5 Day: Tanzania Cultural Tour and Wildlife Safari
5 Days / 4 Nights Days
Arusha, Tanzani → Arusha, Tanzani
Cultural
Easy
Why Choose This Safari?
Most five-day northern circuit safaris stay in the parks. This one pairs three of Tanzania's most celebrated wildlife destinations with two real cultural encounters, so you come home with stories about people as well as animals. You spend a day in Tarangire, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, and give the Serengeti a full day plus an early morning game drive, then stop at a Maasai boma on the way back to Karatu to join traditional dancing and tour an authentic village. On the final day you drive to Lake Eyasi to spend time with the Hadzabe on a cultural tour and walking safari, learning how a community of hunter-gatherers lives and joining a short hunting outing on foot with bows and arrows. It is compact, varied, and finished back in Arusha.
Destinations to Travel
Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) · Nairobi and Maasai Mara (Kenya) · Isebania Border · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Karatu · Tarangire National Park · Arusha (Tanzania)
Itinerary
Day 1 — Arusha to Tarangire National Park to Karatu
At 8:00am, after breakfast, you leave your hotel in Arusha for Tarangire National Park and a morning game drive. At 1:00pm you stop at the picnic site for lunch, and at 2:00pm you continue with an afternoon game drive before returning in the evening to your lodge in Karatu for dinner and overnight.
Day 2 — Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast you're picked up from your lodge in Karatu and driven to the Ngorongoro Crater, where you descend onto the crater floor with your lunch box for game viewing. The famous Ngorongoro Crater is rich in wildlife, with each species keeping its own territory. At 1:00pm you stop for a picnic lunch on the crater floor near the Lerai forest or hippo pool, and at 2:00pm you ascend the crater and drive to Serengeti National Park for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 — Full Day in Serengeti National Park
After breakfast at your camp you set out on a full day of game drives in the park. At 1:00pm you break for lunch at the picnic area, and at 2:00pm you continue with an afternoon game drive, driving back to camp in the later evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 4 — Serengeti National Park to Karatu
You wake at 6:00am for an early morning game drive in the Serengeti, returning to camp at 8:45am. After packing and checking out, you drive toward Karatu with a packed lunch, enjoying game viewing en route. On the way you visit one of the region's well-known Maasai bomas, where you can witness and take part in traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village and do a little souvenir shopping at the local market. You arrive in Karatu for dinner and overnight.
Day 5 — Lake Eyasi Cultural Tour and Walking Safari to Arusha
You wake early for breakfast at your lodge, then drive to Lake Eyasi for a cultural tour and walking safari with the Hadzabe. In their company you join a short hunting outing on foot using traditional bows and arrows, and learn how this community of hunter-gatherers lives, moving with the seasons and the animals of the area rather than settling in permanent homes. After your time with the Hadzabe you drive back to Arusha in the late afternoon and are dropped off at your hotel for your onward arrangements. Accommodation and your airport transfer are not included in this package but can be arranged on request.
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
- Lake Eyasi Cultural Tour
- Park entrance fees
- Driver’s allowances
- Service of an English speaking professional guide/Driver
- Lodge fee
- Crater fees
- 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
- 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
- Easter, Christmas & New Year’s supplements may apply
Best Time to Go
No travel window was given for this itinerary, so the best timing comes from the route itself. Tarangire and the Serengeti are generally easiest for wildlife viewing in the dry season from roughly June to October, when thinner vegetation and animals gathering near water make sightings more reliable. The Ngorongoro Crater holds resident wildlife year-round, and the cultural visits to the Maasai boma and Lake Eyasi are available in any season, though dirt roads can be harder going after heavy rain. For the best overall balance, aim for roughly June to October.
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this safari start and end?
The safari starts with a hotel pick-up in Arusha and ends back in Arusha on Day 5 after your visit to Lake Eyasi. Over five days you travel a loop through Tarangire National Park, Karatu, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and Lake Eyasi.
What cultural experiences are included?
You have two. On Day 4 you stop at a Maasai boma, where you can take part in traditional dance, tour an authentic village and shop for souvenirs at the local market. On Day 5 you spend time with the Hadzabe at Lake Eyasi on a cultural tour and walking safari.
Will we see the Big Five?
The Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti offer a strong chance of seeing several of the Big Five, including lion, elephant and buffalo, and rhino are possible in the crater. Tarangire is best known for its elephants and baobab trees. Sightings depend on the day and can't be guaranteed, but this route covers some of Tanzania's richest wildlife areas.
How much time do we spend in the Serengeti?
You arrive on the evening of Day 2, spend a full day of game drives there on Day 3, and set out on an early morning game drive at 6:00am on Day 4 before leaving the park, giving you two nights in the Serengeti.
What happens on the Hadzabe walking safari?
On Day 5 you drive to Lake Eyasi and walk with the Hadzabe, joining a short hunting outing on foot using traditional bows and arrows. It is an early start and a chance to learn how this community of hunter-gatherers lives, and you then drive back to Arusha in the late afternoon.
What happens after the safari ends on Day 5?
The itinerary ends with your drop-off at a hotel in Arusha for your onward arrangements. Accommodation and your airport transfer are not included in the package price, but both can be arranged on request, so tell us your plans in advance.