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Manyara, Ngorongoro & Serengeti Safari: Route Guide

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The green floor of Ngorongoro Crater from the rim
Photo: Zenith4237 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

From Arusha, travel with a licensed local safari driver-guide through Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro highlands and central Serengeti. Seven days make room for game drives, the crater floor and Olduvai Gorge without racing between parks. Every wildlife encounter remains a matter of chance.

Manyara, Ngorongoro & Serengeti Safari is a 420 km one-way journey (with a driver). It works best as a 7-day trip; the plan below is the 7-day version for August, built from 71 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

7
days
420km
distance
5
Stops
71
curated stops

View ready-made plans 7-day plan · best time to go

The route

Arusha→ 125 kmLake Manyara→ 65 kmNgorongoro Crater→ 100 kmOlduvai Gorge→ 130 kmSerengeti

What you'll see

Arusha safari readiness and heritage orientation
Start with Arusha context and a practical briefing with the operator who will run the staffed safari.
Arusha
Lake Manyara staffed game-drive block
Give Lake Manyara a real daylight game drive through groundwater forest, wetland and Rift Valley scenery.
Lake Manyara
Ngorongoro highlands and crater-rim orientation
Arrive through the highlands, read the caldera landscape and confirm the next day’s controlled crater descent.
Ngorongoro Crater
Olduvai Gorge Museum and guided heritage visit
Read the human-history record at Olduvai before the protected-area transfer continues toward Serengeti.
Olduvai Gorge
Seronera and Moru Kopjes game-drive block
Explore central Serengeti’s riverine habitat and kopje landscape with time to observe without chasing a promised sighting.
Serengeti
Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre
Explore a collection of Tanzanian and East African art and artifacts housed in one compound.
Arusha
Ngorongoro Crater staffed game-drive block
Protect a full staffed crater-floor block for the caldera landscape and responsible wildlife viewing.
Ngorongoro Crater
Central Serengeti plains game-drive block
Keep a second Serengeti day for a different open habitat circuit and a calm handoff to the confirmed onward plan.
Serengeti

Choose your length

7-day plan7 stops · 11.0 h transit1 stops/day · 1.6 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: June, July, August, September, October

The drier season usually gives firmer road conditions and cooler mornings. Wildlife locations still vary, and the operator must check the current tracks, gates, permits and overnight inventory.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

View ready-made plans