5-day Northern Circuit lodge safari
Tarangire, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater in five days, in a private Land Cruiser with comfortable lodges every night.
- Duration5 days
- DifficultyEasy
- Best timeAll year; Jun to Oct driest
- GroupPrivate, 1 to 7 guests
- Starts / endsArusha
This is the safari we book more than any other, and for good reason: in five days you see the three great parks of northern Tanzania, each different from the last. Tarangire for elephants and baobabs, the endless Serengeti for big cats and, in season, the migration, and the Ngorongoro Crater for the densest wildlife in Africa.
You travel in your own Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, and your guide decides each day’s plan with you. Lodges are comfortable mid-range properties with good food and hot showers; we can upgrade to luxury camps or swap to camping on request.
Highlights
- Elephant herds among the baobabs of Tarangire
- Two nights in the Serengeti, with time for the migration in season
- Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full morning game drive
- Private 4x4 with pop-up roof and unlimited game drives
- Comfortable lodges with hot showers and good food
Day by day
Your guide collects you after breakfast for the two-hour drive to Tarangire. Game drive through the afternoon among some of Africa's largest elephant herds, giant baobabs and, with luck, lion and leopard.
Climb over the Ngorongoro highlands, pausing at the crater viewpoint, then descend across the plains into the Serengeti with a game drive on the way to your lodge in the central Seronera area.
A whole day to explore. The Seronera valley is famous for lion and leopard year-round; depending on the month your guide may drive you to wherever the wildebeest migration is.
A last morning game drive, then back towards the crater. Optional visit to Olduvai Gorge, cradle of mankind, on the way. Sleep on the crater rim.
Descend into the crater at first light for a long game drive: black rhino, huge lion prides, flamingo on the soda lake. Picnic lunch by the hippo pool, then drive back to Arusha.
What's included
Included
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and professional driver-guide
- All park entry fees, crater service fee and government taxes
- 4 nights lodge accommodation as listed
- All meals on safari and drinking water in the vehicle
- Airport or hotel transfers in Arusha
- Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
Not included
- International and domestic flights, visa
- Travel insurance
- Drinks at lodges, tips, personal items
- Optional activities such as balloon safari or Maasai village visit
Questions people ask
When can we see the migration?
Roughly: southern Serengeti and Ndutu from December to March (calving), central and western in April to June, north and the Mara River from July to October. We adjust the itinerary to the season.
Is this suitable for children?
Yes. A private vehicle means you set the pace. We can shorten drives and choose lodges with pools and family rooms.