7-Day Tanzania Family Safari
A week of serious wildlife, paced for a family.
Arusha → Central Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Tarangire
$1,800 per person
Seven days gives a family enough time to experience Tanzania without treating every morning as another race to the next park.
This itinerary starts with a night in Arusha, gives you two full days in central Serengeti, continues through Ngorongoro Crater and finishes with Tarangire before your final night back in Arusha.
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Your itinerary
Day 1 — Arusha
Arrive, settle in, start tomorrow. Your first day is deliberately light. After airport pickup, transfer to your lodge in Arusha and give everyone time to recover from the journey before the safari begins.
There is no game drive to squeeze in and nowhere else you need to be.
Stay: Under The Shade Safari Lodge
Day 2 — Central Serengeti
Into the Serengeti. Fly from Arusha into central Serengeti and begin the safari shortly after landing. The Seronera area offers excellent year-round wildlife viewing, with open plains, river valleys and kopjes supporting lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra and other resident wildlife.
The day is paced around the family, with enough time to stop properly rather than rush from one sighting to the next.
Stay: Signature Serengeti Luxury Tented Safari Camp
Wildlife highlights: Lion, elephant, giraffe and zebra.
Day 3 — Central Serengeti
A full day in the field. Spend the entire day exploring central Serengeti without needing to pack up or transfer elsewhere. Your guide can follow promising sightings, stop for a picnic lunch and adjust the pace when everyone needs a break.
Returning to the same camp at the end of the day also gives the children some familiarity after a long game drive.
Stay: Signature Serengeti Luxury Tented Safari Camp
Wildlife highlights: Cheetah, buffalo, hyena, elephant and other plains wildlife.
Day 4 — Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro
One last Serengeti morning. Start with a final game drive in central Serengeti before travelling towards the Ngorongoro highlands. The landscape changes noticeably as the open plains give way to cooler, greener country approaching the crater.
Arrive near the rim in the afternoon and settle in for the night.
Stay: Embalakai Camps Ngorongoro
Wildlife highlights: Elephant, hyena and other wildlife encountered en route.
Day 5 — Ngorongoro Crater
Into the caldera. Descend early onto the Ngorongoro Crater floor for a full game drive. The crater supports a remarkable concentration of wildlife within a relatively compact area, including lion, buffalo, elephant, hippo and the possibility of seeing black rhino.
Afterwards, continue to Karatu for a quieter evening after the day in the crater.
Stay: Farms of Dreams Lodge
Wildlife highlights: Black rhino, lion, buffalo, elephant, flamingo and hippo.
Day 6 — Tarangire National Park
Elephants, baobabs and an easier final safari day
Spend the morning in Tarangire, known for its elephant herds, baobab-dotted landscape and wildlife around the Tarangire River.
The day is intentionally lighter than the Serengeti and crater days. Return to Arusha in the afternoon and settle back into the same lodge where the trip began.
Stay: Under The Shade Safari Lodge
Wildlife highlights: Elephant, giraffe, zebra and warthog.
Day 7 — Arusha
A slow morning before home. There is no safari schedule today. Have breakfast, pack at your own pace and use the remaining time around the lodge before your airport transfer.
Depending on your flight time, there may also be time for a short stop in Arusha.
Ends: Arusha airport transfer.
Is this safari for your family?
This itinerary is designed for families who want substantial wildlife time without trying to cover too much ground in a week. Two nights in central Serengeti, a slower arrival day and a lighter final safari day give the trip some breathing room around the longer game-drive days.
It still requires children who are comfortable spending several hours in a vehicle, including early starts and longer days in Serengeti and Ngorongoro. The source itinerary suggests it is best suited to children around six and older. Families travelling with very young children or wanting a beach-heavy holiday may be better served by a different itinerary.
What's included
Private vehicle and dedicated guide, all game drives in the itinerary, park and conservation fees, six nights’ accommodation, full-board meals during the safari, domestic flight into central Serengeti, arrival and departure airport transfers, bottled water during game drives and emergency evacuation cover.
Not included
International flights, Tanzania visa fees, travel insurance, gratuities for guides and camp staff, alcoholic beverages and optional hot-air balloon safari.