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Safari plan · 4 days · Serengeti fly-in · Midrange

Serengeti Fly-in

Fly from Arusha to the Seronera airstrip, spend three nights in one camp in the middle of the Serengeti, and fly back — the whole trip in the one park that matters most, with no day given to the road.

ArushaSeroneraArusha
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Length4 days · 3 nights
ParksSerengeti
Starts & endsArusha airport
ComfortMidrange tented camp
Best monthsJune–October, December–February
OverviewThe routeDay by dayRatesWhere you sleepIncludedAdd-onsWhen to goFlights & extrasFAQEnquire
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IOverview

One park, three nights, and no long drive in either direction.

The road from Arusha to the central Serengeti takes most of a day each way. This plan flies instead: about an hour to an hour and a half in a light aircraft, and you land in the park. Your guide and vehicle meet you at the airstrip, and every day after that is spent where the animals are.

What it does not give you is the rest of the north. There is no Tarangire and no Ngorongoro Crater on this plan, and you miss the drive across the highlands, which some people love. It is the right choice when time is short, when long days in a vehicle are hard for you, or when the Serengeti is the only park you really came for. It costs more than driving; the variations below add the crater if you want it.

Major attractions · 2
  1. 01Serengeti National Park
  2. 02The Seronera valley
Trip detailsPrivate, fly-in
Tour length
4 days · 3 nights
Country
Tanzania
Start / end
Arusha airport (ARK), both ways
Accommodation
Midrange
Tour type
Private safari, fly-in
Group size
Maximum per vehicle
Meal plan
Full board
Best period
Jun–Oct · Dec–Feb
Activity level
Easy
Request a free quote →Questions? WhatsApp +255 762 914 714
IIThe route

Up in a light aircraft, three days on the ground, and back.

4 days, 3 nights, 1 places to sleep. The solid line is this plan; the dotted lines are the other roads through the region. Point at a day to see its leg.

Route map: A light-aircraft flight from Arusha to Seronera in the central Serengeti and back Serengeti NP Ngorongoro CA Arusha NP L. Natron N Arusha Seronera
  1. 01Arusha → Seronera airstrip~1½ h flight · ~3 h game
  2. 02Seronera & the Seronera valley~9 h game
  3. 03Seronera and beyond~8 h game
  4. 04Seronera airstrip → Arusha~1½ h flight · ~3 h game
Overnight stopPassing throughSchematic, roughly to scale
IIIDay by day

Four days, one at a time.

Each day lands on top of the last as you scroll: honest road time, game time, meals and where you sleep. Times are door to door in a safari vehicle and move with the season and what you stop for.

A light aircraft on the Seronera airstrip, the Serengeti plains behind — 1600×1200
SeroneraADD IMAGE · A light aircraft on the Seronera airstrip, the Serengeti plains behind
01/ 04

About an hour to an hour and a half in the air, then an afternoon drive to camp.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 1 · Arusha → Seronera airstrip

Fly to the Serengeti

Travel
~1½ h flight
Game viewing
~3 h
Meals
L · D
Sleep
Permanent tented camp
  1. Morning

    Transfer from your Arusha hotel to the airport for the scheduled light aircraft. Below you: the Rift escarpment, the crater highlands, then the plains.

  2. Midday

    Your guide and vehicle meet you on the Seronera airstrip. Lunch at camp or a picnic on the way.

  3. Afternoon

    The first game drive, from the airstrip itself. By sunset you have seen more of the Serengeti than a road day would allow.

Pack for the aircraft

Soft bags and a weight limit apply. See the flights section, and tell us early if that is a problem.

The Serengeti plains
Central Serengeti
02/ 04

Out at first light, back at dusk. Or begin the day in a balloon.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 2 · Seronera & the Seronera valley

The Serengeti, all day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, second night
  1. First light

    Out as the gates allow, with a flask and a packed breakfast — or, if you have booked it, up before dawn for the balloon over the Seronera valley.

  2. Midday

    A picnic lunch wherever the morning ended. The central Serengeti holds resident lion, leopard and cheetah all year.

  3. Afternoon

    Where you go depends on what the guides have heard on the radio. Back at camp before the park’s closing time.

The balloon

An optional extra, booked ahead. It flies at dawn when the weather allows, and lands to breakfast in the bush.

Lions beside an open safari vehicle in the Serengeti
Central Serengeti
03/ 04

No transfer. Go further, or go slower.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 3 · Seronera and beyond

Another full day in the park

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~8 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, third night
  1. Morning

    A third day lets the guide go further — out to the kopjes, or along the rivers — or simply wait at a sighting for as long as it takes.

