7 Day Taste of Tanzania Small Group Safari

The Taste of Tanzania Safari brings together three of northern Tanzania's most rewarding wildlife areas in one carefully paced journey.

The safari begins in Tarangire National Park, where the Tarangire River, ancient baobab trees and large elephant population create a very different environment from the open Serengeti plains. From there, the route continues into the Ngorongoro Highlands for a game drive on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.

The final three nights are spent in the wider Serengeti ecosystem. The location of the Serengeti camp changes according to the departure date, with selected departures using Ndutu, Central Serengeti or Serengeti North.

This is a scheduled small-group safari rather than a fixed-property package. Exact camps may occasionally change due to availability, but the overall route, accommodation standard and safari experience remain consistent.

Arusha → Tarangire National Park → Karatu and Ngorongoro Crater → Ndutu, Central Serengeti or Serengeti North → Arusha or Kilimanjaro

The Serengeti region and final return arrangements vary according to the departure date. Northern Serengeti departures include a scheduled flight from Kogatende, while other departures normally return by road unless an optional flight is arranged.

Two nights in Tarangire provide time to explore the park beyond a brief stopover. Tarangire is particularly well known for elephants, baobabs and dry-season wildlife gathering around the Tarangire River, but it also supports a wide variety of plains game, predators and birdlife.

The Ngorongoro Crater introduces another very different ecosystem. Its compact floor supports a high concentration of wildlife, allowing travellers to search for numerous species within a relatively small area.

Three nights in the Serengeti give the safari time to settle into its most extensive wildlife region. Instead of rushing between camps, guests have two full days for game viewing from the selected seasonal base.

Moving the Serengeti stay between Ndutu, Central Serengeti and Serengeti North also reduces unnecessary travelling within the ecosystem. Each departure is based in the area considered most suitable for that season, although rainfall and wildlife movements follow their own patterns.

Accommodation is in comfortable safari lodges and tented camps chosen for their location, atmosphere and suitability for the route.

In Tarangire, guests typically stay in a permanent tented lodge in or close to the national park. The Ngorongoro portion uses a comfortable lodge in the Karatu or Ngorongoro Highlands area.

The Serengeti stay is in a seasonal tented wilderness camp in Ndutu, Central Serengeti or Serengeti North. These camps provide comfortable en-suite accommodation and place the emphasis on location, wildlife viewing and the surrounding wilderness rather than elaborate resort facilities.

Meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Local beer, house wine and soft drinks are also included at the Serengeti camps.

Exact properties may vary due to seasonal availability. Any alternatives will be selected to maintain a similar accommodation standard and overall safari experience.

Meet your safari guide in Arusha for a short briefing before travelling southwest to Tarangire National Park. The drive usually takes approximately two hours, depending on traffic and road conditions.

Enjoy a picnic lunch and your first game drive in Tarangire. The park is known for its elephant herds, baobab trees and varied scenery, with wildlife often gathering around the Tarangire River during the drier months.

Continue to your comfortable tented safari lodge for dinner and your first night on safari.

Meals: Lunch and dinner

Spend the day exploring Tarangire with morning and afternoon game viewing or an extended drive, depending on wildlife activity and your guide's recommendations.

Elephants are a defining feature of the park, but Tarangire also supports giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, antelope and a wide variety of birdlife. Lions and other predators are present, although no particular sighting can be guaranteed.

Return to the lodge for dinner and your second night in Tarangire.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

After breakfast, enjoy a final game drive as you leave Tarangire and travel towards the Ngorongoro Highlands.

The journey passes through changing landscapes, with possible views across Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Continue to a comfortable lodge in the Karatu or Ngorongoro area.

Depending on timing and local conditions, the Ngorongoro Crater game drive may take place this afternoon or the following morning. Your guide will confirm the final arrangement at the start of the safari.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive if the crater visit was not completed the previous afternoon.

The crater floor contains grassland, woodland, wetlands and soda lakes within a vast volcanic caldera. These habitats support a wide variety of wildlife, including buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, elephants, hippos, lions and spotted hyenas. Black rhinos are also present but remain difficult to find.

