7 Day Luxury Safari
Seven days of private game drives with three nights in a luxury Serengeti tented camp, a treehouse lodge at Lake Manyara and a crater-rim finale.
- Duration
- 7 days
- Route
- Arusha – Tarangire – Lake Manyara – Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha
- Start / end
- Starts and ends in Arusha (pick-up from your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport)
- Best time
- June to October is classic dry-season safari time, while December to March brings calving herds to the southern Serengeti and lush green landscapes.
- Trip style
- Fully private 4x4 Land Cruiser with senior driver-guide. Luxury lodges and tented camps on a full-board basis.
Tour overview
This seven-day luxury safari is a showcase of northern Tanzania at its most comfortable. You travel in a private Land Cruiser with a senior guide and stay at exceptional properties in every park, each chosen for its setting, food and service as much as its wildlife.
The heart of the trip is three nights in a luxury tented camp in the Serengeti, giving you time for long game drives, a possible hot-air balloon flight and quiet afternoons on your private deck. Before that you explore Tarangire's elephant country and the forests of Lake Manyara, and you end with a night on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater before descending to its wildlife-packed floor.
It is a natural choice for couples, families and discerning first-time visitors who want to see the very best of Tanzania without compromise.
Highlights
- Three nights in a luxury tented camp in the central Serengeti
- Optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Serengeti
- Crater-rim lodge with views over Ngorongoro
- Treehouse-style suites in Tarangire and Lake Manyara
- Private vehicle and senior guide for the entire safari
- Gourmet bush picnics and sundowners
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Your private guide meets you in Arusha or at Kilimanjaro Airport for the drive of about 2 hours to Tarangire National Park. After lunch, set out on an afternoon game drive through baobab-dotted woodland and along the Tarangire River, home to some of the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania. Look for lions in the shade, pythons in the trees and colorful birdlife including lilac-breasted rollers and hornbills. Arrive at your elevated suite in time for sundowners and a candlelit dinner.
Day 2Tarangire to Lake Manyara National Park
Enjoy a morning game drive in Tarangire, when animals are active and the light is soft, then drive about 1.5 hours to Lake Manyara National Park. The park packs a lot into a small area: dense groundwater forest, open floodplains and a shallow soda lake that often attracts flamingos and pelicans. Spend the afternoon looking for elephants, giraffes, blue monkeys and the park's tree-climbing lions. Your lodge is set among mahogany trees inside the park, where dinner is served by lantern light.
Day 3Lake Manyara to the Serengeti
After an early breakfast you climb the Rift Valley escarpment and cross the Ngorongoro highlands, stopping for views of the crater. The road then descends onto the endless short-grass plains of the Serengeti. After a picnic lunch at Naabi Hill, game drive north toward the Seronera area, with chances of cheetahs, lions and large herds along the way. The journey takes about 6 hours including stops. Arrive at your luxury tented camp in the late afternoon and settle in with a drink on your private deck.
Day 4Serengeti: Game Drives and Optional Balloon
For an unforgettable start, take an optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Serengeti, followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush. Otherwise, set off on an early game drive with a packed breakfast. The central Serengeti is renowned for big cats: lions on the kopjes, leopards draped in acacia trees and cheetahs scanning the plains. Return to camp for lunch and a rest, then head out again in the afternoon until the golden hour. Dinner is served under the stars.
Day 5Full Day in the Serengeti
Your third day in the Serengeti is yours to shape with your guide. Take a full-day excursion with a gourmet picnic to explore further, perhaps toward the migration herds if they are within reach, or to the Moru Kopjes, where black rhino are occasionally seen and ancient Maasai rock paintings remain. Photographers can spend extra time with a single cheetah or lion pride. Return to camp in the late afternoon for a sundowner and dinner around the fire.
Day 6Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Rim
After a final morning game drive, you leave the Serengeti and drive across the plains into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, about 4 hours with stops. You may stop at Olduvai Gorge to learn about the fossil discoveries that shaped our understanding of human origins. In the afternoon you arrive at your lodge on the crater rim, known for its opulent interiors and sweeping caldera views. Relax with afternoon tea and a fireside dinner before an early night.
Day 7Ngorongoro Crater and Return to Arusha
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater at sunrise for a morning game drive on the crater floor. This vast caldera holds lions, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, wildebeest and zebras, and it is one of the best places in Tanzania to see endangered black rhino. After a picnic lunch near a hippo pool, you ascend the crater wall and drive about 3.5 hours back to Arusha. Your guide drops you at your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport, or at Arusha Airport if you are flying on to Zanzibar.
What is included
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and senior English-speaking driver-guide
- All park entry and conservation fees, including the Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- Six nights in luxury lodges and tented camps as listed
- All meals as listed, including bush picnics
- Selected house drinks where included by the camps
- Unlimited bottled drinking water, binoculars and charging in the vehicle
- Private transfers from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport
- Government taxes and fuel
Not included
- International flights and Tanzania visa
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
- Premium wines, spirits and champagne unless stated by the lodge
- Optional activities such as hot-air balloon flights
- Spa treatments, laundry and personal items
Good to know
- Balloon flights operate year-round, weather permitting, and should be booked in advance as places are limited.
- To shorten drive times, we can arrange light-aircraft flights into and out of the Serengeti.
- Luxury camps often have soft luggage limits; a soft duffel bag is recommended.
- Your final day includes a long drive, so plan an evening flight or an extra night in Arusha.
Frequently asked questions
What is a luxury tented camp like?
Luxury tented camps have spacious canvas suites with proper beds, en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers, and private decks. They combine the feeling of sleeping in the wild with five-star comfort and service.
Will we see the Great Migration?
The central Serengeti offers excellent wildlife year-round. Whether the migration herds are within reach depends on the season, and we can adjust the camp location to follow them if this is a priority for you.
Can we fly instead of driving?
Yes. We can add scheduled or private light-aircraft flights between Arusha, Lake Manyara and the Serengeti to save time, with your guide meeting you at the airstrip.
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