Tarangire is one of the best places in Tanzania to see large herds of elephants up close, so the smartest way to enjoy this park is to plan your game drive during the early morning or late afternoon when wildlife is most active. The park’s giant baobab trees create beautiful scenery, and animals often gather around the Tarangire River, especially in the dry season, making it a prime spot for photography. To get the most out of your visit, stay patient at waterholes—this is where you’re likely to see elephants, lions, zebras, and even rare species like oryx and gerenuk. As your safari experts at Tanzania Safari Experience, we always recommend carrying a good zoom lens and binoculars here because Tarangire offers some of the best long-range wildlife viewing in northern Tanzania.
5 Days Tanzania Safari with Hot Air Balloon
5-Day Private Tanzania Safari Package with Balloon Ride Included
A 5 Days Private Tanzania Safari & Serengeti Balloon Ride is one of the most unforgettable ways to explore Africa’s most iconic safari destinations. This private adventure takes you through Tarangire National Park, the world-famous Serengeti, and the legendary Ngorongoro Crater — the best wildlife areas in Tanzania.
From witnessing giant elephant herds in Tarangire to soaring above the Serengeti plains during your balloon safari, every moment of this itinerary is designed to offer the perfect mix of wildlife, scenery, comfort, and exclusivity.
Whether you are searching for the Big Five Tanzania safaris, looking for a tanzania safari all inclusive option, or comparing 5 days private Tanzania safari price, this journey gives you everything you need in one beautifully crafted package.
Your private guide, private vehicle, flexible schedule, and handpicked lodges ensure that every day is comfortable, immersive, and tailored to your liking.
Let’s dive into the full guide, itinerary, highlights, costs, balloon experience, packing tips, and expert recommendations from Tanzania Safari Experience.
Best Time to Do a Safari in Tanzania
Many visitors ask:
What is the best time for safari in Tanzania?
The best months are:
June – October (Dry Season)
Best for wildlife visibility
Animals gather around water sources
Perfect for Serengeti balloon rides
No rain, cool temperatures
December – March
Excellent for big cats
Calving season in Serengeti (February)
Great photography opportunities
April – May
Rainy season but beautiful and quiet
Best rates and fewer crowds
Tanzania Safari Experience Photo Gallery
These are real photos from our clients on their Tanzania safaris. They show the wildlife, landscapes, and special moments you can experience on your own safari adventure.
Expert recommendation
As your safari specialists at Tanzania Safari Experience, we highly recommend this 5 Days Private Tanzania Safari & Serengeti Balloon Ride for travelers who want a well-balanced adventure covering Tanzania’s top wildlife destinations. This itinerary offers the perfect combination of private game drives, luxury comfort, breathtaking landscapes, and the unforgettable thrill of a sunrise balloon ride over the Serengeti. Whether you are a first-time visitor or returning to Africa, this safari guarantees rich wildlife encounters and memories that will last a lifetime.
Laurent Karume
Tanzania Safari Specialist
Safari Highlights
- Explore Tarangire’s famous elephants and baobab
- Enjoy full-day big cat sightings in Serengeti Central
- Experience a magical sunrise Serengeti balloon ride
- Follow the migration and incredible wildlife moments
- Discover the Big Five inside Ngorongoro Crater
- Travel in a private 4x4 with your own expert guide
- Stay in comfortable lodges and a Serengeti tented camp
At a glance
- 4 Nights
- Tanzania
- Safari
Tailormade itineraries
Every Tanzania Safari Experience adventure is customized just for you—no fixed tours or set dates. Speak with our Tanzania Safari experts to help you plan your perfect Tanzania Safari itinerary.
Safari Spots
These are the safari spots—Tanzania safari destinations—you will visit on your journey. Each stop offers unique wildlife, landscapes, and unforgettable experiences.
Day-by-Day Itinerary 5 Days Tanzania Safari with Hot Air Balloon
Your safari is carefully planned to maximize wildlife viewing while still giving you time to relax and enjoy the journey. Here’s what you can expect day by day.
