2-Day Serengeti Safari Tours

4.9/5 – 501 Serengeti Reviews

Put simply, the Serengeti is one of the most incredible places in Africa and is the perfect place for a 2-day safari. At once beautiful and filled with animals, this northern Tanzanian park is a rare combination of wildlife and wild places writ large on a scale few other parks on the continent can match. Of course, it has all the ingredients for a memorable safari, including the most sought-after charismatic mega-fauna that East Africa has to offer and savannah landscapes with signature flat-topped acacia trees as a backdrop. And the safari offering here is similarly special, with highly professional operators and world-class accommodation.

1-20 of 31 Serengeti National Park 2-day trips, itineraries, holidays, packages & vacations

8 Questions About 2-Day Serengeti Safaris

Expert

Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony is a writer and author of nearly 150 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including Kenya, Tanzania and East Africa. He writes about safaris and the Serengeti, as well as the wider region, for magazines and newspapers around the world. He is also the author of The Last Lions of Africa.
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Is 2 days enough time for a Serengeti trip?

“Serengeti National Park is such a wonderful place to visit, and whether you have 2 days or 200, you’ll still have a fantastic time. Or to put it another way, 2 days in the Serengeti is better than being just about anywhere else in Africa for 48 hours. If 2 days is all you have, then they could just be the most wonderful 2 days you’ll ever spend on holiday. At the same time, you could spend a lifetime in the Serengeti and still feel as if you needed more time, and having only 2 days for your Serengeti safari is nowhere near enough. This is one of East Africa’s largest parks and there’s something to see in every corner of the park. The animals that inhabit the park are wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed. With only 2 days in the park, there’s a risk that you won’t see some of the animals you traveled so far to see.”

Which animals am I likely to see on a 2-day Serengeti safari?

“The short answer to this question is that you will see too many animals to count on your 2-day Serengeti safari. If your time in the Serengeti coincides with the great migration in your area, then you can expect a swarming mass of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle. Plenty of big cats and other predators (such as spotted hyena) are also never far away. Even if your 2 days don’t fall during the migration, you can still expect an amazing natural spectacle. Look for lion, leopard and cheetah. Sightings of elephant, giraffe and many antelope species are also likely. Watch, too, for bat-eared fox and various species of jackal. If you really want to see the Big Five, four of these (elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo) are commonly seen. Only the fifth member, the park’s small population of black rhino, can be quite difficult to find, especially if you’re only here for 2 days.”

Can I visit the Ngorongoro Crater on a 2-day Serengeti trip?

“It is possible to visit both the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater on a 2-day safari, but it will be an extremely rushed experience. To make it work, you would need to fly between the two, and you would only have enough time for a day in each. If you were to visit Ngorongoro first, you could, in theory, spend the first night there, visit the crater the following morning until mid-afternoon, then fly to the Serengeti in time for a late-afternoon game drive, before flying out. However, if at all possible, try and arrange to have more time for both destinations. That’s because they’re such extraordinary places, both for the wildlife you can see and for the landscapes you get to explore, and they deserve so much more time than a couple of days. Of course, a day in each is better than none!”

Should I fly or drive to the Serengeti on a 2-day safari?

“The Serengeti is a long drive from anywhere. That’s why so many, perhaps even most, safari visitors fly into the park. If you do fly, then you’ll be flying into one of the Serengeti’s airstrips in a small plane, either from Arusha, from one of the other airstrips in another Tanzanian park, or from one of the parks across the border in Kenya. It’s a wonderful way to arrive, and the views on the trip in will be a real highlight. Remember also that flying in will be essential if the day you’re traveling to the Serengeti is one of your 2 days for the whole tour. In those circumstances, driving would simply take up too much time and leave very little time to explore and look for animals. If you do drive to the Serengeti, make sure that the day spent getting there is not actually a part of your 2-day safari.”

What are the accommodation options on an overnight trip to the Serengeti?

“If you only have 2 full days to spend on your 2-day Serengeti safari tour, you will most probably only have 1 full night in the Serengeti. Thankfully, the choices to make it a wonderful night are outstanding, and the accommodation itself may end up being a real highlight of your whole tour. Of all the national parks and reserves in Tanzania, it’s the Serengeti that probably has the most choice when it comes to accommodation. There are luxury tented camps and lodges scattered throughout the park, and the park is particularly well-served when it comes to luxury and midrange accommodation. There are a few budget choices in the central Serengeti, close to the park headquarters in Seronera, but otherwise the only choices may be a handful of simple tented camps in the lower midrange price category.”

How much will this safari cost?

