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You are here: Home1 / Safari in Tanzania – a brief overview2 / 5 Days Tanzania Safari Express
  • Common Warthog close up
Zebras and Giraffes blocking the road on a Safari in Tanzania
Zebras and Giraffes blocking the road on a Safari in Tanzania
Zebras and Giraffes blocking the road on a Safari in Tanzania
Wildebeest grazing Ngorongoro Caldera
Wildebeest grazing Ngorongoro Caldera
Lioness in Tanzania close-up
Lioness in Tanzania close-up
Baboon Tanzania National Park Safari
Baboon Tanzania National Park Safari
Cow Elephant with 2 calfs and endless steppes in the background
Cow Elephant with 2 calfs and endless steppes in the background
Hippos sunbathing in a Tanzanian Lake
Hippos sunbathing in a Tanzanian Lake
Two Antelopes in a territorial fight
Two Antelopes in a territorial fight
Antelops and Elephants grazing together in Tarangire National Park
Antelops and Elephants grazing together in Tarangire National Park

5 Days Tanzania Safari Express

brief overview

This short safari offers a 5 days (4 nights) tour in a 4×4 vehicle to three famous and very diverse national parks in Northern Tanzania. On this Safari you will visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with its world famous caldera filled with large mammals all year round, Lake Manyara National Park with its different landscape zones and Tarangire National Park, famous for its large elephant herds and the ancient Baobab trees.

The tour is suitable for travellers who have little time but do not want to miss out on visiting three of the famous parks in the north of the country. Despite the short time frame, this safari is a great adventure as you can experience three very different landscapes and habitats in beautiful Tanzania.

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Details

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Bus Station (e.g. via Nairobi) to your accommodation.

Day 2: Arusha – Tarangire National Park

You leave Arusha after breakfast and drive about 1-2 hours to Tarangire National Park, 80 km away. On the way you will pass lively Masai villages and the wide plains for which East Africa is so famous. The Tarangire National Park is very large, all in all 2600 square kilometers, about the size of U.S. State Rhode Island. There are extensive, including two large pans in the south that turn into swamps depending on the season. After Serengeti, Ruaha and Mikumi, the Tarangire is the fourth largest park in Tanzania. It is named after the Tarangire River, which rises in the mountains south of the park. This river winds its way from the extreme south through numerous rocky hilly landscapes, which are between 1000 and 1675 meters high, almost to the northernmost tip of the game reserve. Here it turns westwards in a swerve and flows into Lake Burungi, which has no outflow and is located in the north-east of the park. There is water in the river all year round, very important for the local flora and fauna.

Once you reach Tarangire Park, you will begin your game drive through a hilly grass savannah landscape dominated by the imposing baobab trees (Adansonia digitata), which grow in abundance here. They are also known as Baobab trees. A picnic area overlooking the Tarangire River is a nice option for a lunch break with views. As you drive through the park you will also have the opportunity to see elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and a variety of antelopes. If you are lucky you may even see endangered animals such as the African wild dog. In the late afternoon or evening you will drive to your chosen accommodation.

Day 3: Tarangire National Park – Lake Manyara National Park

Today we travel to Lake Manyara National Park; the protected area lies picturesquely as a narrow strip of shore between the western slope of the approximately 800-metre-high rift valley steep face and the soda-rich Lake Manyara. Although the park is not particularly large, it is, so to speak, a masterpiece in terms of its different habitats: the rocky Rift Valley escarpment, the groundwater forest, the acacia tree savannah, the open grass savannah, the lake shore, the numerous swamps and the lake itself. Lake Manyara National Park is one of the greenest and most exotic game reserves in the country. The biomass of animals that inhabit the park is enormous: the grass savannah is home to wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala and Thomson’s gazelles. In the acacia groves bushbucks with their ivory-coloured spiral horns together with the small dikdiks stalk gracefully over the water-soaked ground. In the bush land you can find the massive and unpredictable buffalos again. The vegetation along the rivers is often a gallery forest, where dump palms and wild date palms grow. The trees provide the wild animals with plenty of shade and food. The tree-climbing lions are a well-known landmark of the park, these powerful predators pose on acacia trees and want to be photographed. Ornithologists will love Lake Manyara with its great variety of birds.

