Nyakwardayo Expeditions Travel

The Exclusive Rift & Plains: 6-Day Luxury Ngorongoro & Serengeti Safari

6 Days Nothern Circuit

The Exclusive Rift & Plains: 6-Day Luxury Ngorongoro & Serengeti Safari

A truly exclusive safari focusing only on Tanzania’s two greatest icons: Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Expect private guiding, flexible game-drive timing, high-end stays on the crater rim and in the heart of the plains, and the best chances for Big Five, big cats, and epic landscapes without rushing through too many parks.

Duration 6 Days Parks 1 + 1 Conservation Area
Request a free quote
Tour Length 6 Days / 5 Nights
Country Tanzania
Start / End Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha → Serengeti, Mara Region
Accommodation Mid-range
Tour Type Safari
Meal Plan Full board on safari
Activity Level Game drives, Crater tour
Destination Highlights

Your Route Through Tanzania

Click any destination to explore it on the map.

The Days

Day-by-Day Detailed Safari Itinerary

Multiple parks, several days -- and no wasted transfers. Every drive doubles as a game drive.

01
Arrival at JRO to Ngorongoro: Highlands Elegance & Crater-Rim Sunset03°13′S 35°31′E
Day 1

Arrival at JRO to Ngorongoro: Highlands Elegance & Crater-Rim Sunset

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and enjoy a smooth meet & greet from your private safari team before settling into a luxury 4x4 for the drive to Arusha (about 1–1.5 hours) for a brief refresh stop ideal for coffee, currency exchange, or stretching your legs. From there, continue into the Ngorongoro Highlands, passing Maasai villages, coffee farms, and dramatic viewpoints along the Great Rift Valley as the landscape rises into cool, misty forests. You’ll reach the Ngorongoro Crater rim in time for a breathtaking sunset panorama, then unwind with fine dining and a calm luxury evening before overnighting at your chosen high-end stay

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MealsL/D
Night&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge,
02
Ngorongoro Crater (Full-Day Game Drive)03°11′S 35°35′E
Day 2

Ngorongoro Crater (Full-Day Game Drive)

Begin with an early descent into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch on the crater floor, giving you excellent chances to see lion, buffalo, elephant, hippo, zebra, wildebeest, and if lucky the elusive black rhino, then return to your same luxury lodge on the rim/highlands for a relaxed evening and overnight.

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MealsB/L/D
Night&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge,
03
Ngorongoro to Serengeti (En-Route Safari + Optional Olduvai Gorge)02°27′S 34°50′E
Day 3

Ngorongoro to Serengeti (En-Route Safari + Optional Olduvai Gorge)

Travel from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti with wildlife viewing starting as soon as you leave the highlands, optionally stopping at the legendary Olduvai Gorge for human-history insights, before arriving for an afternoon game drive and settling into your luxury stay

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MealsB/L/D
NightFour Seasons Serengeti,
04
Serengeti (Full-Day Private Safari)02°27′S 34°50′E
Day 4

Serengeti (Full-Day Private Safari)

Enjoy a full-day private Serengeti safari (or split morning and late afternoon drives), focusing on lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, and sweeping herds, with an optional premium highlight a sunrise balloon safari followed by a champagne bush breakfast then return to the same lodge/camp.

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MealsB/L/D
NightFour Seasons Serengeti,
05
Serengeti (Deep Exploration + Golden Hour)02°27′S 34°50′E
Day 5

Serengeti (Deep Exploration + Golden Hour)

You can keep the same Serengeti base for a deep exploration day,following fresh tracks, predator calls, and the day’s best sightings or switch Serengeti regions based on the Great Migration season for the most exclusive experience: Dec–Mar (Southern Serengeti/Ndutu) for calving season and intense predator action, Apr–Jun (Central/Western Corridor) as the herds move and gather near river systems, and Jul–Oct (Northern Serengeti/Kogatende–Mara River) for the dramatic river-crossing season; Nov often returns you to Central Serengeti as the migration shifts back. Either way, your day is designed around prime zones for big cats, iconic kopjes, sweeping herds, and golden-hour photography, ending with a spectacular sunset drive before returning to your luxury camp. Switch acommodation based on migration season.

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MealsB/L/D
NightFour Seasons Serengeti,
06
Serengeti to Fly to Arusha to JRO (or Zanzibar Connection)02°27′S 34°49′E
Day 6

Serengeti to Fly to Arusha to JRO (or Zanzibar Connection)

If time allows, enjoy a final morning game drive, then transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Arusha, followed by a road transfer to JRO for departure or connect onward to Zanzibar for a beach extension.

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Camps

Accommodation & Comfort Level

Luxury Accommodations During Safari

Add-Ons

Optional Safari Add-Ons

Optional extras you can fit into the six days or add on at the end.

Day 4 · at dawn

Balloon over the Serengeti

An hour over the plains at sunrise, landing to a champagne breakfast in the bush. Weather-dependent and booked in advance.

Day 3 · en route

Olduvai Gorge stop

A short visit to the gorge and its small museum on the way to the Serengeti, for the story of the early human finds made there.

After day 6 · 3 to 5 nights

Zanzibar beach extension

Day 6 can connect straight to a flight to Zanzibar instead of JRO. A few nights by the ocean is a gentle way to finish.

Before day 1

A night in Arusha on arrival

If your flight lands in the evening, a night near the airport keeps the drive to Ngorongoro in daylight and lets you start rested.

The Ground

Where the Safari Takes You

The trip is split between the Ngorongoro highlands and the Serengeti plains.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
01

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro highlands are cool and green, and the crater below holds grassland, swamp and a soda lake. A full day on the crater floor gives good chances of lion, buffalo, elephant, hippo and black rhino.

