7 Day The Great Savannah Luxury Safari All Inclusive

The best part of this safari is the strong northern Tanzania route. In one week, you move from Tarangire’s elephant country to the Serengeti’s open plains, then into the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara’s forest. I like the private format and the early Serengeti drive at 6:00 am, when big cats are still active. I also like that airport pickup and meals are built in.

The main caution is the pace. You cover a lot of ground, and long road days are part of the deal. The $4,570 price can make sense for a private safari with park access, lodging, guiding, and meals, but you should confirm exactly what your accommodation package includes before paying.

Key points at a glance

• Four famous parks in seven days: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro give you a broad sample of Tanzania’s northern safari circuit.
• Private travel: Only your group participates, so the pace and game-viewing stops are more personal than on a shared departure.
• Best wildlife timing: The 6:00 am Serengeti game drive is planned around cool temperatures and active nocturnal predators.
• Tarangire’s signature scenery: Expect large elephant groups, ancient baobabs, the Tarangire River, and the wildlife-filled Silale Swamp.
• Optional Maasai village visit: The stop in the Ngorongoro Highlands offers a chance to learn about Maasai culture from elders, warriors, women, and children.
• Practical package: Airport pickup is offered, mobile tickets are used, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner are listed for six days.

What the $4,570 safari package really gives you

At $4,570 per person, this is not a budget safari. It is aimed at someone who wants a private, arranged trip rather than piecing together park permits, lodging, meals, and transfers alone.

The price is easier to judge when you look at the route. You visit four major safari areas and spend two nights in the Serengeti, where the extra time gives you a better shot at seeing different animals at different hours. Airport pickup at Kilimanjaro International Airport is also included in the plan, which removes one early source of stress.

The listed meals are breakfast, lunch, and dinner for six days. That is useful because safari days are not built around regular restaurant stops. Lunch is specifically carried on the Tarangire day, and lunch is taken in the Ngorongoro Crater on Day 6.

I would still ask for a written breakdown before booking. The supplied details do not name the lodges, specify drinks, or spell out every lodging category. The title calls the experience all inclusive, but the formal inclusions list confirms meals rather than every possible extra. Visa costs, international flights, and tips are not included.

This is a private tour, and that matters. You are not locked into a large group’s timetable. The tradeoff is that a private safari costs more per person than a shared vehicle, especially for a solo traveler or a pair.

Day 1 in Arusha: a soft landing after your flight

Your safari begins with pickup at Kilimanjaro International Airport by a Tales of Tanzania Safaris representative. You are transferred to a hotel in Arusha, with the rest of the day left open.

That free time is welcome. Long international flights and airport transfers can leave you tired, so you can rest, swim, or explore Arusha if your energy returns. The tour also says day tours may be available, but these are optional rather than part of the seven-day safari itself.

Do not treat this as a full sightseeing day. The value is in having a calm arrival rather than racing straight into a park. If you arrive late, the hotel transfer still gives the first day a clear purpose: get settled and prepare for the road ahead.

Day 2 in Tarangire: elephants beneath baobabs

After breakfast, you drive about 110 kilometers from Arusha to Tarangire National Park. The journey is described as roughly two hours, followed by a game drive with lunch boxes.

Tarangire is the right opening park for this route because it gives you a distinct setting from the Serengeti. Large elephant herds and ancient baobab trees are the headline sights, but the park also offers lions, leopards, birds, and changing terrain.

Water shapes the day here. The Tarangire River is important, and the Silale Swamp in the southern part of the park can draw a large concentration of animals. In the dry season, the river becomes especially important as other water sources fade. That means the season of your visit can affect where wildlife gathers.

I like the contrast between the huge elephants and the odd, sculptural baobabs. It makes Tarangire feel different from the classic grassland scenes later in the week. The possible drawback is the seven-hour duration listed for the stop. With the drive from Arusha and the return or onward movement, you should expect a full day in the vehicle.

