4 Day Adventure Camping Safari – Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater
Price Per Person (USD)
Overview
4-Day Adventure Camping Safari – Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
This 4-Day Adventure Camping Safari explores three of Tanzania’s most iconic destinations, offering an immersive, close-to-nature experience perfect for travellers who prefer authentic adventure over luxury. With full days of game viewing, scenic drives, and camping inside or near the parks, this itinerary is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, small groups, and budget-conscious travellers who want to experience Tanzania’s wildlife at its best.
Your journey begins in Lake Manyara National Park, set at the base of the striking Great Rift Valley Wall. This compact, diverse park is known for its colourful flamingos, unusual tree-climbing lions, and the largest baboon troop in East Africa. Continue through the highlands into the world-famous Serengeti National Park, consistently voted the Best National Park in Africa thanks to its vast plains, abundant wildlife, and incredible big cat sightings.
Along the route, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum, one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, and stop at a Maasai Boma for cultural insight into Maasai life and traditions. The adventure concludes with a full tour of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best places on the continent to spot the Big Five in a single day.
Key Highlights
- Adventure camping inside or near Tanzania’s top Northern Circuit parks
- Explore Lake Manyara, home to flamingos, tree-climbing lions, and East Africa’s largest baboon troop
- Full game viewing in the Serengeti, voted Africa’s Best National Park year after year
- Visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum, a globally significant archaeological site
- Cultural experience at a traditional Maasai Boma
- Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with exceptional wildlife density
- Ideal for adventurous travellers, backpackers, couples, and small groups seeking an authentic safari
Included/Excluded
- MealsÂ
- Game drives Lake Manyara , Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
- vehicle feesÂ
- Park fees & camping fees
- Own chef
- Camping equipment
- Guide feesÂ
- AMREF AirliftÂ
- Coffee & TeaÂ
- Bottled WaterÂ
- Return Airport or hotel transfers
- Guide tips
- Chef tips
- Alcoholic beverages
- Additional activities not
- listed in inclusions
- Personal items required
- Personal Travel insurance
- Tanzania Entry Visa
Tour Plan
Day 1
Day 1 – Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park
This morning, you will be collected from your chosen accommodation in Arusha or from the airport and begin your journey to Lake Manyara National Park, one of Tanzania’s most picturesque wildlife destinations. The drive takes approximately two hours, allowing you to arrive by mid-morning.
Upon reaching the area, you’ll make a brief stop at your campsite to drop off equipment before entering the park for a full day of game viewing. Lake Manyara is known for its varied habitats, from groundwater forests and open plains to the shimmering soda lake beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment. Wildlife is plentiful here, with elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, buffalo, baboons, and a wide range of birdlife. With luck, you may even spot the park’s iconic tree-climbing lions.
In the late afternoon, exit the park and return to Twiga Campsite for dinner and an overnight stay, surrounded by the sounds of nature.
Meals:
Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:
Twiga Campsite
Travel Time:
Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park: Approx. 2 hours
Day 2
Day 2 – Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park via Olduvai Gorge Museum
After breakfast, depart Lake Manyara and begin your journey toward Serengeti National Park. Along the way, stop at the Olduvai Gorge Museum, an important archaeological site where some of the earliest human fossils were discovered. Take time to explore the exhibits and enjoy the stunning views of the gorge.
Continue toward the Serengeti, aiming to reach the park gate around midday. Enjoy a picnic lunch while your guide handles the park entry formalities. Once inside, begin your afternoon game drive across the vast Serengeti plains, watching for lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, and a wide variety of plains game. The ever-changing scenery and rich wildlife make this one of the most memorable days of your safari.
As the sun sets, proceed to Seronera Campsite in the Central Serengeti, where you will set up camp for the night.
Dinner and overnight stay at Seronera Campsite in the Central Serengeti.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:
Seronera Campsite
Travel Time:
Lake Manyara to Serengeti (via Olduvai Gorge): Approx. 4–5 hours depending on stops and game viewing
Day 3
Day 3 – Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater Rim via Maasai Boma
Begin the day with an early morning game drive in the Serengeti, taking advantage of the cooler hours when wildlife is most active. Enjoy sightings of predators winding down from their nightly hunts, along with large herds of grazing animals spread across the plains. After a rewarding morning in the park, continue your journey with a packed lunch to enjoy en route.
Travel across the Serengeti toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping at a traditional Maasai Boma for a cultural visit. Here, you will have the opportunity to learn about Maasai traditions, daily life, and their deep connection to the land.
Continue onward to the Olduvai Gorge Museum, where you can explore exhibits featuring early human fossils, ancient tools, and the groundbreaking discoveries that helped shape our understanding of human origins.
After your visit, proceed through the Ngorongoro highlands and arrive at Simba Campsite on the crater rim in the afternoon. Enjoy the cool highland air and sweeping views before settling in for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:
Simba Campsite (Ngorongoro Crater Rim)
Travel Time:
Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Rim (with stops): Approx. 4–5 hours depending on wildlife and visits
Day 4
Day 4 – Ngorongoro Crater Tour to Arusha
Start the day early with breakfast at camp before making your way to the descent road leading into the Ngorongoro Crater. Spend the morning exploring this remarkable natural sanctuary—home to one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. The crater floor offers excellent opportunities to spot lions, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, hippos, large herds of wildebeest and zebra, and, with a bit of luck, the endangered black rhino.
Enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the designated spots inside the crater, surrounded by breathtaking views and abundant wildlife. After lunch, continue your game viewing as you gradually make your way toward the ascent road.
In the early afternoon, ascend from the crater and begin the drive back to Arusha. Arrive in the late afternoon, where the safari comes to an end.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation:
End of safari (no accommodation included)
Travel Time:
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha: Approx. 2.5–3 hours
