A 5-Day Budget Camping Safari in Tanzania offers an incredible, affordable way to explore some of the country’s most iconic national parks. This type of safari combines adventure, nature, and wildlife in a comfortable yet budget-friendly way. You’ll be able to experience the best of Tanzania’s wildlife in Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park while staying at well-managed, basic campsites.
Highlights of the 5-Day Budget Camping Safari:
- Tarangire National Park: Famous for its large herds of elephants and iconic baobab trees, Tarangire offers fantastic game viewing opportunities and is one of the lesser-crowded parks.
- Ngorongoro Crater: A UNESCO World Heritage Site with incredible biodiversity and some of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, including the Big Five.
- Serengeti National Park: The most famous wildlife park in Africa, known for its endless plains, large predators, and, if you visit during the right time, the spectacular Great Wildebeest Migration.
- Budget-Friendly: Experience the best of Tanzania’s parks without the high cost of luxury lodges, making it perfect for travelers on a budget who still want to enjoy a genuine safari experience.
- Authentic Camping: Experience the wild up close, with basic but comfortable tented accommodations that bring you closer to nature.
Best Time to Visit:
- Dry Season (June - October): This is the best time for game viewing as animals congregate around waterholes and the vegetation is sparse, making wildlife sightings more frequent and accessible.
- Green Season (November - May): A great time for bird watching and seeing young animals, though some areas may be less accessible due to rain. If you're interested in seeing the Great Migration, plan to visit between July and October.
Accommodation and Comfort:
- Camping Tents: You will sleep in basic camping tents with sleeping mats and sleeping bags provided. Some campsites have shared facilities (toilets and showers), while others may have more minimal setups.
- Meals: Meals are typically simple but filling, often prepared by your safari chef or guide. Expect hearty meals such as pasta, rice, stews, and salads. A picnic lunch is often included during game drives.
- Campsites: Campsites are typically located near or within the national parks, and you will often be surrounded by wildlife sounds and natural beauty.
Day 1:Arrival
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred to your accommodation in Arusha town. Settle into your accommodation, ready to start your safari proper in the morning.
Overnight at: Africana Grand Hotel
Day 2: Arusha – Tarangire National Park
In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel in Arusha and drive to the Tarangire National Park. This park with its huge baobab trees, the perennial Tarangire River and seasonal swamps is home to the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania. Animals gather at the river and you should be able to see elephants, giraffes, bushbucks, hartebeests, dik-diks, waterbucks, warthogs and reedbucks all year round. Furthermore the park is also home to buffaloes, zebras and wildebeests which are always closely followed by a range of predators such as lions. Leopards are seen every once in a while but cheetahs are rarely spotted. From the open roof of the vehicle you will be able to absorb the landscape and watch the animals. After an extensive game drive, you will leave the park in the late afternoon and drive to Kizumba Campsite at Mto wa Mbu, where you will spend the night.
Lunch; Dinner
Day 3: Tarangire Area – Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti
After an early start you will make your way to the cooler regions of the Ngorongoro highlands. On your game drive you have the possibility of seeing all different kinds of mammals ranging from the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – to Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles and mountain reedbucks. You might also see spotted hyenas and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After a picnic lunch in the crater and some more game viewing, you will leave the crater in the afternoon and drive to Serengeti National park where you will overnight at Nyani public campsite Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 4: Serengeti National Park Full Day game drive
The entire day is set aside for more game drives in the Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti is the habitat for an abundance of wildlife, such as impalas, buffalo, crocodiles and hippos, but is more well-known for its great migrating herds of zebras and wildebeest. The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year. In November and December, the animals move from the northern region, dominated by woodlands and hills, to the grassy plains of the south. During the longer rainy season from April to June, they return to the north. Apart from the migrating herds, you might have the chance to see predators, such as leopards, cheetahs and lions, always lurking close by. The night will be spent at Nyani Campsite. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included).
Day 5: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Crater – Mto wa Mbu
After an early breakfast, you will leave Serengeti national park and drive to Ngorongoro Area then descend to Ngorongoro crater for Game drive. On your game drive you have the possibility of seeing all different kinds of mammals ranging from the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – to Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles and mountain reedbucks. You might also see spotted hyenas and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After a picnic lunch in the crater and some more game viewing, you will leave the crater in the afternoon and head to the multi-cultural village of Mto wa Mbu, situated close to Lake Manyara National Park, for your overnight stay at Kizumba Campsite. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included).
Day 6: Mto wa Mbu – Lake Manyara National Park – Arusha
Your final stop on the tour is the small Lake Manyara National Park, named after the shallow alkaline lake covering roughly 200km² of the park. The park is known for its diverse landscapes; not only open grassy plains, but also primate-filled woodlands and baobab dotted cliffs. Apart from the spectacular and diverse bird-life of over 400 species, the park is also home to hippos, elephants, baboons, wildebeest and the peculiar tree-climbing lions. After an extensive game drive through the park, you will leave the cascades of flamingos behind and head back to Arusha, where you will arrive in the early evening.
Dinner and Overnight at Africana Grand Hotel
Day 6:Departure day: Arusha to Kilimanjaro airport(JRO)
After a breakfast, you can go for an optional Arusha town tour to visit the Cultural Heritage gallery, the Tanzanite Experience, the Maasai market, before transfer to Kilimanjaro airport to check in for your departure Flight.
| Number of Pax | 1pax | 2 -5pax | 6-10pax |
| Price per person | $2,469 | $1,667 | $1,125 |
Items included:
- Camping safari according to the itinerary
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Professional, English-speaking guide
- Cook
- Overnight stays in safari tents
- Camping equipment (tents, chairs, tables etc.)
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Mineral water
- All mentioned activities
- All national park fees
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mats
Items excluded:
- Flights
- Optional activities
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Visa fees
- Tips for driver guide & cook
- Personal spending money for souvenirs etc.
- Travel insurance
