3 Days Safari
Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro
- Day 1Arusha → Tarangire National Park
- Day 2Tarangire → Lake Manyara → Ngorongoro Highlands
- Day 3Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
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Northern Circuit itineraries
Tanzania safari itineraries compared
Three, four, five or six days — see exactly which parks each itinerary covers, how long you drive, where you sleep and what it costs per person by group size.
Private 4×4
Never a shared vehicle or fixed departure
Northern Circuit
Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti
Any start date
Itineraries run year-round
Group pricing
Price per person falls as you add travellers
Side by side
Which safari length fits your trip?
Every itinerary below is private and includes all park fees. Prices shown are per person for two travellers sharing, and for a group of six.
| Itinerary | Parks | Best for | 2 travellers | 6 travellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Days Safari 3 Days | Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro | Short trips and Kilimanjaro add-ons — the Big Five without the long drives | USD 1,500 | USD 1,100 |
| 4 Days Safari 4 Days | Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti | A first taste of the Serengeti plains alongside the crater | USD 2,300 | USD 1,860 |
| 5 Days Safari 5 Days | Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro | Migration tracking with two nights inside the Serengeti | USD 2,570 | USD 2,100 |
| 6 Days Safari 6 Days | Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro | Photographers and families who want unhurried days and more parks | USD 3,195 | USD 2,300 |
Prices are per person, full board, including all park, conservation-area and crater fees with 18% VAT. See the Tanzania safari cost guide for a full breakdown of where the money goes.
Day by day4 Days 5 Days 6 Days
The shape of each itinerary
3 Days
4 Days Safari
Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti
- Day 1Arusha → Tarangire National Park
- Day 2Tarangire → Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Day 3Ngorongoro Crater → Serengeti National Park
- Day 4Serengeti → Arusha
5 Days Safari
Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro
- Day 1Arusha → Tarangire National Park
- Day 2Tarangire → Lake Manyara → Serengeti National Park
- Day 3Serengeti National Park — full day
- Day 4Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater rim
- Day 5Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
6 Days Safari
Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro
- Day 1Arusha → Tarangire National Park
- Day 2Tarangire → Central Serengeti
- Day 3Serengeti — full day in the central plains
- Day 4Serengeti — following the herds
- Day 5Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater rim
- Day 6Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
How to choose
Match the days to what you want to see
- Big Five on a tight schedule — three days through Tarangire, Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater.
- Your first sight of the Serengeti plains — four days, with the crater in the morning and Serengeti by afternoon.
- Wildebeest migration — five days, so your guide can follow the herds instead of racing a deadline.
- Photography, families and slow mornings — six days, with shorter drives and two nights in the same camp.
Prefer a custom route?
Every itinerary here can be lengthened, shortened, upgraded to lodges inside the parks, or combined with a Kilimanjaro climb or a Zanzibar beach extension. Tell us your dates and we will send a written plan and price within 24 hours.
Safari itinerary questions
How many days do you need for a Tanzania safari?
Three days is enough for Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater — a realistic Big Five loop. Four days adds the southern Serengeti, five days lets you sleep inside the Serengeti and track the migration, and six days gives you unhurried game drives with far less time in the vehicle each day.
Which is the best 3 day Tanzania safari itinerary?
Tarangire on day one, Lake Manyara and the drive to the Ngorongoro highlands on day two, and a full morning on the crater floor on day three. That sequence keeps driving times short, puts you at the crater descent early in the morning when predators are still active, and covers three very different ecosystems.
Is the Serengeti worth adding to a short safari?
Only if you have four days or more. The drive from the Ngorongoro rim to the central Serengeti takes about five hours each way, so squeezing it into three days means most of your trip is spent on the road. With four to six days the Serengeti becomes the highlight rather than a rush.
Do prices drop if we travel as a group?
Yes. The 4×4, the driver-guide and the Ngorongoro crater service fee are charged per vehicle, so those costs divide across everyone on board. Park entry fees and accommodation stay per person, which is why the price per person falls sharply from one to two travellers and then flattens out around six.
Can a safari be combined with Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar?
Yes, and most of our guests do exactly that. A 3 or 4 day safari pairs naturally with a Kilimanjaro climb from Moshi, and any itinerary can finish with a flight from Arusha to Zanzibar for a beach extension. Tell us what you have in mind and we will sequence the dates for you.
What is included in these itineraries?
All park, conservation-area and crater fees plus 18% VAT, a private 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fuel and unlimited game-drive mileage, an English-speaking driver-guide, full-board accommodation and bottled water in the vehicle, with Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport transfers.