5-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari: Classic Big-cat Country

Your safari begins in the morning with pickup from your hotel in Arusha. Meet your EKO Tanzania Adventures driver-guide, receive a brief introduction to the route and begin the journey towards the Ngorongoro highlands.

The drive takes you through local towns, farming areas and Maasai country. As you travel west from Arusha, the scenery gradually changes from open plains into greener, cooler highland landscapes.

This first day is planned as a comfortable start to the safari. Rather than driving all the way to Serengeti in one long day, you will overnight near Karatu or the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This places you in a good position for the next day’s scenic journey through Ngorongoro and into Serengeti National Park.

Depending on your arrival time and lodge location, you may enjoy a short walk around the property, relax with views of the highlands or simply rest after the road journey.

Dinner and overnight at your lodge or camp.

Meals included: Lunch and dinner

Overnight: Lodge or camp in Karatu / Ngorongoro area

After breakfast, leave the highlands and continue through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards Serengeti National Park.

If weather conditions are clear and time allows, your guide may stop at the Ngorongoro Crater rim viewpoint. From here, you can look down into the immense crater floor, with its grasslands, woodland and lake visible far below.

Continue west towards Serengeti. The route itself is part of the safari. You may see Maasai herders with cattle, giraffes, zebras and other wildlife as you move towards the open plains.

The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word Siringet, commonly translated as “endless plains.” As you enter the park, you will understand why. Wide grasslands stretch towards the horizon, broken by acacia trees, rocky kopjes and river valleys.

Your game drive begins after entering Serengeti National Park. Your guide will look for wildlife as you travel towards your camp or lodge in Central Serengeti, also known as Seronera.

Central Serengeti is one of the best areas for year-round wildlife viewing. Its rivers, kopjes and woodland provide water, shelter and hunting opportunities for many species.

You may see lions resting in grasslands or on rocks, giraffes feeding from acacia trees, elephants moving across the plains, and zebras or wildebeest grazing in groups. Arrive at camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Overnight: Safari camp or lodge in Central Serengeti

Today is dedicated to exploring Serengeti National Park. After breakfast, leave camp with a packed lunch for a full-day game drive.

Your guide will select the route according to recent wildlife sightings, weather, season and your interests. There is no fixed animal schedule in the wild, which is why a private safari guide is valuable. If lions are active in one area, a leopard has been seen near a river or cheetahs are moving across the plains, your guide can adapt the day accordingly.

Serengeti is often called big-cat country because it supports strong populations of lions, leopards and cheetahs. Lions may be found resting in the shade during the heat of the day, interacting with cubs, watching herds or moving between hunting areas. Leopards are often seen in or near large trees along riverine areas. Cheetahs prefer open grassland, where they can use their speed when hunting.

The park is also home to elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, warthogs, baboons, hyenas, jackals, mongooses, impalas, gazelles and many bird species.

Depending on the season, you may encounter part of the Great Migration. The main wildebeest herds move through different areas of the Serengeti ecosystem in response to rainfall and fresh grass. If the migration is near Central Serengeti during your travel dates, your guide will make the best effort to take you towards the herds. Wildlife movement is natural, so exact herd locations cannot be guaranteed.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at a safe site in the bush, then continue with an afternoon game drive. Return to camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Overnight: Safari camp or lodge in Central Serengeti

Wake up in the heart of Serengeti and enjoy breakfast before leaving for a final morning game drive.

Early morning can be an especially rewarding time in the park. Predators may still be active after the night, while herbivores are often grazing in the cooler hours. The soft morning light is also excellent for photography.

Your guide may revisit a strong wildlife area from the previous day or search a different route. You may follow the Seronera River looking for leopards, visit kopjes where lions are often seen, or cross open plains in search of cheetahs, elephants and giraffes.

After the morning game drive, begin travelling back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is not only a transfer; you will continue game viewing as you leave Serengeti.

The scenery changes gradually as the road rises from the open plains towards the cooler Ngorongoro highlands. You may pass Maasai settlements and see livestock in the wider conservation area.

Arrive at your lodge or camp near Karatu or Ngorongoro in the late afternoon. Relax, enjoy dinner and prepare for an early start into Ngorongoro Crater the next morning.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Overnight: Lodge or camp in Karatu / Ngorongoro area

After an early breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater rim. If the weather is clear, stop briefly to enjoy the view over the crater before descending approximately 600 metres to the floor.

Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. It was formed millions of years ago when a massive volcano collapsed, creating a natural basin surrounded by high crater walls.

Today, the crater supports a dense concentration of wildlife. The floor includes open grasslands, acacia woodland, freshwater springs, swamps and Lake Magadi. This variety of habitats provides food and water for many species throughout the year.

Your game drive begins as soon as you reach the crater floor. You may see large buffalo herds, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, hippos and warthogs. Lions are regularly seen in the grasslands, while hyenas and jackals often move through the same areas.

Ngorongoro is also one of Tanzania’s best places to search for black rhinos. Rhinos are rare and may be seen at a distance, but your guide will use their experience and current wildlife information to look for them responsibly.

Large elephant bulls are often seen in the crater’s woodland areas. Near Lake Magadi, you may see flamingos when water conditions are suitable. At the hippo pool, hippos rest in the water during the day.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at an official crater site. After lunch, continue with your final game drive before ascending the crater rim and starting the return journey to Arusha.

Your EKO Tanzania Adventures driver-guide will drop you at your Arusha hotel, Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport according to your onward travel plans.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch