7 Day Serengeti Luxury Fly-In Safari
Fly into the Serengeti for 4 camp nights, private wildlife drives and a sunrise balloon experience, then continue to Ngorongoro for a crater safari.
Plan This Safari7 Days / 6 Nights / Serengeti and Ngorongoro / Private Game Drives
Fly to the plains. Finish in the highlands.
Scheduled flights shorten the major safari transfers, while private road transport connects the airstrips, camps and crater.
Arusha Departure
Transfer to Arusha Airport and fly to the airstrip serving your camp.
Serengeti
4 nights, private game drives and your scheduled balloon experience.
Ngorongoro
Fly to Lake Manyara Airstrip, then stay 2 nights in Karatu.
Arusha Return
Breakfast and a private road transfer to your agreed departure point.
Settle into camp. Spend time with the wildlife.
Touch down near your camp and begin exploring the Serengeti without the long overland approach. With 4 nights in the same safari region, there is time to revisit sightings, follow changing wildlife activity and enjoy a slower afternoon when you want one.
Private game drives in Serengeti National Park can focus on your interests, from predators and birds to patient photography. Your guide plans each route around conditions, permitted access and the wildlife within reach.
For a central Serengeti stay, Lemala Ewanjan is a proposed camp option. Migration-focused travel dates may call for accommodation in another region. We match the camp, airstrip and balloon launch service before confirming the booking.
The Great Wildebeest Migration follows rainfall and grazing through the wider ecosystem. A central camp does not provide easy access to every seasonal herd location, and river crossings cannot be guaranteed.
Continue by air to Lake Manyara Airstrip and by road to Karatu. Spend 2 nights at your highland lodge, with a dedicated Ngorongoro Crater safari between them. For more regional combinations, explore our Tanzania safari packages .
Safari Highlights
Fly from Arusha to an airstrip serving your Serengeti camp.
Spend 4 nights in the Serengeti ecosystem.
Explore with a private safari vehicle and guide.
Rise above the plains on a sunrise balloon safari.
Fly to Lake Manyara Airstrip for your highland transfer.
Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for guided wildlife viewing.
Serengeti and Ngorongoro, day by day.
Proposed accommodation is Lemala Ewanjan for a central Serengeti stay and Acacia Farm Lodge in Karatu. Seasonal alternatives, room categories and availability are confirmed in your quotation.
Fly from Arusha to the Serengeti
Meet your safari representative at the agreed Arusha pickup point and transfer to Arusha Airport. Board the scheduled flight to the airstrip selected for your camp.
Meet your private safari guide on landing and continue towards camp. Look for wildlife along the transfer route before settling into your accommodation.
Have lunch as arranged and head out for an afternoon drive when the arrival time allows. Return to camp for dinner and your first Serengeti evening.
Full Day Serengeti Wildlife Safari
Begin early with your guide and explore the habitats around your selected camp region. Scan open ground, wooded areas and rocky outcrops for wildlife.
When migration herds are accessible, spend time watching their movements and the animals around them. Otherwise, focus on the resident wildlife within reach.
Take a picnic lunch for a longer circuit or return to camp for a meal and midday break. Discuss the day's plan with your guide before departure.
Sunrise Balloon Safari and Game Viewing
Leave before dawn for the booked balloon launch site. Meet the pilot and crew for the briefing before preparing for take-off.
Watch the landscape open beneath you as daylight reaches the plains. The wind determines the flight path, so scenery and wildlife vary.
After landing, enjoy the arranged bush breakfast and meet your safari guide. Continue wildlife viewing or return to camp for a break before an afternoon drive.
Serengeti Wildlife and Photography Day
Spend another full day in the same region, using previous sightings to guide the search. Revisit an area you enjoyed or explore a different permitted circuit.
Photographers can allow time for changing light and animal behaviour. Watch quietly as a sighting develops, with your guide positioning the vehicle responsibly.
Keep the programme flexible around lunch and rest. Return to camp for your final Serengeti night and prepare for tomorrow's flight.
Fly to Lake Manyara Airstrip and Transfer to Karatu
Have breakfast and transfer to your departure airstrip. A short final wildlife drive is possible only when the flight schedule allows.
Fly to Lake Manyara Airstrip and meet your highland driver guide. Continue by road to Acacia Farm Lodge in Karatu, subject to the confirmed booking.
