Serengeti Safari: Explore Ngorongoro Crater

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Embark on a thrilling 7-day private lodge safari to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Natron. Witness the Great Migration, explore the Rift Valley, and marvel at the stunning beauty of Lake Natron.

Duration: 8 days

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Arrival in Tanzania – Welcome to Arusha

Arusha - Upon landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a warm welcome awaits from your Safari Soles representative, who will escort you to your accommodation in Arusha.
Depending on your arrival time, you can unwind at the lodge, explore the gardens, or recover from your international flight.
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Arrival in Tanzania – Welcome to Arusha

Arusha - Upon landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a warm welcome awaits from your Safari Soles representative, who will escort you to your accommodation in Arusha.

Depending on your arrival time, you can unwind at the lodge, explore the gardens, or recover from your international flight.

Arusha – Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park - Following breakfast, your guide will meet you at the lodge for a safari briefing before departing at 7:30 AM for Tarangire National Park, renowned for its enormous baobab trees and large elephant herds.

Tarangire offers exceptional wildlife viewing, including elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and numerous bird species. During the dry season, animals congregate around the Tarangire River, providing excellent game viewing opportunities.

Enjoy a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch inside the park.

In the late afternoon, exit the park and travel to Karatu for dinner and an overnight stay.

Karatu - Northern Serengeti

Serengeti National Park - After an early breakfast, set off for the world-renowned Serengeti National Park. The journey takes you through the stunning highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before descending into the expansive plains of the Serengeti.

Continue driving toward the Northern Serengeti, one of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife areas and home to the famous Great Migration river crossings during certain seasons.

Enjoy game viewing along the way, as wildlife sightings are common throughout the park.

Arrive at your camp in the evening.

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park - After a leisurely morning drive towards Central Serengeti, spend the day observing wildlife in the Seronera Valley. The Seronera Valley offers abundant wildlife throughout the year, including carnivores like cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and lions, as well as ungulates such as buffaloes, giraffes, hippopotami, impalas, topi, warthogs, and zebras. Can you distinguish a Grant gazelle from a Thomson gazelle? Both gazelles have a white rump, but the Thomson gazelle’s rump is bordered by a thin black horizontal stripe below the lighter brown one. Additionally, the Thomson gazelle’s tail is entirely black, while the Grant gazelle’s white rump patch extends above the tail. Ask your guide about this and more as you proceed to your accommodation.
• Meals: Breakfast, Picnic-Lunch, Dinner
• Lodge: Safari haven.

Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater - Enjoy another game drive in Serengeti National Park before continuing to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which was separated from Serengeti in 1959. The resident Masai in Serengeti National Park were relocated to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where they still live today in harmony with wildlife and nature. Did you know that the Ngorongoro Conservation Area features a wide variety of topographical elements and contains nine different craters within its boundaries? Your guide will gladly explain more about this remarkable destination of 8,292 square kilometers. Proceed to your accommodation on top of the crater rim and enjoy a splendid view into the caldera before the night sky fills with stars. Alternatively, continue driving to your accommodation in Karatu.
• Meals: Breakfast, Picnic-Lunch, Dinner
• Lodge: Embalakai Ngorongoro Tented Lodge.

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater - After breakfast, drive along the crater rim to Seneto Gate on the western side and descend into the crater floor on an adventurous path – what an impressive view! The Ngorongoro Crater provides a habitat for a vast number of animals due to its reliable water availability. Animals frequently move in and out. The number of wildebeests and zebras increases during the dry season, whereas the numbers of elands, elephants, and waterbucks increase during the wet season. Search for the ‘Big Five‘ – buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and the black rhinoceros. The crater is one of the only two places in Tanzania where you can still observe the highly threatened black rhinoceros. After intensive game viewing, return to Arusha for an overnight stay.
• Meals: Breakfast, Picnic-Lunch, Dinner
• Lodge: Arusha Farm House Lodge.

