10 days / 9 nights
10-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari
Arusha · Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Northern Serengeti
Discover the best of Tanzania's legendary Northern Circuit on an immersive 10-day safari. This extended itinerary combines diverse landscapes, exceptional wildlife and generous time in the Serengeti, allowing you to experience iconic national parks without rushing from one destination to another.
From elephant-rich Tarangire and the dramatic Ngorongoro Crater to the endless Serengeti plains, this safari is designed for travellers who want a deeper and more rewarding Northern Tanzania experience.
Safari highlights
- Large elephant herds and ancient baobabs in Tarangire
- Excellent opportunities to see lions and other predators
- Search for cheetahs and elusive leopards in the Serengeti
- Opportunity to see black rhino in Ngorongoro Crater
- Experience the vast Serengeti plains and abundant herbivore herds
- Explore Lake Manyara's diverse habitats and birdlife
- Spectacular Ngorongoro Highlands and Great Rift Valley scenery
- Extended time in the Serengeti for better wildlife opportunities
- Excellent opportunities for wildlife and landscape photography
- Experience Tanzania's most celebrated Northern Circuit destinations
Out on safari
Day by day
10 days, 9 nights
The route below is the standard version. Game drives follow the wildlife rather than a timetable, and your guide adjusts as the animals move.
- 1
Arrival in Arusha
Arrive in Arusha and meet your safari representative. Transfer to your hotel for check-in, relaxation and a safari briefing.
- 2
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park for your first game drive. Explore the park's iconic baobab landscapes and wildlife-rich areas around the Tarangire River.
Look for elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and abundant birdlife.
- 3
Full-Day Tarangire National Park
Enjoy a full day of game drives in Tarangire. Explore different sections of the park and follow wildlife movements around seasonal water sources.
The park is particularly rewarding for elephant sightings, while predators and a wide variety of plains wildlife can also be encountered.
- 4
Tarangire to Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast, continue to Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive. Explore groundwater forests, wetlands, open plains and lakeshore habitats beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment.
- 5
Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro Highlands
Enjoy a morning game drive or scenic exploration before continuing toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
As you ascend into the highlands, the landscape changes dramatically from Rift Valley lowlands to lush montane scenery.
- 6
Ngorongoro Crater Full-Day Safari
Descend early into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full-day game drive. The crater floor is one of Tanzania's most concentrated wildlife areas, offering opportunities to see lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and, with luck, black rhino.
- 7
Ngorongoro to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area toward the Serengeti.
Enter the legendary Serengeti plains and enjoy an en-route game drive as you make your way toward your camp or lodge.
- 8
Full-Day Central Serengeti Safari
Spend the day exploring Central Serengeti. Search the plains and rocky kopjes for lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra.
Your guide will adjust the route according to current wildlife activity and seasonal conditions.
- 9
Central to Northern Serengeti
Travel north through the Serengeti with game viewing en route. Depending on the season, you may encounter migrating herds in the northern Serengeti and, from approximately July to October, there may be opportunities to witness activity around the Mara River.
- 10
Northern Serengeti to Arusha
Enjoy an early morning game drive before departing the Serengeti. Continue your journey back to Arusha, or arrange an optional domestic flight from the Serengeti for a faster return at an additional cost.
Included
What the price covers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Private game drives throughout the safari
- 9 nights of accommodation
- Meals
- Tarangire National Park entry fees
- Lake Manyara National Park entry fees
- Serengeti National Park entry fees
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area and crater fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Arusha transfers as specified
- All applicable government taxes and tourism fees
Accommodation options: Your accommodation will be selected according to your preferred comfort level, travel dates, availability and safari route. Exact properties will be confirmed in your personalised quotation
Not included
What you arrange yourself
- International and domestic flights
- Serengeti-Arusha flight unless specifically added
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for safari guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Laundry and personal expenses
- Hot-air balloon safari
- Optional cultural experiences and activities
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
- Any service not specifically mentioned under "Included"
Best for
This safari is perfect for travellers who want more time in Tanzania's Northern Circuit, including couples, families, photographers and serious wildlife enthusiasts. The longer duration allows for slower-paced exploration and multiple game drives in key wildlife areas, particularly the Serengeti.
Accommodation levels
Choose the level, and we build the trip around it
The same route can be run four ways. The level you pick decides where you sleep, how far you drive to the wildlife each morning, and most of what the safari costs.
Budget
Clean, simple camps and small lodges. Everything you need after a day in the park, and nothing you do not.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodges and permanent tented camps with en-suite bathrooms, pools and full service. Where most safaris sit.
Luxury
High-end lodges and luxury tented camps in prime locations, with the shorter drives to the wildlife that come with them.
Premium
The best addresses in each park. Exclusive-use camps, private guiding and the quietest corners of the reserves.
Why there is no price on the page
A safari price that fits everyone fits nobody. Two people in a premium camp in August and a family of four in a mid-range lodge in April are different trips at different costs, on the same itinerary. Rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most people reading it, we price each trip properly.
Tell us your dates, your group and the level you want, and you get an accurate quote back with the accommodation named.
What the quote is built from
- Accommodation level and the type of camp or lodge
- Where you sleep: park rates differ, and so do the drives
- Travel dates, since low, high and peak seasons are priced apart
- Group size, and the ages of any children
- Safari style: private, shared, or tailor-made
- Length of the trip, the parks you enter and the activities you add
- Vehicle and transport arrangements
- Anything special: flights, transfers, honeymoon touches, dietary needs
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