If you wish, you can visit the nearby market town of Mto Wa Mbu. This place with its agricultural and fresh products is a melting pot of local cultures and a paradise for souvenir hunters. The landscape of the area is green like an oasis. This change in the vegetation is due to the fact that the two rivers Kirurumu and Simba, which come from the Ngorongoro Highlands through porous lava rock layers underground, pour their water masses here at Mto wa Mbu into this otherwise barren rift valley zone. This is transformed into a particularly fertile area. There is plenty of cultivated land here, where a lot of vegetables and fruit are grown. In this market town there is a colourful life and bustle. It also features many “Dukas” here. These are shops where you can find everything from ebony carvings to colourful cloths. A speciality that should not be missed are the red bananas. You will certainly notice them immediately when you look at the fruit stands. They are shorter and thicker than conventional bananas, and they also have a fruitier taste. After the thrill and the many impressions of the day, you return to your accommodation for a well-deserved dinner.

Day 4: Manyara National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After an early morning refreshment you will drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, also known as the 8th wonder of the world. The tarred road takes you higher and higher up to the Ngorongoro crater rim. The road climbs steeply in serpentines through a noticeably cool, fairytale mountain forest on the outer slopes of the crater. After a few kilometres you will reach the Loduare Park gate, the entrance to the Conservation Area. After completing the entrance formalities, the journey continues uphill through ever denser jungle with bearded lichens and ferns. The tension rises, as it is not far to the edge of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater. After a short ride the highest point and the first viewpoint is reached at a height of 2286 meters. From the edge of the crater to the crater floor it is about 650 meters altitude. If you look down, you can see savannah areas, swamps, rivers, forests, small hills and the soda lake, which is called Lake Magadi here. With the help of binoculars you can see herds of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and gazelles walking on the crater floor. Afterwards you will descend into the crater and start a spectacular game drive in the crater floor.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to over 120 species of mammals, including the legendary Big Five. The crater area is home to around 20,000 large mammals – buffalo, zebra, antelope, elephant… There are over 100 lions and more than 400 spotted hyenas. It is one of the most popular safari destinations in the world and one of the few places in the world where the black rhino can be seen. The Ngorongoro Crater is not a crater in the true sense of the word. Geomorphologically it is a caldera, which means that after its last eruption its crater cone collapsed in the middle after the lava flowed out and formed this enormous crater bowl. It is the sixth largest caldera on the mainland of the earth. Afterwards you will return to Arusha to your chosen accommodation for dinner.

Day 5: Arusha Safari End

After breakfast transfer to the central bus station, to the airline office in the city for your shuttle bus to the airport or extension e.g. onward flight to Zanzibar, day trip.

Accommodation

We will be happy to integrate your desired accommodation into the itinerary. It is also possible to change the route itself. Please talk to our safari advisors about your preferences.

DAY Location SILVER Lodge GOLD Lodge Platinum Lodge Luxury Mobile Camping
1 Arusha Ilboru Safari Lodge Mount Meru Game Lodge Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge
2 Tarangire National park Tarangire Roika Tented Lodge Tarangire Safari Lodge Tarangire Treetops  –
3 Lake Manyara National park Twiga Lodge Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge –
4 Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Arusha Ilboru Safari Lodge Mount Meru Game Lodge Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge
5 Arusha

Good to know
Good to know

On this safari you will spend a lot of time in the parks and nature reserves, as the distances between the individual parks are short by African standards. Transportation from Kilimanjaro airport or Arusha bus station to the hotel in Arusha and back, as well as two nights in Arusha and all fees are included in our offers, unless otherwise stated.

All our safaris are conducted in small private groups and each guest is guaranteed a window seat in the vehicle. As our contingent is limited, we recommend that you book early, especially during the Peak Season.

