This 19-day grand circuit is the most complete safari in our collection, linking the northern and southern circuits and the western parks into a single journey. The trip opens in Tarangire National Park, moves on to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and the open plains of the Serengeti, then heads south to Nyerere National Park and Ruaha National Park, before finishing in the far west at Katavi National Park and the Mahale Mountains.
Because each region sits a considerable distance from the next, the itinerary uses a mix of scheduled and shared charter flights to connect the parks, keeping travel time to a minimum and maximising days spent on game drives, walking safaris and chimpanzee trekking. Travellers who want the same western parks without the full northern circuit attached should look at our 12-Day Western Tanzania Safari, while those who prefer to stay in the north can choose our 11-Day Tarangire and Serengeti Luxury Safari.
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| Start dates | Solo1 room | 2+ peopleSharing rooms |
|---|---|---|
| May 26 - Jun 25 | $30,129 | $27,500 |
| Jun 26 - Oct 16 | $35,501 | $30,250 |
| Oct 17 - Oct 31 | $35,501 | $27,500 |
| Nov 1 - Dec 5 | $27,080 | $23,100 |
| Dec 6 - Dec 31 | $31,000 | $28,930 |
For a more accurate estimate, contact us with your specific requirements and budget. We'll send a detailed quote based on your itinerary, group size, and preferred level of comfort.
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You are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Tarangire National Park, known for its huge elephant herds, ancient baobab trees and tree-climbing lions. An afternoon game drive on arrival sets the tone for the trip ahead.
Distance: Airport transfer to Tarangire, approx. 2 hours
Activity: Arrival game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Tarangire area
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Tarangire is known for offering a strong combination of walking safaris and vehicle game drives. Spend the morning on foot tracking game with an armed ranger, then head out by vehicle in the afternoon for a closer look at the elephant herds along the Tarangire River.
Distance: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive
Activity: Walking safari and game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Tarangire area (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most densely populated wildlife areas in Africa. Settle into camp with views over both the crater floor and the southern Serengeti plains.
Distance: Approx. 2.5 hours from Tarangire to the Ngorongoro Highlands
Activity: Transfer and afternoon at leisure
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp near the Ngorongoro crater rim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Descend into the crater for a full day of game viewing across grassland, marsh and acacia forest, with strong chances of spotting the endangered black rhino alongside dense concentrations of lion, elephant and buffalo. A picnic lunch is taken on the crater floor.
Distance: Full-day crater floor game drive
Activity: Full Ngorongoro Crater floor game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp near the Ngorongoro crater rim (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive north into the Serengeti National Park, stopping for game viewing along the way. Settle into your camp among the rocky kopjes of the northern Serengeti in time for an evening game drive.
Distance: Approx. 4 hours, with game viewing en route
Activity: Transfer with en-route game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Northern Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Spend the day exploring the Serengeti’s grasslands by vehicle, watching for the Great Migration if the season aligns, alongside resident lion, leopard and cheetah. A bush lunch is taken out among the plains.
Distance: Full-day game drive
Activity: Game drive with bush lunch
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Northern Serengeti (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Where grass length allows, set out on a guided bush walk to look more closely at the smaller details of the ecosystem, from birdlife to reptiles and insects, before an afternoon game drive covering further ground across the northern plains.
Distance: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive
Activity: Walking safari and game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Northern Serengeti (third night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A scheduled flight connects the Serengeti to Nyerere National Park in southern Tanzania, formerly known as the Selous Game Reserve. Settle into a riverside camp on the banks of the Rufiji River with an afternoon boat safari to spot hippo and crocodile.
Distance: Scheduled flight Serengeti to Nyerere, then short transfer to camp
Activity: Afternoon boat safari on the Rufiji River
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Nyerere
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Nyerere offers an unusual mix of activities for one park, with driven, walking and boating safaris all on offer. Spend the day alternating between a guided walking safari and a vehicle game drive across the surrounding bush.
Distance: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive
Activity: Walking safari and game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Nyerere (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Fly on to Ruaha National Park, Tanzania’s largest national park and home to roughly a tenth of the world’s lion population. An arrival game drive heads out along the Mwagusi Sand River, a magnet for elephant, buffalo and predators alike.
Distance: Flight Nyerere to Ruaha, then transfer to camp
Activity: Arrival game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Ruaha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Set out on foot with an armed ranger to track game across the baobab-studded landscape, an intimate way to read the bush that a vehicle simply cannot match. The afternoon brings a further game drive with a bush picnic.
