Serengeti Safari Packages4 Day Serengeti Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Mid-Range
This 4 day Serengeti safari from Arusha is Suricata Safaris' mid-range group trip, priced at $1,750 per person with a 4.9 score from 523 reviews on Viator. It runs in a small group of up to 7 travelers and covers Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro crater floor in four days, with three nights in lodges and a bush camp. Meals, a certified guide and transportation are listed as included. One thing to sort out before you pay: the listing does not state whether park fees are in the price, so ask the operator. Compare it with the other Serengeti safari tours.
About This Tour
Suricata Safaris runs this 4 day Serengeti safari as a shared group trip for up to 7 travelers. Day 1 is Tarangire National Park, day 2 is the drive to the Serengeti, day 3 is a Serengeti game drive and the move to Karatu, and day 4 is the Ngorongoro crater floor before the return to Arusha. All travel is by road in a safari vehicle and there are no flights in the itinerary.
The three nights are in mid-range lodges and camps, not tents: Suricata Boma Lodge near Tarangire, Tanzania Bush Camp in the Serengeti, then Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams or Country Lodge in Karatu depending on availability. A certified guide travels with the group and the listing also offers an audio guide and a written guide in English. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
$1,750 per person for 4 days. The inclusions list accommodation for 3 nights, breakfast, lunch and dinner, a certified guide and transportation. The listing does not state whether park fees are in the price, so confirm before booking.
4 days, roughly 8 hours of activity on days 1 to 3 and about 7 hours on day 4 per the itinerary durations.
Arusha. A representative waits at your Arusha hotel reception with a name sign for a meet and greet, and pickup is about 30 minutes before departure.
3 nights in mid-range lodges and camps: Suricata Boma Lodge, Tanzania Bush Camp in the Serengeti, then a Karatu lodge chosen by availability.
Park fees are not stated either way, so ask. Excluded as listed: medical, travel and luggage insurance, international flights and departure taxes. Tips, visas and any nights in Arusha before or after are not in the inclusions either.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. Cancel inside 24 hours and nothing is refunded.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown when you check availability. Pickup from your Arusha hotel happens about 30 minutes before the departure time.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This 4 day Serengeti safari costs $1,750 per person for a shared group of up to 7 travelers, with 3 nights in mid-range lodges and camps and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Key takeaways
- If you want a lower price and accept tents, the 4-Day Serengeti Camping Safari lists entrance fees as included at $950 per person.
- Compare it against every other listing in Serengeti safari packages before you commit.
What the Price Actually Covers
The inclusions on this listing are short and specific, and that is the whole point to understand before you book.
Included, Excluded and Unstated
The operator's inclusions list six things: accommodation for 3 nights, breakfast, lunch and dinner, a certified guide, and transportation. Lunches on safari days are picnics. That is the full list.
The exclusion list names medical, travel and luggage insurance, and international flights and departure taxes. No flights appear in the itinerary, so the whole trip is by road.
Then there is the gap. The listing says nothing about park and crater entry fees for Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, and nothing about the vehicle type beyond the word transportation, drinks, tips, the visa or hotel nights in Arusha before and after. None of that means it is excluded, it means it is unstated, and the fix is simple: message the operator and ask in writing whether the $1,750 covers entry fees for all three parks before you pay. For comparison, the 3-Day Serengeti Big Five Safari on GetYourGuide states all park fees, entry, transit, concession, camping and the crater service fee, as included.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Yes | 3 nights, mid-range lodges and a bush camp |
| Meals | Yes | Breakfast, lunch and dinner, safari lunches are picnics |
| Certified guide | Yes | Audio and written guides in English also offered |
| Transportation | Yes | Vehicle type not stated |
| Park and crater fees | Not stated | Ask the operator before booking |
| Insurance | No | Medical, travel and luggage insurance excluded |
| International flights | No | Flights and departure taxes excluded |
| Tips, visa, Arusha hotel nights | Not stated | Not in the inclusions, budget for them separately |
What You Should Expect to Pay on Top
Since the listing is silent on fees, use the published tariff as a planning figure. The TANAPA tariff for the latest published season sets the Serengeti conservation fee for non-East African adults at $70 per day in peak season and $60 in low season, VAT exclusive, with peak defined as 16 May to 14 March. Another source quotes $82.60 high season and $70.80 low season including 18% VAT.
Children aged 5 to 15 pay $20 per day. A Serengeti concession fee of $60 per adult per night from July to September and $50 from October to June is also on the tariff, VAT exclusive.