DAY 1: Arusha → Tarangire National Park
Highlights: Elephants • Baobab trees • Big cats • Picnic lunch • Full game drive
Your adventure begins after breakfast as you depart Arusha on a scenic three-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, one of the most beautiful landscapes in northern Tanzania. Tarangire is known for having one of the highest concentrations of wildlife and the largest elephant population in the country.
Once inside the park, your private guide leads you through the river valleys, grasslands, and baobab forests as you search for:
Elephants
Lions & leopards
Buffalo
Giraffes
Wildebeest
Zebra
Rare species like oryx and kudu
A delicious picnic lunch is enjoyed under the shade of acacia trees as you continue spotting wildlife. Tarangire offers some of the best early safari experiences for travelers taking big five Tanzania safaris.
Day Highlights:
- Meet your personal safari guide
- Tarangire Game Drive
Tarangire National Park Photo
OVERNIGHT & MEAL PLAN
- Location: Karatu
- Room Type: Standard
- Meal Plan: FB – Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch
- It's Reviews: TripAdvisor Reviews
Safari Tip – Tarangire National Park:
DAY 2: Karatu → Serengeti Central (Seronera)
Highlights: Ngorongoro views • Serengeti game drive • Big cats • Migration sightings
After breakfast, you leave Karatu and travel through the highlands into the spectacular Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Marvel at the breathtaking views before continuing your descent toward the endless plains of the Serengeti.
Upon arrival in Serengeti Central (Seronera), you begin your first game drive in one of the world’s most iconic wildlife destinations.
Here, the abundance of wildlife is unmatched. You may witness:
The legendary wildebeest migration (seasonal)
Lions sleeping on kopjes
Leopards resting in acacia trees
Cheetahs scanning for prey
Huge herds of buffalo, zebra, gazelles, and more
This area is also ideal for travelers researching Serengeti safari tours and holidays or African safari tours Serengeti.
Day Highlights:
- Enter Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Serengeti Central Game Drive
Serengeti National Park Photo
OVERNIGHT & MEAL PLAN
- Location: Seronera - Serengeti Central
- Room Type: Safari Tent
- Meal Plan: FB – Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch
- It's Reviews: TripAdvisor Reviews
Safari Tip
The Wildebeest Migration in Kogatende is at its peak from July to October, when huge herds gather in the northern Serengeti and make their famous Mara River crossings. Spending a full day here means nonstop action—massive herds grazing at sunrise, dramatic river crossings during the day, and predators like lions, hyenas, and crocodiles following the movement. It’s one of the most exciting and unforgettable safari experiences in Tanzania.
DAY 3: Full Day in Serengeti Central + Balloon Safari
Highlights: Sunrise balloon ride • Champagne breakfast • Full-day game drive
This is the most magical day of your entire trip.
Serengeti Balloon Safari (Early Morning)
Before dawn, you transfer to the balloon launch site. As the hot air balloon inflates and rises into the purple-blue sky, you gently float above the wildlife-rich plains of the Serengeti.
This unique vantage point offers extraordinary sightings:
Herds of wildebeest moving in long lines
Giraffes walking gracefully through acacia forests
Hippos returning to rivers
Lions hunting at sunrise
Elephants roaming silently below
After landing, enjoy a champagne bush breakfast — an unforgettable experience many travelers describe as the highlight of their lives.
Full-Day Game Drive
Spend the rest of the day exploring the heart of the Serengeti, tracking big cats and witnessing scenes straight from nature documentaries.
Day Highlights:
- Full Day Game Drive In Serengeti Central
- Serengeti Balloon Safari
Serengeti National Park Photo
OVERNIGHT & MEAL PLAN
- Location: Seronera - Serengeti Central
- Room Type: Safari Tent
- Meal Plan: FB – Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch
- It's Reviews: TripAdvisor Reviews
Safari Tip
The Wildebeest Migration in Kogatende is at its peak from July to October, when huge herds gather in the northern Serengeti and make their famous Mara River crossings. Spending a full day here means nonstop action—massive herds grazing at sunrise, dramatic river crossings during the day, and predators like lions, hyenas, and crocodiles following the movement. It’s one of the most exciting and unforgettable safari experiences in Tanzania.
