In Short
Eight days across Tanzania's finest wildlife country, staying at premium camps and lodges. You fly from Arusha straight into the Central Serengeti for three nights, then travel overland through the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire before returning to Arusha for departure. Flying in first means the biggest wildlife comes while you are freshest, and it protects your flight home from any bush-flight delay on the last day. This itinerary is at its best in the September dry season, the peak months on the Northern Circuit; pricing is tailored to your group and dates, so please enquire for a quote.
Why We Route It This Way
There are two sensible ways to sequence a Northern Circuit trip, and this one deliberately protects your journey home. Some operators build the itinerary to peak at the Serengeti on the final day, saving the best for last. The problem is the exit: flying out of the Serengeti on your departure day, then connecting to a limited international flight, leaves no room for the 30 to 60 minute delays that bush flights sometimes have. Miss that connection and the whole end of the trip unravels.
So you fly in to the Serengeti at the start instead. You get the marquee wildlife across your first three days while your energy is highest, and you leave the region by road on a schedule you control, with the final night at a comfortable lodge near the airport for an unhurried departure. If your own flights home are flexible enough to absorb a buffer, this can equally be reversed to build up to the Serengeti as a grand finale — tell Kai Tours your specific departure and they will advise which order is the safer bet.
- Fly directly from Arusha into the Central Serengeti for three nights
- A route designed to protect your international flight home from bush-flight delays
- Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for dense wildlife and the resident black rhino
- Lake Manyara's groundwater forest, birdlife and tree-climbing lions
- Tarangire's largest elephant herds and baobab country
- Premium camps and lodges throughout, chosen for location and comfort
- Available as a fully private safari or a small shared-vehicle group
- Days 1-3: Fly to the Central Serengeti
- Day 4: Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Highlands
- Day 5: Into the Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 6: Lake Manyara National Park
- Day 7: Tarangire, then back to Arusha
- Day 8: Departure
The Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1-3
From Arusha you fly into the heart of the Serengeti, trading the long road for a short scenic flight and landing close to the wildlife. Three full days here mean unhurried morning and afternoon game drives across the central plains, prime country for lions, cheetah, elephant and, in season, the great herds of the migration. Three nights at your Serengeti camp let you settle in and go deep rather than rushing. Lodge: Serengeti Explorer by Elewana.
Day 4
A game-viewing drive southeast out of the Serengeti, with the landscape shifting from open plains to the green shoulders of the Ngorongoro Highlands. You reach the crater rim by evening and settle in above one of the most concentrated wildlife areas on earth, ready for the descent tomorrow. Lodge: Ngorongoro Lion's Paw Camp.
Day 5
You descend to the crater floor for a game drive among some of the densest wildlife in Africa, including big herds, lion prides and the crater's resident black rhino, one of the best rhino chances in the country. After the crater you continue toward the Lake Manyara area for the night. Lodge: Manyara Best View Lodge.
Day 6
A change of pace and scenery. Manyara is compact and green, running from groundwater forest to the soda-lake shore, with excellent birdlife, hippo, and the park's famous tree-climbing lions. It is an easy, rewarding day and a gentle contrast to the big open parks. Lodge: Lake Burunge Baobab Tented Lodge.
Day 7
Tarangire is elephant country, with some of the largest herds on the circuit moving among ancient baobabs along the river. After a morning and midday among them you drive back toward Arusha, finishing at a polished lodge near the airport for your last night, comfortable, rested and close to your departure point. Lodge: Gran Melia Arusha.
Day 8
After breakfast, an unhurried transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward international flight, with time in hand rather than a dash from the bush. Point: Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Timings are a guide and flex with the season, road conditions and the wildlife.
Pricing for This Safari
Pricing is tailored to your dates and group size. The final figure depends on the confirmed lodges, your group size, and whether you travel privately or share the vehicle. Send us your dates and numbers and we will return a tailored, itemised quote with the flight, the park fees and every transfer shown as separate lines, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
Where You Stay
This is a premium-tier trip, and the accommodation reflects that. Each stay is chosen for its location and comfort rather than simply its price.
- Serengeti Explorer by Elewana, three nights in the Central Serengeti, close to the wildlife. - Ngorongoro Lion's Paw Camp, on the crater rim for the descent day. - Manyara Best View Lodge, with views across the Rift Valley and Lake Manyara. - Lake Burunge Baobab Tented Lodge, tented comfort in baobab country near Tarangire. - Gran Melia Arusha, a refined final night near the airport for an easy departure.
Exact lodges are confirmed at the time of booking and can be adjusted to your taste and budget, including all-inside-the-park options if you prefer.
What's included
- • The Arusha to Serengeti internal flight
- • All park and conservation fees, and the crater service fee
- • Premium lodge and camp accommodation as listed
- • All game drives in a safari vehicle with a professional guide
- • All meals on safari and drinking water in the vehicle
- • All ground transfers, including the final airport transfer
What's excluded
- • International flights to and from Kilimanjaro
- • Tanzania visa and travel insurance
- • Drinks beyond those provided, and personal spending
- • Tips for your guide and lodge staff
- • Optional extras such as a balloon flight over the Serengeti
Wildlife You'll Encounter
Across the eight days, the wildlife changes with each park: the Serengeti's plains predators, the crater's dense herds and black rhino, Manyara's birdlife and tree-climbing lions, and Tarangire's elephant herds.
| Animal | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| Lion | Prime country for lions across the central Serengeti plains; also present as lion prides on the Ngorongoro Crater floor. |
| Elephant | Present in the Serengeti; Tarangire has some of the largest elephant herds on the circuit, moving among baobabs along the river. |
| Migration herds | "In season" during the central Serengeti game drives (no specific month given for this itinerary; see Best Time section). |
| Cheetah | Mentioned as part of the central Serengeti's game drives. |
| Black rhino | Ngorongoro Crater floor — described as "one of the best rhino chances in the country." |
| Hippo | Present at Lake Manyara National Park. |
| Tree-climbing lions | A Lake Manyara specialty, described as the park's "famous tree-climbing lions." |
| Birdlife | Described as "excellent" at Lake Manyara. |
Best Time to Travel
This itinerary is built around September, which is prime dry season on the Northern Circuit. Wildlife concentrates around water, the grass is short and the game viewing is at its most reliable, and in the Serengeti this is a strong window for the migration in the north. June to October is the classic dry-season stretch. January and February are also excellent, coinciding with the calving season in the southern Serengeti. Kai Tours generally steers people away from the heavy rains of April and early May.
Good to know
- Vegetarian and pescatarian food is genuinely good at this lodge tier — share dietary requirements and any allergies in advance so every lodge is briefed before you arrive.
- Rooming (double or twin) is arranged exactly to your preference and handled discreetly.
- The itinerary mixes nights close to the wildlife (Serengeti, crater rim) with a couple of nights at lodges just outside the parks for setting and an easy final transfer; an all-inside-the-park version is possible at higher cost due to concession fees.
- This can run as a fully private safari with your own vehicle and guide, or as part of a small group sharing the vehicle cost.
