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Serengeti and Ngorongoro Safari Packages
The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater really do belong together on a safari itinerary, and not just because they’re geographical neighbors. These are two of Africa’s most glorious attractions, each with its own magic that combines a wonderful wildlife-viewing experience and iconic northern Tanzanian landscapes. The Serengeti is a classic savannah terrain filled with animals against the backdrop of an endless horizon, while Ngorongoro is a more intimate experience, like a lost world of wildlife down on the crater floor. Put them together and you have an extraordinary safari experience to look forward to.
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7-Day Tanzania Wildlife Luxury Safari
$3,153 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Kilimanjaro Airport (Start), Tarangire NP, Mto wa Mbu (Town), Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Ozon Light Tours
5.0/5 – 70 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
5-Day Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara Journey
$1,752 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Smile
5.0/5 – 209 Reviews
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Best Seller
9-Day Mid Luxury Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Island
$3,577 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (End)
Brilliant Adventures and Safaris
5.0/5 – 54 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Majestic Tanzania - High-End
$4,050 to $5,290 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxury+Lodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
4.9/5 – 438 Reviews
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Best Seller
6-Day Mid-Luxury Highlights of Tanzania
$2,657 to $2,987 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Lion King Adventures
5.0/5 – 1018 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
8-Day Great Migration Safari
$3,135 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti, Northern Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, Arusha (End)
Safari Soles
5.0/5 – 246 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Mid Range Tour to Serengeti Wildebeest Migration
$2,310 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro Airport (End)
Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 306 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
11-Day Northern Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar
$7,656 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 149 Reviews
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7-Day Experience the Ultimate Northern Circuit Safari
$1,331 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Materuni (Highlight), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Sacred Wilderness Expedition
4.9/5 – 18 Reviews
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4-Day Joint Tour to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro
$847 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Nkollo Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 44 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
10-Day Unforgettable Safari in Tanzania
$3,890 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Lake Natron, Karatu District, Kilimanjaro Airport (End)
Savannah Explorers
5.0/5 – 485 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Luxury Safari All-Inclusive
$2,992 to $3,966 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
African Big Cats Safaris
5.0/5 – 359 Reviews
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8-Day Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar Adventure Mid Range
$3,410 to $3,456 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Central Serengeti, Northern Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (Beach), Arusha (End)
RO Scavenger Safaris
5.0/5 – 21 Reviews
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8-Day Beach & Safari Trip Zanzibar & Serengeti
$3,092 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Camp & ResortYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Zanzibar (Beach), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Northern Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (End)
Paradise & Wilderness
4.9/5 – 130 Reviews
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5-Day Unforgettable Luxury Safari in Tanzania Wilderness
$2,442 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Habitat Adventures Travel
5.0/5 – 37 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Best of the Wild Luxury Safari
$3,522 to $3,553 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Kilimanjaro Adventure Safari Club
5.0/5 – 147 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Great Migration Safari
$1,870 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Arusha (End)
Almighty Kilimanjaro
4.9/5 – 163 Reviews
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13-Day Zanzibar Beach Holiday and Game Drive Safari
$3,405 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Moshi (Start), Arusha (City), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi, Zanzibar (Beach), Stone Town (Zanzibar), Zanzibar Airport (End)
Serengeti Morning Dew
5.0/5 – 11 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
11-Day Budget Best of Tanzania & Zanzibar Safari
$2,695 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Camp & ResortYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Zanzibar (End)
Shemeji Safari Tanzania
4.8/5 – 282 Reviews
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5-Day Budgeted Safari
$1,100 to $1,210 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Lodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
EATL Tour Company
5.0/5 – 9 Reviews
7 Questions About Combined Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safaris
Answered by
Anthony Ham
Anthony is a writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including ‘Kenya’, ‘Tanzania’ and ‘East Africa’. He has been traveling to the region and writing about it for magazines and newspapers around the world for more than two decades. He is also the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’.› More about Anthony
7 Questions About Combined Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safaris
Why is the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater an ideal combination?
“You’re in for such a treat on your Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari because these two world-famous safari destinations complement each other perfectly. Each on its own would be a remarkable trip. But together they’re something special. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro have lots of things in common. Both have astonishing wildlife. Both have beautiful landscapes that, each in its own way, highlight a signature aspect of East African landscapes. Put them together and you can see the Big Five, maybe even a couple of times over. But the subtle differences mean you can get a taste of two worlds. In Ngorongoro you get the most beautiful scenery of northern Tanzania’s Crater Highlands, with deep greens and blues, as well as black rhino, lion, hyena, buffalo, elephant, flamingo and more. Not far away in the Serengeti, you can enjoy the big cats, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and so many additional species; they’re surrounded by the vast savannah plains and flat-topped acacias that are the basis for East Africa’s incredible wildlife offering.”
1What can I expect from a safari to the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater?
“On your Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari you can expect one of the best safaris imaginable. Your safari will almost certainly involve remarkable wildlife encounters (possibly including the Big Five) and just-as-remarkable views of beautiful crater and savannah landscapes. There is nowhere else in Africa where you can enjoy a combination quite like this. And when it comes to the wildlife you can see, these two destinations have both quantity and quality in terms of animals. From a more practical point of view, your safari may include a couple of nights at Ngorongoro Crater (giving one full day to explore the crater and surrounds), and as many days in the Serengeti as you can spare. How your safari works more specifically (for example, whether you fly or drive between the two) will vary from one safari package and one safari operator to the next.”
2How much will this safari cost?
