Days: 8 Starting Price: Contact for pricing
Designed to give you a taste of nearly all of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, this safari will help you see nearly everything it has to offer over the course of 8 days, all without breaking the bank. With several days in the Serengeti, a pair in Tarangire, single day stops in Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, and a duo of cultural visits, you’ll have a full slate of incredible activities and adventures to remember for a lifetime.
You’ll begin your adventure in Arusha, the hub of the Northern Circuit that rests near the foot of Mt. Meru, Tanzania’s second-tallest peak. From here, you’ll take a scenic drive through the Tanzanian countryside on your way to Tarangire National Park.
Upon entering the gates, you’ll be greeted by plentiful wildlife as well as one of the region’s most emblematic symbols—the baobab tree, one of Africa’s largest and longest living trees. After exploring the park and its inhabitants for a few hours, you’ll stop for lunch in a scenic spot before diving into another fantastic game drive, seeing many animals, including elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, buffaloes, giraffes, jackals, and over 500 different species of birds.
In the evening, you’ll head over to the Simba Lodge or Sangaiwe Tented Camp for a delicious dinner, some relaxation, and rest overnight.
After breakfast, you’ll head out to see more of the park, this time focusing on the Tarangire River, where many animals gather to drink and predators often lie in wait. In turn, you’ll also see the silale plains and swamp, another area much of the wildlife is drawn to.
Around midday, you’ll stop to enjoy your lunch in a peaceful, natural setting before diving into another game drive through the park.
In the evening, you’ll head back to either the Simba Lodge or Sangaiwe Tented Camp for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, you’ll head to your next destination: Lake Manyara National Park. A favorite of Ernest Hemingway’s, the park is part of the Great Rift Valley and boasts many beautiful views and plentiful wildlife—including two of its most famous, the rare tree-climbing lions which are exclusive to Manyara, and some of the largest baboon troops in the region.
Around midday, you’ll stop to enjoy your picnic at the gorgeous Msasa picnic site that overlooks much of the park. From there, you’ll continue on another game drive taking in more wildlife, including the park’s famous flamingo populations, as well as many others, including leopards, hyenas, jackals, mongooses, hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, warthogs, gazelles, monkeys, and many species of water birds. In the evening, you’ll head to Mto wa Mbu for dinner and an overnight stay at Eileen’s Trees Lodge or Marera Valley Lodge.
On your fourth day, you’ll wake up, have breakfast, then head to one of Africa’s most legendary destinations: Serengeti National Park. Before you arrive, you’ll first get a taste of the lush Ngorongoro Conservation Area as you pass through it on your way to your next stop.
You’ll arrive at the Serengeti’s gates around midday—enjoying your lunch shortly before or after your arrival—before diving into an incredible game drive. Named by the Maasai for its seemingly endless sprawling plains, the Serengeti is home to over 1.5 million wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles, best known for forming the heart of the Great Migration, in which they move en masse in search of more fertile grounds.
In the evening, you’ll arrive at either the Thorn Tree Tented Camp or the Mbugani Tented Camp for dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.
You’ll be off to an early start after breakfast, taking in a sunrise game drive, allowing you to see many of the animals out in the cool morning air before the day’s heat sets in—including many predators who prefer this time for hunting.
Midday, you’ll stop to enjoy your lunch before continuing with your exploration, seeing many of the park’s wildlife, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, mongooses, giraffes, hippos, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, topis, hartebeests, elands, and many species of birds. In addition, you’ll also see some iconic Serengeti features, including many kopjes, the massive rocky outcroppings often used by predators for shelter, breeding, and gaining a better view of their prey and the surrounding area.
In the evening, you’ll return to Thorn Tree Tented Camp or the Mbugani Tented Camp for dinner and sleep.
After breakfast, you’ll enjoy your last game drive in the Serengeti, taking in more parts of the park and much more wildlife before stopping for lunch midday. From there, you’ll continue on another game drive as you work your way out of the park and back into the beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
At the end of the day, you’ll make your way back to Eileen’s Trees Lodge or Thorn Tree Tented Camp for dinner and some well-deserved rest.
You’ll start the day with a truly breathtaking sunrise game drive. As you make your way down from the crater rim, you’ll be enveloped by the largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera in the world—the Ngorongoro Crater. Around you, you’ll quickly notice while the area is often considered a small zoo, as no matter which way you look will be plentiful wildlife of all types.
Throughout the day, you’ll see many animals as you make your way towards the heart of the crater where you’ll stop for lunch midday at a beautiful little picnic site where you can watch the nearby wildlife as you eat. From there, you’ll explore more parts of the park and some of its most famous creatures, including its most popular attraction—the elusive black rhino, which is found in few, if any other places in the area.
In the evening, you’ll take a scenic one-hour drive to Lake Eyasi where you’ll enjoy your dinner and sleep for the night.
On the final day of your incredible journey, you’ll be off to yet another early morning, enjoying your breakfast before taking a short drive over to a nearby Hadzabe village. Here, you will meet many villagers before joining some for a bow-and-arrow hunting expedition. Upon your return, they will share with you their traditional dance as well.
From there, you’ll hop just a bit further down the road to meet another group of extraordinary people: the Dagota. Well known for their blacksmithing abilities (of which they use to make arrows for the Hadzabe as well), livestock, and beautiful handmade jewelry, the Dagota will invite you to join them in several activities before sending you on your way back to camp. Back at camp, you’ll enjoy one more delicious lunch and have time to relax for a bit before embarking on your final scenic drive through the countryside on the way back to Arusha, where your safari will come to an end.