4-DAY SAFARI TO MANYARA, SERENGETI & NGORONGORO

Approximate transfer time: 1.5–2 hours

You will be picked up from your lodge in Arusha and depart for Lake Manyara National Park. Upon arrival you begin a game drive with packed lunch boxes.

Lake Manyara is a compact yet diverse park famous for its tree-climbing (arboreal) lions that rest among the branches of acacia trees, and for the large troops of baboons that inhabit the groundwater forest and often greet visitors along the entrance road. Other common sightings include elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, hippo, and a rich variety of birds, including flamingos and pelicans when water levels are favourable. The park is set against the dramatic backdrop of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, adding to its scenic beauty.

After the game drive you transfer to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight in a comfortable setting near the park or in the Karatu highlands.

Main Destination: Lake Manyara National Park

Meals: Full Board (drinks not included)

Accomodation: Farm of Dream Lodge

Highlights: Tree-climbing lions, groundwater forest, baboon troops, and Rift Valley scenery

Approximate transfer time: 4–5 hours (including game viewing en route)

After breakfast you depart for Serengeti National Park. The journey takes you through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with opportunities for wildlife viewing along the way. You will enjoy a packed lunch at a suitable location and continue game drives as you enter the Serengeti.

The Serengeti is world renowned for its endless open plains and the great migrating herds of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope. It is also home to a high density of resident predators lions, leopards, and cheetahs that play a vital role in the circle of life. In the afternoon you continue exploring different areas of the park before arriving at your lodge or camp for dinner and overnight inside or near the Serengeti.

Main Destination: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Full Board (drinks not included)

Accomodation: Serengeti Classic View Camp

Highlights: First game drives in the Serengeti, open plains, possible large herds and predator sightings.

Approximate transfer time: 3–4 hours in the afternoon (Serengeti to Karatu area)

You wake up early for a magical morning game drive in the Serengeti, where animals are most active and the soft light is ideal for photography. After a rewarding morning and further game viewing, you enjoy lunch before departing in the afternoon toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

You arrive in the Karatu highlands (near the Ngorongoro Crater) in the late afternoon or early evening. Overnight is spent at a comfortable lodge in this area, positioning you perfectly for an early descent into the crater the following morning.

Main Destination: Serengeti National Park (morning) → Karatu / Ngorongoro area (overnight)

Meals: Full Board (drinks not included)

Accomodation: Farm of Dream Lodge

Highlights: Extended game drives in the Serengeti and scenic transfer to the Ngorongoro highlands

Approximate transfer time: 40–60 minutes (descent into the crater) + 3.5–4.5 hours (return to Arusha after the game drive)

After an early breakfast you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa’s greatest natural wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The crater is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world and supports an extraordinary density of wildlife year-round.

On the crater floor you have excellent chances of seeing large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and gazelle, as well as elephant, hippo, lion, hyena, and the endangered black rhinoceros. Birdlife is also rich. Because animals are more active in the cooler morning hours, an early start offers the best viewing. A packed lunch is enjoyed inside the crater.

After the game drive you ascend the crater wall and transfer back to Arusha town or Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your luxury safari with SMARTBRAND EXPEDITIONS comes to an end.

Main Destination: Ngorongoro Crater

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Accomodation: No accomodation

Highlights: Morning game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, high concentration of wildlife, chance to see the Big Five (including black rhino)