This is the classic Tanzanian Northern Circuit on a shared budget: a 7-day loop from Arusha through Tarangire and Lake Manyara, a dedicated day on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, and two nights in the Serengeti. You travel in a shared 4x4, seats six to seven guests, splitting the cost of the vehicle, fuel and guide with fellow travellers on a fixed departure date. The price is US$2,800 per person for a mid-range sharing safari, twin/double room basis, with every park fee and the crater service fee already included. Below is the full day-by-day itinerary, the real camps, exactly what is included, and the optional upgrades.
Enjoy the famous wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park
Enjoy the life of the Big 5 during Tanzania safari
The Safari at a Glance
This is the classic Tanzanian Northern Circuit done on a shared, budget-friendly basis: a 7-day loop from Arusha through Tarangire and Lake Manyara, a dedicated day on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, and two nights in the central Serengeti, with the return home split across two days for an easier final morning. It is built for travellers who want the great parks, the Big Five and, season permitting, the Great Migration, at a lower price point than a private safari. The price is US$2,800 per person for a mid-range sharing safari, based on two people sharing a room, with every park fee and the crater service fee already included.
A sharing, or group-joining, safari works by combining your booking with other travellers on the same fixed departure date, so the cost of the 4x4 vehicle, the fuel and the driver-guide is split across the group instead of carried by one party alone. You still get full-board mid-range accommodation and the complete itinerary below; the only difference from a private safari is that you share the vehicle, generally with a maximum of six to seven other guests, and the departure runs on a fixed schedule rather than a date built entirely around you.
The route covers four parks in a natural, forward-moving loop, each chosen because it offers something the others do not. Tarangire opens the trip with its elephants and ancient baobabs, a landscape of golden savannah drawn together along the Tarangire River. Lake Manyara follows as a dedicated morning, its groundwater forest, tree-climbing lions and lakeshore birdlife giving you a completely different park in half a day. The Ngorongoro Crater brings the concentrated spectacle of its floor, a self-contained world within walls six hundred metres high and the best chance on the trip of black rhino. And the central Serengeti brings scale, an ocean of grass stretching to the horizon that holds the highest concentration of big cats in Africa and, for much of the year, the wildebeest of the Great Migration. Together they give you four completely different safaris in a single week, moving steadily west rather than doubling back, at a price built for sharing rather than exclusivity.
| Day | Route | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha to Tarangire National Park, afternoon game drive | Tarangire area |
| 2 | Lake Manyara morning game drive, transfer to Karatu | Karatu |
| 3 | Ngorongoro Crater floor game drive | Karatu |
| 4 | Karatu to the central Serengeti, game drive to Seronera | Central Serengeti |
| 5 | Full day in the central Serengeti | Central Serengeti |
| 6 | Serengeti morning game drive, transfer to the highlands | Karatu / crater rim |
| 7 | Leisurely morning, transfer to Arusha / departure | - |
Why this itinerary works
The order of the parks is built to keep you moving forward rather than doubling back. Tarangire sits on a southern spur, so we take it first, on the day you arrive, then follow the route through Lake Manyara, up into the Ngorongoro highlands and on to the Serengeti without ever retracing your steps. You unpack at just three camps across the week instead of moving every night, which means less time packing and more time on game drives. And rather than finishing with a single punishing transfer from the Serengeti, the return is split across two days, so your final morning stays relaxed.
Each of the four parks earns its place. Tarangire brings the elephants and the baobabs; Lake Manyara its forest, lakeshore and birdlife; the Ngorongoro Crater the concentrated spectacle of its floor, including the resident black rhino; and the central Serengeti the endless plains and the highest concentration of big cats in Africa. Two nights in the same Serengeti camp let your guide learn where the wildlife is moving and get you out at first light without breaking camp, which is precisely when the plains are at their most active, at a price built for splitting the cost with fellow travellers.
Your Route Map
The safari runs as an efficient westward loop from Arusha: south-west to Tarangire, on to Lake Manyara and up into the Ngorongoro Highlands, then northwest into the Serengeti, before the return drive to Arusha via the highlands, split across the final two days.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
- Pick-up from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport after breakfast, then drive about 2 hours south-west to the gate of Tarangire National Park.