“A 2-day Serengeti safari will usually start at around US$200 to US$250 per person per day. This will be for a budget safari, and the high prices are because you’ll probably need to factor in the cost of flights to and from the park. Also part of the cost will be the US$60 per adult per day (or US$30 per child per day) park entry fees. And all of this is before you add in the cost of accommodation, guides, in-park transport, meals and so on. There are numerous factors that will affect how much you pay. One of these is the type of accommodation (which could be anything from the park’s youth hostel up to uber-luxurious tented camps). Other things to consider include the time of year when you’ll be traveling (high season and its high prices runs from July to March), and the type of safari you have in mind. When it comes to the latter, private safaris (which mean you’ll have the guide and most transport all to yourself) are much more expensive than group safaris where such costs are shared. Self-drive safaris are also possible, although they’re not really feasible for such a short safari.”

Can I add a 2-day Serengeti safari to a beach holiday?

“Lots of travelers combine a 2-day Serengeti safari with a beach holiday and it’s an excellent thing to do: it gives you a real taste of two very different East African worlds. Most people who do this combine the Serengeti with Zanzibar, which together make for a truly brilliant holiday. There are small-plane flights between the Serengeti and Zanzibar (or other destinations, such as Pemba Island along Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast). Some of these flights are direct, others require a change in Arusha or, less often, Moshi or Dar es Salaam. When approaching safari operators, ask them what experience they have in arranging such combined trips. Be sure also to ask for the details of flights, timings etc., to make sure that you can maximize your time in each destination and don’t end up wasting too much time traveling between the two.”

What is the best time of the year for a Serengeti trip?

“For most safari tours to the Serengeti, the best times of year to visit are the months from July to March. The Dry season runs from June to October, and these months usually promise clear skies, mild temperatures and excellent trail conditions for getting around the park. The short rains usually take place from November into December, although these are usually short, sharp bursts of rain which shouldn’t impact unduly on your safari. The longer rains (March to May) are more likely to disrupt your safari experience. Another factor to consider is the possibility of seeing the great migration. It’s usually found in the southern Serengeti in January and February, moves through the park to Grumeti Game Reserve and the Western Corridor by June and/or July, then heads through the north on its way to Kenya in August and September. If birding is a significant part of why you’re here, the best time might be from November to April, when migratory bird species pass through and spend time in the Serengeti.”

Serengeti Reviews

4.9/5 501 Reviews

Expert

Sue Watt –

Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.

The iconic African Safari

5/5

If you only ever go on one safari, it should perhaps be to the Serengeti. Wildlife is here in abundance, but it’s best known for the greatest wildlife show on earth starring over a million wildebeest frantically racing for their lives on...

Full Review

Expert

Christopher Clark –

Christopher is a British travel writer and has contributed to various Fodor's guidebooks and a range of travel magazines.

Endless Plains & Lions Galore

5/5

The Serengeti is surely the most famous national park in Africa and nowhere is more synonymous with romantic images of safari. Serengeti translates as ‘endless plains’ in English, an apt description for this enormous swathe of iconic...

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Antal Bekefi –

Reviewed: Nov 13, 2024

5/5

Vast area of land, few trees therefore excellent visibility. Millions of animals. Wherever you go, wherever you look, lots of animals. You don't meet a lot of other vehicles as the park is huge and the vehicles are not concentrated. We have...

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Eric Barter –

Reviewed: Oct 21, 2024

5/5

The Serengeti National Park is HUGE! Our guide informed us that it would take roughly 14 days to see the full thing. I am glad I took a tour with an overnight in the park so I could at least have 2 days there. This is the park of CATS! Many...

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Paola Virrueta –

Reviewed: Jul 13, 2024

5/5

Without a doubt, it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. I was not only amazed by seeing and searching for animals but also by the natural beauty of the place. We were able to spend a night at Engiterata Adventure Camps, a beautiful...

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Pedro Marquez –

Reviewed: Jul 11, 2024

5/5

There are no words to describe Serengeti. It is a must to stay preferably 2-3 days to be able to enjoy different areas of the park, which is huge. There is so much variability in terms of landscape and wildlife that you see there, that it...

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8 Questions About 2-Day Serengeti Safaris

Answered by

Anthony Ham

8 Questions About 2-Day Serengeti Safaris

Is 2 days enough time for a Serengeti trip?

Which animals am I likely to see on a 2-day Serengeti safari?

Can I visit the Ngorongoro Crater on a 2-day Serengeti trip?

Should I fly or drive to the Serengeti on a 2-day safari?

What are the accommodation options on an overnight trip to the Serengeti?

How much will this safari cost?

Can I add a 2-day Serengeti safari to a beach holiday?

What is the best time of the year for a Serengeti trip?

Serengeti Reviews

The iconic African Safari

Endless Plains & Lions Galore