4 Days Tanzania Camping Safari
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Duration
Tour highlights
This short camping safari is perfect if you want to see the top highlights of northern Tanzania in just a few days. The journey takes you to Tarangire National Park, the legendary Serengeti, and the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater—three of the country’s best safari destinations.
You’ll start in Tarangire, known for its giant baobab trees and large elephant herds. From there, it’s a long but rewarding drive to the Serengeti, where you’ll spend a full 24 hours exploring its endless plains and incredible wildlife. The adventure ends inside Ngorongoro Crater, a unique natural wonder packed with animals in a breathtaking setting.
All overnights are at public campsites where animals are free to pass through, adding to the thrill of the safari. Don’t worry—they won’t disturb the tents, and your guide will explain safety procedures. This itinerary is a great way to experience the very best of Tanzania in a short amount of time.
Itinerary idea in detail
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your chosen hotel in Moshi. You will meet your driver guide who will brief you on your upcoming safaris, then relax for the rest of the day.
- Hotel is Bed & Breakfast basis.
- Non game-viewing travel time: 1:40 hours
- Distance: 110.33km
After breakfast, your driver/guide, will be ready at your hotel to pick you head into the Tarangire National Park for a game drive. The park has great landscapes including plains known as "Little Serengeti". The Tarangire River draws many animals to its river banks, especially during the dry season. Its natural vegetation mainly consists of Acacia woodland and giant African Baobab trees, with huge swamp areas in the south. The Tarangire National Park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. This African national park is also home to three rare species of animals – the greater kudu, the fringed-eared oryx, as well as a few Ashy starlings.
The park also offers a large number of buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, leopards, impalas, gazelles, warthogs, and wild dogs which are occasional seen. The park is also enriched with birds with more than 400 species present. During mid-day we will stop at a designated picnic site for lunch and continue with the game drive until the evening when we drive to the camp for dinner and overnight rest.
Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Campsite.
- Non game-viewing travel time: 4 hours
- Distance: 242 km.
After breakfast, we exit Tarangire and head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high-lying farmland of Karatu and the across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (but not through the crater this day). During the drive we will pause to enjoy a picnic style lunch then drrive into the heart of wild Africa – the Serengeti National Park, with its endless plains rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We head to central Serengeti known as the Seronera. This is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. We arrive will enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti. Dinner and overnight rest will be inside of the Serengeti at one of its public campsites.
Dinner and overnight at Tumbili Public Campsite
- Non game-viewing travel time: 4 hours
- Distance: 147 km, 91 miles
After breakfast, we continue with game viewing as we work our way east, back toward the Ngorongoro Conservtion Area (NCA). Once in the NCA we can enjoy a picnic style lunch before we continue the drive. There will be options (at additional charge) of visiting a Maasai village or stopping at Olduvai Museum. The day will end at Simba Campsite, near Ngorongoro Crater where dinner will be served before your night's sleep. Note that this location tends to be cold and windy (its elevation is 2300m above sea level), so bring an extra clothing layer. Even a knit cap and light gloves might feel welcoming.
Dinner and overnight at Simba Campsite
- Non game-viewing travel time: 3 hours
- Distance:181.21 km.
After early breakfast we will descend over 600 meters into the crater for a half-day game drive. Supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro Crater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque destination is its dense population of predators which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard. This is one of the few remaining locations where you might see black rhino. We will visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake, frequented by hippos and flamingoes. Here we will enjoy a picnic lunch. As wonderful as the crater is, it is only 20km in diameter. So 4 - 5 hours is plenty to see all. We then ascend out of the crater and drive back to Arusha (or we can drop you off at Kilimanjaro Airport).
Hotel is Bed & Breakfast basis.
INCLUDES & EXCLUDES
- Pick-up at Kilimanjaro Int. Airport (JRO);
- Transfer to a hotel in Moshi and back to the airport;
- Accommodation before and after safari
- New Land Cruiser 4x4 with pop-up roof;
- Experienced English-speaking safari guide;
- All park fees;
- All accommodation under your program;
- Three meals per day on safari;
- AMREF Flying Doctors;
- Thermos with hot tea/coffee;
- Medical kit;
- Binocular (1 per SUV);
- International or Local Flights
- Visa fee;
- Optional Activities
- Lunch and dinner in hotel (only before and after safari);
- Insurance;
- Tips to your safari guide ($30-50 per day per car).
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Testimonies
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We have been receiving reviews from our served clients and We are rated 5/5 by customers. This honor is given to us by customers because we always remain committed to all our customers to do whatever is needed by them to make their safari fully satisfied.