- An afternoon game drive in Tarangire, famous for the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania and its landscape of ancient baobab trees, with the Tarangire River drawing wildlife in through the dry season.
- Watch for lion, giraffe, zebra, buffalo and, for keen birders, some of the richest birdlife on the whole circuit.
Overnight: Tarangire area, mid-range shared camp. Meals: lunch, dinner.
Lake Manyara National Park, on to Karatu
- After breakfast, a short drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive.
- Manyara runs from dense groundwater forest at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment to open grassland along the alkaline lakeshore, known for lions that occasionally climb into the trees and, when water levels are right, for flamingos and hundreds of other bird species on the lake.
- In the afternoon, climb the escarpment through cultivated slopes and coffee farms to Karatu, on the edge of the Ngorongoro highlands, roughly 1.5 hours on.
Overnight: Karatu, mid-range shared camp. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Ngorongoro Crater floor
- An early descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest intact volcanic caldera and the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa.
- A full game drive on the crater floor with a picnic lunch, seeking lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo and the resident black rhino, the single best place on the itinerary to see black rhino.
- Ascend back to the rim in the late afternoon for a second night in the Karatu area.
Overnight: Karatu, mid-range shared camp. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Karatu to the central Serengeti
- Depart after breakfast, crossing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area's open plains, often good for wildlife including large wildebeest and zebra herds along the way. A stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the world's most important prehistoric sites, can be arranged on request.
- Enter the Serengeti at Naabi Hill Gate and continue with an afternoon game drive as you make your way to camp in the central Seronera region, roughly 4 to 5 hours' driving in total including the crossing.
Overnight: Central Serengeti, mid-range shared camp. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Full day in the central Serengeti
- A full day exploring the central Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives, the heart of the safari.
- The Seronera area holds resident lion prides, cheetah on the open grasslands and leopard draped in the riverine trees, while the rocky kopjes make favourite lookouts for big cats and a highlight for photographers.
- Depending on the season, the Great Migration herds may be moving through the region, bringing dramatic predator activity in their wake.
Overnight: Central Serengeti, mid-range shared camp. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands
- A final morning game drive in the Serengeti, making the most of the early light before leaving the plains.
- After lunch, begin the drive back east across the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the highlands, roughly 5 to 6 hours, deliberately breaking up the long return so your last day stays gentle.
Overnight: Karatu / crater rim, mid-range shared camp. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Leisurely morning, then departure
- A relaxed final morning in the highlands, with an optional Mto wa Mbu cultural walk or a Karatu coffee-farm visit before you set off.
- A short drive of around 3.5 hours back to Arusha, with drop-off at your hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport in good time for onward or international flights.
Meals: breakfast, lunch.
What you will see, honestly
This route is one of the best in Tanzania for wildlife variety, because the four parks complement each other. Here is an honest guide to the Big Five and the other iconic animals across the week.
| Animal | Where and likelihood |
|---|---|
| Lion | High, in the Serengeti and the crater; Lake Manyara's tree-climbing lions are a bonus but not guaranteed |
| Elephant | Very high, Tarangire above all |
| Cape buffalo | Very high, across all four parks |
| Black rhino | Realistically the Ngorongoro Crater only, around 30 resident |
| Leopard | Present, mainly Serengeti, but elusive and never guaranteed |
| Cheetah | The Serengeti plains, moderate chance |
| Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo | Very high, across the parks (no giraffe on the crater floor) |
| Great Migration herds | Serengeti, seasonal, depends on the month |
| Flamingos and waterbirds | Lake Manyara, seasonal, water-level dependent |
So can you see the Big Five? You have a strong chance of four, with the crater providing the rhino. Leopard is the one that decides a full Big Five, and no honest operator will promise it. What this route does guarantee is variety: forest and lakeshore birdlife, elephant country, the concentrated spectacle of the crater, and the endless Serengeti plains, four completely different worlds in one week.
Lake Manyara: forest, lake and tree-climbing lions
Lake Manyara National Park is compact but varied, running from dense groundwater forest at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment to open grassland along the alkaline lakeshore. It is best known for lions that occasionally climb into the branches of acacia and sausage trees, a local quirk seen in few other parks in Africa, and for its birdlife, with flamingos gathering on the lake when water levels are right alongside pelicans, storks and hundreds of other recorded species.
