7-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Seven days, the whole of the north: first Arusha National Park, Tarangire and Manyara, then three Serengeti days, and finally the crater.
7 days
7-Day Safari Tanzania
One week, all five northern destinations, with three days in the Serengeti.
A week, and none of the five great parks in the north is missing: Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, three days in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. The classic way overland from Arusha, or the other way round, starting with a flight into the Serengeti.
In short
What is possible on a 7-day safari in Tanzania?
In one week you see the whole north, that is Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, three days in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. One route drives from Arusha and ends in the crater. The other flies into the Serengeti first and then drives back via the crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire to Arusha National Park. Both are privately guided and can be combined with Zanzibar.
01 At a glance
7 days at a glance
- 2routes to choose from
- 5protected areas on each route
- 3consecutive Serengeti days
- 1route starting with a flight to the Serengeti
02 Key points
Key points about 7 days
All five northern destinations
Both routes visit the same five protected areas; from Arusha National Park to the crater, none is missing.
Three Serengeti days, built in
On both routes you spend three consecutive days in the Serengeti. That leaves time, now and then, to stop for an hour beside a family of lions.
Drive, or start by plane
Overland from Arusha, with the Serengeti as the highlight towards the end. Or fly into the Serengeti first and then work your way back towards Arusha, park by park.
Frequently booked 7-day tours
7-Day Fly-in Serengeti (3 days), Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire & Arusha National Park
Seven days, Serengeti first: fly in, stay three days, then back via the crater, Manyara and Tarangire all the way to Arusha National Park.
7 days
One week, two directions
The driving route builds from day to day: mountain forest in Arusha National Park, elephants in Tarangire, the soda lake at Lake Manyara, then three days in the Serengeti and, at the end, the crater. The long stretch is the drive into the Serengeti: from Manyara over the crater rim to Seronera takes around four and a half hours.
The fly-in route reverses the direction. You fly into the Serengeti on the first day, stay for three days and then drive back via the crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire; Arusha National Park is the last day. There is no long drive in, and the drive back is spread over several days.
Whichever direction you choose: you book through us, and on the road you have the vehicle and guide entirely to yourselves. Both are provided by a licensed partner in Tanzania, whose name you will receive once they have confirmed your trip.
In focus: the Great Migration
Well over a million wildebeest, plus hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles: the Great Migration has no beginning and no end, only a cycle. The herds follow the rain and the fresh grass, right across the Serengeti into the Masai Mara in Kenya and back again.
The rivers are where it gets dangerous. In the west of the Serengeti the animals have to cross the Grumeti, in the north the Mara, and crocodiles lie in wait in both. In the south, it is birth that dictates everything: during the calving season, thousands of wildebeest are born on a single day, and lions, hyenas and cheetahs are never far away.
Exactly where the herds are is decided by the rain, every year. The months in the calendar below are therefore rough guides, not timetables; after all, the wildebeest have never read it.
Best time for 7 safari days: the migration calendar
Roughly speaking: December to March in the south and Ndutu, April the move north, May and June in the west, July to September in the north along the Mara, sometimes into October. After that, the herds move back south through the middle of the park.
Both of our 7-day routes stay in the central Serengeti. The herds pass through there mainly in April and then again in October and November; the predators are there all year. If you want to go to Ndutu or the north, we will put together a route of your own. For the other parks the usual rule applies: you see the most in the two dry seasons.
Good to know: when more than a week is an option
Our longest fixed routes last seven days. More is still possible, of course: a few beach days on Zanzibar, a detour to the river crossings in the north, or to Ndutu for the calving season.
Please plan realistically for this. From Seronera to the northern Serengeti is a drive of around five hours, which is almost a day. The flight to Zanzibar, by contrast, takes around 80 minutes from Arusha and about two and a half hours from Seronera. You can add extras like these in the trip planner, or write to us and we will put the trip together.
05 Fact check
Setting things straight
Myth
„One week is not enough for all the northern parks.“
Both 7-day routes manage all five: Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Myth
„The Serengeti always comes last.“
The fly-in route starts with three Serengeti days by plane and drives the loop back afterwards.
Frequent questions
Are 7 days enough for the Serengeti?
Yes, and comfortably so. With three days in a row you have time for game drives at any time of day and for detours when the guide has heard something. The one thing the fixed routes do not stretch to is the river crossings in the north, which lie around five hours' drive from the central Serengeti.
Driving route or fly-in: which direction is the better fit?
The driving route if you want to ease in slowly and experience the Serengeti as the highlight towards the end. The fly-in route if you want to be right in the thick of it from the start and would rather skip the long day of driving in. The destinations are the same; only the order differs.
Can I see the Big Five in 7 days?
Of all our routes, these give you the best chances: five parks, three Serengeti days and a full day in the crater, where a rhino is most likely to turn up in the north. Still, nothing is guaranteed; wild animals do not stick to any itinerary.
Are 7 days suitable for children?
Yes, seven days is the most relaxed length for families, because long drives are spread over several days. The fly-in route also saves you the longest drive in. Our tip: choose places to stay with a pool, so children have somewhere to let off steam after the game drive. We check the age limits of individual lodges in advance.
Can I book the 7-day safari from Zanzibar?
Yes. On the fly-in route you usually fly from Zanzibar straight into the Serengeti. If that flight is expensive on your dates, you can also fly to Arusha and continue by car from there, although that means around seven hours of driving on the first day. We will clarify which option suits you better in the offer. On the driving route you fly to Arusha, and at the end you can head back to the beach if you wish.
Safari: prefer to plan it yourself?
Is a week still too short for you? In the trip planner you can add beach days or more parks and see straight away how the price changes.
Send us a message
You have a week and a month in mind? Send us both, and we will tell you which direction suits you better and roughly where the herds will be at that time. We will get back to you the same day, usually even faster on WhatsApp.
Prefer to talk? Dominic Dreiner is happy to help.
Alle Preise sind unverbindliche Richtpreise pro Person bei zwei gemeinsam reisenden Personen, einschließlich der in der Leistungsübersicht genannten Leistungen und ohne Flüge nach Tansania. Bei größeren Gruppen sinkt der Preis pro Person. Der endgültige Preis richtet sich nach Reisezeitraum, Gruppengröße, gewählten Unterkünften und Verfügbarkeit; er wird Ihnen im individuellen Angebot verbindlich genannt. Angebote sind bis zur abschließenden Verfügbarkeitsprüfung freibleibend. Es gelten unsere AGB.