Sources: TANAPA tariff, Duma Explorer
A baobab beside the track in Tarangire National Park. Photo: Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route Day by Day
The itinerary below comes from the operator's own listing text, with the named lodges each night and the activity durations as stated.
Four Days, Three Parks, One Loop
Day 1 leaves Arusha after breakfast for Tarangire National Park, a drive the listing puts at about two hours, with a game drive among the baobabs, a picnic lunch and the night at Suricata Boma Lodge. Day 2 is the long one, a full 8-hour stage from Tarangire to Serengeti National Park with game viewing on the way and at Tanzania Bush Camp by night.
Day 3 starts with an early morning game drive in the Serengeti, continues after lunch, and ends in the Karatu highlands in the late afternoon at Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams or Country Lodge depending on availability. Day 4 is the Ngorongoro crater floor with a picnic lunch, then the drive back to Arusha. That final day is a long one, since the crater sits around 180 to 190 km from Arusha and the return leg comes after a full morning on the crater floor.
| Day | Route | Night at |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha to Tarangire National Park, about 2 hours, then a game drive | Suricata Boma Lodge |
| 2 | Tarangire to Serengeti National Park, 8-hour stage with game drives | Tanzania Bush Camp |
| 3 | Early Serengeti game drive, then to Karatu in the late afternoon | Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams or Country Lodge |
| 4 | Ngorongoro crater floor, then back to Arusha | Trip ends in Arusha |
What the Days Feel Like
Three of the four days carry an 8-hour activity block and the last a 7-hour one, so this is not a relaxed itinerary. Day 2 is the hardest, a full day of driving from Tarangire up to the Serengeti plains with game stops along the way. If you want more time in the Serengeti itself, the 5-Day Serengeti Camping Safari spends two nights at Seronera and still lists all fees and taxes as included for $1,320 per person.
For a shorter and cheaper route that skips Tarangire, the 3-Day Serengeti Camping Safari runs the same operator at $770 per person. Animals decide what you see. The guide may mention the Big Five, which is a chance and not a promise.
Who This Trip Rules Out
The listing sets real limits, and a few of them catch people out at checkout.
The Hard Limits
The booking age band runs from 15 to 85, so younger children are out. It is a shared group tour with a maximum of 7 travelers per booking, not a private vehicle, so you share the car and the guide with strangers. Days 2 and 4 are long days, an 8-hour transfer and game-drive stage on day 2 and a full crater day plus the return to Arusha on the last. The listing suits all fitness levels and offers hotel pickup in Arusha.
The money limits matter more than the physical ones. At $1,750 per person this is a mid-range price, and because park fees are unstated you could be adding a three-park fee bill on top. If tents with all fees stated suit you better, look at the 4-Day Serengeti Camping Safari. If you want the car to yourselves, the 3-Day Private Serengeti Safari is private for 2 to 7 travelers with park fees included. If the long road days are the problem, the Serengeti Fly-In Safari lands in the park on day 1. Cancellation here is generous, a full refund up to 24 hours before departure, so this listing does not carry an all-sales-final clause.
Ngorongoro Crater seen from the rim. Photo: PLBechly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Season, Fees and Paperwork
The practical layer: when the trip works best, what the gates charge and what you need to enter Tanzania.
When to Go
SafariBookings puts the Serengeti dry season from June to October and the wet season from November to May, with the heaviest rain in March and April. High season runs July to March. Daytime highs average about 27°C with chilly nights.
The migration moves with the rain. In the wet early months the herds gather on the southern plains around Ndutu for calving, and from mid-year they push north and west. On a 4 day route you are not chasing river crossings, so pick your dates for weather and price rather than a herd position that no one can promise.
Fees That Sit on Top of an Unstated Price
Ask the operator first whether the $1,750 includes park and crater fees. If it does not, the published figures are the Serengeti conservation fee of $70 per day per non-East African adult in peak season and $60 in low season, VAT exclusive, plus a concession fee of $60 per adult per night July to September or $50 October to June. Children aged 5 to 15 pay $20 per day for conservation.
Fee seasons for the concession differ from the conservation fee, which the tariff defines as peak 16 May to 14 March and low 15 March to 15 May.
Visa, Health and Packing
SafariFind lists a single-entry tourist visa at $50 valid up to 90 days, and US passport holders are described by one source as paying $100 for a mandatory multiple-entry visa with no cheaper option. Confirm your own case before travel. Ask a travel health clinic about yellow fever certificates and malaria prophylaxis well before departure.