Tarangire: the home of giants
Tarangire holds some of the largest elephant concentrations in northern Tanzania. In the dry season, when the surrounding land bakes, the Tarangire River becomes a lifeline and elephants pour in from across the wider ecosystem, sometimes a hundred or more moving together along the banks. Beyond the elephants, the park is superb for general game, with giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and impala, plus lions that occasionally rest in the trees. The ancient baobabs, some many centuries old, give the landscape a character found nowhere else on the route.
The Ngorongoro Crater: a world within walls
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact volcanic caldera, roughly 260 square kilometres of crater floor enclosed by walls around six hundred metres high. Within them lives an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 large animals permanently, including around 60 lions, several thousand spotted hyenas, several hundred elephants and around 30 black rhino. That density, on open ground where you can see for miles, is why one crater day can outshine several days elsewhere. It is the single best place on this itinerary, and one of the best in Africa, to see black rhino. Note there are no giraffes on the crater floor, because the descent roads are too steep for them, and no baobabs; those belong to Tarangire.
The Serengeti: the endless plains
The Serengeti is the reason most people come to Tanzania, and its scale is difficult to grasp until you are in it. The central region, known as the Seronera, where you spend two nights, is one of the most reliable areas in the whole park for predators, with resident lion prides, cheetah on the open grasslands and leopard draped in the riverine trees along the Seronera River. The rocky outcrops called kopjes, rising from the plains like islands, are favourite lookouts for lions and a highlight for photographers. Depending on the season, the Great Migration may be moving through, but even when the herds are elsewhere, the resident wildlife of the central Serengeti makes it one of the finest game-viewing areas in Africa.
The Great Migration and timing
Many travellers hope to witness the Great Migration, the year-round movement of around two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle across the Serengeti ecosystem. It is worth being clear about how it works, because the migration is not in one fixed place.
The herds follow the rains in a rough clockwise circuit. Around December to March they gather in the southern and central Serengeti for the calving season, when hundreds of thousands of calves are born and predators are at their most active. Through April and May they move north and west. From roughly July to October they are in the far north, where the dramatic Mara River crossings take place near the Kenyan border. Because this itinerary stays in the central Serengeti, it is best positioned for the migration in the green and calving months and when the herds are passing through, and less so in the peak dry season when they are further north.
Price and what is included
Joining a fixed sharing departure, this safari is US$2,800 per person, based on two people sharing a twin/double room and travelling together with other guests in the same 4x4. The price already includes every park and conservation fee and the Ngorongoro Crater service fee, so there are no surprises at the gate. A single supplement of around US$350 applies for solo travellers who want their own room.
Prefer to travel only with your own party, rather than joining other guests? This same itinerary can be booked as a private safari, priced per person by the size of your own group. The more of you travel together, the lower the per-person rate.
Per person, private safari. Larger groups pay a lower per-person rate.
| Group Size | Price Per Person (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $2,950 |
| 2 People | $2,550 |
| 3-4 People | $2,250 |
| 5+ People | $2,050 |
What is Included
- Airport pick-up on arrival
- Airport drop-off after the safari
- Shared 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser with pop-up roof (max 6 to 7 travellers)
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All national park and conservation area entry fees
- Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- Full-board accommodation during the safari
- Drinking water throughout the safari
- Government taxes and VAT
Not Included
- International and domestic flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Single supplement, if travelling alone and not paired with other guests
- Tips and gratuities for your guide and camp staff
- Optional activities and upgrades
- Alcoholic and soft drinks unless stated
Per person, based on two sharing a room, mid-range sharing safari, 2027 indicative rate on fixed departure dates. The price can vary with the season and final departure size, and park fees are reviewed annually. Your exact price is confirmed at the time of booking.
