4 Days Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater — Self-Launched Safari
4 days · Northern Tanzania
Lappet Faced Safaris charges £1,500
No-markup version: ~£720 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Lappet Faced Safaris' 4-day Northern Circuit safari, covering Tarangire National Park, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. Instead of booking a private guided package, you join a small-group scheduled safari (or build your own using a shared 4WD with other travellers) departing Arusha — the cheapest realistic route to the same three parks. Costs are based on joining a budget camping group safari, which is how most solo backpackers do this circuit. Figures are approximate (2025 rates) and assume you share a vehicle and tent.
Day-by-day
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
Get an early start from Arusha (most budget safari groups leave between 7:00 and 8:00). Drive ~2 hours south-west to Tarangire National Park, famous for its huge elephant herds and thousands of baobab trees. Spend the full day on game drives watching elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, giraffes and zebras, with a picnic lunch stop inside the park. Continue to your campsite or basic lodge near Karatu/the park gate for dinner. If you're assembling your own trip, book a seat on a scheduled group safari departing Arusha — most hostels and the Arusha tourist office can match you with a shared departure within a day or two.
🚌Shared 4WD safari vehicle with guide (included in group safari seat price). Local dala-dala to Arusha meeting point ~£1
🛏Budget tented camp or hostel-run safari campsite near Tarangire/Karatu (~£18 pp sharing)
- →Full-day game drive in Tarangire National Park
- →Picnic lunch in the park
- →Elephant and baobab spotting
Tarangire to the Serengeti
Serengeti National Park
Breakfast, then a long but scenic drive north through the Ngorongoro highlands and past the crater rim into the Serengeti. Afternoon game drive across the Serengeti plains looking for wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and lions. You'll camp inside or just outside the park boundary. Optional extra: a hot-air balloon flight at dawn (book direct with operators such as Miracle Experience or Serengeti Balloon Safaris) — realistically £450–£550 pp, so most budget travellers skip it. Note: the operator's listed $5,304 balloon price looks like a typo or full-vehicle rate.
🚌Shared 4WD safari vehicle; full-day transfer and game drive (included in group safari seat price)
🛏Public campsite inside the Serengeti (e.g. Seronera area) or nearby tented camp (~£20 pp sharing)
- →Afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park
- →Wildebeest and gazelle viewing
- →Optional hot-air balloon (book direct, from ~£450 pp)
Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Early morning game drive in the Serengeti — the best time for predator activity — then drive south towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Visit the crater rim for panoramic views before descending to your campsite on the rim or near Karatu. Wildlife on the rim and surrounding conservation area includes buffalo, elephants, lions and the Maasai grazing their herds. If you're doing this independently, remember the Ngorongoro Crater entry fee (£50–£60 pp) plus vehicle fee are separate from Serengeti fees — budget safaris usually fold these into the price.
🚌Shared 4WD safari vehicle with guide (included in group safari seat price)
🛏Ngorongoro Crater rim campsite (cold at night — bring layers) or budget lodge in Karatu (~£22 pp sharing)
- →Morning game drive in Serengeti
- →Crater rim viewpoint visit
- →Wildlife and Maasai village viewing
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
Ngorongoro Crater & Arusha
Descend to the crater floor at first light for a 5-hour game drive — the highest concentration of wildlife in East Africa, including black rhinos, hippos, hyenas, lions, elephants and buffalo. Picnic lunch by the hippo pool. Climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha (~4 hours), arriving late afternoon for onward flights or an overnight stay. If you're heading on, buses from Arusha to Moshi/Kilimanjaro run regularly (~£8); for Zanzibar, fly or take the bus to Dar es Salaam.
🚌Shared 4WD safari vehicle back to Arusha; local bus onwards if needed (~£8)
🛏Optional Arusha hostel/guesthouse for a night before flying out (~£15)
- →5-hour Ngorongoro Crater floor game drive
- →Picnic lunch at Hippo Pool
- →Rhino, hippo and big-cat viewing
Self-launched vs. Lappet Faced Safaris
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Lappet Faced Safaris | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£720 | £1,500 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £780 per person (52%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Lappet Faced Safaris-style trips? Check them out here.~£720
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does 4 Days Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater — Self-Launched Safari cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £720 per person for 4 days in Northern Tanzania. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Lappet Faced Safaris?+
Yes — Lappet Faced Safaris charges around £1,500 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £720 — a saving of roughly £780 (52%) per person.
How long is the Northern Tanzania trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Northern Tanzania.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, budget trip through Northern Tanzania, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.