Overview
In this tour, you will have the opportunity to visit the most iconic parks of the Northern safari circuit of Tanzania. You’ll visit Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park (where you will stay 2 nights), and Ngorongoro Crater.
Trip Highlights
- Explore Tarangire National Park, famous for its massive elephant herds and ancient baobab trees.
- Visit Lake Manyara National Park, home to tree-climbing lions and thousands of flamingos.
- Spend two nights in the Serengeti, witnessing breathtaking landscapes and incredible wildlife, including the Big Cats.
- Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Big Five.
- Enjoy game drives in diverse ecosystems, from lush forests to open savannahs
- Stay in carefully selected accommodations, blending comfort with an authentic safari experience
Safari Plan
We will pick you up from your hotel at 8:00 am and take you to a very special national park. Tarangire National Park is famous for its diverse landscape with nine different vegetation zones. The park is particularly known for the abundance of ancient baobab trees (the largest trees in the continent), which fill the landscape and dwarf the animals next to them. The river in the park is full of wildlife ranging from a large variety of birds to lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and, of course, elephants. The park has the largest concentration of elephants in the whole country and provides unique chances to observe the interaction between elephant families. The lunch area is fascinating, boasting an observatory with amazing views of the river and wildlife (with good chances of seeing a hunt while having your picnic). In the afternoon, you'll do a game drive before continuing to your accommodation.
You'll enjoy a beautiful short journey across the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park for a full-day game drive. Although small in dimension (205 sq miles), the park has breathtaking scenery and is famous for its lush acacia forest, giant figs, and mahogany trees, as well as a growing population of baboons and blue monkeys. Permanent residents of this park also include giraffes, elephants, impalas, and a huge number of buffaloes. The lake is also home to a large number of hippos. The landscapes of Lake Manyara are something that cannot be described in words. The game drives along the lake provide stunning photo opportunities of giraffes and buffaloes in the foreground and the lake (and its flamingos) in the background. On this day, some extra tours are possible, including a bike tour or a boat excursion. In the afternoon, you will transfer to the camp for dinner.
After an early breakfast, you'll depart towards the most famous national park in the world, the Serengeti. You will drive up the crater highlands, making a quick stop at the rim for an out-of-this-world view of Ngorongoro Crater. This will be an unforgettable moment for anyone seeing it for the first time. As you progress well into the Serengeti, you will see why the name means, in Swahili, 'endless plains. The park has 6,900 miles, and for most of it, the plains will stretch to the horizon, defying your senses and perception of distances. It is the home of the Great Migration and to 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras, and all kinds of antelopes, including the abundant impalas and Thomson's gazelles. As for big cats and large predators, it's the place to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, with many television scenes like the famous River Crossings having been filmed in this park
You'll spend the full day in the Serengeti National Park. We are completely flexible with your preferences, and this day will be organized according to your wishes. On every day of the safari, your guide will discuss with you the best times for you, including the game drives and the wake-up time. For example, on this day, you could do a morning game drive, return to the camp for lunch and relaxation, and finish with an afternoon game drive, or you could do a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch.
On this day, we suggest a very early wake-up to do an early morning game drive (when the animals are more active) and see one of the best sunrises you'll ever witness. After the game drive, you will return to the camp for a rewarding brunch. Then, you'll proceed to Ngorongoro, the 8th Wonder of the Natural World. The crater spreads for 102 square miles and has 2000ft high walls, making it virtually Noah's ark and inhabiting almost every species of wildlife that is indigenous to East Africa. It's one of the very few locations in the whole continent where you can witness the black rhino. The crater has a river, several swamps, a soda lake with a great concentration of flamingos, a forest, and open plains. It's also famous for its elephants, which are the largest in the world and have huge tusks. Ngorongoro Crater is truly a Wonder of the Natural World.
You will start the day very early and descend into the crater floor for an incredible morning of wildlife in one of the most stunning places on Earth. After the game drive, there will be time for a picnic lunch near the beautiful Hippo Lake. After lunch, you will have time for a short game drive and then ascend the crater and exit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards Arusha. We expect to be back in Arusha at around 5:00 pm, although we are flexible in case there is a flight to catch or another situation.
Costing
Includes
- Park fees
- (For non-residents)
- All activities
- (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation
- (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation
- (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals
- (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinks
- (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Excludes
- International flights
- (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items
- (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Frequently Asked Questions
This safari can be enjoyed year-round, but the best wildlife viewing is from June to October (dry season). If you want to witness the Great Migration in the Serengeti, visit between December and July
You’ll have a chance to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino), as well as giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests, and a variety of bird species.
You will visit Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater for one day each, while you will spend two nights in the Serengeti for a more immersive experience.
The safari offers mid-range lodges and tented camps, providing both comfort and an authentic safari atmosphere.