Comfortable mid-range camps to relax in between game drives
Camps positioned close to the parks to maximise time on game drives
Your mid-range camps
Mid-range in Tanzania means a comfortable en-suite room or a permanent tented camp with proper beds, hot water and full-board dining, well placed for the parks. On a sharing safari, these camps also host other groups travelling on their own itineraries, rather than being reserved exclusively for your party. These are the properties this itinerary uses, or similar, subject to availability at the time of booking.
| Night | Location | Camp or lodge, or similar |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarangire area | Eileen's Trees Inn or Marera Valley Lodge |
| 2 and 3 | Karatu / Ngorongoro | Country Lodge Karatu |
| 4 and 5 | Central Serengeti | Tanzania Bush Camps Central Serengeti |
| 6 | Karatu / crater rim | Country Lodge Karatu or a rim lodge |
Optional upgrades and add-ons
Any part of this sharing safari can be enhanced. These are the most popular additions, quoted separately so you only pay for what you choose.
| Upgrade | What it adds | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Hot air balloon safari, Serengeti | A dawn flight over the plains, ending with a champagne bush breakfast. | ~$599 pp |
| Private vehicle upgrade | Swap the shared vehicle for your own 4x4 and guide. | On request |
| Luxury lodge upgrade | The same route in luxury lodges and tented camps, privately. | On request |
| Inside-park Serengeti camps | Sleep deeper in the park for dawn and dusk on the plains. | On request |
| Maasai village visit | A cultural visit to a Maasai boma near Karatu. | ~$25 pp |
| Olduvai Gorge | A stop at the famous prehistoric site. | On request |
| Fly out of the Serengeti | Skip the Day 7 road transfer with a scheduled flight to Arusha. | On request |
| Zanzibar beach extension | Finish with a few nights on the island. | On request |
Because this itinerary is based in the central Serengeti, the green and calving months are especially well suited to it. Tell us when you can travel and we will tell you honestly what to expect, and whether a fixed departure is already running on your dates.
Best time to travel
There is no wrong time for this safari, only different strengths by season.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, peak | June to October | Easiest general game viewing, the migration in the northern Serengeti. Busiest, and departures fill fastest. |
| Calving | January to February | The migration in the southern and central Serengeti, superb predator action. |
| Green, value | March to May and Nov | Lush, quiet and best value. The crater, Manyara and Tarangire remain excellent. |
Practical information
Getting there
The safari begins and ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), the main gateway to northern Tanzania, or at the smaller Arusha Airport (ARK) in town. Most international visitors fly into JRO, which is about 45 minutes from Arusha. We meet you on arrival regardless of which airport you use, so all you need to do is clear immigration and look for your name.
Visa and passport
Most visitors need a tourist visa, best arranged in advance as an e-visa through the official Tanzania immigration portal, though visa on arrival is available at JRO. A standard tourist visa costs about US$50, while US citizens are issued a US$100 multiple-entry visa. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates with blank pages for stamps.
Health and vaccinations
No vaccine is mandatory unless you are arriving from or transiting a yellow-fever country, in which case a yellow-fever certificate is required. Malaria is present, so take antimalarial medication and use insect repellent, especially in Lake Manyara, Tarangire and the Serengeti. Visit a travel clinic four to six weeks before departure for personal advice, and carry any medication in your hand luggage.
What to pack
Pack light in a soft bag, in neutral colours such as khaki, beige and olive. Bring layers for cool mornings and the cold crater rim, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, a good camera with a zoom lens and spare batteries, comfortable closed shoes, personal medication and some US-dollar cash for tips. A light rain jacket is useful in the green season. The crater rim sits at around 2,300 metres and is genuinely cold at dawn, so a warm fleece is not optional.
Money and tipping
US dollars are widely accepted, and notes should be from 2009 or newer. Camps take cards, but carry cash for tips and small purchases. Tipping is customary and not included: budget around US$15 to US$25 per person per day for your driver-guide, shared across the vehicle group, plus a small contribution to the camp staff tip box. Over the week that is roughly US$100 to US$175 per person.
Travelling with children
This safari suits families and older children well, though as a shared departure the vehicle and pace are set by the group rather than tailored to one family. Child park rates apply. Tell us your children's ages when you enquire and we will advise on the best fit, or quote a private vehicle if you would prefer full flexibility for a young family.
How to book
- Tell us your dates. Share your preferred travel window and group size, and we confirm the next available fixed sharing departure.
- We send your quotation. We prepare a clear breakdown for the sharing safari, plus a private safari quote if you would like to compare.
- Secure your place. A 30 percent deposit confirms your booking, by bank transfer or card.
- We arrange everything. Permits, camps, vehicle, guide and transfers, under one confirmed itinerary shared with your fellow travellers.
- Pay the balance and travel. The balance is due before your safari begins. Then bring a camera and a warm layer for the crater rim.
