Spend 9 days exploring the best of northern Tanzania, getting up close on a walking safari in Tarangire National Park, marvelling at the wide skies of Lake Manyara National Park, and tracking big cats in the Serengeti before finishing with a full day inside the Ngorongoro Crater.
This route covers the same northern circuit highlights as our longer combination safaris, condensed into a nine-day trip with three full nights in the Serengeti at its centre. Travellers who want the same northern parks with a Zanzibar beach extension built in should look at our Zanzibar-departure safari packages, while those wanting to add the southern and western parks can choose our 19-Day Tanzania Luxury Grand Circuit Safari.
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| Start dates | Solo1 room | 2+ people sharing rooms |
|---|---|---|
| Low Season | $9,365 | $7,370 |
| High Season | $10,237 | $8,030 |
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 the airport and driven to your lodge in Arusha, set away from the city hustle with gardens full of local vegetation and strong local design touches. A relaxed first night before the safari proper begins.
Distance: Airport transfer to Arusha, approx. 1 hour
Activity: Arrival and orientation
Accommodation: Hotel in Arusha
Meals: Breakfast
Drive into the heart of Tarangire National Park, where your camp sits beneath a canopy of umbrella-shaped acacia trees near a waterhole that draws elephant herds and the predators that follow them. An arrival game drive sets the tone for the days ahead.
Distance: Approx. 2 hours from Arusha to Tarangire
Activity: Transfer and arrival game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Tarangire area
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
For wildlife encounters of the up-close-and-personal kind, head out on a walking safari with an experienced guide, tracking big game on foot through the park’s acacia woodland and swamp edges.
Distance: Morning walking safari, afternoon at leisure or game drive
Activity: Walking safari
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Tarangire area (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive south, stopping at Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive beneath its dramatic escarpment, known for its tree-climbing lions and flamingo-lined lake shore, before continuing on to the Ngorongoro Highlands.
Distance: Approx. 1 hour to Lake Manyara, then 1.5 hours to Karatu
Activity: Lake Manyara game drive, then transfer to Karatu
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp near the Ngorongoro crater rim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day of game viewing across grassland, marsh and acacia forest. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most densely populated wildlife areas in Africa, with strong chances of spotting the endangered black rhino. 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 into the heart of the Serengeti, with game viewing continuing along the way. Your camp sits in the central Seronera Valley, an area of abundant water that holds resident game year round.
Distance: Approx. 3 hours from Ngorongoro to the central Serengeti
Activity: Transfer and arrival game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Spend the day on guided game drives tracking big cats, with resident lion, leopard and cheetah all regularly seen in this part of the park. A picnic 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 Central Serengeti (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A further day of game drives, with the chance to witness the Great Migration passing through if your dates align with its seasonal movement through the central plains, followed by the ever-watchful predators that trail the herds.
Distance: Full-day game drive
Activity: Game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Central Serengeti (third night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transfer back to Arusha in time for your connecting flight, bringing the safari to a close.
Distance: Road or air transfer back to Arusha
Activity: Travel day and departure
Accommodation: N/A, end of safari
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Most game viewing is vehicle-based, with one walking safari in Tarangire that involves walking on uneven ground for an hour or two. Reasonable fitness and comfortable closed shoes are recommended, but this itinerary is suitable for most fitness levels.
December to March offers warm weather, good resident wildlife and the southern Serengeti calving season, while June to October is the dry season with easier game viewing across all three parks and the best chance of the migration being in the central or western Serengeti.
No safari operator can guarantee migration sightings on a specific date, since herd movements vary year to year based on rainfall. The three nights in the central Serengeti improve your odds of encountering the migration if it is moving through the area during your travel dates.
Lake Manyara sits directly on the road between Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Highlands, making it a natural and efficient stop for a game drive rather than a detour. It adds a different habitat, a soda lake beneath a dramatic escarpment, to a route otherwise focused on Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.
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 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. Since this safari starts and ends in Arusha, a short flight to Zanzibar before or after the trip is an easy add-on for travellers who want to combine the safari with beach time. Let us know if you would like this built into your itinerary.
Yes, all of our safaris are fully customisable. This itinerary can be adjusted in length, paired with a Zanzibar extension, or combined with the southern and western parks for a longer grand circuit. Let us know what matters 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 for any safari trip.
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