Extended Big Five Safari in Tanzania – Waterfalls & Hot Springs

9 Days |
Price From $1700 USD

A Big Five Safari with Something Extra

This is not just your ordinary Big Five safari – this is the safari with that extra perfect touch. You’ll journey through Tanzania’s legendary wildlife havens, from Serengeti’s endless plains and the dramatic Ngorongoro Crater, to bird rich Lake Manyara and the elephant lands of Tarangire. And when most safaris end, your adventure continues!

Two extra days take you off the beaten path – hiking to Materuni Waterfalls with a coffee farm visit and unwinding at the turquoise Chemka Hot Springs. It’s the perfect blend of iconic safari and this extra hidden gems – all in one!

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Plains, Craters & Rivers of Life

This safari brings you face-to-face with the Big Fivelions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalos – across some of the most celebrated parks on earth, each revealing a different side of Tanzania, with landscapes as varied as the wildlife that inhabits them.

What sets our Big Five safari apart is what happens after the game drives. Instead of going home after a week, you’ll get two more days where you step into village life on Kilimanjaro’s slopes, learn the secrets of coffee-making, and hike to Materuni’s waterfall before soaking in the warm waters of Chemka Hot Springs. It’s an extension that transforms your safari into a complete Tanzanian experience.

If you’re curious about journey through two countries in one go, you should take a look at our Ultimate Kenya and Tanzania Group Safari – The Full Circle Adventure, or if you’re feel like adding a beach adventure – Big 5 Safari in Tanzania with Zanzibar Finale is definitety for you!

Best Time To Go

Dry Season (Jun–Oct): Cooler, prime wildlife viewing
Wet Season (Nov–May): Green, fewer visitors, birding

Popular Attractions

Weather

Jun–Oct: 20–30 °C, dry & sunny | Nov–May: 25–35 °C, hot with showers
A rhino walking next to a lake with a waterfall

Highlights

All the drama of a classic Big Five safari across Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Explore Lake Manyara and Tarangire with elephants, baobabs, and birdlife
Bonus adventure: Hike to Materuni Waterfalls & visit a Chagga coffee farm
Extra bonus: Relax at Chemka Hot Springs, a hidden oasis near Kilimanjaro
Enjoy accommodations that combine comfort with authentic local culture

Why Book With Us

Customize Your Trip

Tailor every inch of your journey to suit your preferences, from destinations to accommodations, ensuring a personalized dream-come-true travel experience.

Best Price Guarantee

Competitive pricing with the assurance that you are receiving the best value for your travel investment. We match or beat any verified quote.

Flight Booking Assistance

Our agents simplify your travel planning by finding the best domestic and international flights for your travel plan, taking the hassle out of booking.

Multilingual Guides

Enjoy authentic experiences with guides who speak English, French, Spanish and German – ensuring clear communication and enriched explorations.

Certified Travelife Partner

We are a Certified Travelife Partner and GSTC Partner. Travel with a clear conscience knowing that you're choosing a responsible agency, committed to sustainable and ethical tourism practices.

Travel Guarantee

Travel Guarantee with Swedish Kammarkollegiet provides financial protection for your trip.

Travel Plan

Day to Day program – 9 Days

Day 1
Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport and Transfer to Moshi
Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania. After clearing customs, look for your driver. They will be waiting for you, holding a sign with your name. Your driver will transport you to Moshi.

🍽️ Meals: Dinner
🏠 Accommodation: Springlands Hotel or Similar
Upgrades: Chanya Lodge or Gran Melia Hotel

Day 2
Safari in Lake Manyara National Park

Drive to Lake Manyara National Park in the morning. Set against the steep escarpment of the Rift Valley, you’ll find Lake Manyara National Park with its evergreen groundwater forest and various ecosystems, including acacia woodland, grassy plains, a swampy fan delta, and – of course – the expansive lake. This diversity attracts various mammal, bird, and wildlife species. The park offers excellent game viewing with buffalo, impala, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, hippos, and many elephants roaming near the lake. Also, look out for blue monkeys, velvet monkeys, and very active olive baboons.

After your Big Five safari, you may visit a Maasai Boma (at an additional fee) to experience Maasai culture and traditions before heading to your accommodation.

🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏠 Accommodation: Highview Hotel or Similar
Upgrades: Highview Coffee Lodge, Endoro Lodge or Tarangire Kuro Treetop Lodge

Day 3
Journey to Serengeti National Park

Head out after breakfast for the drive to Serengeti National Park. ‘Serengeti’ is derived from the Maasai language, meaning ‘endless plain.’ En route to the Serengeti, you may visit Olduvai Gorge (at an additional fee), known as the Cradle of Humanity. This museum is a testament to the long journey that humanity has made from its humble roots in East Africa to its current state as the dominant species on Earth.

Enjoy a game drive en route to your camp.

🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏠 Accommodation: Serengeti Safari Lodge or Serengeti Wildebeest Camp or Similar
Upgrades: Ole Serai Luxury Camp

Day 4
Full Day Game Drive in Serengeti
Relax for a full day in the Serengeti – unequaled for its beauty and home to the Great Wildebeest Migration. The huge herds of plains game, such as wildebeest, zebra, and antelope, dominate the park, while the attendant predators, such as lion and cheetah, are to be found amongst the many kopjes scattered across the plain. Its landscape varies from open grass plains in the south, savanna with scattered acacia trees in the center, hilly, wooded grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west.

🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏠 Accommodation: Serengeti Safari Lodge or Serengeti Wildebeest Camp or Similar
Upgrades: Ole Serai Luxury Camp

Day 5
Explore Ngorongoro Crater
Enjoy a morning game drive en route to Ngorongoro Crater. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for game driving and exploration. The crater is 600m deep, 16km across, and 265 sq km in area. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the world’s eighth wonder. Many of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos can be seen grazing on the open grassland of the crater floor, surrounded by some of the 20,000 large animals that occupy the crater, including lion, cheetah, eland, zebra, and gazelle. Flamingos, among other bird species, can often be seen feeding at Makat Soda Lake. Afternoon drive to your lodge for your overnight stay.

🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏠 Accommodation: Highview Hotel or Similar
Upgrades: Highview Coffee Lodge, Endoro Lodge or Tarangire Kuro Treetop Lodge

Day 6
Safari in Tarangire National Park
Drive to Tarangire National Park in the morning. Tarangire is traversed by the Tarangire River, which never dries up. Being the only water source during the dry season, it draws hundreds of animals to the park, making wildlife and bird viewing spectacular. The landscape is varied, with grassy savannah plains, swamps, hills, and spectacular baobabs.

🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏠 Accommodation: Springlands Hotel or Similar
Upgrades: Chanya Lodge or Gran Melia Hotel

Day 7
Materuni Waterfalls & Chagga Coffee Farm
From Moshi, drive up the slopes of Kilimanjaro to Materuni village. Visit a local coffee farm and learn the full journey from bean to cup – how beans are grown, harvested, and roasted the traditional Chagga way – before enjoying a freshly brewed cup.

Continue with a scenic 45-minute hike through banana fields and valleys to reach the hidden Materuni Falls, a 200-foot cascade plunging into a natural pool where you can swim or simply relax in the cool mist.

🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏨 Accommodation: Springlands Hotel or Similar
Upgrades: Chanya Lodge or Gran Melia Hotel

Day 8
Chemka Hot Springs Escape

Depart from Springlands Hotel in Moshi and follow a bumpy road for just over an hour to reach the Chemka (Kikuletwa) Hot Springs. Along the way, observe local life and the surrounding landscape. Once at the springs, you can swim in the clear warm waters, relax in the sun, and enjoy lunch before heading back to Moshi.

🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
🏨 Accommodation: Springlands Hotel or Similar
Upgrades: Chanya Lodge or Gran Melia Hotel

Day 9
Departure from Kilimanjaro Airport
Enjoy a leisurely morning before your transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for your flight home.

🍽️ Meals: Breakfast

Why Pick This Travel Plan

All the highlights of a classic Big Five safari
A journey that blends iconic wildlife with authentic local encounters
A giraffe standing in the savannah during sunset
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A Journey With More to Discover

This travel plan gives you the full hand of Tanzania’s safari wonders, and doesn’t stop there. After the game drives, you’ll be standing at the base of Materuni Falls, sipping coffee you roasted yourself, and floating in the clear pools of Chemka Hot Springs.

These final days are what make this Big Five safari so unique – offering time to connect with Tanzania’s landscapes and people in a way few itineraries allow. It’s the difference between seeing Tanzania and truly experiencing it.

Included in the Price

  • Full board (breakfast, lunch & dinner) accommodation while on safari
  • Bed and breakfast accommodation in Moshi
  • Transfer to and from the airport
  • Accommodation on arrival and departure day at Springlands Hotel or Similar
  • Bush lunch in the Serengeti
  • All game drives viewing in a custom built 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser
  • All park and entrance fees
  • Visit to Materunit Waterfalls & coffee farm
  • Chemka Hot Springs adventure
  • Transportation with 4×4 vehicles with viewing roofs
  • A professional English-speaking driver/guide during the safari
  • Bottled water in safari vehicles
  • Ngorongoro Crater car supplement fee
  • Current Government taxes and levies
  • 24-Hour support during the safari from our office in Moshi
  • Travel Guarantee with the Swedish Kammarkollegiet »

Price Does Not Cover *

  • Domestic or International flights
  • Entry visa to Tanzania
  • Travel and health insurance
  • Gratuities to your guide, hotel staff, and porters (Find guidelines in the FAQ)
  • Meals, drinks, and excursions not described in the itinerary
  • Any other items of a personal nature, laundry, telephone, and postage
  • Maasai village tour & Olduvai Gorge Tour
  • Balloon excursion

* Rest assured, we’re here to assist with anything not covered in the price. Your convenience is our priority.

group-tours

Don’t Miss Our Group Deals

Group deals from 4 travelers
Even better deals for groups of 10 or more travelers
1–3 travelers? Join a curated group on our Big 5 or Kenya group tours to access group pricing

Accommodation

See all accommodation and upgrades available.

Accommodation Upgrades

Please note that accommodation upgrades are exclusively available with our Big 5 PRIVATE option.
Should you choose the group adventure, the standard – yet comfortable – accommodation will be provided.

Add-ons

Discover Africa with Our Exhilarating Activities. Pick and choose from our handpicked collection of activities and day trips to enrich your African travel plan with that special touch.

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