Materuni Waterfalls & Kikuletwa Hot Springs

Mount Kilimanjaro - After breakfast, depart for Materuni Village, located on the lush foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Enjoy a guided walk through coffee farms and local villages before reaching the beautiful Materuni Waterfalls, where you can relax and enjoy the scenic surroundings.

Later, continue to the Kikuletwa Hot Springs, a hidden oasis with crystal-clear geothermal waters surrounded by fig trees and palms. Here you can swim and relax before returning to Arusha in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Arusha Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Departure

Arusha Region - After breakfast, enjoy a relaxed morning depending on your flight schedule.

Your driver will transfer you to Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport for your departure flight.

What's Included

Private transportation
Roundtrip Airport Transfer
Professional driver/guide
All activities mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional)
All accommodation mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional upgrade)
All Fees and Taxes
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Use of camping equipment
Use of binoculars

What's Not Included

On-board restrooms
International flights (from/to the client’s home country)
Tips & Gratitudes
items of Personal nature

Additional Information

This 8-day safari in Northern Tanzania offers a blend of the country’s most renowned wildlife spots and soothing cultural experiences. The itinerary features game drives in Tarangire National Park, the expansive Serengeti National Park (covering both Northern and Central areas), and the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, famous for its remarkable wildlife…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(157 Ratings)

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Zijiez2018

Feb 27, 2026

Unforgettable safari experience - We had an absolutely amazing experience with our safari guide, Innocent. He is not only incredibly kind and thoughtful, but also highly professional and knowledgeable. Thanks to his sharp eyes and deep understanding of wildlife, we were able to see all of the Big Five we hoped for ( thanks to him we saw 20+ lions, 10+ cheetahs and countless elephants giraffes and so many more). We learned so much about the animals and their behaviors along the way. His driving skills are exceptional — we always felt safe and comfortable, even in challenging rainy conditions. At no point did we get stuck in the mud, which really shows his experience and capability. In addition, he maintains his vehicle very well. No matter how dusty / muddy the car gets during the day, the next morning you will find it clean and tidy ready for your new adventure. What truly sets Innocent apart is how much he cares about his guests. He is attentive, considerate, and always thinking about what’s best for us. Beyond that, he has a profound vision for his work — you can tell he genuinely believes in contributing to nature conservation and supporting the local community through responsible tourism. On top of everything, he has a wonderful sense of humor and kept us entertained throughout the trip. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and highly recommend him to anyone planning a safari.

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557mikig

Feb 25, 2026

Exceptional Safari Experience with Safari Soles Tours & Estomih! - After extensive research, I chose Safari Soles Tours, and it was the best decision of my trip. As a local Arusha agency, their communication was the most efficient and their itinerary suggestions were spot on. However, what truly set this trip apart was our guide, Estomih. Estomih is essentially a "Safari Encyclopedia" and a local celebrity. It felt like everyone in the parks knew him by name! Because of his vast network and 10+ years of experience, he always had first-hand intel on animal sightings. He consistently positioned our vehicle in the best spots, accurately predicting animal movements so we could watch the action up close. Beyond his tracking skills, his professionalism is top-tier: - Meticulous Care: He is incredibly disciplined and kept the vehicle spotless every single day. Even in the middle of the dusty savannah, we enjoyed clean cutlery and the unexpected luxury of hot coffee at noon. - Emergency Handling: My husband unfortunately came down with acute gastroenteritis during the trip. Estomih handled the situation perfectly. He immediately took us to a high-quality medical hospital for a check-up and medication, then seamlessly adjusted our schedule so the rest of the trip wasn't ruined. I also highly recommend the accommodations he suggested: Arusha Farm House, Serengeti Classic View Migration Camp (Ndutu), and Serengeti Safari Haven Camp. If you want a safe, clean, and expertly-guided safari, ask for Estomih at Safari Soles Tours!