Settle in and leave the afternoon free. Prepare a warm layer and your camera equipment for the early crater departure tomorrow.
Ngorongoro Crater Wildlife Safari
Leave Karatu early for the conservation-area entrance and crater access road. Descend into Ngorongoro Crater and begin exploring the permitted wildlife tracks.
Watch grassland, wetland and woodland habitats for animals. Search for black rhinos and other wildlife without expecting every species. Binoculars help with more distant sightings.
Stop for your picnic lunch at an authorised site. Complete the game drive within the booked access period, then ascend and return to Karatu for a final lodge evening.
Karatu to Arusha
Have breakfast, check out and begin the road journey to Arusha. Allow around 3 to 4 hours, depending on conditions and stops.
Continue to your agreed hotel or airport drop-off, as listed in the confirmed quotation. Kilimanjaro International Airport requires additional transfer time beyond an Arusha town drop-off.
Confirm onward flights before finalising departure from Karatu. An extra Arusha night can be arranged if the connection leaves little room for road delays.
Safari Inclusions and Exclusions
What's Included
- Scheduled flight from Arusha to the confirmed Serengeti airstrip.
- Scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Lake Manyara Airstrip.
- 6 nights of accommodation in the confirmed luxury camp and lodge categories.
- Full-board meals during the safari stays as listed in your quotation.
- Private safari vehicle and professional English-speaking guide for scheduled game drives.
- Applicable park and conservation fees for the confirmed route.
- 1 scheduled balloon safari per traveller, subject to operator requirements and operating conditions.
- Balloon launch transfers and arranged post-flight breakfast.
- Ngorongoro entry and vehicle descent charges for the scheduled crater visit.
- Airport, airstrip and lodge transfers listed in the confirmed programme.
- Private road transfer from Karatu to the agreed Arusha drop-off.
- Bottled drinking water during drives and road transfers.
- In-country safari coordination.
What's Not Included
- International flights.
- Tanzania visa charges where applicable.
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Accommodation in Arusha before or after the safari.
- Kilimanjaro Airport transfers unless specifically included.
- Additional domestic flights not listed in the confirmed programme.
- Optional Lake Manyara National Park visit.
- Optional community visits and other unlisted activities.
- Alcoholic and premium drinks unless included by the selected accommodation.
- Laundry unless included in the booked camp or lodge package.
- Tips for guides, balloon crew and accommodation staff.
- Excess baggage charges and personal expenses.
- Meals outside the confirmed programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Confirm the camp region, flights and accommodation details before booking your international travel.
Which journeys are by air?
Fly from Arusha into the Serengeti on Day 1 and from the Serengeti to Lake Manyara Airstrip on Day 5. Airstrip-to-lodge transfers and the final Karatu to Arusha journey are by road.
How are the 6 nights divided?
Spend 4 nights in the Serengeti ecosystem and 2 in Karatu. That leaves 3 full Serengeti days and a separate crater safari day, with travel at either end of each stay.
Which luxury camps and lodges will we use?
Lemala Ewanjan is a proposed central Serengeti option, with Acacia Farm Lodge proposed for Karatu. Seasonal migration travel may require a different Serengeti camp. Your quotation confirms the properties, room categories and inclusions before booking.
Does the camp move with the migration?
It depends on the selected property. Some seasonal camps change location during the year, while others remain in one region. A camp does not move each day to follow individual herds. Our migration guide explains the wider seasonal pattern.
Is the balloon safari included?
Yes. The programme includes 1 scheduled balloon safari, launch transfers and the arranged breakfast. The launch service must suit your camp region. Weather, availability and operator passenger requirements apply.
Are the flights and game drives private?
The safari flights are scheduled services shared with other passengers. Your booked game drives use a private vehicle and guide. Balloon flights are normally shared unless an exclusive arrangement is separately quoted.
What is the safari flight luggage allowance?
Follow the allowance on your confirmed tickets. A 15 kg total, including hand luggage and camera equipment, is common on safari services. Soft-sided bags are generally preferred. Check excess luggage before travel rather than arriving with an oversized bag.
Does landing at Lake Manyara include a park safari?
No. The standard route uses Lake Manyara Airstrip as the arrival point for the Karatu transfer. A park visit needs separate time and fees. For a wider route, explore our 8 Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari .
Related Safaris and Destination Guides
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