Day 3 at Lake Manyara: forest, flamingos, and a famous escarpment

Lake Manyara sits roughly between Tarangire and Ngorongoro, making it a sensible part of the route. The park stretches about 50 kilometers along the base of the 600-meter Rift Valley escarpment.

The scenery changes quickly. Near the entrance, the road passes through groundwater forest, where blue monkeys and large baboon groups may be seen. Giraffes and elephants are also possible, along with lions and leopards. In the distance, the lake can appear pink with flamingos.

The park is also associated with tree-climbing lions, one of the most appealing details in the itinerary. That is a possibility, not a promise, so keep your expectations flexible. Wildlife does not follow a schedule simply because your safari does.

The eight-hour stop gives you time to appreciate more than one view. I would pay attention to the changing habitats, from forest to open areas and the lake shore. Lake Manyara may not offer the same scale as the Serengeti, but it adds variety and helps prevent the trip from becoming four versions of the same grassland drive.

Day 4: crossing the Ngorongoro Highlands into the Serengeti

Day 4 is the transition to the famous Serengeti. After breakfast, your driver guide picks you up at the lodge and you head toward the central plains.

An optional Maasai village visit is offered in the Ngorongoro Highlands. The visit is described as a chance to meet elders, warriors, women, and children and learn about Maasai beliefs, traditions, and daily culture. Since it is optional, confirm the cost and timing before you go if this part matters to you.

The road to the Serengeti is not just a transfer between parks. It brings a change in scale. Central Serengeti is known for its endless plains, scattered acacia trees, rocky kopjes, and riverine forest. The open views can make animal sightings feel more dramatic because you may see wildlife stretching far into the distance.

The itinerary points to good possibilities for leopards along river valleys. Lions and other plains animals are also part of the central Serengeti experience, though exact sightings depend on the season, weather, and luck.

This is another eight-hour day, so plan for road time as well as game viewing. The payoff is reaching the Serengeti with enough time to begin looking for animals rather than spending the whole next day getting there.

Day 5 in the Serengeti: use the early start

The most carefully planned wildlife window comes on Day 5. You leave the lodge at around 6:00 am for a pre-sunrise game drive.

That early departure is practical, not just romantic. The air is cooler, and animals can still be active after the night. The schedule specifically focuses on big cats returning from hunting. You then go back to the lodge for breakfast and a rest before heading out again for another game drive and sunset viewing.

I like this rhythm because it gives you two different kinds of safari. The morning drive is about activity and predator behavior. The later drive lets you enjoy the broad Serengeti scenery and the changing light without forcing you to remain in the vehicle all day.

The word leisure is important here. Use the midday break to rest rather than treating it as lost safari time. Six or more hours of bumps, heat, and constant scanning can wear you down. The eight-hour outline still makes Day 5 a full day, but the pause gives it a more humane shape.

Two nights in the Serengeti are a real strength of this tour. One drive can produce a lucky sighting, but a second day gives you more time to search river valleys, kopjes, and open plains.

Day 6 at Ngorongoro Crater: wildlife in a natural bowl

The drive from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater is listed as about two hours. The crater is the world’s largest intact collapsed caldera and forms a concentrated setting for wildlife.

The crater floor can offer lions, hyenas, Cape buffalo, zebras, servals, and many bird species. Rhinos are also possible, but they are described as a lucky sighting. You should treat a rhino encounter as a bonus rather than a promise built into the price.

Ngorongoro has a different feel from the Serengeti. Instead of wide plains running toward the horizon, you look into a contained ecosystem surrounded by steep crater walls. The high altitude can bring early mist, and the view from a lodge veranda may be especially striking in the morning.

Lunch is taken in the crater, followed by more game viewing. The day is listed at eight hours, so this is not merely a scenic stop on the way back to Arusha. It is a full safari day with a strong chance of seeing several kinds of animals in a relatively compact area.

The concentration of wildlife is convenient, but it can also make the crater feel busier than the open Serengeti. The tour does not provide crowd details, so I would choose this park for its setting and animal variety rather than expecting solitude.