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Simone

Feb 20, 2026

Magnificent Safari - I state that it is not the first Safari I do in the world. We went on a 6-day safari between Lake Manyara, the serengeti, ngorongoro and the tarangire park. What can I say, our guide George was just fantastic to say the least. Young and well prepared, with a great passion for the work he does, George was by far the best guide I ever had. He gave us explanations on everything, always answered in a prepared manner to our questions and what not insignificantly turned out to be also a great driver on all types of terrain and in all weather conditions. He is also very nice and it was very pleasant to spend a week and converse with him. Speaking of the safari, we saw an incredible amount of animals, all the big 5 (which is not obvious). We have seen without exaggerating minimum 60 lions, 3 Leopards, 4 cheetahs (all from really very close) , 4 rhinos and an incredible amount of herbivores such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest, antelopes etc... . We can only thank George and Safari Soles from the bottom of our hearts for making us live unforgettable emotions :)

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Richard

Feb 19, 2026

Once In A Lifetime Trip With Abdul - Highly Recommended - Trip Of A Lifetime! From start to finish our Safari was made unforgettable by three key people - Ibrahim at Sole Safaris arranged the safari and always communicated promptly and with patience to our endless questions. Chief looked after us in Arusha and was a great introduction to the warmth of Tanzanians. Abdul was our Safari guide and we could not have wished for a better guide. He was experienced, very professional and highly knowledgeable. He looked after us and shared his passion for the wildlife we encountered. We met Abdul as a guide but left him as a friend. We cannot recommend Sole Safaris high enough. Yes we saw the Big 5 and we also saw the Ugly 5. None of this would have happened without Abdul. We will be returning to the Serengeti. Make sure you bring a good camera lense and binoculars. We then spent 5 nights on the tropical island of Zanzibar to recover - paradise.

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736shivam

Feb 3, 2026

Unforgettable Honeymoon Safari with Safari Soles - We had an absolutely incredible experience with Safari Soles, and we couldn’t recommend them highly enough. From the very beginning, the team was extremely responsive and flexible, thoughtfully tailoring our safari to match our interests and pace. Everything went off seamlessly, which made the entire experience feel effortless and stress-free. This safari was part of our honeymoon, and Safari Soles truly went above and beyond to make us feel celebrated and special throughout the trip. A huge thank-you to Furahini, our tour operator, who did a phenomenal job organizing every detail and showed genuine care when one of us became sick and needed to go to the hospital. Having that level of support in an unfamiliar place meant the world to us. Our guide, Abdul, was exceptional. His deep knowledge of the parks, wildlife, and local culture greatly enriched our experience. He was incredibly friendly, accommodating, and professional, and he made sure every day of the safari ran smoothly. We enjoyed all of the picnics and time spent in conversation on our drives – we learned so much from him and always felt well taken care of. Overall, if you’re considering a safari in Tanzania, choose Safari Soles and ask for Abdul as your guide. They helped make our honeymoon unforgettable, and we’ll cherish these memories forever!

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Bryndís

Jan 15, 2026

They deserve more than 5 stars. - What an adventure from start to finish – everything was absolutely perfect. Waking up with an elephant right in front of the tent, seeing around 30 lions taking a nap, two cheetahs having lunch, lions that had just hunted a buffalo, and witnessing the migration with about 2,000 zebras and wildebeest… it’s something that’s incredibly difficult to describe in words. Our guide, Abdul, was the best, and the staff at the lodges were so friendly and kind. If you have been thinking about going on safari, stop thinking and just book your trip – you will not regret it.

