and excursions
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
- Any service not specifically mentioned under "Included"
Best for
This safari is ideal for wildlife photographers, couples, big-cat enthusiasts and travellers who want to focus on predator encounters while experiencing two of Northern Tanzania's most iconic wildlife destinations. Big-cat sightings are never guaranteed because wildlife is wild and constantly moving, but the itinerary provides substantial time in productive habitats and allows your experienced guide to adapt game drives to current conditions.
Accommodation levels
Choose the level, and we build the trip around it
The same route can be run four ways. The level you pick decides where you sleep, how far you drive to the wildlife each morning, and most of what the safari costs.
Budget
Clean, simple camps and small lodges. Everything you need after a day in the park, and nothing you do not.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodges and permanent tented camps with en-suite bathrooms, pools and full service. Where most safaris sit.
Luxury
High-end lodges and luxury tented camps in prime locations, with the shorter drives to the wildlife that come with them.
Premium
The best addresses in each park. Exclusive-use camps, private guiding and the quietest corners of the reserves.
Why there is no price on the page
A safari price that fits everyone fits nobody. Two people in a premium camp in August and a family of four in a mid-range lodge in April are different trips at different costs, on the same itinerary. Rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most people reading it, we price each trip properly.
Tell us your dates, your group and the level you want, and you get an accurate quote back with the accommodation named.
What the quote is built from
- Accommodation level and the type of camp or lodge
- Where you sleep: park rates differ, and so do the drives
- Travel dates, since low, high and peak seasons are priced apart
- Group size, and the ages of any children
- Safari style: private, shared, or tailor-made
- Length of the trip, the parks you enter and the activities you add
- Vehicle and transport arrangements
- Anything special: flights, transfers, honeymoon touches, dietary needs
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