For packing, Expert Africa advises light summer clothing for midday heat and warm layers for cool mornings and nights, which matters most in the crater highlands and the Serengeti from June to the end of August. Avoid white and bright colours and keep to khaki and green. Read the safari packing list and the guide to the best time to visit Serengeti for the month-by-month detail.
Day by Day Itinerary
The four days as the operator's listing sets them out, with the named stops and overnight lodges.
-
Day 1
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Depart Arusha after breakfast for the roughly two-hour drive to Tarangire. Game drive through baobab country with a picnic lunch, looking for elephants, zebras and giraffes, an 8-hour activity block. Overnight at Suricata Boma Lodge with dinner.
-
Day 2
Tarangire to Serengeti National Park
A full 8-hour travel and game-viewing stage across to the Serengeti plains, with a picnic lunch and an afternoon game drive. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight at Tanzania Bush Camp.
-
Day 3
Serengeti Game Drive and On to Karatu
An early morning game drive in the Serengeti, then more game viewing after lunch before the late-afternoon drive out toward the Ngorongoro highlands. Overnight at Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams or Country Lodge in Karatu depending on availability.
-
Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater and Return to Arusha
An early start for the crater floor, a full morning exploring its forests and grasslands with a hot picnic lunch, in a 7-hour activity block. In the afternoon the trip drives back to Arusha, where it ends. Breakfast and lunch included.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the rest of the catalog.
What we genuinely like
- A 4.9 score from 523 verified reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor, one of the strongest records in the catalog
- Three nights in mid-range lodges and a bush camp rather than public campsites with sleeping bags
- Shared group capped at 7 travelers
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
- Hotel pickup in Arusha with a named meet and greet about 30 minutes before departure
- Three parks in four days, including Tarangire, which the shorter 3-day trips skip
The honest downsides
- Park and crater fees are not stated in the inclusions, and a three-park fee bill is a real cost if they sit on top of the $1,750
- At $1,750 per person it costs more than the camping listings, which run from $770 to $1,320
- Day 2 is an 8-hour transfer day and day 4 combines a full crater morning with the long drive back to Arusha
- The vehicle type is listed only as transportation, with no window seat or pop-up roof promised
- Tips, drinks, the visa and nights in Arusha before or after are not in the inclusions
Who it's NOT for: Travellers with children under 15, anyone who wants a private vehicle or a guaranteed total price with fees included, and anyone who cannot face two long drive days.
Questions About This 4 Day Serengeti Safari
How much does this 4 day Serengeti safari cost?
The listing prices it at $1,750 per person for 4 days in a shared group of up to 7 travelers, with 3 nights in mid-range lodges and camps. Because park fees are not stated, the final out-of-pocket total can rise, so check the page on Serengeti safari packages for how the listings compare on inclusions.
Are park fees included in the $1,750?
The listing does not say. Its inclusions list accommodation, meals, a certified guide and transportation only, so ask the operator in writing before you pay. The published Serengeti conservation fee is $70 per adult per day in peak season and $60 in low season, VAT exclusive, per the TANAPA tariff.
Where do I sleep on this trip?
In mid-range lodges and a bush camp, not tents: Suricata Boma Lodge near Tarangire on night 1, Tanzania Bush Camp in the Serengeti on night 2, and Marera Valley Lodge, Farm of Dreams or Country Lodge in Karatu on night 3 depending on availability. If you would rather camp and pay less, see the 4-Day Serengeti Camping Safari.
Can children join this safari?
The booking age band runs from 15 to 85, so travellers under 15 cannot be booked on this listing. All ages can book the 3-Day Serengeti Camping Safari, where infants sit on an adult's lap.
How does this compare with a private safari?
This is a shared group tour, so you share the vehicle and guide with up to 6 other travellers. A private option such as the 3-Day Private Serengeti Safari costs $2,206.35 per person but includes all park fees, a pop-up roof 4x4 and drinks on game drives for your party alone.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a 100 percent refund. Cancel inside 24 hours and the refund is zero. That is more forgiving than the 5-Day Serengeti Ngorongoro Safari, where all sales are final.
Will I see the Big Five and the migration?
The listing itself says the guide may mention the Big Five, which is a chance and not a promise. The route covers Tarangire, the Serengeti and the crater, all strong wildlife country, but animals and rain decide what you see. The herds move with the rain, and the Great Migration guide explains where they tend to be and when.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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