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Olafur

Jan 15, 2026

Great safari trip with the best guide #1 Abdullah - An absolute joy of a trip in all aspects, great organization, good hotels/lodges, fantastic staff and to top it all off the best guide out there, Abdullah, man is a legend ask for him if you are planning a safari trip. Just the right balance of information and general discussion, very knowledgeable, super helpful and easy going, just made our trip perfect. Abdullah #1

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Emilie175

Nov 21, 2025

11 days in mainland Tanzania - a fantastic tailor-made experience - A month ago I went on a 17-days holiday in Tanzania with my sister and my 2 nieces (10 and 12), and the organized the part in the mainland with Safari Soles. Everything was perfect from start to end. During the organization, Laurent was very responsive, extremely flexible to accord the trip to my wishes and proposed really good ideas in line with my specific demands. For the first part of the trip (2-3 days on the foothills of Kilimanjaro), Musa was an very nice, caring and easy-going guide and both activities and accomodations were fantastic. I also wrote a separate review on this part. The safari itself (8 days including Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti) could not have been nicer. Innocent, our prefectly french-speaking guide, is very knowledgeable of the fauna as well as the local traditions and transmits it with pedagogy to the kids with fun facts and quizz. He always went the extra mile to make our stay most comfortable, is both professional and friendly and both the kids and the parents got really fond of him. On the day we left to Zanzibar we all shed a few tears to have to end this fantastic journey. I cannot thank Innocent enough for making our experience so nice. All accomodations were incredible, but I would especially recommend Rothia Valley Tented Lodge on the slopes of Ngorongoro and Serengeti Safari Haven (owned by Safari Soles) in the Serengeti national park. If you can choose, don’t let these escape you! Thank you Innocent, Laurent and all the team of Safari Soles for this incredible experience! Emilie, Cécile, Charlotte et Morgane

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Kpmunnik

Nov 16, 2025

Amazing Safari - Had an amazing time and we'll organized trip. Loved my day in Arusha and after had wonderfull time with my guide Abdul and saw Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Lake Manyara. Lodges chosen were excellent and last minute changes were handled well. Had a bit of luck spotting all big five, but Abdul would not let me leave without seeing all. Driving was safe, good food and detailed explanations about habitat and animals. Would recommend to all.

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695garimac

Feb 26, 2026

Good experience, but expected better organization for $6,000+ - We did a 9-day trip with Safari Soles. Overall, we enjoyed the trip because Tanzania’s wildlife never disappoints—we saw everything, the Big 5 and the Ugly 5. But honestly, if we had gone with any other company, the wildlife part would have been the same. The difference is the service, and for the money we spent (over $6,000), there were too many "hiccups" that really bothered us. Guide : First, the guide situation felt like a total last-minute decision. We saw reviews mentioning specific guides, but we were assigned a freelancer with no info given to us beforehand. When we met him, he was very quiet. For the first 2 days, we had to ask him for info instead of him telling us. By the end of the trip, we actually became very good friends and he was a great driver/knowledgeable, but when you pay this much, you expect more from day one, not someone you have to warm up for days. We talked about it to Safari Soles on very first day, they said they'd talk to management. But we're already deep in the parks for 3 days, so there's nothing they can actually do at that point. We just had to accept it and make the best of it which we did eventually. Food: We told them multiple times "no beef, no pork," but we were still served beef. The guide/lodges clearly weren't informed properly. Hotel : During the initial discussion we were proposed a booking for Serengeti Safari Haven, but then the company told us there was some "confusion" about availability and moved us to Tukaone Camps instead. Accommodation Quality: One of our stays (supposed to be mid-range) was the worst night ever. No AC, no fan, and full of mosquitoes. We couldn't sleep at all. At another hotel, they didn't even have our booking on file when we arrived.They don't actually check these places out, or they know they're bad and book them anyway because they're cheap. Transport: On our day trip to Kilimanjaro, they sent a car with AC not working. We were driving on broken, dusty roads with windows open in the heat. Overall, the management is nice and very reactive when things go wrong, but these small things add up. When you spend this kind of money, you don't expect to deal with basic issues like booking errors or hot cars. We left wondering if we should have booked with a different operator.

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Check Availability

From $3,040

up to 15 guests

2 - Adult, 2 - Youth