Your driver is a trained and licensed English speaking guide. You will travel in modified 4×4 vehicles (Toyota Landcruiser / Landrover Defender) and all our safari vehicles have roof hatches or elevating roofs which allow a better view of African wildlife, especially in high vegetation. You will also be able to charge your digital devices in the Safari car.

Tanzania Experts is very proud to offer you the very best Safari Guides in Tanzania. Our founder Peter Sealand has guided safaris for clients around the world, as well as many international media organizations (including professional photographers and documentary filmmaker from National Geographic). Peter visited Europe and North America several times, he speaks English, German, Swahili and Maa.

Service
Included in the travel price:
  • All overnight stays as described
  • All transfers and Safaris as described
  • All National Parks, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Protected Wildlife Area Fees
  • All vehicle, ranger, guide and cooking fees
  • Food and drinks
Not included in the travel price:
  • Visa fees
  • Insurance
  • Gratuity and tips
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Personal expenses
  • International flights
Prices
5 Days Tanzania Safari Express

The following prices are for private safaris per person for a group of 6 or more persons during the high season. Discounts during the rain season (Low Season) or surcharges during the Peak Season on request.

Year SILVER Lodge GOLD Lodge Platinum Lodge Luxury Mobile Camping
2024 from $773 from $1.159 from $2.730 enquire
2025 from $773 from $1.159 from $2.730 enquire

Due to many factors our safari prices can change:

  • Exchange rate fluctuations
  • Number of travellers per private safaris
  • Travel period (e.g. surcharges in the peak season, discounts in the rainy season)
  • In case of families, age of children (e.g. do small children sleep in their parents’ hotel room?)
  • short-term price changes of entrance fees and accommodation from institutions or the government

Our consultants will calculate the price for your tailor-made dream trip individually. Here at Tanzania Experts, our motivation is to offer as many people as possible the chance to travel to the incredibly beautiful and diverse paradise Tanzania. Our prices are therefore very competitive.

Low Season: April, May and November
High Season: 10 January – 31 January, February, March, June, September, October and 1 December to 19 December
Peak Season: 1 January to 10 January, July, August and 20 December to 31 December

Travel costs and prices for Safaris in Tanzania

Unfortunately Tanzania is one of the most expensive tourist destinations in Africa. The high costs can be explained mainly by expensive national park and protected area fees, on which additional value added tax is now also charged. For example, just the one-time entrance to the Ngorongoro Caldera costs 295 USD per safari car, in addition to the normal entrance fee of 70 USD per person and day. On top of this there are also other national park fees and costs for an overnight stay within the park (also for luxury mobile camping safaris).

The low number of visitors in combination with the poor infrastructure, high tax burden, inefficient bureaucracy and the above mentioned national park fees lead to the relatively high Safari costs and prices in Tanzania.

Tanzania has very few tourists compared to other major African countries, in 2018 there were an optimistically estimated 1.5 million visitors (including Zanzibar only travellers) – as many visitors as the South-West African country Namibia with its total 2.5 million inhabitants. In contrast just the commercial hub and city of Dar es Salaam has three times as many inhabitants. In the same period, for example, Morocco had 12.3 million or Egypt about 8 million tourist visitors.

Due to the uniqueness of the country, with UNESCO protected world natural heritage sites such as the Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti with the world famous Great Animal Migration, the Ngorongoro Caldera, the gemstone Tanzanite – only found in a very small mining area near the Mererani Hills or the largest contiguous protected area in Africa (Selous Game Reserve), you will enjoy a truly once in a life time experience.

Map

Please note: This map is only intended to give you a rough outline, the exact route will be determined by our experienced local safari guides.

Add-on
You are welcome to combine this safari with the following options:
  • Climbing of Kilimanjaro or 4 Days Mount Meru Trekking Tour Mountain
  • Day trips (e.g. Marangu village cultural tour)
  • Beach holiday on the Zanzibar Archipelago
  • South-Tanzania Safari (Southern Circuit)

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

Day 2: Tarangire National Park

Day 3: Manyara National Park

Day 4: Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Day 5: End of Safari, Arusha

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Useful Links

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