12 Northern Circuit Tanzania Safari

Day 1: Arrival At Kilimanjaro International Airport

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by your personal safari guide and transferred to Rivertrees Country Inn outside Arusha town where you can relax and recover from your journey and get acclimatized to life in Tanzania. Depending on your arrival time you may have to time to take a walk by the river, go bird watching or enjoy an afternoon at the spa. Whatever you do Rivertrees will help you feel refreshed and rejuvenated after your journey as quickly as possible. Accommodation: Rivertrees Country Inn.

Day 2: Arusha – Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and driven to Tarangire National Park which is famous for its tree-climbing pythons, massive baobabs and large herds of elephants. Tarangire National Park is small but still home to a significant wildlife population with a density of wildlife matched only by Ngorongoro. You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch during your safari drive and have plenty of time to explore the national park, stop to observe the wildlife and take photos. Accommodation: Tarangire Treetops Lodge.

Day 3: Tarangire Full Day Game Viewing

After breakfast, enjoy an adventure packed day of game driving in Tarangire National Park. As well as herds of elephants, you can also expect to see zebra, eland, mongoose, giraffe, bushbuck, hartebeest, dik dik, impala, warthog, and reedbuck. Many carnivores are abundant throughout the park such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackal. Your personal safari guide will be able to answer all your questions and tailor the drive to suit you. In the afternoon you’ll retire to Tarangire Safari Lodge to enjoy a sundowner while watching the sunset over the Tarangire landscape. Accommodation: Tarangire Treetops Lodge.

Day 4, 5 & 6 Serengeti National Park

After breakfast, depart from Tangarire and drive to the endless plains of the Serengeti via the famous Ngorongoro crater. You will have one half day and two full days to view the great annual migration if you visit is at that time. Serengeti is the oldest and most popular national park in Tanzania and not only during the annual migration when wildebeest, zebra and Thomson gazelle joining the trek to look for fresh grazing. The Serengeti wildlife includes buffalo, giraffe, eland, topi, kongoni, impala, Grant’s gazelle, lion, cheetah, leopard and the African Jackal.

Day 7: Serengeti – Olduvai Gorge- Boma

After breakfast, with a delicious packed lunch to take with us, we’ll travel to Ngorongoro, stopping on the way at Olduvai Gorge, an archaeological site made famous by the Louis and Mary Leakey discoveries and the Masai Boma community. During your visit you’ll have the opportunity to interact with the locals and learn about Masai customs and traditions. Accommodation: Ngorongoro Exploreans Lodge.

Day 8: Ngorongoro Crater full day Game drive

After breakfast we’ll take a picnic lunch and drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where we’ll descend into the stunning crater to view the prolific wildlife. The main feature of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the Ngorongoro Crater – a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera. The crater, which was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two to three million years ago, is 610m (2,000 ft) deep and its floor covers 260 km² (100 sq mi). Estimations of the height of the original volcano range from fifteen to nineteen thousand feet (4500 to 5800 meters). Animal populations in the crater include most of the species found in East Africa; lions, elephants, zebras, rhino, leopard, buffalo, gazelle, wildebeest, hippos and many different species of birds. Accommodation: Ngorongoro Exploreans Lodge.

Day 9: Ngorongoro – Lake Manyara 

After breakfast we’ll drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The national park coverage is 127 square miles (329 km²) and the lake’s alkaline waters cover approximately 89 square miles (231 km²). Giant fig trees and mahogany trees can be seen in the groundwater forest immediately around the park gates. They draw nourishment from the underground springs which are continuously replenished by the crater highlands directly above the Manyara basin. While mostly known for its famous tree-climbing lions and baboons, Lake Manyara and its environment are also home to herbivores such as hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs and giraffes. Accommodation: Manyara Wildlife Lodge.

Day 10: Lake Manyara – Arusha National Park

After breakfast, you will be driven to Arusha National Park for a full day of game viewing. We’ll take a packed lunch box for your party so you can make the most of your time in the park. Arusha National Park offers many varieties of wildlife including Cape buffalo, elephant, hippo, giraffe, warthog, antelope, zebra, blue monkey, velvet monkey, colobus monkey and various reptiles. At the Momella lakes you’ll be able to observe many different types of birds, both resident and migratory. Accommodation: Hatari Lodge.

Day 11: Arusha National Park – Arusha Town

After breakfast you’ll go on a guided walking safari accompanied by an armed ranger. You will have time to take photos of the wildlife which may include zebra, antelopes and Cape buffalo as well as birds. You’ll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch at the beautiful Mount Meru waterfall providing a spectacular end to your safari. Accommodation: Hatari Lodge.

Day 12: Arusha Town – Airport

You’ll be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight back home.