5-Day Camping Safari To Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

Your safari begins in the morning with a pickup from your hotel in Arusha. After meeting your guide, you’ll head south to Tarangire National Park, a journey of about 2–3 hours. Tarangire is known for its massive elephant herds, ancient baobab trees, and the seasonal Tarangire River that draws many animals during the dry season. You’ll enjoy a full-day game drive, stopping for a picnic lunch inside the park. In the late afternoon, you’ll head to your nearby campsite, where dinner will be served and tents will be set up for your first night in the wild.

After breakfast, you’ll pack up and drive through the beautiful landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, heading toward the heart of Serengeti National Park. Along the way, you’ll pass Maasai villages and rolling highlands, possibly stopping at the Olduvai Gorge (optional, small entry fee) — a famous archaeological site. Upon entering the Serengeti, you’ll enjoy a game drive as you head deeper into the Seronera area, which is rich in wildlife and a prime spot for big cat sightings. You’ll arrive at your public campsite inside the park before sunset, where you’ll have dinner and camp overnight.

This day is dedicated entirely to exploring the vast Serengeti Plains. You’ll leave camp early to catch the wildlife at its most active — often seeing lions, cheetahs, and possibly a leopard before the heat of the day. You can spend the day following migration herds (if in season), observing predator behavior, and spotting elephants, giraffes, hyenas, and a wide range of antelope species. After a picnic lunch, you’ll continue your game drive until the late afternoon. You’ll return to the same campsite for dinner and a second night surrounded by the sounds of the wild.

After breakfast, you’ll begin the journey out of the Serengeti, enjoying a final morning game drive as you exit the park. You’ll have another chance to spot animals you may have missed before. After lunch on the way, you’ll drive back into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, ascending to the crater rim by late afternoon. Here, at Simba Campsite, you’ll camp with stunning views overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater. It can be cold at this altitude, so warm clothing is recommended. Dinner will be served at camp, and you'll rest in anticipation of the crater tour the next day.

Your final safari day starts early with a quick breakfast before you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best places in Africa to see a large variety of wildlife in a relatively small area. The crater floor is home to the Big Five, including rare black rhinos, as well as hippos, zebras, wildebeests, and flamingos along the lakes. You’ll enjoy a half-day game drive with a picnic lunch in the crater. In the early afternoon, you’ll start your return drive to Arusha, arriving in the early evening for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.