Distance: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive
Activity: Walking safari and game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Ruaha (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A final day in Ruaha includes the option of a night game drive after dinner, revealing nocturnal species and predators on the hunt that daytime drives rarely encounter.
Distance: Full day in Ruaha, optional night drive after dinner
Activity: Game drive and optional night drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Ruaha (third night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A shared charter flight connects Ruaha to Katavi National Park, one of Africa’s most remote and least-visited parks. An afternoon game drive often turns up some of the largest hippo and buffalo concentrations in the country.
Distance: Shared charter flight Ruaha to Katavi
Activity: Afternoon game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Katavi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Off-road driving is permitted in many parts of Katavi, opening up close approaches to game that would otherwise stay out of reach. Expect twice-daily game drives with a picnic lunch enjoyed out in the bush.
Distance: Morning and afternoon game drives
Activity: Full-day game drive with bush picnic
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Katavi (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A guided walking safari gets you closer to Katavi’s seasonal floodplain ecology, tracks and birdlife. The afternoon is left open for a further game drive or simply relaxing back at camp.
Distance: Morning walking safari, free afternoon or game drive
Activity: Walking safari
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Katavi (third night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A flight and onward boat transfer along Lake Tanganyika bring you to the Mahale Mountains, home to one of Africa’s largest wild chimpanzee populations. Settle into camp with time to relax on the beach before dinner.
Distance: Flight to Mahale airstrip, then boat transfer along Lake Tanganyika
Activity: Arrival and lakeshore relaxation
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Mahale Mountains
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A full day dedicated to tracking one of the park’s habituated chimpanzee communities through the forested slopes above the lake. Treks can run from two to seven hours over uneven, sometimes steep terrain.
Distance: Full-day chimpanzee trekking, duration varies with chimp location
Activity: Chimpanzee trekking
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Mahale Mountains (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A more relaxed final full day at Mahale, with the option of a second chimpanzee trek, fishing on Lake Tanganyika, snorkelling in its clear waters, or simply resting on the beach to close out the trip.
Distance: Free day with optional activities
Activity: Optional fishing, snorkelling or second chimp trek
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Mahale Mountains (third night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transfer by boat and flight from Mahale to Dar es Salaam, where you connect to your onward or international flight, bringing the safari to a close.
Distance: Boat transfer, then flight to Dar es Salaam International Airport
Activity: Travel day and departure
Accommodation: N/A, end of safari
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Most game viewing is vehicle-based, but the itinerary includes several walking safaris in Tarangire, the Serengeti, Nyerere, Ruaha and Katavi, plus chimpanzee trekking at Mahale, which can involve a few hours of walking over uneven terrain. Reasonable fitness and comfortable closed shoes are recommended throughout.
The dry season from June to October offers strong game viewing across all the parks on this route and the most reliable chimpanzee trekking conditions at Mahale. The wet season from November to May brings lush scenery and good birdwatching but can make some trails muddier and a few flights weather-dependent.
No safari operator can guarantee migration sightings on a specific date, since herd movements vary year to year based on rainfall. The three nights built into this itinerary improve your odds of encountering the migration if it is in the area during your travel dates, alongside the Serengeti's reliable year-round resident wildlife.
Tarangire, the Serengeti, Nyerere, Ruaha, Katavi and Mahale are spread across the length of Tanzania, with limited road connections between the southern and western parks in particular. Flying between regions keeps more of the 19 days focused on game viewing and trekking rather than multi-day road transfers.
Mahale's chimpanzee community is tracked daily by experienced trackers, and sighting rates are generally good, though chimps move through the forest on their own schedule. A trek can range from a short walk to several hours, and the two full days built into this itinerary give you more than one opportunity.
The price covers park fees for non-residents, all activities unless labelled as optional, all accommodation unless listed as an upgrade, a professional driver-guide, all transportation and flights during the tour, all taxes and VAT, roundtrip airport transfers, and the meals and drinks specified in the day-by-day itinerary. International flights, additional accommodation before or after the tour, tips and personal items such as souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees are not included.
Yes. This grand circuit is built from several of our shorter itineraries joined together, so it can be trimmed to focus on just the northern circuit, the southern parks, or the western parks alone. Let us know which regions matter most to you and we will tailor the route.
Most nationalities can obtain a Tanzania tourist visa online via the eTA system before travel or on arrival at major airports. Travel insurance covering medical evacuation is strongly recommended, given the remote western parks and the number of internal flights on this itinerary.
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