Day 7: breakfast, transfer, and the end of the circuit

Your final day begins with breakfast at the lodge, followed by a drive to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport for your onward flight.

The exact transfer length and departure time are not provided. That makes your flight timing important. Ask the operator to confirm how much time they recommend between the lodge departure and your flight, especially if you are leaving Tanzania the same day.

This final transfer is functional. It is not another major game-drive day, so your safari experience is effectively complete after Ngorongoro.

Private guiding and the human side of the trip

The private format is one of the clearest reasons to consider this experience. Only your group participates, which gives you a more personal setting for questions, wildlife stops, and the pace of each day.

The company’s planning contact, Pendo, is specifically associated with organizing a safari around a group’s needs and wishes. Dismas is named as a driver guide who made special effort to create a memorable safari. You cannot assume either person will be assigned to your booking, so ask who your guide will be before you finalize the trip.

That question is worth asking. On safari, the guide shapes the experience as much as the parks do. A good guide helps you understand animal behavior, spots movement in the distance, and knows when a quiet pause is better than rushing to the next sighting.

The optional Maasai village visit also adds a human element to a wildlife-heavy week. Go only if you want that cultural encounter and have confirmed the details. It should be treated as a separate experience within the route, not as a guaranteed part of every day.

Food, lodging, and daily comfort

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included for six days. That makes budgeting simpler, and it suits the remote nature of the parks. On safari, a packed lunch can also save time by keeping you in the park rather than sending you out to find a meal.

Lodges are referenced throughout the schedule, and the first night is at a hotel in Arusha. Exact property names and room standards are not given. If comfort is central to your decision, request the lodge list, room type, and details about drinks before booking.

Dietary needs such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals can be accommodated if you note them when booking. That is a useful practical point, but you should still repeat your needs to the operator and guide at the start of the trip.

Tips, visas, and international flights are extra. Build those costs into your total budget rather than treating $4,570 as the final amount.

Who will get the most from this safari

I would recommend this route to someone visiting Tanzania for the first time who wants the major northern parks in one organized trip. It gives you elephants, baobabs, forest, flamingos, big cats, crater wildlife, and a chance at rhinos without requiring you to arrange each transfer yourself.

It also suits couples, families, or friends who value having a private group. The route is active, but the midday break in the Serengeti and the free arrival day in Arusha provide small pockets of rest.

I would be more cautious about recommending it to someone who dislikes long drives or wants a slow, single-park safari. The 7-day schedule covers a lot of ground, and several days are listed at eight hours. It is also not the obvious choice for a strict budget, a solo traveler paying the full private-tour rate, or anyone who needs a fully itemized luxury package before booking.

The cancellation policy is generous if your plans change: you can receive a full refund when you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Within 24 hours, the payment is not refunded, and late changes are not accepted.

Should you book the Great Savannah safari?

Book it if you want a well-rounded private circuit and value having airport pickup, meals, park visits, and transfers arranged in one package. The strongest parts are the two Serengeti days, Tarangire’s elephants and baobabs, and Ngorongoro’s concentrated wildlife.

Before booking, ask three direct questions: Which lodges are included? Who will be the driver guide? What exactly does all inclusive cover beyond the six days of meals? The answers will tell you if the $4,570 price matches the level of comfort you want.

If those details check out, this is a strong choice for a first Tanzania safari. If you want fewer road hours, more time in one park, or a lower price, choose a shorter or shared itinerary instead.

FAQ

Is this a private safari?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

How long is the safari?

The safari lasts approximately seven days, from airport arrival and a night in Arusha through the final transfer to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport.

Which national parks are included?

The route includes Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater.

Are meals included?

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are listed for six days. Dietary needs such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals can be requested when booking.

Is airport pickup available?

Yes. Pickup is offered, and on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you are met by a Tales of Tanzania Safaris representative and transferred to your Arusha hotel.

What is not included in the price?

Tips, visas, and international flights are not included. The provided details do not specify every lodging or beverage inclusion, so confirm those items before booking.