Safari Overview
This six-day itinerary delivers the complete northern Tanzania safari experience - four parks, each with its own distinct character and wildlife emphasis, intelligently sequenced to build from one extraordinary landscape to the next. It is the ideal answer to the question travellers ask most: how do I see as much of Tanzania as possible, without rushing or sacrificing depth?
Tarangire National Park sets the stage with a landscape unlike any other in East Africa - ancient baobab trees rising from dry savannah, the Tarangire River attracting the highest concentration of elephants in northern Tanzania, and over 550 recorded bird species making it one of the continent's finest birding destinations. The park's large predator population includes lion, cheetah, and leopard.
The Serengeti needs no introduction: the world's most famous national park, home to the Great Migration of 2 million wildebeest, and the highest concentration of big cats on earth. Three days here allows proper exploration of the central Seronera region - the park's most reliably productive wildlife zone. The Ngorongoro Crater follows as an extraordinary counterpart: a 260km - sealed volcanic caldera where 25,000 large mammals live in permanent abundance, including the endangered black rhino. Finally, Lake Manyara delivers a finale of startling contrast - tree-climbing lions, flamingo-fringed soda shores, Rift Valley escarpment views, and rich acacia woodland bird life.
Why Six Days Is the Sweet Spot
Three days in the Serengeti - rather than the standard one or two - transforms what you see. With more time on the plains, your guide can follow individual prides, wait for cheetah hunts to unfold, and work the kopjes and river courses that most rushed itineraries drive past. The extra Serengeti days, combined with full days in Tarangire and Manyara, make this the northern circuit itinerary that experienced safari travellers most frequently recommend.
Daily Itinerary
A full day is set aside for Arusha → Tarangire National Park (Full Day) → Farm of Dreams Lodge, allowing the experience to unfold without a rushed timetable. Inside Tarangire, baobab woodland and the river corridor create varied habitat. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelope and predators may be encountered, and your guide chooses roads according to current conditions rather than promising particular sightings. On the 6 Days Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara Safari, this is the main focus of day 1.
Your journey begins at the agreed airport or meeting point, where the LuiTours team welcomes you and confirms the day’s transfer. The transfer is kept unhurried, with time to notice the first changes in landscape and settle in after the journey. On the 6 Days Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara Safari, this is the main focus of day 2.
A full day is set aside for Full Day Serengeti Game Drive → Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp, allowing the experience to unfold without a rushed timetable. The route crosses open plains, seasonal grasslands and scattered kopjes. Plains game, elephants and predators may be seen, while the location of migratory herds changes with rainfall and cannot be guaranteed. On the 6 Days Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara Safari, this is the main focus of day 3.
The day links the Serengeti plains with the cooler Ngorongoro highlands, passing grassland, volcanic slopes and broad viewpoints along the way. Wildlife may be encountered en route, but timing remains flexible and follows current conditions.
A full day is set aside for Ngorongoro Crater Full Day Game Drive → Farm of Dreams Lodge, allowing the experience to unfold without a rushed timetable. The Ngorongoro landscape combines a forested rim with grassland, wetlands and soda-lake habitat on the crater floor. Wildlife can be diverse, but the guide reads conditions carefully and keeps every sighting patient and responsible. On the 6 Days Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara Safari, this is the main focus of day 5.
The final travel arrangements begin from the confirmed hotel, lodge or meeting point, with timing built around the scheduled flight or onward transfer. Travel logistics take priority today, while clear weather may offer a final aerial view of the coast, highlands or plains below. On the 6 Days Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara Safari, this is the main focus of day 6.
The Four Parks - What Makes Each Unique
| Park | Defining Feature | Key Wildlife | Landscape | Best Sighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarangire | Greatest elephant density in northern Tanzania; spectacular ancient baobab trees | Elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, fringe-eared oryx | Tarangire River, seasonal swamps, baobab savannah, dry miombo woodland | Elephant herds of 50-100+ animals at the river; kori bustard and saddle-billed stork |
| Serengeti | World's greatest wildlife migration; highest big-cat concentration on earth | Lion, cheetah, leopard, wildebeest, zebra, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, crocodile | Endless short-grass plains, kopje granite outcrops, acacia woodland, seasonal rivers | Great Migration river crossings (Jul - Oct); dawn lion hunts on the open plains |
| Ngorongoro | World's largest intact caldera; closed ecosystem with year-round wildlife abundance | Black rhino, lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, elephant, zebra, wildebeest, flamingo | Volcanic crater floor, open short-grass plain, crater lake, Lerai Forest acacia fringe | Endangered black rhino; lion pride encounters at close range on open crater floor |
| Lake Manyara | Tree-climbing lions unique to this park; flamingo-fringed soda lake; Rift Valley escarpment | Tree-climbing lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, flamingo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest | Groundwater forest, alkaline soda lake, acacia woodland, Rift Valley escarpment wall | Lions resting in acacia branches; thousands of flamingos on lake shore |
Wildlife encountered across all four parks on this safari:
From Price
Minimum price only, based on 2 people sharing. Final pricing depends on season, availability and requested customizations.
| Package | From Price |
|---|---|
| Price for 2 People | From $2,000 per person |
What's Included
Included in Your Price
Not Included
Best Time to Visit
All four parks on this itinerary offer excellent game viewing year-round. Tarangire and Manyara are at their most dramatic in the dry season (June - October) when wildlife concentrates around permanent water. The Serengeti's Great Migration river crossings peak July - October, while the calving season (Jan - Mar) on the southern plains offers extraordinary newborn wildlife encounters. The Ngorongoro Crater's enclosed ecosystem never has a true off-season.
| Park | Best Season | Highlight | Year-Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarangire | Jun - Oct (dry season) | Elephant herds at the river; excellent predator viewing | Large elephant herds present every month; excellent birding year-round |
| Serengeti | Jul - Oct (migration crossings); Jan - Mar (calving) | River crossings; wildebeest calving season; year-round big cats | Resident lions, cheetahs, leopards present every month of the year |
| Ngorongoro | Year-round | Black rhino, resident lion prides, flamingo on crater lake | Closed ecosystem: excellent wildlife density every single month |
| Lake Manyara | Jun - Oct (dry season) | Tree-climbing lions; flamingos peak Nov - May after rains | Tree-climbing lions, forest elephants, and rich birdlife year-round |