Wildlife Safari

6 Days / 5 Nights – Camping Safari

6 days Group size: Up to 8 people $1,450/ per person

$1,450 – $1,690 / per person

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Duration

6 days

Safari Details

This is the classic northern circuit at a camping budget, using public and semi-permanent campsites instead of lodges to bring the cost down without cutting a single park off the itinerary. You camp at Mto wa Mbu after Tarangire, then move to the Serengeti for two full nights, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, spend a full day exploring Mto wa Mbu's culture on the way back through, and finish with a morning at Lake Manyara.

All camping equipment, a cook, and full board meals travel with the safari, so nothing needs to be arranged locally at each stop. It suits travellers who want the complete Tarangire–Serengeti–Ngorongoro–Manyara circuit plus real cultural time in Mto wa Mbu, without lodge prices.

Safari Highlights

The full Tarangire–Serengeti–Ngorongoro–Manyara circuit at a camping budget
Two full nights camping in the Serengeti
A full morning inside the Ngorongoro Crater
A dedicated cultural day exploring Mto wa Mbu on foot and by bicycle
All camping gear, a dedicated cook and full board meals included
Closing game drive at Lake Manyara before returning to Arusha

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Day-by-Day Itinerary

Arusha 120 km to Tarangire, then 90 km on to Mto wa Mbu 2 hours to Tarangire, ~2 hours on to Mto wa Mbu Mto wa Mbu

Arusha → Tarangire National Park

Lunch Dinner Public campsite, Mto wa Mbu

Morning departure from Arusha for the drive to Tarangire National Park, famous for its elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. Spend the day on a game drive through the park before an evening transfer to Mto wa Mbu, where the crew sets up camp for the night.

Activities

Large elephant herds along the Tarangire River Ancient baobab-studded landscape First night camping at the foot of the Rift Valley wall

Camp is set up by the crew ahead of your arrival; dinner is cooked fresh at camp.

Mto wa Mbu ~210 km via the Ngorongoro highlands 5–6 hours, with game viewing en route Serengeti National Park

Mto wa Mbu → Serengeti National Park

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Public campsite, Serengeti

Morning departure towards the Serengeti via the Ngorongoro highlands, with panoramic crater-rim views along the way. Arrive in the early afternoon and head straight out for a game drive across the plains before returning to camp for dinner.

Activities

Crater rim views from the highlands road First afternoon game drive on the Serengeti plains

A long driving day; the highlands road is partly unpaved.

Serengeti campsite Full-day game drive circuit Full day Serengeti campsite

Serengeti National Park – Full Day

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Public campsite, Serengeti

A full day exploring the Serengeti plains, with the chance to see lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and, depending on the season, the migration's herds of wildebeest and zebra. Return to camp for a second night under canvas.

Activities

Full day dedicated to finding lion, leopard and cheetah Seasonal migration herds, depending on time of year

An optional sunrise hot air balloon safari with bush breakfast can be added to this day on request.

Serengeti National Park ~145 km to Ngorongoro, then ~40 km on to Karatu/Mto wa Mbu 3–4 hours to the crater, crater tour, then ~1 hour on Karatu/Mto wa Mbu

Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Karatu/Mto wa Mbu

Breakfast Packed Lunch Dinner Campsite, Karatu/Mto wa Mbu

An early morning game drive before leaving the Serengeti, then drive towards Ngorongoro for a crater tour — descending 600 metres onto the floor for a full morning among the caldera's dense wildlife, including a genuine chance at the endangered black rhino. In the afternoon, transfer to Karatu/Mto wa Mbu to set up camp for the night.

Activities

Descend into the world's largest intact volcanic caldera A real chance at the endangered black rhino Lion, elephant and buffalo on the crater floor

Vehicles must exit the crater by a fixed time each evening.

Mto wa Mbu Local, on foot & optional bicycle Full day Mto wa Mbu

Mto wa Mbu – Cultural & Local Activities

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Campsite, Mto wa Mbu

A full cultural day in Mto wa Mbu, a farming town at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment home to more than a hundred ethnic groups. Enjoy a guided village walk, see local farming methods among the banana and rice plantations, share a local food experience, and take up the optional cycling or walking activities to cover more ground through the countryside.

Activities

Guided village walk and local farming visit A local food experience with the community Optional cycling or walking through the plantations

Comfortable closed shoes recommended; the day is paced for all fitness levels.

Mto wa Mbu ~125 km total (via Lake Manyara) Morning game drive, then ~2–3 hours on to Arusha Arusha

Mto wa Mbu → Lake Manyara National Park → Arusha

Breakfast Lunch Safari ends — no accommodation

A final morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, through groundwater forest and along the flamingo-lined soda lake, with a chance at the park's tree-climbing lions. After lunch, the crew breaks camp for the last time and the drive continues back to Arusha, arriving in the afternoon where the safari ends.

Activities

A last chance at Manyara's tree-climbing lions Flamingos and birdlife on the lake shallows

Flight connections from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) should be booked no earlier than the evening of Day 6.

Route

Departs from: Arusha

Stays

Night	Stay	Meals
1	Public campsite, Mto wa Mbu	Lunch, Dinner
2	Public campsite, Serengeti	Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3	Public campsite, Serengeti	Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4	Campsite, Karatu/Mto wa Mbu	Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner
5	Campsite, Mto wa Mbu	Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
6	Safari ends — no accommodation	Breakfast, Lunch

What's Included

All park, crater and camping fees
Professional English-speaking driver-guide and dedicated camp cook
4WD safari vehicle with pop-up roof
All camping equipment: dome tents, mattresses, dining and cooking gear
Five nights camping (Mto wa Mbu, Serengeti x2, Karatu/Mto wa Mbu x2)
All meals from Day 1 lunch to Day 6 lunch
Mto wa Mbu village walk and cultural activity fees
Bottled water throughout the safari
Pick-up and drop-off in Arusha

Not Included

International flights and visa fees
Travel insurance
Sleeping bags (available to hire locally)
Tips for guide, cook and community hosts
Alcoholic and premium bottled drinks
Optional hot air balloon safari over the Serengeti

$1,450 – $1,690 / per person

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Gallery

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Questions about this safari

What is camping actually like on this safari?

You sleep in walk-in dome tents on proper mattresses at public or semi-permanent campsites with shared washroom blocks; a dedicated cook travels with the safari and prepares full board meals at camp each day.

Is this safari physically demanding?

The game drives themselves are no more demanding than a lodge safari — camping simply means more basic facilities than a lodge, not a harder itinerary. The Mto wa Mbu day involves walking and optional cycling at an easy pace.

Do I need to bring my own sleeping bag?

A sleeping bag is not included but can be hired locally in Arusha before departure; tents, mattresses and all other camping equipment are provided.

How does the camping safari compare in price to a lodge safari?

It runs noticeably lower than an equivalent lodge-based itinerary, since campsite fees are a fraction of lodge rates, while covering the same parks and roughly the same daily game-driving time.

Why does this itinerary route back through Mto wa Mbu after Ngorongoro?

It lets the safari finish with a full cultural day and an easy final morning at Lake Manyara, rather than a long final driving day straight from the crater back to Arusha.

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6 Days / 5 Nights – Camping Safari