11 days / 10 nights
Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari: The Full-Circle Adventure
Arusha · Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Lake Natron · Arusha
Discover the best of Tanzania's Northern Circuit on an immersive 11-day safari combining iconic national parks, the Great Rift Valley, the Ngorongoro Highlands and the legendary Serengeti. This carefully designed route balances exceptional wildlife viewing with dramatic landscapes and authentic cultural experiences.
Safari highlights
- Large elephant herds and baobab landscapes in Tarangire
- Excellent Big Five opportunities across the Northern Circuit
- Experience the Serengeti and seasonal Great Migration
- Search for black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater
- Explore the spectacular Ngorongoro Highlands
- Discover Lake Manyara's diverse wildlife and birdlife
- Experience the dramatic landscapes around Lake Natron
- Visit waterfalls and enjoy optional walking experiences
- Exceptional wildlife and landscape photography opportunities
- Experience several of Tanzania's most iconic ecosystems in one journey
Out on safari
Day by day
11 days, 10 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 team. Transfer to your hotel for a briefing and preparation for the adventure ahead.
- 2
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire for your first safari game drive. The park is renowned for its giant baobabs, seasonal wildlife concentrations and large elephant herds.
- 3
Full-Day Tarangire National Park
Enjoy a full day exploring Tarangire. Follow the seasonal wildlife movements along the Tarangire River and surrounding plains, with opportunities to see elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and numerous bird species.
- 4
Tarangire to Lake Manyara
Travel toward Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment. Explore the park's forests, wetlands and open areas, which support diverse wildlife and abundant birdlife.
- 5
Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro Highlands
After breakfast, continue toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Enjoy the changing landscapes as you climb into the cooler highlands. The afternoon is available for relaxation or an optional local cultural experience.
- 6
Ngorongoro Crater Full-Day Safari
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full-day game drive. The crater floor offers one of Africa's most concentrated wildlife experiences, with excellent opportunities to see lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and black rhino.
- 7
Ngorongoro to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area toward the Serengeti. Enter the legendary plains and enjoy a game drive en route to your camp or lodge.
- 8
Full-Day Serengeti Safari
Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti. Your guide will follow current wildlife movements to maximise game viewing. Look for lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest.
- 9
Serengeti to Lake Natron
Enjoy an early morning game drive before departing the Serengeti toward Lake Natron. The landscape changes dramatically as you approach the Great Rift Valley and the volcanic surroundings of Ol Doinyo Lengai.
- 10
Lake Natron Experience
Explore the spectacular Lake Natron area. Depending on conditions and your interests, enjoy a guided walk to a waterfall, explore the surrounding landscapes or visit the lake and its flamingo habitat.
- 11
Lake Natron to Arusha
After breakfast, begin your journey back to Arusha. Enjoy the scenic drive through northern Tanzania before concluding your safari.
Included
What the price covers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Private game drives as outlined in the itinerary
- Accommodation for 10 nights
- Meals
- National park and conservation area entry fees
- Ngorongoro Crater fees
- Lake Natron activities included in the itinerary
- Drinking water during safari
- All applicable government taxes and tourism fees
- Arusha transfers as specified in the itinerary
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
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for safari guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Laundry and personal expenses
- Optional activities not specified in the itinerary
- Hot-air balloon safari in Serengeti
- Cultural experiences or activities not specifically included
- Any service not listed under "Included"
Best for
This safari is ideal for travellers who want the complete Northern Tanzania experience rather than visiting only one or two parks. It combines classic wildlife destinations with the dramatic Rift Valley landscapes of Lake Natron, making it an excellent choice for couples, families, photographers, first-time visitors and experienced safari travellers.
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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