Seremara Safaris
6-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari
Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara in one seamless journey
6-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari
You've heard the names — Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire — now let us show you why Tanzania's Northern Circuit is considered the finest concentration of wildlife parks on the continent. Over six unhurried days, you'll trace a classic loop from Arusha through four of East Africa's most celebrated ecosystems, each with its own character and its own cast of animals.
You'll start among Tarangire's baobab-studded plains, home to some of the largest elephant herds in Tanzania, before pushing on to the endless grasslands of the Serengeti, where lion, cheetah and (season permitting) the Great Migration itself play out across the horizon. From there you'll descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a natural amphitheatre so densely packed with wildlife that a single day inside can feel like a week's safari elsewhere, before winding down beside the birdlife and forests of Lake Manyara.
Every night you'll rest in comfortable, carefully chosen lodges and camps, and every day you'll travel in a private 4x4 with your own driver-guide, so the pace and the stops are entirely yours to set.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha
You'll be met at Kilimanjaro International Airport (or Arusha Airport) and transferred to your lodge in Arusha, the gateway town to Tanzania's Northern Circuit. Take the rest of the day to settle in, relax by the pool, and enjoy a briefing from your driver-guide on what to expect over the coming days. Dinner and overnight at your lodge on a full-board basis.
Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After an early breakfast, you'll drive roughly 120 km (2-3 hours) to Tarangire National Park, famous for its ancient baobab trees and some of the highest elephant densities in Tanzania. You'll spend the afternoon on a game drive through the park's swamps and grasslands, watching for elephant herds, giraffe, zebra, and the tree-climbing lions Tarangire is known for. You'll spend the night at a lodge or camp on the park's border, full board.
Day 3: Tarangire to the Serengeti
You'll depart after breakfast for the Serengeti, a scenic drive of around 280-300 km that takes you past the Ngorongoro Highlands, with sweeping views over the crater rim en route. Expect the drive to take 5-7 hours including a stop for lunch. You'll enter the Serengeti through the Naabi Hill or Ngorongoro gate in the afternoon, with a game drive as you make your way to your camp. Overnight in the Serengeti, full board.
Day 4: Full Day Serengeti Game Drives
You'll have a full day to explore the endless plains of the Serengeti, one of the last places on Earth where you can watch a predator-prey drama unfold across an unbroken horizon. With picnic lunches packed, you'll head out for morning and afternoon game drives in search of lion, leopard, cheetah, and — depending on the time of year — the immense herds of the Great Migration as they move through the ecosystem. Overnight in the Serengeti, full board.
Day 5: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
You'll leave the Serengeti after breakfast and drive around 140-150 km (3-4 hours) to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In the afternoon, you'll descend roughly 600 metres onto the crater floor for a game drive inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site — a self-contained ecosystem so rich in wildlife that you stand a genuine chance of spotting all of the Big Five in a single afternoon. You'll spend the night at a lodge on the crater rim or in nearby Karatu, full board.
Day 6: Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara and Departure
On your final morning, you'll drive to Lake Manyara National Park (around 60-80 km, 1-2 hours) for a game drive through its groundwater forest and along the lakeshore, known for its tree-climbing lions and dense birdlife. After lunch, you'll continue to Arusha (a further 113-130 km, about 2.5-3 hours) in good time for your onward flight home, bringing your Northern Circuit safari to a close.
Photo Gallery
What's Included
- All park entrance fees for the itinerary listed
- Private 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof hatch
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Unlimited bottled drinking water on board
- All accommodation on the board basis specified per day
- All ground transport, transfers and game drives listed
- Airstrip/border transfers where applicable
- Flying doctors emergency evacuation cover
Trip Planning Guide
You can enjoy the Northern Circuit year-round, but the two peak windows are the dry season (June to October), when wildlife concentrates around permanent water sources and game viewing is at its easiest, and the calving season (January to March) in the southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, when predator action peaks. If witnessing the Great Migration river crossings is a priority for you, plan for July to September in the northern/western Serengeti.
- Neutral-coloured, lightweight clothing (khaki, olive, tan) for game drives
- A warm fleece or jacket for early morning crater-rim temperatures, which can drop close to freezing
- Sunhat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen
- Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens
- Comfortable walking shoes for lodge grounds and short nature walks
You'll need a valid passport (6 months validity beyond your travel dates) and a Tanzania visa, which most nationalities can obtain online in advance or on arrival. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. We recommend consulting your doctor about malaria prophylaxis before you travel.
You'll typically fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is well connected to Nairobi, Amsterdam, Doha and other international hubs, or into Arusha Airport (ARK) for regional connections. We'll arrange your airport transfer as part of this package.
Tour Route Map
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — this Northern Circuit safari is one of our most popular building blocks and combines naturally with a Masai Mara extension in Kenya or a few relaxing days on the beaches of Zanzibar afterwards. Let us know your interests and we'll tailor the combination for you.
It depends on timing and location within the Serengeti ecosystem, since the migration moves in a roughly circular pattern throughout the year. Our team tracks migration movements closely and will position your Serengeti nights in the area giving you the best chance of a sighting for your travel dates.
The Ngorongoro Crater floor game drive is included in full in this 6-day itinerary — it's one of the highlights of the Northern Circuit and we wouldn't want you to miss it.
You'll stay in comfortable mid-range to upscale lodges and camps at each location, on a full-board basis. If you'd prefer luxury tented camps or a more budget-friendly option, let us know and we'll adjust the itinerary and quote accordingly.
This is a fully private safari — you'll have your own 4x4 vehicle and driver-guide for the entire trip, and the pace and stops are set around you and your travel companions only.
6-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari
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