Savannah Legacy Safari - 7 Days: Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater

Karibu Tanzania! Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), your Pita Safaris driver-guide will meet you and transfer you to your selected Arusha lodge or hotel. Enjoy the scenic drive through lush coffee farms, banana plantations, and red-soil landscapes. Depending on arrival time, relax by the lodge pool, stroll through gardens, or explore Arusha’s bustling craft markets and coffee shops. Settle in with dinner as you prepare for the adventure ahead.

Highlights:

• Private airport transfer (~55 km | ~1 hour)
• Scenic drive through northern Tanzania’s agricultural heartland
• Arrival evening at your lodge with sunset views

Optional Experiences:

• Explore Arusha’s craft markets
• Visit a local cultural center

Accommodation Options:

• Midrange: Kibo Palace Hotel
• Upper Midrange: Arusha Serena Hotel
• Luxury: Gran Melia Arusha

After breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive in Arusha National Park, a compact park with diverse habitats including forested slopes, grassy plains, and freshwater lakes. Spot giraffes browsing treetops, elephants roaming, hippos in rivers, and playful black-and-white colobus monkeys. Return to your lodge for lunch or take a gentle walk along forest trails. Capture your first Tanzanian wildlife sightings and photography moments.

Highlights:

• Morning and afternoon game drives (~45 km | ~1 hour round trip)
• Giraffes, zebras, and buffalo sightings
• Birdwatching and monkey spotting

Optional Experiences:

• Guided birdwatching walk
• Visit Ngurdoto Crater viewpoint

Accommodation Options:

Same as Day 1

Depart early for Lake Manyara National Park (~200 km | ~4 hours), perched on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. Afternoon game drives reveal pink flamingos along the lake, elephants roaming the plains, baboons in forests, and legendary tree-climbing lions. The park’s lush greenery contrasts beautifully with the Serengeti plains, offering perfect sunset and wildlife photography opportunities.

Highlights:

• Afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara
• Flamingos and tree-climbing lions
• Panoramic Rift Valley views at sunset

Optional Experiences:

• Guided walking safari near the lake
• Birdwatching tour around the lodge

Accommodation Options:

• Midrange: Lake Manyara Tortillis camp
• Upper Midrange: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
• Luxury: Escarpment Luxury Lodge

After breakfast, drive toward Serengeti National Park (~330 km | 6–7 hours with scenic stops), crossing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Optional stops include Olduvai Gorge or scenic viewpoints. Arrive at your lodge or tented camp for lunch, then enjoy an afternoon game drive where zebras graze, elephants roam, and lions lounge atop iconic kopjes under the savannah sunset.

Highlights:

• Scenic drive through Ngorongoro Highlands
• Afternoon Serengeti game drive
• Iconic wildlife photography

Optional Experiences:

• Visit Olduvai Gorge
• Stop at a Maasai village en route

Accommodation Options:

• Midrange: Serengeti Heritage Camp
• Upper Midrange: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
• Luxury: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge

Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives. Witness lions stalking prey, cheetahs sprinting across open plains, and wildebeest and zebra herds grazing. Seasonal travelers may experience the Great Migration firsthand. Optional: Take a sunrise hot air balloon safari with champagne breakfast for panoramic views.

Highlights:

• Full-day Serengeti game drives
• Big Cats and migratory herds
• Iconic wildlife photography

Optional Experiences:

• Sunrise hot air balloon safari with bush champagne breakfast
• Guided walking safari near lodge

Accommodation Options:

Same as Day 4

Enjoy an early morning Serengeti game drive before departing for the Ngorongoro Highlands (~145 km | ~4 hours). Optional stops include scenic viewpoints or Oldupai Gorge. Arrive at your lodge or tented camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Relax, take sunset photographs, and enjoy dinner while reflecting on the day’s discoveries.

Highlights:

• Morning Serengeti drive
• Scenic transfer to Ngorongoro
• Sunset over the crater rim

Optional Experiences:

• Visit Oldupai Gorge
• Sunset photography at the crater rim

Accommodation Options:

• Midrange: Ngorongoro Farm House
• Upper Midrange: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
• Luxury: The Manor at Ngorongoro

Rise early to descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, home to the Big Five. Spend the morning tracking lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, and leopards amidst breathtaking scenery. Pause for a picnic lunch near a hippo pool before ascending the crater walls. Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your onward flight or optionally return to Arusha for an overnight stay.

Highlights:

• Half-day Ngorongoro Crater safari
• Big Five sightings in a single ecosystem
• Picnic lunch beside the hippo pool

Optional Experiences:

• Extended wildlife photography
• Maasai cultural visit en route