“There are almost as many different answers to this question as there are safari trips and packages on offer. Factors that determine how much you end up paying are many. For a start, prices vary greatly depending on the accommodation you choose, from budget camping options to high-end luxury tented camps and lodges. Another consideration is the season in which you travel, although high season (which runs from July to March) takes up so much of the year that there aren’t always many options. It can cost as little as half the high-season price if you travel during low season, although you may have to contend with rains and difficult driving conditions as a consequence. The other major thing to take into account when calculating potential costs is the type of safari you want to have. Private safaris are the most expensive, group safaris are cheaper, and self-drive safaris may sit somewhere in between. Whether or not your safari includes any flights will also affect the final cost. As a broad guide, count on paying at least US$150 per person per day for the cheapest camping safari and around US$500 per person per day for a luxury private safari, although this latter figure can go even higher.”
3What is the ideal holiday length for a trip to the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater?
“No matter how long you spend in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, you’ll still wish you had more time here. That being the case, the simple answer is that you should aim to spend as much time here as you can! Realistically, the optimum time to spend on trips like these is at least one week. Most safaris only spend one day (usually two nights) exploring the crater floor, and this should be a minimum for the Ngorongoro leg of the safari. With a little more time, you could spend a further day or more exploring the crater rim, visiting local Maasai communities, and/or getting to know some of the other attractions of the Crater Highlands. For the Serengeti, aim to spend at least four or five days exploring the park. That said, this is a vast national park and if you want to get to know more than one area well, you will need to spend at least a week in the Serengeti alone, and even up to 10 days if you want to include the north. If you’re traveling between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro by road, you’ll need to factor close to a full day’s driving into your plans.”
4What is the best time to visit the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro?
“The best time to visit both Ngorongoro and the Serengeti is from June to September. The Serengeti is usually also excellent right through until February. These are the best months for enjoying optimum weather and wildlife-viewing conditions. Something else to factor in to your planning is the great wildebeest migration as it passes through the Serengeti. If you’re hoping to see the migration when you’re here, there are some guidelines that you’ll need to think about. In January and February, the wildebeest are usually in the Serengeti’s south giving birth to countless calves. By around June or July the migration is usually somewhere close to the Serengeti’s Western Corridor. In most years, it reaches the north in August or September when it crosses into Kenya’s Masai Mara.”
5Which other parks can I visit on a Serengeti/Ngorongoro Crater safari?
“There are lots of different tours, trips and packages to consider if you want to add on some further parks to your Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari. If you are looking to expand your safari, remember that these two destinations form part of what’s known as Tanzania’s Northern safari circuit, and most safaris of this nature begin in Arusha. The most obvious parks to add, because they lie on or close to the route between Arusha and Ngorongoro, are Tarangire National Park (which is famous for its elephants and giant baobab trees) and Lake Manyara National Park (tree-climbing lions, elephants and abundant birdlife). Closer to Arusha, Arusha National Park (with Mt Meru as its centerpiece) or climbing Mt Kilimanjaro are also possible, although the latter alone will likely add more than a week to your overall safari. Closer to both Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, and far less crowded, Lake Eyasi is the fascinating homeland of the Hadzabe people, while Lake Natron and Ol Doinyo Lengai are stunning destinations in their own right north of Ngorongoro or east of the Serengeti.”
6How do I get from the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti?
“There are two ways to get between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti: by road or by plane. Both are possible, and which one you take may depend on how much time you have and how much you want to pay: flying is quicker and more expensive. If you’re driving from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti, the drive is a beautiful one through Maasai country. Expect to encounter Maasai villages and herders along the way, and don’t miss a stop at Olduvai (Oldupai) Gorge and Museum. Two other things to watch out for along the way: the views to the west toward the Serengeti from the Ngorongoro Crater rim, and north from Naabi Hill, the Serengeti National Park headquarters, will give you a superb overview of the savannah plains that seem to go on forever. If you’re flying, it will be in a small plane from one of the little airstrips around the Ngorongoro Crater rim to an airstrip in the Serengeti (depending on where in the park you’re staying). The views along the way are miraculous.”
7Tanzania Safari Reviews
Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.
Much More than a Migration Destination
For me, Tanzania is a country of two halves. Both hemispheres have been richly endowed with natural beauty and plentiful wildlife, but there are some big differences when it comes to the type of safari experience you’re looking for. The...
Gemma authored several Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
Africa as I pictured it
I still remember the first picture of Africa I saw when I was a kid. Vast, stretching plains of undulating yellow grass, broken only by flat-topped acacia trees and the odd strolling giraffe, all set beneath the dome of a perfect blue sky....
Amazing!
Absolutely loved my day safari at Mikumi Park! It was a one-day trip from Dar es Salaam, and it exceeded all expectations. Huge thanks to the agency for their flexibility and accommodating all our special requests, like starting the tour at...
Unforgettable!
Our safari was great. At the airport, after resolving a few small problems, we were picked up by the driver and taken to Arusha to a good hotel to spend the night and agree on the Safari that would start the next day. We had booked the...
Beautiful Country
My daughter and I did a 3 day fly in fly out from Zanzibar. You get the island experience in Zanzibar with beautiful beaches and Stonetown. When you hit the Serengeti it is such a special place, the Crater is another totally different...
Absolute beauty and sheer diversity!
We had six days in Serengeti and Ngorongoro protected areas and we absolutely loved it! Ndutu region was marvellous with lots of game sightings and more intimate experiences with nature. Here, sighting a caracal, a family of five bat-eared...