Serengeti National Park
02

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is a huge area of open plains, kopjes and riverine woodland. It is home to large numbers of lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas, and to the great herds of wildebeest and zebra that move through it during the year.

Following the herds

The wildebeest and zebra move around the Serengeti all year, from the southern Ndutu plains in the wet months to the far north in the dry season. Day 5 is kept flexible so your guide can move towards wherever the herds are in your month.

Rates

Price & Additional Costs

Price on request — contact us for a quote for this trip.

Price Details

What's Included

✓ Included

✓ Meet & greet at JRO + private transfers as per itinerary (JRO to and fro Arusha)
✓ Private luxury 4x4 safari vehicle (pop-up roof) for the whole trip
✓ Professional English-speaking driver-guide (private guiding)
✓ All park & conservation fees (Ngorongoro Conservation Area + Serengeti National Park)
✓ Ngorongoro Crater service fee (crater descent/vehicle access)
✓ All scheduled game drives (including full-day Ngorongoro Crater)
✓ Luxury accommodation (5 nights) in selected lodges/camps (Ngorongoro + Serengeti)
✓ Meals as per lodge plan (typically Full Board: breakfast, lunch, dinner)
✓ Picnic lunches on safari days (especially crater day / full-day drives)
✓ 1-way internal flight: Serengeti to Arusha (as per Day 6 plan)
✓ Bottled drinking water during game drives
✓ Government taxes and VAT

✗ Not Included

✗ International flights
✗ Tanzania visa fees
✗ Travel insurance (highly recommended)
✗ Balloon safari + champagne breakfast (optional add-on)
✗ Olduvai Gorge visit (optional activity/entry fee if included)
✗ Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages (unless your lodge package is all-inclusive)
✗ Personal expenses (laundry, souvenirs, phone calls, etc.)
✗ Tips/gratuities for guide, lodge/camp staff, porters
✗ Extra activities not specified (spa treatments, Maasai village visit, private sundowners, etc.)
Interested in This Tour?Request a Free Quote
Best Time to Travel

Best Time to Do This Safari

Best time: late June to October

The dry season gives easy driving, short grass and animals that gather near water. In July to October the migration is usually in the northern Serengeti, so day 5 can move you towards the herds if your guide thinks it is worth it. The crater is good in every month.

Also good: December to March

In these months the herds are usually on the southern plains around Ndutu and calving peaks around February. Day 5 is built to move with them, which makes this a strong window for predator action. Expect green grass, warm days and short storms.

Quieter: April and May

The long rains bring muddy tracks and some camps close for part of this period. The herds are usually moving through the central and western Serengeti. Rates are lower and the parks are quiet, but expect some weather to work around.

Flights

Flight Recommendation

Arrival

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

Fly into Kilimanjaro International (JRO). Day 1 is a meet and greet at the airport, a short stop in Arusha and then the drive up to the Ngorongoro rim, arriving in the late afternoon. A morning or midday landing works best; with an evening arrival we will put you in Arusha for the first night and start the next morning.

Departure

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

Day 6 ends with a light-aircraft flight from a Serengeti airstrip to Arusha and a road transfer to JRO, so there is no long drive back. Book an international flight that leaves in the late afternoon or evening. If you would rather go on to Zanzibar, the same day can connect to a flight to the coast. Most passports need a Tanzania visa. Apply online at the official immigration portal well before you travel rather than queueing on arrival.

Supplementary Costs

Supplementary (not included) costs

Return flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), or out of Zanzibar if you extend.
Most passports need one. Apply online before you travel.
Strongly recommended, including medical and evacuation cover.
For your guide and the lodge and camp staff.
Alcohol and premium drinks unless your lodge package includes them.
Such as the balloon flight, Olduvai Gorge, spa treatments or a Maasai village visit.
Why Us

Why Book With Us

01

Two nights on the crater rim

Staying in the same lodge for nights 1 and 2 lets you go down into the crater early on day 2 and spend the whole day there without packing or moving.

02

Three Serengeti nights

Days 3 to 5 give the Serengeti real time, including a day kept free to follow fresh sightings or move to wherever the migration is in your month.

03

Fly out, do not drive back

The flight from a Serengeti airstrip to Arusha saves most of a day on the road and leaves room for a last morning game drive.

04

Private from start to finish

Your own vehicle and guide for all six days, so the pace, the stops and the length of each drive are set by you.

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about this private Ngorongoro and Serengeti safari.

The rate depends on your group size, the season and the lodge level you choose. Tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling and we will quote for exactly that trip rather than give you a range. The internal flight from the Serengeti to Arusha and the crater service fee are already in the quote.
The drive back from the Serengeti to Arusha takes most of a day. Flying out on day 6 gives you a final morning game drive and still gets you to JRO in time for an evening departure.
That is what day 5 is for. Depending on the month, your guide can keep you in the same area or move you towards where the herds are: the southern plains in roughly December to March, the central and western areas in April to June, and the north from about July to October. We will tell you before you book where the herds are likely to be on your dates.
Yes. Light aircraft in Tanzania usually limit each passenger to around 15 kg in a soft bag, including hand luggage. Pack in a duffel rather than a hard suitcase; we can arrange to store extra bags in Arusha.
No, it is an optional extra on day 4. It starts before dawn, depends on the weather and is best booked well ahead in the busy months.
Yes, it is on the road from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti on day 3 and only adds a short detour. Tell your guide in the morning and they will plan the day around it.
Most passports need a Tanzania visa. Apply online at the official immigration portal well before you travel rather than queueing on arrival.
Tips are not included and are up to you. Most guests tip their private guide at the end and use the staff box at each lodge. We can give you current guidance when you book.
Enquire

Shall we begin?

Tell us when you would like to travel and we will send you a tailored quotation.

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