Your safari begins early in the morning with pickup from your hotel in Arusha, Moshi, or directly from Kilimanjaro Airport. After meeting your driver-guide, you head southwest to Tarangire National Park, a drive of about two to three hours.

Once inside Tarangire, the landscapes open up into savannahs dotted with giant baobab trees. The park is home to some of Tanzania’s largest elephant populations, often seen in herds of up to 300. You spend the day on game drives, spotting elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and an astonishing variety of birdlife.

After a picnic lunch and more afternoon exploration, you drive to Mto wa Mbu or Karatu for dinner and overnight at a budget lodge or tented camp.

After breakfast, you make your way to Lake Manyara National Park, known for its diverse habitats packed into a small area. You pass through dense groundwater forests alive with blue monkeys and baboons, then open savannahs where elephants roam, and eventually arrive at the soda lake. During certain months, the lake is lined with thousands of flamingos — a pink spectacle against the shimmering waters.

Manyara is also famous for its unusual tree-climbing lions, often spotted resting on acacia branches. After a morning game drive and picnic lunch, you continue your journey towards the Serengeti.

The road climbs through the lush Ngorongoro Highlands before dropping into the boundless Serengeti plains. As you drive towards your camp, you’re likely to spot wildebeests, zebras, and predators on the hunt. You spend the night in a budget tented camp or campsite in the central Serengeti.

The Serengeti deserves time, and today you devote the entire day to exploring its wildlife-rich plains. You set off at sunrise for an early game drive, when predators like lions, cheetahs, and leopards are most active. The Seronera Valley is particularly famous for its big cat sightings.

After breakfast and a picnic lunch, you continue your exploration. Depending on the season, you may also witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, where over a million wildebeest and zebras move in a dramatic circle across the plains. Crocodile-filled river crossings (July–October) or calving season in the south (January–March) are unforgettable spectacles.

In the evening, you return to your Serengeti camp for dinner and another night under the vast African skies.

Another full day in the Serengeti gives you the chance to explore different areas of the park. You might venture further into the central plains, woodlands, or river valleys depending on animal movements. With your guide’s expertise, you’ll track down prides of lions, cheetahs stalking gazelles, elephants in family herds, and countless antelope species.

Today is more relaxed, giving you the luxury of enjoying long game drives without rushing. After a picnic lunch, you continue exploring until late afternoon before returning to your camp for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, you enjoy a final morning game drive in the Serengeti, taking in the endless landscapes and any last wildlife encounters you may have missed. It’s your chance to say goodbye to this extraordinary park.

Later, you begin the drive towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, climbing out of the Serengeti plains into the highlands. On the way, you may stop at Olduvai Gorge (optional, extra cost), one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, where early human fossils were discovered.

You arrive at a budget lodge or camp near the crater rim for dinner and overnight, ready for the crater descent the next day.

After an early breakfast, you descend into the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater, a massive volcanic caldera and one of Africa’s greatest wildlife havens. The crater floor is home to more than 25,000 large animals, including lions, elephants, hippos, hyenas, jackals, and the rare black rhino.

As you drive across the grasslands and lakeshores, you’ll be amazed at how dense the wildlife is. It’s one of the few places where you might see the entire Big Five in a single day. You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch at the hippo pool before climbing out of the crater in the afternoon.

Your journey ends with a scenic drive back to Arusha, where you’ll be dropped at your hotel or airport, marking the conclusion of your 6 Days Tanzania Budget Safari Extension.