Why only five days for the northern circuit?

Five days is the shortest routing that gives Tarangire, two nights in the Serengeti and a full crater day without spending whole days just travelling. Each extra day before or after adds another park or another night on the plains rather than more driving, and we are happy to extend it — many travellers add a night in the Serengeti or a Lake Manyara or Arusha National Park stop.

Is the whole safari private?

Yes. The vehicle, the driver-guide and the departure are private to your group. The crater descent itself is done in a registered park vehicle with a park guide, because that is how the crater floor is regulated — every operator works the same way and your driver-guide stays with you.

Will we see the wildebeest migration?

The migration is a moving event that follows the rains, and its position changes through the year, so no operator can promise it on a given date. The Serengeti itself is exceptional wildlife country all year, and the central Seronera area is the most reliable game-viewing region when the herds are elsewhere. Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly where the herds are likely to be and whether a different routing or month would suit you better.

Can this be combined with gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

Yes, and it is one of the best combinations in East Africa — gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and then the Serengeti plains. We will sequence the two itineraries around your gorilla permit date, advise on the Kigali–Kilimanjaro flight, and handle the ground arrangements at both ends.

What is the best time of year for this safari?

The dry months, roughly June to October, concentrate wildlife around water and make the tracks easy to drive; December to February is warmer and greener, with excellent birdwatching and the calving season in the southern Serengeti. Park conditions, road states and activity availability vary through the year, so we confirm the current position for your dates when you book.

Light layers for warm days and cold early mornings, especially at altitude in the crater and the Ngorongoro highlands; a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent; binoculars and a camera with spare batteries and cards; sturdy closed shoes; and any personal medication. Neutral-coloured clothing is comfortable and practical. Your passport is needed for park registration and internal flights.

How far ahead should we book?

The northern circuit sells out in the peak months of July to October and around the December and January holidays, and the best-located lodges and camps inside the parks are the first to go. We recommend booking three to six months ahead for those months, and we will confirm current availability for your dates at the time of your enquiry.

5-Day Tanzania Safari: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire

Tanzania's northern circuit in five days

Five days, three of East Africa's great wildlife destinations, and a private vehicle throughout. This safari runs the classic northern Tanzania circuit from Kilimanjaro International Airport: Tarangire National Park on the first afternoon, two nights in the Serengeti, and a full day inside the Ngorongoro Crater before you fly home.

We keep the routing deliberately simple. Arusha is the gateway, Tarangire lies on the way south, the Serengeti is reached through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the crater sits on the road back — so the days are spent in the parks rather than on detours. Your driver-guide, the vehicle and the departure are private to your group, which means the pace of each day is yours: leave at first light when the cats are active, stay out for a full morning, or return to camp early.

This is the Tanzania product we were missing. The same team that runs our Rwanda and Uganda safaris plans and coordinates this journey end to end, and it can be joined directly to a gorilla trekking itinerary in Rwanda before or after. If your dates allow, we will sequence the two so that you trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and then fly to the Serengeti plains without crossing back through Kigali.

Highlights

Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide for the whole journey
Two nights inside the Serengeti, with game drives out from camp rather than long transits in and out
A full day inside the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world, with a descent by a registered park vehicle and guide
Tarangire National Park — baobab country and one of East Africa's strongest dry-season elephant concentrations along the Tarangire River
Seronera and the central Serengeti, the park's most reliable year-round wildlife area, with leopard, lion, cheetah and elephant regularly seen
Birdlife across three different habitats — open plains, acacia woodland and the crater floor's soda lake and Lerai forest
Private departures and private game drives, so the pace of each day is set by your group
Can be combined with gorilla trekking in Rwanda — we sequence the two itineraries and handle the regional flight booking for you

Day 01 :

Kilimanjaro Airport to Tarangire National Park

You are met on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport by your driver-guide and drive south-west towards Tarangire National Park, with Mount Meru behind you and Kilimanjaro on the skyline to the east. After a stop in Arusha you enter the park in the early afternoon and begin game driving straight away.