Jeremy S2025-09-26Verified Incredible Safari Expereince We had the most incredible 7-day custom safari with Velam Safaris through the Serengeti and Northern Tanzania. From the very beginning, Adam and the entire Velam team went above and beyond to make our trip special. They carefully crafted the perfect itinerary based on our interests and desires, ensuring every detail was thought through.One of the highlights was having a professional photographer join us, capturing every moment so we could fully immerse ourselves in the experience. The team’s knowledge of the wildlife, landscapes, and local culture was outstanding, and everything about the trip felt seamless and well-coordinated.The accommodations and food throughout the journey were exceptional, making each day feel both adventurous and comfortable.We can’t recommend Velam Safaris highly enough. If you’re considering a safari in Tanzania, they will make your experience special. Christine L2025-08-18Verified Valence, Outstanding Safari Guide! We had the pleasure and honor of having Valence as our safari guide for seven days in Tanzania this August. This was my first safari and my husband’s fifth, and Valence was by far the most knowledgeable guide we have ever had. With over 12 years of experience, he was professional, full of energy, and always checking in on us with his friendly “Are you good?” He helped us spot an incredible range of wildlife, from zebras and giraffes to lions and cheetahs, and he seemed to know the habits of almost every plant and animal. He could even anticipate animal behavior, from predicting where a leopard would move during a hunt to finding the perfect spot for the wildebeest crossing in the Mara River. He even bought us some roasted bananas to try since we were curious about local cuisine, which made the experience feel even more authentic and special. We also ran into some car issues during the trip, which is quite common on safari, but Valence quickly identified the problem on the spot. As an experienced mechanic, he made the repairs at a nearby town without disrupting our itinerary much. Every day with him felt like a fascinating biology lesson, and thanks to Valence, our safari was both unforgettable and in the best of hands. We would highly recommend him to anyone planning a safari! Jiaming Ji2025-08-13Verified Best Guide - Valence: The Driver Who Made Our Tanzania Safari Unforgettable – Big Five, Perfect Views & Hakuna Matata In Tanzania, your driver is everything — guide, protector, storyteller. We were lucky to have Valence, with 12+ years of experience and a heart of gold. He showed us all the Big Five, river crossings, even lions hunting. He knew every road, avoided dust and breakdowns, and always found the perfect viewing spots. “Hakuna Matata,” he’d say, and we believed it. From day one he called us family — and treated us like it. SwatiUtukuri2025-05-11Verified Felt like home in the midst of the jungle Being Single ladies we were taken care of so much and we felt so safe in the midst of the jungle with barely any network. Safari experience was smooth and so surprisingly magnificent.Adam who crafted our tour itinerary was in touch from day 1 till we landed back . Lolo and Lawrence our guides were nothing less than family :) Nomad292367290962024-03-25Verified Exceptional Safari Experience! Velam Safaris delivered an outstanding safari adventure! From seamless communication to expert-guided game drives, every moment was exceptional. Luxurious accommodations, attentive staff, and a commitment to sustainability set them apart. Highly recommend for an unforgettable safari experience! Mama Bishop M2024-03-25Verified Unforgettable Trip - Organized by Adam This trip was absolutely incredible! A huge thanks to Adam for organizing everything so flawlessly. From the very beginning, Adam was incredibly helpful and responsive, answering all my questions and making sure everything was perfectly tailored to our interests. allen M2024-03-25Verified Exceptional 5-Day Safari with Velam Safaris Velam Safaris provided an outstanding 5-day safari experience. Our knowledgeable guide made every moment memorable with incredible wildlife sightings and insightful commentary. The accommodations were luxurious, and the opportunity to connect with local communities added depth to the journey. Highly recommended for an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Africa. Cate H2024-03-22Verified A Fantastic Adventure with Velam Safaris: My 5-Day Tanzania Safari Review I went on a safari trip with Velam Safaris in Tanzania for 5 days, and it was amazing. Everything was well planned, and the trip was fantastic from start to finish.The best part was seeing all the animals. Our guide took us on drives through Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We saw lions, elephants, rhinos, and many other animals in their natural homes. It was so cool to be up close to them.Our places to stay were really nice too. We stayed in comfy tents and cozy lodges. Waking up to the sounds of animals and eating tasty meals outside was so nice.What I liked most about Velam Safaris is that they care about the environment. Our guide talked about why it's important to protect nature, and I thought that was great.Overall, I had an awesome time with Velam Safaris. If you want to go on a safari in Tanzania, I definitely recommend them. Thanks, Velam Safaris, for an unforgettable adventure!Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more