Overview
Our 4-day African safaris, tours, travel, and trekking packages specifically include the Ngorongoro Crater and the world-famous Serengeti plains. It is one of our more popular safari tours and is most frequently booked as an add-on by Kilimanjaro climbers or Zanzibar divers. You will experience the excitement of an African wildlife safari to some of the most spectacular national game parks in East Africa, all teeming with wildlife animals.
Itinerary
In the morning after breakfast at 8 am, you will be picked up by your safari guide and arrive at the hotel. After meeting up with your driver, you will travel to Tarangire National Park. Around 10 am, you will already be on your first safari!
In this park, you have the chance to see lots of wild Tanzanian animals lions, buffalos, giraffes, and zebras. It is famous for its high number of elephants, who typically tend to stay close to their drinking source, the Tarangire River. You should be aware that this is wild nature, so the guide cannot make any guarantees about the presence of specific wild animals, but you can be sure he will do his best to find everything you're looking for. The Essence team has a radio channel that the drivers use to communicate with other guides and collaborate on searches for rare species.
At lunchtime, you will be provided a meal, after which the safari will continue. In the evening, you will be transferred to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Main Destination: Tarangire National Park
Mid-range lodge located in or near Karatu
Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Non-game-viewing travel time: 6 hours
Distance: 205 km
After breakfast, you'll head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high-lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, you'll descend into the heart of wild Africa—the Serengeti National Park—with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see.
You'll head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. You'll arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park.
Your dinner and overnight stay will be in the Seronera Area, as per the standard and type of accommodation option requested.
Main Destination: Central Serengeti National Park
Mid-range tented camp located inside Serengeti NP
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
You'll be one of only a few fortunate people to glide in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti Plains —available at supplementary cost by pre-arrangement. Floating silently above the awakening bush, while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing scenery of Africa, across rivers and over numerous small villages.
After breakfast at the lodge, you'll depart to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You can visit Olduvai Gorge at an extra fee, which boasts a history dating back to the dawn of time. It was here, that the anthropologists Dr. Lois and Mary Leakey discovered the skulls of Nutcracker Man’ and ‘Handy Man, both significant links in the chain of human evolution.
You'll arrive in time for lunch at the lodge. NgorongoroCrater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeests, zebras, buffalos, elands, warthogs, hippos, and giant African elephants.
Your dinner and overnight stay will be per the standard and type of accommodation option requested.
Main Destination: Ngorongoro Highlands
Mid-range lodge located just outside Ngorongoro Highland
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After breakfast at the lodge, you'll depart to Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
You will descend over 600 meters into the crater to view wildlife for a half-day safari tour. Supported by a year-round water supply and fodder. The Ngorongoro Crater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeests, zebras, buffalos, elands, warthogs, hippos, and giant African elephants.
Another big draw card to this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopards, which sometimes require a trained eye to spot. You will visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner, which is one of the main features of the crater. A large number of flamingos, hippos, and other water birds can usually be seen here.
After having an astonishing game drive, you will drive back to Arusha for drop-off.
Main Destination: Ngorongoro Crater
No accommodation (End of tour)
Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Cost Includes
- Park fees
- (For non-residents)
- All activities
- (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation
- (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation
- (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Meals
- (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water
- (On all days)
Cost Excludes
- International flights
- (From/to home)
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- (Tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)
- Personal items
- (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees