Beyond the famous Ngorongoro Crater, the wider Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s highlands hold Empakaai Crater, a smaller, little-visited caldera reached by a genuine hiking descent — this itinerary combines both craters with Serengeti game drives for travellers wanting the region’s less-explored side alongside its icons.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1
Your driver-guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the roughly three-hour drive up into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, arriving at your lodge perched right on the crater rim, with dramatic views into the main caldera below.
Arusha to Ngorongoro Highlands
Accommodation Options
Mid-rangeNgorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
LuxuryNgorongoro Crater Lodge
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
DAY 2
An early descent down the crater’s steep switchback access road onto the floor for a full day of game viewing — lion, elephant, buffalo and one of East Africa’s most reliable black rhino sightings, within a genuinely compact, easily covered area.
Ngorongoro Crater Descent
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3
A guided hiking descent into Empakaai Crater, a smaller, forested caldera roughly an hour’s drive from the main crater, holding a soda lake and flamingo populations and seeing a fraction of the main crater’s visitor numbers — the walk down is steep but well-established, taking a couple of hours each way through montane forest.
Empakaai Crater Hike
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4
A drive across the highlands to a viewpoint over Ol Doinyo Lengai, the region’s active volcano and the only one on Earth erupting natrocarbonatite lava — a rare, low-temperature lava that appears black rather than red-hot when it flows. The Maasai consider the mountain sacred, and the afternoon includes a visit to a local community in the highlands to hear its significance directly from residents.
Ol Doinyo Lengai Viewpoint, Maasai Village Visit
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5
The drive down off the highlands and onto the Serengeti’s plains via Naabi Hill gate. Afternoon game drive on arrival.
Transfer to Serengeti National Park
Accommodation Options
Mid-rangeSerengeti Serena Safari Lodge
LuxuryFour Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 6
A full day across the plains for lion, leopard, elephant and, seasonally, the Great Migration.
Full Day Serengeti Game Drives
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7
A further day exploring different sectors of the park.
Second Serengeti Game Drive Day
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8
The drive back to Arusha, retracing the route through the Ngorongoro highlands, timed against your onward flight.
Return to Arusha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Permits & Costs
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area fee | ~$70 per person per day, plus crater descent fee |
| Empakaai Crater hiking fee | Included in tour price |
| Serengeti park entry | ~$82 per person per day |
Who This Itinerary Suits
Travellers with a genuine interest in hiking and geology alongside classic game viewing, or repeat visitors wanting to see beyond the standard crater visit.Tour Includes
- Travel in a 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof hatch
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All accommodation per itinerary
- Meals as specified
- Conservation fees & crater descent
Tour Excludes
- International flights
- Visas
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips & gratuities
- Travel insurance