safari
Budget Camping Safari — 5 Days
Same parks, real bush camping, half the price.
Duration
5 days
Difficulty
Moderate
Group size
4 – 8
From
USD 1,490
per person
What to expect
This 5-day safari journey — Same parks, real bush camping, half the price. — is graded Moderate and runs in small groups of 4 – 8 travellers.
You will spend 5 days on the ground, covering moving through changing landscapes with a KINAPA-licensed lead guide, a full support team, and meals prepared fresh in camp. Accommodation alternates between comfortable lodges before and after the trek and well-equipped camps or huts during it.
The best window to travel is Jun – Oct. Departures run year-round on request, with private and small-group options. Every booking includes pre-trip planning calls, gear advice, and 24/7 in-country support.
Trip highlights
- Authentic public campsites
- Shared 4×4 with other travellers
- Cook joins the convoy
Day-by-day itinerary
A detailed, day-by-day breakdown of where you sleep, how far you walk, what you eat, and the moments to look forward to.
01
Day
Arusha → Tarangire
Half-day game drive, camp inside the park.
- Stay
- Tarangire Public Campsite
- Meals
- L / D
- Elephants
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Tarangire Public Campsite · Meals: L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
02
Day
Tarangire → Serengeti
Full day transit with game drive.
- Stay
- Seronera Public Campsite
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Serengeti plains
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Seronera Public Campsite · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
03
Day
Serengeti full day
Dawn to dusk game drives.
- Stay
- Seronera Public Campsite
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Big cats
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Seronera Public Campsite · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
04
Day
Serengeti → Ngorongoro
Morning game drive, transfer to crater rim.
- Stay
- Simba Public Campsite
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Crater rim camp
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Simba Public Campsite · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
05
Day
Crater floor → Arusha
Half-day in the crater, return to Arusha.
- Stay
- —
- Meals
- B / L
- Crater floor
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Meals: B / L
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
Important information
Practical details every traveller should read before confirming. We'll cover everything again in your pre-departure pack.
Visa & entry
Most nationalities need a Tanzanian tourist visa (USD 50, or USD 100 for US passports). You can apply online via eservices.immigration.go.tz or get a visa on arrival at JRO. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
Travel insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is mandatory. For Kilimanjaro and high-altitude treks the policy must explicitly cover trekking above 4,000 m and helicopter rescue.
Health & vaccinations
Yellow fever certificate is required if arriving from a yellow fever country. Anti-malaria prophylaxis is recommended. Consult a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure.
Payment & deposits
A 30% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 45 days before arrival. We accept bank transfer and card (3% fee). Free rescheduling up to 30 days before departure.
Tipping
Tipping is customary and an important part of crew income. Guidelines are shared in your pre-trip pack — typically USD 25–35 per day for safari guides and USD 300–350 total per climber for a Kilimanjaro crew.
Group size & privacy
This trip runs in groups of 4 – 8. Private departures with your own guide and vehicle are available year-round on request — ask us for a custom quote.
Game viewing & seasons
Best wildlife viewing is in the dry season (Jun–Oct). The Great Migration calving is Jan–Feb; river crossings in the north are Jul–Oct. We adjust routing to match the herds at no extra cost.
What's included
- ✓Camping equipment
- ✓All park fees
- ✓Cook + all meals
- ✓Shared 4×4
Not included
- —Flights
- —Visa
- —Insurance
- —Sleeping bag (rentable)
- —Tips
Packing list
A category-by-category checklist tailored to this journey. Items marked essential should not be skipped — rentals are available in Moshi and Arusha.
Clothing
- •Neutral colours (khaki, olive, beige) — avoid bright white and dark blue/black
- •3–4 short-sleeve shirts + 1–2 long-sleeve for evenings
- •Light trousers + shorts
- •Light fleece for early-morning game drives
- •Wide-brim sun hat
- •Swimwear for lodge pools
Footwear
- •Comfortable trainers or light hiking shoes
- •Sandals for the lodge
Daypack & gear
- •20–30 L daypack with rain cover
- •2–3 L water bladder or two 1 L bottles
- •Sunscreen SPF 50, lip balm with SPF
- •Sunglasses (UV 400)
- •Personal first aid: blister kit, paracetamol, ibuprofen, rehydration salts
- •Quick-dry towel, hand sanitiser, wet wipes
- •Camera + spare batteries, power bank
- •Binoculars (8×42 recommended) — one per person
- •Telephoto lens (200 mm+) if photographing wildlife
- •Dust-proof bag for camera gear
Documents & money
- •Passport (6+ months validity) and visa
- •Travel insurance documents (printed + digital)
- •Vaccination certificate if applicable
- •Credit card + USD cash in small notes (post-2009, no rips)
- •Emergency contacts and trip voucher
Best season: Jun – Oct
What travellers say
Honest words from people who have walked, driven, sailed and summited with us. We publish every review unedited.
Our kids still talk about it daily
"Private 4×4, an incredible guide named Baraka, and lodges that felt like a dream. We saw the great migration river crossing, a leopard with cubs, and a black rhino in Ngorongoro. Tembo handled every detail."
Better than any safari we've done before
"We've been to Kenya and South Africa — Tanzania with Tembo was on another level. Our guide could spot a cheetah from a kilometre away and knew every bird call. The Serengeti camp was magical."
Honeymoon of a lifetime
"Romantic bush dinners, a sunrise balloon flight, and lions roaring outside our tent. The pacing was perfect and the team thought of things we hadn't. Truly unforgettable."
Related journeys
Classic Northern Circuit Safari — 7 Days
Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one journey.
Great Migration Safari — 6 Days
Follow the wildebeest river crossings in the northern Serengeti (Jul–Oct).
Luxury Honeymoon Safari — 8 Days
Private vehicles, finest tented camps, sundowners under acacia trees.
Plan your journey
Plan your Tanzania journey
Tell us a little about your trip and one of our local guides will draft a tailored itinerary within 24 hours.