DAY 4: Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Karatu
Highlights: Sunrise game drive • Scenic landscapes • Wildlife en route
After breakfast, begin a sunrise game drive in Serengeti Central, making the most of the prime wildlife hours. Early mornings are ideal for spotting big cats and witnessing wildlife activity before the heat sets in.
Later in the day, continue your journey toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, enjoying another game drive en route.
Day Highlights:
- Serengeti Central Game Drive
- Enter Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Serengeti National Park Photo
OVERNIGHT & MEAL PLAN
- Location: Karatu
- Room Type: Standard
- Meal Plan: FB – Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch
- It's Reviews: TripAdvisor Reviews
DAY 5: Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
Highlights: Big Five • Crater floor game drive • Hippo pool picnic • Final safari moments
After breakfast, descend 600 meters into the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most wildlife-packed areas on Earth.
Inside the crater, you have the best chance of spotting the Big Five in one day:
Lions
Buffalo
Elephants
Rhinos (rare but possible)
Leopards (often seen along forest edges)
Enjoy a picnic lunch at the scenic hippo pool before slowly ascending the crater walls and making your way back to Arusha.
This marks the end of your unforgettable journey.
Day Highlights:
- Enter Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Game Drive In Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater Photos
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Our tours are top-notch but give you great value. The price we tell you upfront covers most of the costs for one person, like flights and all transfers.
- Park fees
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Air Ambulance Service by AMREF Flying Doctors;
- At Least 1 Pair Of Binoculars;
- International flights (from/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips to your safari guide ($30-50 per day per car).
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Alcohol drinks
- Visas and visa fees where relevant
- Additional activities not offered as scheduled by the accommodation
- Lunch and dinner in hotel (only before and after safari);
Connect with our local experts for personalized travel planning
Plan your 5 Days Tanzania Safari with Hot Air Balloon today
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Everything You Need to Know About Your Safari
Every safari adventure begins with a question. Whether it’s your first or second time, it’s natural to wonder about the best time to visit, what to pack, or how the journey works. Here, we’ve answered the most common questions travelers ask before booking their Tanzania safari, so you can plan with confidence and look forward to unforgettable memories.
Yes, 5 days is the ideal amount of time to explore Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro without rushing. It offers the perfect balance of wildlife, scenery, and comfort.
The cost depends on season and accommodation level. On average, a 5 day Tanzania safari price ranges from $2,200 – $5,000 per person. Balloon safari is usually an additional cost but is included in this package.
You can expect lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, gazelles, and many more.
Yes — it’s one of the most extraordinary experiences in Africa, offering a bird’s-eye view of wildlife at sunrise. Most travelers say it’s the highlight of their safari.
Light clothing, warm layers for early mornings, binoculars, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, comfortable shoes, and a camera. Tanzania Safari Experience will provide a detailed packing list.
Yes. This itinerary covers accommodation, meals, all park fees, game drives, balloon ride, and a private guide. Only personal items and tips are extra.
Yes, Tanzania is considered one of the safest safari destinations in Africa. National parks are well-managed, and guides are highly trained to ensure your safety. While in cities, it’s always best to take normal precautions, such as avoiding walking alone at night. Traveling with a trusted operator ensures a smooth and safe experience.
Absolutely. Throughout the safari, you will stay in comfortable, well-equipped camps chosen for their location and service quality. These camps offer cozy beds, delicious meals, and warm hospitality. Most importantly, they place you close to key wildlife areas, ensuring you never miss important migration moments.
Absolutely. Tanzania Safari Experience can tailor this trip to include luxury upgrades, beach extensions (Zanzibar), photography setups, or special celebrations.