  2. Midday

    Lunch in the bush or back at camp for a rest in the heat.

  3. Afternoon

    A last full afternoon drive, and sundowners if you want them.

Where the migration is

The great herds are in the far south from about December to March and the far north from about July to October. This plan stays central, which is good all year; see the variations to follow the herds.

Kopjes in the central Serengeti in early morning light — 1600×1200
SeroneraADD IMAGE · Kopjes in the central Serengeti in early morning light
04/ 04

A last game drive on the way to the airstrip, then about an hour to an hour and a half in the air.

03°22′S 36°41′EDay 4 · Seronera airstrip → Arusha

Morning drive, fly home

Travel
~1½ h flight
Game viewing
~3 h
Meals
B · L
Sleep
Homeward
  1. Morning

    One more early drive, timed to reach the airstrip for the flight.

  2. Midday

    The light aircraft back to Arusha. Your transfer meets you there and takes you on to your hotel or to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Flying home the same day?

Tell us your international flight time before we book the light aircraft. The schedules are not guaranteed to the minute.

IVRates

Priced by group size, because the vehicle is shared.

Park fees, accommodation, vehicle, guide and meals as listed — per person, no booking fees. Rates move with the month and lodge availability; your quote is fixed once you book.

Midrange · price per person, sharing
Group size1 person2 people3 people4 people5 people6 people
From yearraterateraterateraterate
Single supplementamount
Children

Child policy: ages, sharing discount, lodge minimum ages

What moves the price

What changes itHow much

  • The month you travel

    The dry season and the Christmas weeks are peak rates at almost every camp. The long rains are the lowest.

  • How many share the vehicle

    The vehicle and guide cost the same for two people or six, so the per-person price falls as the group grows.

  • Where you sleep

    The same night can cost several times more at one camp than at another a short drive away.

  • Flying instead of driving

    A light-aircraft seat replaces hours in the vehicle, and costs more than the time it saves.

  • Park fees

    Fixed per person per day by the authorities, and the same whoever you book with. We show them as their own line.

Not sure which level suits you? Tell us your dates, group and budget and we will send an itemised quote with named properties.

Request a free quote →
On request
On request
VWhere you sleep

One camp in the central Serengeti, three nights, unpacked.

Each night is described by type first, because the right camp depends on your month. The properties we normally use at each level are listed below; your quote confirms them against availability.

Nights 1–33×

Central Serengeti

Permanent tented camp

Three nights in one camp in the middle of the park. You unpack once, and every day starts where the animals are.

Midrange here means
En-suite tent, hot shower (sometimes bucket-filled), power in the evenings, no fence.
Step up
A smaller camp in a quieter corner of the central Serengeti.

The properties we use

WhereMidrangeLuxury
Central Serengetipropertyproperty

What ‘midrange’ means on this trip

  • En-suite. Your own bathroom every night.
  • Hot water. Always available; it may be delivered to a bucket shower on request.
  • Power. Solar or generator hours. Bring a power bank.
  • Food. Full board. Tell us about diets early — supplies are flown or driven in days ahead.
VIThe fine print

What is in the price, and what isn’t.

✓Included

  • Light-aircraft flightsArusha to Seronera and back, scheduled services
  • Private 4×4 safari vehicleWaiting at the airstrip, pop-up roof, window seat for everyone
  • A professional driver-guideThe same guide for all four days
  • All park and conservation feesItemised on your quote
  • Three nights’ accommodationAs described above
  • Meals as listed each dayFull board in the park
  • Drinking water in the vehicle
  • Transfers in ArushaHotel to airport and back

–Not included

  • International flights
  • Tanzanian visaApply online before you travel
  • Travel insuranceRequired. It must cover medical evacuation
  • Tips for guide and camp staffWe send guidance with your booking
  • Drinks at lodges and campsUnless the property includes them
  • Nights in Arusha before and afterWe can book them
  • Balloon flightOptional, booked ahead
VIIAdd-ons & changes

The plan is a starting point, not a package.

The changes people ask for most, each with what it costs you in days or hours. Not in the standard price — arranged on request, and most can be combined.

Same lengthprice

Balloon over the Serengeti

Swap the dawn drive on day two or three for a flight over the Seronera valley, landing to breakfast in the bush.

