A 5-day joining group safari in Tanzania is a practical way to explore the northern circuit parks without paying for a private vehicle charter. The route links lower rift valley lakes with open plains and high volcanic plateaus. You spend two nights in the Central Serengeti, which gives your guide ample time to search for predators along permanent river valleys.
Complete Daily Route for This 5-Day Tanzania Group Joining Safari
Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Your safari driver meets you at your Arusha accommodation at 07:30 AM for a short briefing. You store your soft luggage in the back of the Land Cruiser and start your journey. You drive 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest on a paved highway. The drive takes around 2.5 hours to reach the main entry gate of Tarangire National Park. Your driver registers your entry permits while you stretch your legs.
You head into the park for a full day of game drives across dry open grasslands. Tarangire is famous for large elephant families and massive baobab trees. You follow seasonal riverbeds where elephants dig deep into dry sand to access drinking water. You also spot giraffes, impalas, zebras, and resting lions under shady acacia trees. Your group eats boxed lunches at a designated picnic site overlooking the river. In the late afternoon, you drive to Mto wa Mbu for dinner and your overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Lunch box, Dinner
Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park to Central Serengeti
You eat breakfast at 06:30 AM and take a short 15-minute drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara sits directly below the high red cliffs of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. You drive through lush underground water forests where baboons, blue monkeys, and hornbills feed on wild fig trees. As the forest opens up, you reach the shallow alkaline lake to view pink flamingos, pelicans, and hippos resting in the mud.
Around 11:00 AM, you exit Lake Manyara and drive upward into the cool Ngorongoro Highlands. You cross through the highland gate and stop briefly at the Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint for photographs. You continue west down the dusty slopes toward the open short-grass savannah of the Serengeti. Your group eats lunch at the Naabi Hill entrance gate while your guide clears park entry paperwork.
You begin an afternoon game drive as you travel toward the Seronera Valley in Central Serengeti. The wide open plains stretch in every direction without fences. You look for cheetahs hunting Thomson gazelles on the plains and search granite rock formations for resting lion prides. You reach your safari tented camp or budget lodge by 6:00 PM for dinner.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch box, Dinner
Day 3: Full-Day Wildlife Tracking in Central Serengeti
You wake up early at 06:00 AM for coffee before heading out for a morning game drive. Predators hunt actively during the cool morning hours before the sun gets too hot. You search along the Seronera River for resident leopards resting on sausage tree branches. You also watch hyenas returning to their underground dens after hunting at night.
You return to camp for a warm mid-morning breakfast and a short rest. In the afternoon, you head out for a second game drive toward the Retima Hippo Pool. Here, over one hundred hippos crowd together in deep water pools. You also observe large herds of resident buffalos, topis, hartebeests, and waterbucks. You return to camp before sunset for a communal dinner with your travel group around the campfire.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch box, Dinner
Day 4: Central Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Rim
You eat breakfast at sunrise, pack your duffel bags, and begin your departure from the Serengeti. Your guide conducts a rolling game drive as you move south across the open plains. You often spot jackals, secretary birds, and vultures feeding along the roadside. You leave the park through Naabi Hill gate and re-enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
You drive across the Malanja depression, passing traditional Maasai villages and grazing cattle. By late afternoon, your vehicle climbs the winding dirt roads of the Ngorongoro Highlands. You arrive at your lodge or camp situated near the crater rim at an elevation of 2,200 meters (7,200 feet). The highland air cools down quickly, so you will want a warm jacket for dinner.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch box, Dinner
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater Tour, Return to Arusha
You wake up before 06:00 AM for early breakfast. Your driver drives the Land Cruiser down the steep 600-meter (2,000-foot) descent road onto the crater floor. Morning fog usually covers the rim forest, but the air clears once you reach the caldera floor. The Ngorongoro Crater spans 260 square kilometers (100 square miles) and provides a permanent home for over 25,000 large wild mammals.
You spend the morning searching for rare black rhinos grazing on the open grassland plains. You also encounter large lion prides, heavy bull elephants, wildebeests, zebras, and spotted hyenas. You drive toward Lake Magadi to see waterbirds feeding along the shoreline. At midday, you stop to eat your packed lunch at the Ngoitoktok Springs picnic site while watching hippos in the pool.
After lunch, your driver steers the 4x4 up the steep ascent road to leave the crater. You drive 180 kilometers (112 miles) on paved roads back to Arusha. Your driver drops you off at your hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) by late afternoon, completing your 5-day Tanzania sharing safari.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch box
What Is Included in Your 5-Day Group Tour
- All national park entry and conservation fees for Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro
- Official Ngorongoro Crater descent vehicle service permit
- Transport in a shared 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser with pop-up roof hatch and fuel
- Services of a certified, English-speaking driver and wildlife naturalist guide
- Four nights of shared accommodation in mid-range safari lodges or tented camps
- All meals as noted: 4 breakfasts, 5 picnic lunch boxes, and 4 hot dinners
- Purified mineral drinking water inside the vehicle during all game drives
- Government taxes and 18% value-added tax (VAT)
What Is Not Included
- International flights and local bush flights
- Tanzania entry visa ($50 for most nationalities, $100 for United States citizens)
- Driver-guide gratuities ($20 to $30 total per vehicle per day, split by the group)
- Private room upgrade fee (for solo travelers who request a private room instead of sharing)
- Travel insurance, medical coverage, and baggage insurance
- Alcoholic drinks, sodas at lodges, laundry services, and souvenir purchases
Shared Safari Vehicle Standards and Window Seats
We restrict each shared group to a maximum of six or seven travelers per vehicle. Our custom Toyota Land Cruisers have seven passenger seats arranged in three rows, and each seat sits next to an open sliding window. You never sit in a middle seat, and you do not have to lean over other travelers to view wildlife or take photos.
The roof of the Land Cruiser opens upward so that everyone can stand up safely during game drives. The vehicle features an onboard power inverter with regular charging sockets and USB ports. You can charge your smartphone and camera batteries while driving between parks. An onboard cooler box keeps your daily drinking water cold under the sun.
Luggage Regulations and Duffel Bag Requirements
Pack your safari clothing into a soft canvas duffel bag rather than a hard-shell plastic suitcase. Seven passengers share the luggage space in the back of the Land Cruiser. Rigid plastic suitcases do not fit together in the cargo area, whereas soft duffel bags compress easily.
Keep your total luggage weight under 15 kilograms (33 pounds) per person. You can also bring a small daypack inside the passenger cabin to hold your camera, sun hat, sunscreen, and fleece jacket. If you carry excess luggage from international flights, you can store extra bags safely at our Arusha office until your return.
Safari Tipping Etiquette and Currency Rules
Tipping is customary across Tanzania's safari industry and shows appreciation for your driver-guide's hard work. We recommend a total tip of $20 to $30 per day for the driver-guide, shared equally among all passengers in your vehicle. For a group of six travelers, this comes out to roughly $4 to $5 per person per day.
You pay your guide's tip in cash at the end of the trip on Day 5. If you use US Dollars, ensure the notes were printed in 2009 or later. Tanzanian banks, hotels, and exchange bureaus refuse older US dollar bills. Notes must also be clean and free of tears. You can also tip using Tanzanian Shillings withdrawn from bank ATMs in Arusha before departure.
