safari
Classic Northern Circuit Safari — 7 Days
Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one journey.
Duration
7 days
Difficulty
Easy
Group size
2 – 6
From
USD 3,450
per person
What to expect
This 7-day safari journey — Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one journey. — is graded Easy and runs in small groups of 2 – 6 travellers.
You will spend 7 days on the ground, covering moving through changing landscapes with a KINAPA-licensed lead guide, a full support team, and meals prepared fresh in camp. Accommodation alternates between comfortable lodges before and after the trek and well-equipped camps or huts during it.
The best window to travel is Jun – Oct (dry) · Jan – Feb (calving). Departures run year-round on request, with private and small-group options. Every booking includes pre-trip planning calls, gear advice, and 24/7 in-country support.
Trip highlights
- The Big Five in one trip
- Crater floor game drive
- Optional Migration tracking
Day-by-day itinerary
A detailed, day-by-day breakdown of where you sleep, how far you walk, what you eat, and the moments to look forward to.
01
Day
Arrival → Arusha
Met at Kilimanjaro Airport, transfer 50 minutes to your lodge in Arusha. Pre-safari briefing.
- Stay
- African Tulip, Arusha
- Meals
- D
- Briefing
- Welcome dinner
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at African Tulip, Arusha · Meals: D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
02
Day
Arusha → Tarangire National Park
Morning drive to Tarangire — famous for huge elephant herds and ancient baobabs. Afternoon game drive along the Tarangire River.
- Stay
- Tarangire Safari Lodge
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Elephant herds
- Baobab forests
- Tree-climbing pythons
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Tarangire Safari Lodge · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
03
Day
Tarangire → Lake Manyara → Karatu
Half-day at Lake Manyara — flamingos, hippos, and the famous tree-climbing lions if you're lucky.
- Stay
- Plantation Lodge, Karatu
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Pink flamingo flocks
- Manyara baboons
- Rift escarpment views
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Plantation Lodge, Karatu · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
04
Day
Karatu → Central Serengeti
Cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area en route to the Seronera Valley — the heart of the Serengeti.
- Stay
- Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Olduvai Gorge visit
- First Serengeti game drive
- Sundowner on the plains
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
05
Day
Full day in the Serengeti
Dawn-to-dusk game drives in pursuit of the Big Five and the Great Migration (location depends on season).
- Stay
- Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Big cat sightings
- Migration herds (seasonal)
- Hippo pools
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
06
Day
Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater
Morning game drive en route to the crater rim. Sunset cocktails overlooking the caldera.
- Stay
- Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
- Meals
- B / L / D
- Crater rim sunset
- Maasai cultural visit (optional)
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Stay at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge · Meals: B / L / D
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
07
Day
Crater floor → Arusha → Departure
Descend 600 m to the crater floor for a half-day game drive — your best chance of black rhino. Lunch at Lerai Forest, then drive back to Arusha for your flight.
- Stay
- —
- Meals
- B / L
- Crater floor game drive
- Black rhino tracking
- Big Five completion
What you'll do
Game drives in a private 4×4 with pop-up roof, led by your professional guide.
What's included today
Meals: B / L
Good to know
Mornings are cool and dusty — a light fleece and a buff for the road are worth their weight.
Important information
Practical details every traveller should read before confirming. We'll cover everything again in your pre-departure pack.
Visa & entry
Most nationalities need a Tanzanian tourist visa (USD 50, or USD 100 for US passports). You can apply online via eservices.immigration.go.tz or get a visa on arrival at JRO. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
Travel insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is mandatory. For Kilimanjaro and high-altitude treks the policy must explicitly cover trekking above 4,000 m and helicopter rescue.
Health & vaccinations
Yellow fever certificate is required if arriving from a yellow fever country. Anti-malaria prophylaxis is recommended. Consult a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure.
Payment & deposits
A 30% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 45 days before arrival. We accept bank transfer and card (3% fee). Free rescheduling up to 30 days before departure.
Tipping
Tipping is customary and an important part of crew income. Guidelines are shared in your pre-trip pack — typically USD 25–35 per day for safari guides and USD 300–350 total per climber for a Kilimanjaro crew.
Group size & privacy
This trip runs in groups of 2 – 6. Private departures with your own guide and vehicle are available year-round on request — ask us for a custom quote.
Game viewing & seasons
Best wildlife viewing is in the dry season (Jun–Oct). The Great Migration calving is Jan–Feb; river crossings in the north are Jul–Oct. We adjust routing to match the herds at no extra cost.
What's included
- ✓Private 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
- ✓Professional English-speaking guide
- ✓All park & crater fees
- ✓Full board accommodation in lodges or tented camps
- ✓Bottled water in vehicle
- ✓JRO airport transfers
Not included
- —International flights
- —Visa
- —Insurance
- —Drinks
- —Tips for guide (~USD 30/day)
Packing list
A category-by-category checklist tailored to this journey. Items marked essential should not be skipped — rentals are available in Moshi and Arusha.
Clothing
- •Neutral colours (khaki, olive, beige) — avoid bright white and dark blue/black
- •3–4 short-sleeve shirts + 1–2 long-sleeve for evenings
- •Light trousers + shorts
- •Light fleece for early-morning game drives
- •Wide-brim sun hat
- •Swimwear for lodge pools
Footwear
- •Comfortable trainers or light hiking shoes
- •Sandals for the lodge
Daypack & gear
- •20–30 L daypack with rain cover
- •2–3 L water bladder or two 1 L bottles
- •Sunscreen SPF 50, lip balm with SPF
- •Sunglasses (UV 400)
- •Personal first aid: blister kit, paracetamol, ibuprofen, rehydration salts
- •Quick-dry towel, hand sanitiser, wet wipes
- •Camera + spare batteries, power bank
- •Binoculars (8×42 recommended) — one per person
- •Telephoto lens (200 mm+) if photographing wildlife
- •Dust-proof bag for camera gear
Documents & money
- •Passport (6+ months validity) and visa
- •Travel insurance documents (printed + digital)
- •Vaccination certificate if applicable
- •Credit card + USD cash in small notes (post-2009, no rips)
- •Emergency contacts and trip voucher
Best season: Jun – Oct (dry) · Jan – Feb (calving)
What travellers say
Honest words from people who have walked, driven, sailed and summited with us. We publish every review unedited.
Our kids still talk about it daily
"Private 4×4, an incredible guide named Baraka, and lodges that felt like a dream. We saw the great migration river crossing, a leopard with cubs, and a black rhino in Ngorongoro. Tembo handled every detail."
Better than any safari we've done before
"We've been to Kenya and South Africa — Tanzania with Tembo was on another level. Our guide could spot a cheetah from a kilometre away and knew every bird call. The Serengeti camp was magical."
Honeymoon of a lifetime
"Romantic bush dinners, a sunrise balloon flight, and lions roaring outside our tent. The pacing was perfect and the team thought of things we hadn't. Truly unforgettable."
Related journeys
Great Migration Safari — 6 Days
Follow the wildebeest river crossings in the northern Serengeti (Jul–Oct).
Luxury Honeymoon Safari — 8 Days
Private vehicles, finest tented camps, sundowners under acacia trees.
Budget Camping Safari — 5 Days
Same parks, real bush camping, half the price.
Plan your journey
Plan your Tanzania journey
Tell us a little about your trip and one of our local guides will draft a tailored itinerary within 24 hours.