The Serengeti National Park is 1.5 million acres in size, and it is famous for its abundant wildlife, especially the Big Five. In particular, it is well-known for being a must-do tour stop for any safari visitor to see the yearly Great Migration where almost 1.5 million wildebeest and gazelle migrate from the Serengeti to Masai Mara in search of better grazing pastures.
It’s no secret that the Serengeti Tours are teeming with some of the best safari experiences in the nation; a trip there during the correct time of year will reward travelers with jaw-dropping views of this spectacular natural phenomena. There are volcanic grasslands and wide plains in the Serengeti, broken up by stunning rock outcroppings, streams, volcanoes, and woods.
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The best Serengeti National Park Tours
Price of Serengeti Tours?
Expect a starting price of $1,000 per person 2 day tour, while luxury tours start at about $2,500. Safari packages from Serengeti National Park span a wide price range, influenced by several variables. The biggest factor determining the price of a safari is the level of accommodation. This will ultimately categorize tours as being budget, mid-range or luxury and of course shared tours are usually cheaper than private tours.
This is especially the case for single travelers. On a 10 day trip or longer, you might want to consider a fly-in safari, but can be considerably more expensive than road safaris. Check out the seasons too; low-season prices can be favorable and while you’ll probably get some rain at this time, it’s when the scenery is at its best.
Breakdown of Serengeti National Park Tours
Depending on the type and duration of your safari, visitors have the option to see not just the Big 5 in Serengeti NP but embark on incredible activities including hot air balloon safari, walking safaris and birding treks.
Serengeti tours highlights
- Discover the Big Five including the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo in Serengeti
- See the Great Migration in action on over 1.5 million hectares of savannah in, one of the most amazing natural phenomena on Earth with thousands of herbivores moving (wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras), followed by their predators, to permanent water holes.
- Track the 1.7 million Wildebeests wandering in one of the oldest National Parks in Africa, also one of the Seven Wonders of the world.
- Private tour guide in English and other languages
- Game drives in comfortable, open top safari vehicles
- World class safari accommodation including lodges and tented camps
Tour inclusions
The following details typical tour inclusions and exclusions on the best Serengeti National Park safari tours:
| Tour inclusions | Tour exclusions |
|---|---|
| Game drives per the itinerary as well as pick-up and drop-off | Visa fees, laundry services, drinks including mineral water at the hotels |
| Experienced english-speaking guide and driver | International/domestic flights |
| Transport and park entrance fees | Cultural visits to local villages (15 USD p/p) |
| Accommodation (full-board safaris) | Tips to the driver guides, waiters and porters |
| Park fees | |
| Breakfast, lunch, dinner and bottled water | |
| Government taxes |
Safari essentials and information
Is a 3 – 4 day safari in Serengeti National Park sufficient?
3 – 4 days is more than enough to experience the incredible wildlife and sights of an Africa safari. The number of days needed to properly do an Africa safari can range from 1-2 days to 1-2 weeks, depending on how much time and budget a visitor has.
Each day consists of an early morning game drive and a late afternoon game drive, certainly sufficient time to view the big 5 and incredible scenery.
On a day trip, you can even break up the drive to or from any park with an overnight stay in a park en route to your next destination such as the world famous Masai Mara or the beautiful Grumeti GR.
Overall, 3 – 4 days is a good amount of time for a safari in the Serengeti if it is part of a larger Tanzania safari tour, but if not, allocating a few more days or weeks, if you can, to your safari would be ideal.
Accommodation offered on a Serengeti National Park safari tour?
After a long day surveying the incredible Tanzania landscape and wildlife on offer, guests can look forward to the very best safari accommodation on their Serengeti National Park safari tour. The accommodation is excellent with numerous options from tented camps, luxury lodges to camping grounds.
From camping in the bush with amenities to mid-range and luxury lodges located inside park reserves, there’s something for everyone. On a safari, high-end lodgings are commonly used on fly-in safari packages and excellent wining and dining is very much the norm.
Many others are small designer ecolodges, often made to blend into the environment whilst others near watering holes are superb for wildlife viewing and guests can enjoy a front-row seat to spot the wildebeest and zebras crossing the river.
Animals on a Serengeti National Park safari tour?
You’ll find just about everything on a safari near the beautiful Serengeti National Park. The park is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo) and visitors will also find spotted hyenas and hippos depending on the particular country and park you visit.
The average daily schedule at reserves calls for two different safari trips, each of which lasts between two and three hours. As the animals are at their most active in the morning and late afternoon, the departure times for the two groups are staggered to take advantage of this.
Inside the Serengeti, the Moru Kopjes area is well regarded as the most well-known and magnificent of all the kopjes.There are antique paintings by the Masai and you can find breathtaking views of the wildlife that lives in the plains below if you reach the summit and look out over the horizon, the best place to spot black rhinos due to the rocky terrain.
What activities are a must-do on a Serengeti National Park safari tour?
Outdoor adventures, game viewing drives, hot-air balloon safaris, bush lunches and dinners, visiting the Serengeti Visitor Center, visiting Olduvai Gorge, visiting Ngorongoro Crater, watching the Wildebeest Migration and going to visit the Maasai tribes to learn about their culture and history are amongst the main activities in the Serengeti.
Visitors also enjoy backpacking, discovering the Bologonja Springs, the Lobo Valley, The Moru Kopjes, bird watching, paddling, the Hippo Pool, and Lake Natron are some of the most popular things to do in the Serengeti.
How far is the drive to the Serengeti NP?
While traveling straight from Arusha, the distance to the base camp in Seronera is around 300 kilometers. The first part of this journey is spent traveling on the same paved road that travels around Lake Manyara and terminates at the primary entry to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the east (NCA). The second route traverses the western grasslands of the NCA via a rocky and dusty corrugated trail. This route circumnavigates the Ngorongoro Crater.
The whole trip should take at least six hours, and preferably the whole day, to complete. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that the majority of Serengeti excursions include overnight stays at Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. These pauses assist to break up the journey and are highly recommended.
FAQs
What is the best month to visit the Serengeti?
January through February, or June through October, are ideal months to explore the Serengeti. The Serengeti’s undulating grasslands have a rich green color and the animal watching is at its best in January since there is very little dust.
How much does a trip to the Serengeti cost?
An affordable one week safari in the Serengeti National Park can cost from $2,500 and $7,500 USD, depending on the level of luxury that you choose for your vacation.
How many days is enough for the Serengeti?
Given the size of the Serengeti National Park, a visit of at least four days is required to see all of the park’s animals. Finding the Big Five requires a fair amount of time spent on the road and you will encounter a wide range of climates and safari activities throughout the course of four days.