Serengeti · Loliondo · Lake Natron · 5 days

serengeti toNatron

Two nights in the central Serengeti, then out the back way: north-east through Loliondo’s Maasai country and down the Rift Valley wall to a red soda lake below Ol Doinyo Lengai. Walks at Natron are led by Maasai from Engare Sero, and the volcano is there for those who want to climb it.

5days
4nights
2regions
Private4×4 & guide

01 · Overview

The route, and why it runs this way

Most safaris go in and out of the Serengeti by the same road. This one drives in over the Ngorongoro Highlands and leaves by the Loliondo road, so nothing is seen twice and the last two nights are somewhere very few visitors reach.

Day one is the long drive from Arusha to Seronera, the wildlife-rich centre of the park, and day two is a full day there with the cats and whichever herds are passing. On day three you drive out through the quiet Lobo area and Klein’s gate into Loliondo, then drop down the escarpment to Lake Natron. Natron sits at about 600 metres and is hot, dry and very different from the plains: flamingo flats, a waterfall gorge and the Mountain of God. The last day runs south past the foot of the volcano to Mto wa Mbu and back to Arusha.

Starts

Your Arusha hotel, day 1

An early pick-up for the drive west. Most guests arrive the night before.

Ends

Arusha, day 5

Back at your Arusha hotel in the early evening. We suggest flying home the next day.

Style

Private, mid-range

Your own 4×4 and guide, a tented camp in the Serengeti and a tented lodge at Natron.

Pace

Three long road days

Days 1, 3 and 5 are long, rough drives with game or scenery on the way. Days 2 and 4 are spent in one place.

Road day · game drive · B L D

Over the highlands to the Serengeti

Your guide collects you from your Arusha hotel after breakfast. You drop into the Rift Valley at Mto wa Mbu, climb to Karatu and cross the forested Ngorongoro Highlands, stopping at the crater viewpoint on the way.

Lunch is a picnic at Naabi Hill gate, and the afternoon is a game drive north across the plains to Seronera. Gazelle and zebra, lions on the kopjes and, in the right months, long lines of wildebeest.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Highlight: First view of the plains
Sleep: Tented camp, central Serengeti named when you book

Full game drive day · B L D

A whole day in the central Serengeti

No destination today, only game driving. You leave at first light, when the cats are active, and your guide works the Seronera River, where leopards rest in the trees, and the kopjes where lion prides lie up.

Where the herds are depends on the month, and your guide follows the latest sightings rather than a fixed loop. A packed lunch means you never have to turn back at noon.

Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Highlight: Leopards on the Seronera River
Add-on: Balloon flight at sunrise

Game drive · road day · B L D

Out the back way to the red lake

An early start north through the Lobo area, a quiet part of the park with rocky hills, resident elephant and lion, and very few vehicles. You leave the Serengeti at Klein’s gate and cross Loliondo, open Maasai grazing land with cattle, bomas and the odd giraffe.

In the afternoon the road drops down the Rift Valley wall and the air turns hot. Lake Natron appears below, red and pink in the dry months, with the cone of Ol Doinyo Lengai to the south. You reach Engare Sero in time to watch the sunset over the lake.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Highlight: The descent into the Rift
Sleep: Tented lodge, Lake Natron named when you book

Guided walks · B L D

Flamingo flats and the waterfall gorge

At dawn a Maasai guide from Engare Sero walks you across the soda flats to the lake shore, where lesser flamingos feed and, in the breeding months, nest in their thousands. On the way back you stop at footprints left in the volcanic ash near the village, about 19,000 years ago.

The middle of the day is too hot for anything but shade. Around four you walk up the Engare Sero gorge, wading the stream under palms to a pool below the falls, where you can swim. If you are climbing Lengai tonight, dinner is early and bed is earlier.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Highlight: Swimming under the falls
Add-on: Ol Doinyo Lengai night climb

Road day · departure · B L

Past the volcano and back to Arusha

If you climbed Ol Doinyo Lengai, you watched the sun rise from the summit crater and are back at the lodge by late morning for breakfast and a rest. Everyone else has a slow morning at the lake.

The road runs south past the foot of the volcano and across dry Maasai country to Mto wa Mbu, then on to Arusha. It is rough in places, so expect a long afternoon; your guide drops you at your hotel in the early evening.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Ends: Your Arusha hotel
Next: Add a night before flying home

When to go

Where are the herds?

Two million wildebeest and zebra walk a year-long loop through the Serengeti, following the rain. Choose a season to see where they will be, and what that means for your week.

CalvingDec – Mar

Good

calving season

December to March

The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu in the south, and around half a million calves are born in a few weeks. The predators are never far away.

On this tripThe herds are on the southern plains, so day 2 can be spent towards Ndutu. Flamingos are often breeding at Natron until January.

