Tanzania Wildlife Safari - Camping Tour

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park – Tanzania

At the start of this Tanzania Wildlife Safari, you are collected from your hotel or the airport in Arusha. Your safari guide then gives you a short tour briefing before we set off southwest to our first Tanzania safari destination, Tarangire National Park.

This diverse wildlife park is home to a large variety of wildlife and is considered one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in northern Tanzania. Tarangire Park hosts one of the largest elephant populations in Tanzania and is dotted with baobab and acacia thorn trees. This top Tanzania safari park is also home to various big cats including lions, leopards, and cheetahs, as well as tree climbing pythons. Other animals inhabiting the national park include many giraffes, buffalos, zebras, and various antelope species such as gazelles.

We spend the afternoon enjoying superb game viewing in Tarangire Park. As the afternoon light begins to fade we head to our campsite inside Tarangire for our first night of camping under starry African skies.

• Lunch; Dinner

Day 2: Tarangire National Park to Lake Natron – Tanzania

We leave Tarangire National Park after breakfast on day two of our Tanzania Wildlife Safari, game viewing and admiring the scenery as we leave.

Our exhilarating drive follows an off-the-beaten-track route on gravel roads only recently open to tourists. This 'insider route' takes us along the Rift Valley Escarpment on our way to Lake Natron. We pass Maasai villages on our journey to the famous mountains of the Rift Valley; Mount Gelai also known as Oldonyo Lengai, ‘the holy mountain" of the Maasai.

Today's destination is the oasis-like Maasai village of Ngare Sero, a small and beautiful rural settlement. The shady village of Ngare Sero, and its nearby waterfall, offer a cool retreat from the dusty heat of the arid Rift Valley surroundings. We camp near Lake Natron where thousands of pink flamingoes can be seen feeding along the lakeshores.

This afternoon we walk to a nearby waterfall with a local Maasai guide, before having dinner and settling in at camp.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 3: Lake Natron to Serengeti – Tanzania

On day three of this Tanzania Camping Safari, we get an early start for our journey to the legendary Serengeti Park. Our exciting drive takes us out of the scenic Great Rift Valley on rough roads, offering spectacular views along the way.

From there we head onto the open savannahs of the rolling Serengeti plains. You will see why it is called Serengeti, meaning "the endless plains" in Maasai. Tanzania's most famous safari park, the Serengeti Park is where the wildlife spectacle of the annual Great Migration, the world's largest animal migration, takes place. Here vast herds of stampeding wildebeest, gazelle, and zebra can be seen migrating across the open plains in search of fresh grazing, attracting numerous predators along the way.

The Serengeti National Park covers an expansive 12,950km² in northern Tanzania, sharing unfenced borders with Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Together, Masai Mara and Serengeti, form the larger Serengeti ecosystem, which includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Grumeti Game Reserve, and several other wildlife concession areas.

Tonight we will be camping in the central or northern part of the renowned Serengeti Park surrounded by untamed nature.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 4: Seronera Area, Serengeti Safari – Tanzania

Today we spend a full day on safari in Serengeti Park! We either explore this premier African safari destination on a full-day game drive or on an early morning and afternoon game drive, depending on the area we camped in last night.

Our game drives focus on the game-rich Seronera area, the best place for seeing leopards. The beautiful Seronera Valley of Serengeti is also known for its excellent sightings of other African predators and abundant game. The game viewing is spectacular year-round, with healthy populations of the rest of Africa's Big Five - rhino, lion, buffalo, and elephant, in addition to leopard.

In season, from December to May, we get to witness the Great Migration in action here. Watching massive herds of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other grazers migrate across the plains is an unforgettable wildlife sighting! If you are on your Tanzania Wildlife Safari between January and March you will be treated to the delightful sight of newly born calves and foals.

After exploring Tanzania's oldest and most famous national park we make our way to our campsite. We spend the night camping inside Serengeti National Park in the Seronera area.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 5: Serengeti Park to Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Tanzania

This morning our Tanzania Wildlife Safari takes us back out into the wild Serengeti Park on a final game drive.

The last chance to see new animals and marvel at the Great Migration in Serengeti. Along with the Big 5 of Africa, Serengeti is home to a huge array of antelope species such as eland, topi, kudu, impala, oribi, waterbuck and gazelle. Cheetah, hippo, giraffe, serval cat, crocodile, hyena, and various other wildlife including numerous monkey, mongoose, and rodent species also inhabit the Serengeti, as well as over 500 bird species!

After our final exploration of Serengeti, we drive to the Ngorongoro Crater, leaving after lunch. The Ngorongoro, part of the Serengeti ecosystem, is a massive caldera spanning an impressive 18 km in diameter with walls as high as 600m. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the densest mammalian population in Africa, with around 25,000 large animals. The diverse habitats found on the fertile crater floor support a variety of wildlife, including elephants, monkeys, hyena, jackal, and herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and other antelope species.

Tonight we camp on the crater’s edge at a campsite offering breathtaking views over the crater. Sit back and enjoy sundowners as you take in the views at sunset.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater Safari & Mto wa Mbu village – Tanzania

After an early breakfast on day six of our Tanzania Camping Safari, we head into the Ngorongoro Crater. We descend the steep crater walls in our 4x4 safari vehicle to explore this diverse wilderness area teeming with Africa's wildlife.

The Ngorongoro Crater hosts the Big Five of Africa, boasting one of the highest concentrations of lions in the world. Almost all of the wild animal species found on the savannahs of East Africa inhabit this compact crater. Ngorongoro offers first-class game viewing and is considered one of the best places to capture the endangered black rhino on film.

With some luck, we'll see the Big Five and hippo, warthog, wildebeest, zebra, and some of the over 500 bird species. While on our 4x4 game drive in the crater we stop to enjoy a picnic lunch, before making our way out of this famous Tanzania safari park. From Ngorongoro, we drive to our next campsite near the village of Mto wa Mbu in the crater highlands.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 7: Mto wa Mbu village to Arusha – Tanzania

Our last day on safari in Tanzania starts with a laid-back breakfast at camp. Then we travel back to Arusha where this affordable Tanzanian Camping Safari started. Along the way, we pass Lake Manyara and travel down into the Rift Valley admiring the awe-inspiring panoramic views.

We arrive in Arusha at about midday. Your guide transfers you to Arusha city or the airport for your onward travels, bringing our magnificent Tanzania Wildlife Safari to a close

• Breakfast; Lunch

Wildebeest Great Migration Explained

Please note that the Wildebeest Great Migration is seasonal. As a natural wildlife phenomenon, it is fluid and unpredictable. For this reason, seeing the Great Migration cannot be guaranteed.

The wildebeest and other wild herbivores migrate between Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. These herds move in a massive circular route covering some 1200 miles (1931km). It is a continuous movement of wildlife that can be seen in different areas at different times of the year. During certain phases of this annual trek the animals disperse or slow down, whilst at other times the migration picks up speed, with the herds becoming larger and denser. Not only does the Wildebeest Great Migration vary from place to place and season to season but the movement of these large wildlife herds varies from year to year.

Please talk to a travel expert from African Budget Safaris about seeing the Wildebeest Great Migration on your safari to find out more. Also, check out our detailed article about the Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara.