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3 Days – Serengeti and Crater Shared Safari
3 Days / 2 Nights Days
Arusha, Tanzania → Arusha, Tanzania
Wildlife
Easy
Why Choose This Safari?
Join this great-value shared camping safari to two of the most visited parks in Tanzania. Serengeti National Park is one of the best-known wildlife sanctuaries in the world and the symbol of the classic African safari. It covers about 14,763 km² and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. The Ngorongoro Crater, in a breathtakingly beautiful setting, is one of the best places in Tanzania to see the Big Five. It is the largest intact, unfilled volcanic caldera in the world, with a crater floor of about 260 km² and walls about 600 m high, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sleeping under canvas in the Serengeti and on the crater rim brings you closer to the wild, at a price that makes a safari possible on a budget.
Safari Highlights
- Game drives across the Serengeti plains, including an early morning drive when big cats are most active
- Sunrise and sunset views on the Serengeti plains, among the best in Africa
- A half-day tour inside the Ngorongoro Crater with a picnic lunch
- A night camping on the Ngorongoro Crater rim
- Two nights of budget camping, with large two-person tents, foam mattresses, tables and chairs provided
Destinations to Travel
Itinerary
Day 1 — Arusha to Serengeti National Park
After an early breakfast you leave Arusha and drive to Serengeti National Park, travelling through the highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with game viewing on the way. You enter the Serengeti in the afternoon and enjoy a game drive across the plains towards your campsite, where your crew sets up camp. Dinner and overnight under canvas in the heart of the Serengeti.
Day 2 — Serengeti Sunrise Game Drive and the Ngorongoro Crater Rim
You wake at 6:00 am for an early morning game drive, when the animals are most active and you may come across a big cat on the hunt as the sun rises over the plains. The Serengeti is one of the best places in Africa to watch the sunrise and sunset. You return to camp for a full breakfast and a hot lunch, then pack up and drive back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with more game viewing on the way. Dinner and overnight at a campsite on the crater rim, where nights can be cold, so bring warm layers.
Day 3 — Ngorongoro Crater Tour and Return to Arusha
After an early breakfast you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater with a picnic lunch for a half-day crater tour. The crater floor is home to a dense population of wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, zebras, wildebeest and the rare black rhino. After lunch by a hippo pool, you climb back up to the rim and drive to Arusha, arriving in the late afternoon or early evening.
What's Included
Rate Includes
- Transport on 4WD vehicle with the pop-up roof, which enable you to spot wildlife easier
- Three meals a day on Safari
- Park entrance fees
- Driver’s allowances
- Service of an English speaking professional guide/Driver
- Camping fees, Mattresses
- Crater fees
- Food, cook and all kitchen utensils
- Mineral water 1.5lt per person per day
- Activities as per itinerary above
Rate Excludes
- International flights to/from your home
- Tips & gratitude’s
- The first night on your arrival and last night after safari (book with us)
- Airport transfers (book with us)
- Personal insurance
- Sleeping bag (if Camping)
- Olduvai Gorge fees
- Alcoholic drinks
- Serengeti Balloon (can book with us)
- Flying doctor’s insurance, we can arrange for requests.
- Tips to the driver/guide and all items of personal nature/use
Best Time to Go
This safari can be taken all year round. In general, the drier months from about June to October are the most popular for game viewing and camping, as animals gather around water. The great wildebeest migration moves through the Serengeti all year, usually in the south for calving from about December to March and in the north from about July to October. The rainy seasons from about March to May and in November can make roads and campsites muddy. Nights on the crater rim are cold all year, so bring warm layers. Our team can advise on the best dates for your safari.
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the safari start and end, and how long is it?
It starts and ends in Arusha and lasts three days and two nights, camping one night in Serengeti National Park and one night on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.
What is a shared safari?
On a shared safari you join other travellers in the same safari vehicle and campsite, which keeps the cost down and is a great way to meet people from around the world. Please ask our team about the group size on your dates.
Will we see the Big Five?
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to see the Big Five in a single day, including the rare black rhino. Leopards are easier to spot in the Serengeti. Sightings can’t be guaranteed.
What do we need to bring for camping?
Large two-person tents with sewn-in groundsheets, foam mattresses, tables and chairs are provided. Please bring your own sleeping bag, pillow and towel, plus warm clothing for the cold nights on the crater rim.
Are the campsites basic?
Yes. The public campsites have shared toilets and showers and a dining shelter, but no electricity in the tents. Your cook prepares all meals at camp, and the experience of sleeping under the stars in the Serengeti is unforgettable.