4-Day Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater
This concise 4-day Tanzania safari offers participants a rich exploration of four of Tanzania’s most renowned wildlife areas, providing opportunities for diverse wildlife viewing and cultural insights.
Duration: 4 Days
Places to Visit: Arusha, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arusha – Tarangire National Park
Distance: 120km/2-3hrs drive
Begin the day in Arusha, a city of approximately 400,000 people and the gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. Arusha is known for its proximity to Mount Meru, Africa’s fifth-highest mountain at 4,566 meters.
Depart for Tarangire National Park, Tanzania’s sixth-largest national park covering 2,850 square kilometers. The park is named after the Tarangire River that flows through it, providing a vital water source for wildlife during the dry season.
En route, pass through Maasai villages, observing traditional bomas (homesteads) and herding practices. The Maasai in this region have maintained many of their customs while adapting to modern influences.
Upon arrival, enjoy an afternoon game drive in Tarangire. The park is renowned for its large elephant population and impressive baobab trees, some of which are believed to be over 1,000 years old.
In the evening, learn about the Datoga people, a pastoralist tribe inhabiting areas near Tarangire. The Datoga are known for their skilled blacksmithing and distinctive facial tattoos.
Accommodation: Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Day 2: Tarangire – Lake Manyara National Park
Distance: 70km/1.5hrs drive
After a morning game drive in Tarangire, depart for Lake Manyara National Park. This compact park covers 330 square kilometers, of which 200 square kilometers is the lake when water levels are high.
En route, stop at Mto wa Mbu village, known for its cultural diversity with over 120 tribes represented. Participants can observe traditional banana beer brewing, visit a local market, and learn about the irrigation systems that have allowed this area to flourish agriculturally.
Arrive at Lake Manyara for an afternoon game drive. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions, large troops of baboons, and diverse birdlife, with over 400 species recorded.
Visit the Lake Manyara Treetop Walkway, a 370-meter airwalk that provides a unique perspective of the forest canopy ecosystem.
Accommodation: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
Day 3: Lake Manyara – Serengeti National Park
Distance: 205km/4-5hrs drive
Depart early for Serengeti National Park, passing through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area en route. Stop at Olduvai Gorge, often called the “Cradle of Mankind.” This archaeological site has yielded some of the oldest hominid fossils ever found, dating back 1.9 million years.
Enter Serengeti National Park in the afternoon. The Serengeti ecosystem covers 30,000 square kilometers and hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, involving about 1.5 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras.
Enjoy an evening game drive, focusing on the park’s rich biodiversity. The Serengeti is home to over 500 bird species and 70 large mammal species.
Learn about the Maasai people’s traditional relationship with the Serengeti ecosystem. The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai word “siringet,” meaning “endless plains.”
Accommodation: Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Day 4: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha
Distance: 190km/4-5hrs drive (Serengeti to Ngorongoro), then 190km/3-4hrs drive (Ngorongoro to Arusha)
Start the day with an early morning game drive in the Serengeti before departing for Ngorongoro Crater.
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The crater is 610 meters deep and its floor covers 260 square kilometers. It’s home to over 25,000 large animals, including the highest density of mammalian predators in Africa.
During the crater tour, learn about the Maasai communities living within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The NCA is unique in Tanzania as the only conservation area providing protection for wildlife while allowing human habitation.
After the crater tour, visit a Maasai boma to learn about their traditional lifestyle, including their famous jumping dance, the “adumu.”
Depart for Arusha in the late afternoon. Upon arrival, visit the Cultural Heritage Centre, which houses a vast collection of African art and provides insights into Tanzania’s diverse cultural heritage.
Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha accommodations, concluding the safari.
