Duration
3 days
Tour type
Private tour
Physical level
Easy
Customizable
Yes, request changes
Languages
English, French, Swahili, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese
Airport transfer
Included in the price
The Big Five are Africa’s five most famous wild animals: the lion, leopard, African elephant, Cape buffalo, and black rhinoceros. The name was originally used by early hunters to describe the five most challenging animals to track on foot. Today, the term represents the ultimate wildlife viewing experience and is one of the biggest reasons travelers visit Tanzania. Our 3-Day Big Five Tanzania Safari is carefully designed to maximize your chances of encountering these incredible animals by visiting three of Northern Tanzania’s richest wildlife destinations. 🦁 Lion Lions are commonly seen in both Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. You may find them resting beneath acacia trees, watching over their pride, or becoming more active during the cooler hours of the morning and late afternoon. 🐘 African Elephant Tarangire National Park is world-renowned for its large elephant population. During the dry season, impressive family herds gather along the Tarangire River, creating unforgettable wildlife encounters and incredible photography opportunities. 🐃 Cape Buffalo Large herds of Cape buffalo roam across Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorongoro Crater. They are one of the easiest members of the Big Five to spot during this safari. 🦏 Black Rhinoceros The Ngorongoro Crater offers one of the best opportunities in Tanzania to see the endangered black rhino. Thanks to ongoing conservation efforts, this remarkable species continues to thrive within the protected crater ecosystem. 🐆 Leopard Leopards are naturally shy and solitary, making every sighting special. Your experienced guide will search riverine forests, rocky outcrops, and acacia trees where these elusive cats are often seen resting during the day. Can You See the Big Five in Three Days? Yes—this itinerary has been carefully designed to give you an excellent opportunity to see all members of the Big Five. While wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, combining Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Park provides some of the best chances in Northern Tanzania. The dry season, from June to October, generally offers the highest success rates as animals gather around reliable water sources. Regardless of when you travel, every safari is unique, and your experienced guide will use local knowledge and recent wildlife sightings to maximize your opportunities.
$1,180Per person
Trip type
Vehicle-based game drives, no walking or hiking required
Fitness level
Suitable for all fitness levels, most of the day is spent seated in the vehicle
Age
Family-friendly from age 3
Health notes
No altitude or physical exertion concerns. Standard travel health precautions for East Africa apply.
Your adventure begins with an early morning pick-up from your hotel in Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport. After meeting your professional Serval Adventure safari guide, you’ll travel southwest toward Tarangire National Park, one of Northern Tanzania’s most rewarding wildlife destinations. The drive takes approximately two and a half hours, passing Maasai villages, local farms, and beautiful countryside before arriving at the park gate. As you enter Tarangire, you’ll immediately notice the park’s iconic baobab trees and the life-giving Tarangire River, which attracts wildlife throughout the year. Your first game drive offers an excellent introduction to Tanzania’s incredible biodiversity. Tarangire is famous for its large elephant herds, often numbering in the hundreds during the dry season. You may also encounter lions resting beneath acacia trees, graceful giraffes browsing the treetops, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, warthogs, and large herds of Cape buffalo. After enjoying a picnic lunch in a designated picnic area overlooking the park, continue your afternoon game drive as your guide searches for more wildlife and shares fascinating insights into the animals’ behaviour, ecology, and conservation. As the afternoon light turns golden, you’ll head to your carefully selected safari lodge or luxury tented camp. Relax with a delicious dinner while listening to the sounds of the African bush before settling in for your first night on safari. Driving Distance: Approximately 140 km Estimated Drive Time: 2.5–3 Hours 📸 Photographer’s Moment As the sun begins to set, Tarangire becomes a photographer’s dream. Watch elephant families walking beneath ancient baobab trees while warm golden light creates breathtaking silhouettes against the African sky.
After an early breakfast, depart for the spectacular Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to one of Africa’s greatest natural wonders. Upon reaching the crater rim, you’ll enjoy panoramic views before descending approximately 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full morning of wildlife viewing. Thanks to its permanent water sources and nutrient-rich grasslands, the crater supports one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Today offers one of your best opportunities to spot all members of the Big Five. Lions patrol the open plains, elephants roam the forests, buffalo graze across the grasslands, and the endangered black rhinoceros can occasionally be seen feeding in the distance. Although leopards are naturally elusive, your experienced guide will carefully search the wooded areas where they are sometimes found resting. Beyond the Big Five, the crater is home to hippos, spotted hyenas, golden jackals, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and an impressive variety of birdlife, including flamingos that often gather around Lake Magadi. Enjoy a picnic lunch beside the famous hippo pool before continuing your afternoon game drive. Later in the day, ascend the crater walls and drive to your comfortable lodge near Karatu, where you can relax and reflect on another unforgettable day surrounded by Tanzania’s remarkable wildlife. 🦏 Wildlife Spotlight The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to see the endangered black rhinoceros. Dedicated conservation efforts have helped protect this rare species, making every sighting a truly special experience.
Enjoy breakfast before travelling to the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park, a compact but incredibly diverse reserve nestled beneath the dramatic Great Rift Valley escarpment. Despite its smaller size, Lake Manyara offers an impressive variety of habitats, including lush groundwater forests, open grasslands, acacia woodlands, hot springs, and the shallow alkaline lake itself. This diversity supports an extraordinary range of wildlife. During your final game drive, look out for elephants wandering through the forest, playful troops of baboons, blue monkeys, graceful giraffes, hippos relaxing in the water, and colourful birdlife including pelicans, storks, kingfishers, and flamingos when water levels are favourable. Lake Manyara is also famous for its rare tree-climbing lions. Although sightings are never guaranteed, spotting one resting high in an acacia tree is one of Tanzania’s most unique wildlife experiences. After a picnic lunch, begin your scenic drive back to Arusha, arriving in the late afternoon with unforgettable memories of your Big Five safari. Whether this was your first safari or one of many, you’ll leave Tanzania with a deeper appreciation for its extraordinary landscapes, remarkable wildlife, and warm hospitality. 💡 Local Guide Tip Keep your camera ready throughout the drive home. Wildlife sightings often continue until you leave the park, and some of the best photographs are captured during the final moments of a safari when animals become more active in the cooler afternoon temperatures.
Starts in Arusha, ends in Arusha.
Tanzania
Other stops
What's arranged for you to sleep and eat each night of the trip.
No accommodation
Per person, based on group size. Request a quote for an exact price for your dates.
| Season | All Year Round |
|---|---|
| Group size | 2 to 6 |
| Per person (adult) | $1,180 |
| Per person (child) | $880 |