After the crater visit, continue towards the Serengeti region selected for your departure. Your home for the next three nights will be a seasonal tented camp in Ndutu, Central Serengeti or Serengeti North.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Spend a full day exploring your chosen area of the Serengeti ecosystem.

Ndutu departures coincide with the period when the migrating herds may be found across the southern plains and the calving season is generally underway. Central Serengeti offers rewarding resident wildlife throughout the year, while northern departures are timed for the period when migrating herds may be moving through the far north.

The day's route will be guided by recent sightings, weather conditions and wildlife movements rather than a rigid schedule.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Enjoy a second full day of Serengeti game viewing.

The Serengeti supports lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and an exceptional variety of plains game. Its resident wildlife makes it rewarding even when the migrating herds are elsewhere.

On northern Serengeti departures, your guide may search for herds approaching the Mara River. River crossings are unpredictable events and should be regarded as an extraordinary possibility rather than an expected part of the itinerary.

Return to camp for your final evening in the Serengeti.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

After breakfast, begin the return journey.

Central Serengeti and Ndutu departures normally return by road, with game viewing along the way. A scheduled flight may be arranged at additional cost if preferred and subject to availability.

Northern Serengeti departures include the compulsory scheduled flight from Kogatende to Arusha or Kilimanjaro. Final arrival and transfer arrangements will be confirmed when booking.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch, depending on the return arrangements

Depending on the departure, availability and seasonal conditions, optional activities may include:

• A Serengeti hot-air balloon safari
• Scheduled flights in place of applicable road transfers
• Additional nights in Arusha before or after the safari
• A Zanzibar beach extension
• Additional private safari destinations elsewhere in Tanzania

Optional activities and extensions must be arranged in advance and are charged separately.

This itinerary works particularly well for:

• First-time visitors to Tanzania
• Travellers wanting to experience Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti in one safari
• Wildlife enthusiasts and photographers
• Couples, friends and solo travellers comfortable joining a small group
• Travellers interested in seasonal Serengeti wildlife movements
• Guests who prefer a small safari vehicle to a large tour group
• Travellers seeking a scheduled departure at a more accessible price than a fully private safari

Children must be at least 16 years old to join a scheduled departure and must travel with an adult or legal guardian. Families with younger children can request a private tailor-made version.

Scheduled departures operate with a minimum of two and a maximum of seven guests. Guests share the safari vehicle and the services of a professional English-speaking guide.

The core route remains Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, but the Serengeti camp changes with the season:

• 9–15 October 2026: Central Serengeti for one night and Northern Serengeti for two nights. Includes the compulsory scheduled flight from Kogatende to Arusha.
• 12–18 December 2026: Ndutu for three nights. Return to Arusha by road unless an optional flight is arranged.

• 9–15 January: Ndutu for three nights
• 23–29 January: Ndutu for three nights
• 27 February–5 March: Ndutu for two nights and Central Serengeti for one night
• 25–31 March: Central Serengeti for three nights
• 19–25 June: Central Serengeti for three nights
• 18–24 July: Central Serengeti for one night and Northern Serengeti for two nights; compulsory scheduled flight from Kogatende included
• 15–21 August: Central Serengeti for one night and Northern Serengeti for two nights; compulsory scheduled flight from Kogatende included
• 12–18 September: Central Serengeti for one night and Northern Serengeti for two nights; compulsory scheduled flight from Kogatende included
• 10–16 October: Central Serengeti for one night and Northern Serengeti for two nights; compulsory scheduled flight from Kogatende included
• 7–13 November: Central Serengeti for three nights
• 4–10 December: Central Serengeti for three nights

For departures staying in Ndutu or Central Serengeti, guests normally return to Arusha by road unless an optional flight is arranged at additional cost. All departure dates, routes and camp locations remain subject to availability and final confirmation.

A private version can also be created around your preferred dates, interests, accommodation style and budget. Private itineraries are not limited to the scheduled route and can include additional destinations or a longer stay in any of the wildlife areas.

Tell us when you would like to travel and whether you prefer a scheduled departure or a private itinerary. One of our Africa Safari Specialists will help you choose the most suitable route and departure.