Tarangire is baobab country: ancient trees standing over open grassland and acacia scrub. In the dry months the Tarangire River is the only reliable water for a long distance around, and elephant herds gather here in numbers, together with zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe and the lions and leopards that follow them. You reach your lodge or camp in the late afternoon, in time to settle in before dinner.

Overnight: Tarangire area lodge or tented camp. Meals: dinner.

Day 02 :

Tarangire to the Serengeti via the Ngorongoro highlands

An early start for a game drive while the light is low and the animals active, then out of the park and west towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The road climbs onto the highlands, past Maasai settlements and grazing herds, and around the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater itself — your first sight of the caldera floor far below, with wildlife visible through binoculars.

From the rim the route continues down through the conservation area into the Serengeti, reaching the central Seronera region in the afternoon with game viewing along the way. Two nights inside the park mean the following day starts where the wildlife is, rather than at a gate hours away.

Overnight: Serengeti lodge or tented camp, central Seronera area. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 03 :

Full day in the central Serengeti

A full day of game driving in the central Serengeti, with an early departure so you are out on the plains as the animals become active. The Seronera valley and the surrounding grassland are the park's most reliable year-round wildlife area: resident lion prides, leopard in the riverine trees along the Seronera River, cheetah on the open plains, and large herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.

You can take a packed breakfast and stay out through the morning, or return to camp for lunch and head out again for the late afternoon, when the light is at its best for photography. Your driver-guide reads the day's movement to make the most of your time. An optional hot-air balloon safari with a bush breakfast can be arranged for this morning at additional cost.

Overnight: Serengeti lodge or tented camp, central Seronera area. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 04 :

Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands

A final morning game drive in the Serengeti before you leave the plains and drive back through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the highlands. The afternoon is free at your lodge in Karatu or on the crater rim, with time to rest or to take an optional visit to a local coffee farm or a Maasai village in the conservation area.

The highlands are cool and green after the plains, with terraced farmland and forest on the crater's outer slopes. Staying close to the crater tonight means you are at the descent road early the next morning, ahead of the vehicles coming up from Arusha.

Overnight: Karatu or Ngorongoro Crater rim lodge. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 05 :

Ngorongoro Crater descent and departure

An early descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in a registered park vehicle with a park guide as the crater floor is regulated. Inside, the walls enclose a self-contained world: open grassland, the Lerai forest of yellow-barked acacia, the soda lake of Lake Magadi with its flamingos, and a very high density of resident wildlife — lion, elephant, buffalo, black rhino, hippo, hyena, warthog, zebra, wildebeest and gazelle are all regularly seen in a single morning.

You stop at the picnic site by the Ngoitokitok springs for lunch, then ascend the rim and drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure. Flight timing on this day matters — tell us your flight and we will confirm whether the routing works or whether a night in Arusha is the better plan.

Meals: breakfast, lunch. No accommodation on this final day.

What this safari includes

Included in the price

Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and fuel for the full itinerary
Professional English-speaking driver-guide throughout
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) arrival and departure transfers, and all road transfers in the itinerary
Accommodation for four nights as indicated, in the confirmed category
Meals as stated in the itinerary — breakfast, lunch and dinner from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 breakfast
Tanzania national park entry and conservation fees for the parks visited, and the crater descent fee, as applicable to your itinerary
Crater descent in a registered park vehicle with a park guide
Game drives as described in the itinerary
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle throughout the safari
Government taxes and levies applicable to the services above
Gorilla Nest Expeditions planning, booking coordination and support before and during your journey

Not included

International and regional flights, including any Kigali–Kilimanjaro connection
Tanzania entry visa and any border or departure fees payable by the traveller
Travel and medical insurance, and emergency evacuation cover
Tips and gratuities for the driver-guide, lodge and camp staff
Alcoholic drinks, premium beverages, laundry, telephone and internet charges
Optional activities not listed as included, including hot air balloon safaris over the Serengeti and Maasai or other cultural visits
Additional accommodation, meals or transfers before Day 1 or after Day 5
Personal shopping and personal expenses
Any other service not expressly listed in the includes section