5 Days Lake Manyara | Serengeti | Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania Safari

Our 5 Days Lake Manyara | Serengeti | Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania Safari takes you to the most famous game parks in Tanzania.  Lake Manyara National Park lies 130 kilometers outside of Arusha town and encompasses Lake Manyara and its surroundings. There are five different vegetation zones including groundwater forest, acacia woodland, open areas of short grass, swamps and the lake’s alkaline flats. The park’s wildlife includes more than 350 species of birds, baboon, warthog, giraffe, hippopotamus, elephant and buffalo. If lucky, catch a glimpse of Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions. Night game drives are permitted in Lake Manyara. Located beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, on the edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park offers varied ecosystems, incredible bird life, and breathtaking views. Known for its elephants and tree-climbing lions, Lake Manyara is also excellent for flamingos and other fascinating birds in and around the soda lake.

The Serengeti National Park is home to the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth – the great migration of wildebeest and zebra. The resident population of lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, and birds is also impressive. There’s a wide variety of accommodation available, from luxury lodges to mobile camps. The park covers 5,700 sq miles, (14,763 sq km), it’s larger than Connecticut, with at most a couple hundred vehicles driving around. It’s classic savannah, dotted with acacias and filled with wildlife. The western corridor is marked by the Grumeti River, and has more forests and dense bush. The north, Lobo area, meets up with Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve, is the least visited section.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 square kilometres, with sides up to 600 metres deep; it is home to approximately 30,000 animals at any one time. The Crater rim is over 2,200 metres high and experiences its own climate. From this high vantage point it is possible to make out the tiny shapes of animals making their way around the crater floor far below.  The crater floor consists of a number of different habitats that include grassland, swamps, forests and Lake Makat (Maasai for ‘salt’) – a central soda lake filled by the Munge River. All these various environments attract wildlife to drink, wallow, graze, hide or climb.

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park – Serengeti National Park

The drive to Serengeti National Park via Oldupai Gorge takes 3 to 4 hours. Olduvai Gorge is an archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti plains, in which early human fossils were first discovered. It has an amazing landscape that resulted from the same tectonic forces that created the Great Rift Valley millions of years ago. Then, in the late evening drive to and overnight at the Campsite / Lodge.

Day 3: Full Day Serengeti National Park

After breakfast you will head to Serengeti National Park where you will have your full day game drive. You will have your picnic lunch inside the park as you enjoy the beautiful savannah grasslands and wonderful scenery inside the park. After the game drive you will drive back to the Campsite or lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Serengeti is one of the oldest parks and biggest in Tanzania. It is known for its famous wildebeest migration in the course of the year. It is said that over a million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras do the migration. The park is also home for the lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes and over 500 different species of birds making it a good place to do activities like bird watching and photography.

Day 4: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Crater

Immediately after breakfast start the journey to Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is the home for Ngorongoro crater. There will be a half day game drive at the crater rim having your picnic lunch at the crater. After this you will drive back to the lodge arriving late afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.
Ngorongoro crater is known to be the 8th wonder of the world. It was formed 2.5 million years ago due to a large volcano eruption. This park has approximately 40,000 people who live together with the wildlife. There is a chance of getting to see the big five animals, among them are leopards, cheetahs, lions, elephants, hyena, warthogs, buffalos and the impalas. You may also get a chance to see the endangered black rhinos and the maned male lions. Ngorongoro crater also provides a chance to experience over 100 species of birds this makes it good for bird watching activities.
Ngorongoro crate is also referred to as the’ Garden of Eden’ due to its dazzling beauty and being a paradise for animals.

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha

After an early breakfast, check out of the lodge with packed picnic lunch and depart for a tour of the crater floor, which is home to numerous plains game and the big five. Spend the day within the crater and have lunch at one of the famous picnic spots in the park.  In the late afternoon drive to Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport in time for your onward flight. Alternatively continue to your booked hotel for overnight.