Makes senseAny season it operates
The balloon, honestly →
+2 nightsprice

Northern Serengeti, for the river

Fly on from Seronera to the Mara River region in the north for the crossings.

Makes senseJuly to October
The migration month by month →
+1 nightprice

Ndutu, for the calving

Add a night in the far south, where the herds give birth on the short-grass plains.

Makes senseLate January to March
The migration month by month →
+2 daysprice

Add the crater by road

Drive back instead of flying: out through the highlands to Karatu, and the Ngorongoro Crater floor the next morning. One long road day.

Makes senseWhen you want more than one park
Ngorongoro →
+3–5 nightsprice

Finish on Zanzibar

Scheduled light aircraft connect the Serengeti and Arusha with the island. About an hour from Arusha.

Makes senseMost of the year
Zanzibar →
VIIIWhen to go

Rated for this route, not for the country.

The central Serengeti is good in every month: its lions, leopards and cheetahs are resident, whatever the herds are doing. The dry months, June to October, are the easiest for game viewing and the busiest. April and May bring the long rains, when some camps close and the flight schedule can thin out — ask us before choosing those weeks.

Jan
Dry spell, green plains
Feb
Calving in the south
Mar
Rains building
Apr
Long rains
May
Rains easing
Jun
Dry season begins
Jul
Dry, busy, cool
Aug
Dry, busy
Sep
Dry, Tarangire at its best
Oct
Dry, dusty
Nov
Short rains
Dec
Green, quieter
Three bars — the route at its bestTwo — good, with trade-offsOne — possible, and quiet
IXFlights & extras

Getting there.

Fly in and out

Arusha airport (ARK)

The light aircraft to Seronera leave from Arusha’s small domestic airport, on scheduled services shared with other passengers. Some routes stop at other airstrips on the way. Departure times: ask us.

Connecting

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

Most long-haul flights land at Kilimanjaro, about an hour by road from Arusha, and usually too late for the same day’s light aircraft. Plan a night in Arusha first; ask us whether a direct connection works for your dates.

Luggage

Light aircraft

Soft bags only, and a strict weight limit per person that includes hand luggage. The limit varies by airline: ask us. We can store anything extra in Arusha.

What else to budget.

Not part of the safari price, in order of how much they matter.

  • Tanzanian visaApply online before travel
    Current fee
  • Travel insuranceMust cover medical evacuation
    Typical cost
  • TipsGuide and camp staff, per day
    Guideline
  • DrinksAt lodges and camps
    Typical range
  • Personal spendingLaundry, crafts, extras
    Varies
  • Balloon flightOptional, booked ahead
    Current price
XWhy book with us

Only what we can prove.

01

Arusha, since 2010

A Tanzanian company, locally owned, running safaris and climbs from Arusha for more than fifteen years.

02

Licensed and registered

TALA-licensed through the Tanzania Tourist Board and registered with BRELA. Ask us for the numbers; we will send them.

03

One guide, one vehicle

The same guide drives you from the first day to the last. Nobody else joins your vehicle.

04

Every fee on its own line

Park, conservation and concession fees are shown separately on your quote, so you can see exactly what goes to the authorities.

XIQuestions

The ones we are asked most.

The drive from Arusha to the central Serengeti takes most of a day each way, much of it on corrugated gravel. Flying turns those two days into two game-drive afternoons and mornings. It costs more, and you see less of the country in between.

Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater, and the drive across the highlands. If this is your only safari in the north, the variations above add the crater.

The game drives are: your own vehicle and guide in the park. The light aircraft are scheduled services shared with other passengers.

Soft bags only, with a weight limit per person that includes hand luggage. It varies by airline; ask us for the current figure. We can store anything extra in Arusha.

Not reliably from the central Serengeti. It has excellent resident wildlife all year. The herds are in the south roughly December to March and the north roughly July to October; we can fly you to either.

Usually not: most international flights land too late for the morning light aircraft. Plan a night in Arusha. Ask us about your particular flight.

Begin here

Send us your dates. We will send you the real version.

Named camps, the right direction of travel for your month, every fee on its own line — and a straight answer if another plan would suit you better.

Rather talk it through?WhatsApp us+255 762 914 714
Safari request Serengeti Fly-in 4 days · 3 nights · private, fly-in
01When, and what for?
How fixed are the dates?
What do you want from it? Pick any
02Who’s coming?
Travelling as
03How you like it
Style of camp

Not a commitment. It lets us send something realistic instead of something you have to reject.

04Where to reach you
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