Green seasonApr – May

Green season

the long rains

April and May

Afternoon rain, emerald plains and very few vehicles. The herds start drifting north-west through the centre of the park.

On this tripQuiet in the Serengeti, but the Loliondo road and the Natron track are slow and muddy. We only run this route if the roads are passable.

The great trekJun – Jul

Best for this trip

the great trek

June and July

Columns of wildebeest move through the central Serengeti and the Western corridor on their way north. The dry season begins.

On this tripThe herds are usually in the centre and west on day 2, and Natron is dry and at its least hot for the walks and the volcano.

River crossingsAug – Oct

Good

the far north

August to October

The herds are on the Mara River in the far north, crossing back and forth. The rest of the country is dry, golden and full of game.

On this tripSeronera’s resident cats stay put, the Lobo area is often busy with game, and the flamingos start breeding at Natron from August.

Short rainsNov

Green season

the return

November

The short rains bring the plains back to life, and the herds stream south again through the east of the park.

On this tripThe herds come back south through Lobo, often right on the day 3 route. Rain lays the dust at Natron.

Best for this trip
Good
Green season, fewer vehicles

Herd positions follow the rains and shift a little from year to year. We tell you where they are likely to be before you book.

What it costs

Fill the vehicle, pay less each

Your private vehicle and guide for all five days, four nights full board, Serengeti park fees, Natron village and conservation fees and the Maasai-led walks, priced per person. The more of you share the vehicle, the less each of you pays.

Mid-range fromUS$1,650per person sharing

Important information

All prices are per person and exclude international flights. Final rates depend on your travel dates, seasonal park fees and availability; we confirm them in writing with your quote.

Mid-range

Luxury

Mid-range

Tented camp and tented lodge, en-suite

Mid-range prices, Serengeti to Natron

Single supplement to confirm

Group size	1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 personsbest value
Per person, 2026	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm
Rooms	1 single	1 double	1 double, 1 single	2 doubles	2 doubles, 1 single	3 doubles

Luxury

Premium Serengeti camp, best Natron lodge

Luxury prices, Serengeti to Natron

Single supplement to confirm

Group size	1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 personsbest value
Per person, 2026	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm
Rooms	1 single	1 double	1 double, 1 single	2 doubles	2 doubles, 1 single	3 doubles

Your selection · click a group size2 guests · Mid-range1 double

Travelling with children

Older children who like walking will enjoy Natron: the waterfall walk suits confident swimmers from about 8. The Ol Doinyo Lengai climb has a minimum age of 16, and the heat and long drives make this trip better for teenagers than for small children.

in the price

Private 4×4 with pop-up roof, your group only
Professional English-speaking guide, all 5 days
Four nights as described, full board
Serengeti park and Ngorongoro area fees
Natron village and conservation fees
Flamingo and waterfall walks with Maasai guides
Bottled water in the vehicle

not in the price

International flights and visa
Hotel nights in Arusha
Travel and medical insurance
Tips for your guide and lodge staff
Drinks at the camps
Ol Doinyo Lengai climb and balloon flight

Make it yours

Add to the week

Tick anything you like the sound of. It goes straight into your enquiry, and we will price it with the trip.

Night of day 4 · NatronOl Doinyo Lengai night climbA midnight start up the volcano for sunrise.Add

Day 2 · SerengetiBalloon flight at sunriseAn hour over the plains, then breakfast in the bush.Add

Day 4 · NatronAn evening in a Maasai bomaShare an evening with a family near Engare Sero.Add

After day 5Zanzibar beach daysA short flight from Arusha to the coast.Add

Send my enquiry →

Before you go

The practical part

Flights

Other costs

Why Simba Pride

Flights

Other costs

Why Simba Pride

Questions

Why go out by Loliondo instead of back through Ngorongoro?

It avoids driving the same road twice and reaches Natron from the Serengeti in one day. The road is rough, but the Lobo area and the drop into the Rift are some of the best scenery of the trip.

How hard is the Ol Doinyo Lengai climb?

Very. It is about six hours up steep, loose ash in the dark and four hours down, for fit, sure-footed walkers aged 16 and over. Most guests skip it and enjoy Natron just as much.

Will we see the flamingos?

Lesser flamingos are usually on the lake, but numbers change with the water level. The big breeding colonies form in some years, usually between August and January.

Is Natron very hot?

Yes. The lake is at about 600 metres and days often pass 38 C, so walks are at dawn and late afternoon, with the middle of the day in the shade.

Can we add the Ngorongoro Crater?

Yes. One extra night on the crater rim after day 1 gives you a morning on the crater floor before the Serengeti. We price it as an option.

ready when you are

The plains, then the red lake

Tell us when you would like to travel, who is coming and whether anyone wants to climb the volcano. We reply with a day-by-day plan and an exact price.

Admit

guests

SPS · 05

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