You’ll begin your trip from Arusha, a bustling hub of the Northern Circuit near the foot of Mt. Meru, Tanzania’s second-highest peak. From here, you’ll take a scenic two-hour drive to your first destination, Tarangire National Park. 

Known as the elephant’s paradise, Tarangire boasts a population of between 2000-3000 elephants—more than one for each of its 2,840 square kilometers. As you explore, your guide will share plenty of information about their incredible lives and habitat. 

Around midday, you’ll stop to enjoy your lunch with a beautiful natural backdrop before embarking on another game drive to see more of the park’s animals, including many lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, jackals, giraffes, buffaloes, mongooses, wildebeests, zebras, impalas, Dik-dik, baboons, monkeys, and over 450 different species of birds. In the evening, you’ll head to the Jambo Lodge in Mto wa Mbu for a delicious dinner and an overnight stay.

After breakfast, you’ll take your lunches and head up to Lake Manyara, just a short drive away. Here, you’ll begin your morning with a game drive through the park, taking in many of its most well-known inhabitants. One of these is its tree-climbing lions, who, due to the thick areas of brush, learned to climb trees to get a better view of their prey—and because of it, are not found elsewhere in the region. 

Around midday, you’ll stop to enjoy a beautiful scenic lunch at the Msasa picnic site before embarking on another game drive to see many of the park’s other attractions, including some of the largest baboon troops in the area. Other animals you can expect to see also include leopards, hyenas, jackals, mongooses, hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, warthogs, gazelles, monkeys, and many species of water birds.

Towards evening, you’ll head back to the Jambo Lodge for dinner and some rest.

After breakfast, you’ll venture through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on your way to one of Africa’s most legendary locations: Serengeti National Park. After a few hours of driving, you’ll arrive at the main gates around midday—enjoying your lunch shortly before or after your arrival—then spend the rest of the day on a game drive through the park. 

Named by the Masaai for the seemingly endless plains, the Serengeti is home to over 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, which comprise the Great Migration. However, there are plenty more animals to be found, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, mongooses, giraffes, hippos, warthogs, topis, hartebeests, elands and many species of birds.

In the evening, you’ll head to the Nyani campsite in the heart of the park to enjoy a delicious dinner, then relax before turning in for the night under the stars.

After an early breakfast, you’ll head out to enjoy a sunrise game drive while exploring central and eastern parts of the Serengeti—the perfect time to spot predators and other animals who come out to enjoy the weather and hunt for food in the cool morning. 

You’ll stop to enjoy your lunch in a scenic natural setting before heading out to see more of the park. Besides wildlife, you’ll also see many of the famous kopjes that seemingly rise up out of the plains. These large rock outcroppings are often used by predators for shelter, breeding grounds, and to gain a vantage point over their surroundings and prey, and stand as an iconic marker of the park.

In the evening, you’ll head back to the Nyani campsite where you’ll have dinner and sleep for the night.

On your fifth day, you’ll begin with a post-breakfast game drive as you head out of the northern region towards your next destination: Ngorongoro Crater. After a morning of taking in more fantastic landscapes and wildlife, you’ll stop for lunch before continuing on your way back through the central and eastern parts of the park. 

By evening, you’ll be within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and headed to the Simba campsite on the edge of the crater rim—which boasts beautiful views of the crater itself. There you’ll enjoy dinner and camp for the night.

Day 6 starts with another early morning before embarking on a gorgeous sunrise game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater. As you make your way down from the rim, you’ll quickly see why it’s commonly referred to as a small zoo—with over 20,000 animals, there’s something to see in every direction. Around midday, you’ll stop at a scenic picnic spot in the heart of the park to enjoy lunch while overlooking the wildlife gathering around a nearby watering hole. 

From there, you’ll take another game drive through the park, seeing plenty of animals, including lions—many of which you may even see up close—as well as cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, monkeys, baboons, hippos, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, many species of birds and one of the park’s biggest attractions—the elusive black rhino, which is rarely seen elsewhere in the region. 

Towards the evening, you’ll head over to Lake Eyasi’s public campsite, where you’ll enjoy dinner and sleep for the night.

On your final day, you’ll start bright and early with breakfast before heading to visit two nearby tribes: the Hadzabe and Dagota. Upon arriving at the village, you’ll join the Hadzabe for a bow-and-arrow hunting expedition before returning to the village to enjoy their traditional dance. 

From there, you’ll travel just a short distance to visit with the Dagota, well known for their blacksmithing abilities, livestock, and beautiful handmade jewelry. Here you will join in several cultural activities before heading back to camp, enjoying a hot lunch, and relaxing before taking your final scenic drive back to Arusha.