The African Big 5 Photography Safari

About
this Tour

Area to Visit

Arusha, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

This 8-day Big Five photographic safari focuses on key wildlife areas in northern Tanzania. You will spend long hours in the field seeking elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhinoceros. It all begins in Arusha with time to adjust after your flight. Next is Tarangire. Woodland, river corridors and reliable elephant numbers support steady photography of wildlife behaviour and movement. 

After Tarangire, we continue to the Ngorongoro Crater. This is the world’s largest unbroken caldera, and holds a high density of wild animals, including the Big 5, with sightings of black rhino. We finally wrap up in Serengeti, a game reserve known for active predator-prey scenarios. A flight returns you to Arusha at the end for onward arrangements.

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Full Itinerary

Arrival in Arusha introduces an immediate shift to safari focus. After clearing necessary custom formalities at Kilimanjaro Int’l Airport, a private transfer proceeds toward Mount Meru Hotel, positioned with space to reorganize and rest. Take the time to prepare your gear and ensure batteries and cards remain accessible for early fieldwork in Tarangire tomorrow. 

Light strolls inside the property offer views of mature vegetation and mountain outlines on clear afternoons. Brief guidance from the accompanying photographic leader covers expectations for early departures, preferred lens ranges for moving subjects and practical conduct around wildlife. Evening hours allow quiet adjustment before your safari begins.

Meal Plan: Dinner

Morning departure from Arusha leads into Tarangire National Park. Elephants form the major draw here, gathering in notable numbers around water sources as the daylight progresses. The park carries a broad range of plains species and a lion population that often rests on open ground during warmer hours. Morning drives usually begin early to take advantage of cooler air and clearer observation. After time out in the field, we return to Nimali Tarangire for lunch and a short pause during the middle of the day. 

Slow hours allow rest or quiet viewing of animals passing through the vicinity of the lodge. Afternoon outings continue once the temperature lowers and visibility of movement improves again. Each evening concludes back at Nimali, with time to reflect on wildlife encounters and notice shifting light over the surrounding terrain. Tarangire offers consistent scenes of everyday life in the bush, from grazing herds to cautious predators, and the pace over these two days supports unhurried exploration of one of northern Tanzania’s most reliable conservation areas.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we leave Tarangire and travel toward the Ngorongoro highlands. The road gains altitude and cooler conditions develop as we approach the Crater rim. Ngorongoro is widely regarded for holding Africa’s Big Five in one contained ecosystem, with sizeable buffalo herds, lion territories on the grass floor and elusive black rhinoceros remaining under careful protection. 

Descending into the Crater provides an immediate view of grazing plains, wetlands and a lake drawing flamingos in suitable seasons. Lunch is usually taken at a designated picnic point inside the Crater, with activity continuing through the afternoon while observing the extraordinary concentration of animals. We stay at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, returning there each evening for rest before another full day exploring this unique natural enclosure.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early departure leads across the highlands toward central Serengeti, arriving at Serengeti Meliá Lodge for lunch and brief check in before setting out on our first game drive. The Seronera region is known for its open savannah, interspersed with kopjes and seasonal rivers, creating varied vantage points for observing predators and herbivores in individual groups. Lions and cheetahs frequently rest on these rocky outcrops, and elephant herds move steadily across plains dotted with acacia. 

Buffalo and wildebeest congregate along riverbeds offering consistent sightings. The following day begins with an early start, carrying packed lunch to maximize field hours and maintain continuity of observation. Game drives during these two days focus on broad coverage of the central ecosystem, capturing interactions between species across plains and kopjes while moving between riverine and open habitats. In the evening, we return to the lodge for dinner and good night sleep.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, your driver-guide will collect you from the lodge and transfer you to the nearby airstrip for your flight to Arusha. The short flight offers a last look at the landscapes that have framed your safari. On arrival, you will be met and taken to a local restaurant for lunch. 

Depending on your flight schedule, there may be time to visit a nearby craft market or simply unwind before your airport transfer. Later in the afternoon, our representative will accompany you to Kilimanjaro International Airport and assist with the check-in process. It is a quiet, fitting close to an adventure that will forever remain in your memory.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Price Includes

Price Excludes

The quoted package price includes the following: 

  • All park entrance fees
  • English-speaking chauffeur/guide
  • 4×4 Land Cruiser vehicle
  • Bottled mineral water while on safari
  • Transfers to /from airport / airstrip upon arrival/departure
  • Full board accommodation while on safari
  • Activities as specified in the itinerary
  • All Tanzanian government taxes & service charges

The quoted price does not include the following: 

  • All International flights to / from Tanzania
  • Visas
  • All items of a personal nature
  • Laundry service at your lodges
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Alcoholic drinks while on safari
  • Travel Insurance
  • Optional activities (Hot Air Balloon in Serengeti).
  • Last-minute changes made by you

Price Includes

From the moment you arrive until your departure, we make sure you are free to relax and enjoy your safari.

  • English-speaking chauffeur/guide
  • 4×4 Land Cruiser vehicle
  • Bottled mineral water while on safari
  • Transfers to /from airport / airstrip upon arrival/departure
  • Full board accommodation while on safari
  • All park entrance fees
  • Activities as specified in the itinerary
  • All Tanzanian government taxes & service charges
  •  

Price Excludes

The quoted price does not include the following:

  • All International flights to / from Tanzania
  • Visas
  • All items of a personal nature
  • Laundry service at your lodges
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Alcoholic drinks while on safari
  • Travel Insurance
  • Optional activities (Hot Air Balloon in Serengeti).
  • Last-minute changes made by you
  •  

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