6 Day Adventure Camping Safari – Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire National Park
Price Per Person (USD)
Overview
6 Day Adventure Camping Safari in Tanzania - Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater & TarangireÂ
This Adventure Camping Safari in Tanzania’s Northern Circuit is ideal for travellers who want a deeper, more authentic connection to the wilderness. Unlike lodge-based safaris, adventure camping places you closer to nature—falling asleep to the sounds of the bush, waking with the sunrise, and experiencing Tanzania’s wildlife in its purest form. It’s a practical, budget-friendly way to enjoy the country’s most famous national parks without sacrificing the richness of the safari experience.
Adventure camping is best suited to travellers who enjoy being outdoors, appreciate simplicity, and value wildlife encounters over luxury amenities. It’s perfect for solo travellers, backpackers, adventurous couples, student groups, and anyone looking for a more hands-on safari experience. Camps are set in or near the national parks, meaning you spend less time travelling and more time on game drives.
Across six days, you will explore the highlights of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit. In Lake Manyara National Park, expect forests, lakeshores, flamingos, and large baboon troops. In the Serengeti National Park, you’ll cover vast plains known for lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, and, depending on the season, the Great Migration. The Ngorongoro Crater offers one of the best chances in Africa to spot the Big Five in a single day. And in Tarangire National Park, you’ll encounter some of Tanzania’s largest elephant herds alongside iconic baobab landscapes.
If you’re looking for an authentic safari that maximises wildlife encounters, keeps you close to nature, and adds a sense of adventure to every moment, this camping safari is an excellent choice.
Key Highlights
- Authentic adventure camping within or near Tanzania’s major national parks
- Ideal for adventurous travellers, solo explorers, couples, backpackers, and small groups
- Game viewing in four iconic parks: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire
- Excellent chances to spot elephants, big cats, hippos, buffalo, zebras, giraffes, and seasonal migrations
- One of the best opportunities to see the Big Five in the Ngorongoro Crater
- Budget-friendly yet immersive safari experience with expert guides
- Early mornings, full-day drives, and genuine closeness to the sights and sounds of the bush
Included/Excluded
- Prices quoted in USD per person
- MealsÂ
- Game drives Lake Manyara , Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire
- vehicle feesÂ
- Park fees & camping fees
- Own chef
- Camping equipment
- Guide feesÂ
- Coffee & TeaÂ
- AMREF AirliftÂ
- Bottled WaterÂ
- Return Airport or hotel transfers
- Olduvai Gorge Museum
- Enquire for group pricing
- 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
Your adventure begins with a warm welcome in Arusha. Guests will be collected from their accommodation or the airport by the safari team before setting off toward the beautiful landscapes of Lake Manyara National Park. The drive takes just under two hours, offering a relaxed start to the day and a chance to enjoy the changing scenery along the way.
Arriving by mid-morning, you’ll stop briefly at the campsite just outside the park to drop off equipment before heading straight into Lake Manyara for your first day of game viewing. This charming park is known for its rich habitats—lush groundwater forests, open plains, and the shimmering soda lake that stretches beneath the Rift Valley escarpment. Elephants, giraffes, hippos, zebras, and large troops of baboons are commonly seen, along with hundreds of bird species. With luck, you may spot the park’s iconic tree-climbing lions resting in the branches.
After a rewarding afternoon of wildlife viewing, you will exit the park and travel to Twiga Campsite, where dinner and a relaxed evening under the African sky await.
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, leave Lake Manyara behind and begin the scenic journey toward the world-famous Serengeti National Park. Along the way, you’ll stop at the historic Olduvai Gorge Museum for a short but fascinating tour of this renowned archaeological site. It’s a chance to learn about some of the most important early human fossil discoveries ever made and to take in the dramatic landscapes of the gorge.
From here, continue toward the Serengeti, aiming to reach the park gate around midday. Enjoy a relaxed picnic lunch while your guide completes the entry formalities. Once inside the park, the landscape opens up into endless plains—home to lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and an incredible array of wildlife.
Spend the afternoon on a game drive through the central Serengeti as the light softens and animals begin to stir for the evening. It’s a magical time of day, perfect for photography and sightings of predators as they become more active.
As the sun sets, head to Seronera Campsite in the heart of the Serengeti to set up camp. Enjoy dinner and a peaceful night surrounded by the sounds of the African wilderness.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
Travel Time: Lake Manyara to Serengeti (via Olduvai Gorge): Approx. 4–5 hours depending on stops and wildlife
Day 3
Day 3 – Full Day in Serengeti National Park
Today is dedicated to exploring the vast and wildlife-rich Serengeti National Park. After breakfast, head out on a morning game drive across the open plains, where lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, and countless other species roam freely. With its sweeping landscapes and abundant wildlife, every drive in the Serengeti brings something new and exciting.
For lunch, you can choose between taking a picnic box so you can venture farther into the park, or returning to the campsite for a freshly prepared hot meal—the choice is yours.
In the afternoon, set out again for more game viewing. As the day cools, animals become more active, offering great opportunities for sightings and photography.
Return to Seronera Campsite for dinner and a peaceful night surrounded by the sounds of the bush.
Meals:Â Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:Â Seronera Campsite
Travel Time:Â Full-day game drives within the Serengeti
Day 4
Day 4 – Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater Rim
Start the day with a quick breakfast before heading out for an early morning game drive, one of the best times to catch wildlife at its most active. Return to camp by mid-morning for a hearty brunch, then pack up and begin your journey toward the Ngorongoro Crater.
Enjoy an en-route game drive as you travel through the Serengeti and continue into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This route offers excellent wildlife viewing and dramatic scenery as you gradually climb toward the crater rim. Arrive at Simba Campsite in the late afternoon, where you’ll settle in for dinner and an overnight stay overlooking one of Africa’s most spectacular natural wonders.
Meals:Â Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner
Accommodation:Â Simba Campsite (Ngorongoro Crater Rim)
Travel Time: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Rim: Approx. 3–4 hours depending on wildlife and stops
Day 5
Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire National Park
Rise before sunrise for breakfast, then descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for up to six hours of exceptional game viewing. The crater floor offers one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, with chances to see lions, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, hippos, and possibly the endangered black rhino.
Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Hippo Pool, taking in the incredible scenery before ascending the crater walls in the early afternoon. Continue your journey toward Tarangire National Park, known for its majestic baobab trees and large elephant herds. Arrive at Zion Campsite for dinner and an overnight stay inside one of Tanzania’s most atmospheric parks.
Meals:Â Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:Â Zion Campsite, Tarangire National Park
Travel Time: Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire National Park: Approx. 2.5–3 hours
Day 6
Day 6 – Tarangire National Park to Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport
Begin your final safari day with a morning entry into Tarangire National Park. Spend the day exploring its varied landscapes, from open savannahs to woodlands dotted with ancient baobabs. Tarangire is famous for its large elephant herds, but you may also spot lions, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, and a wide range of birdlife.
Enjoy a packed lunch at one of the park’s scenic picnic sites before continuing your game drive. In the late afternoon, make your way back to Arusha and onward to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departing flight.
Meals:Â Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation:Â End of safari (no accommodation included)
Travel Time: Tarangire National Park to Arusha: Approx. 2–2.5 hours
Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport: Approx. 1 hour
