The best Tanzania northern circuit itinerary
How to optimise your time and avoid the crowds
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Arusha
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Tarangire National Park
Herds of elephants, lions and even wild dogs roam Tarangire National Park, with the dry season bringing in large concentrations of animals... -
Lake Manyara National Park
On the edge of Lake Manyara, the Lake Manyara National Park is a forested area of land, sitting below the Great Rift escarpment... -
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
All off Africa in one 'bowl'
The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact – and inactive – caldera in the world... -
Seronera
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Arusha
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Tanzania’s ‘northern circuit’ of Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti is by far the country’s most popular safari region. This quartet of parks has some of the best wildlife viewing on earth, a good range of accommodations, and they can all be strung together in a convenient, compact trip.
But all that convenience comes at a cost. Although Tanzania doesn’t suffer from quite the same overcrowding as in Kenya’s Masai Mara, the Serengeti and other northern circuit parks do get uncomfortably busy in places.
This itinerary is my preferred way to fit in all the parks without straying into the more crowded zones, or spending too much time in transit. To optimise your time we fit in a game drive while travelling to the next location wherever possible.
Another problem is that people often assume visiting Tanzania is just about seeing animals. In actual fact, doing several game drives (often on bumpy tracks) every single day can get pretty exhausting! In my experience, people have a much more enjoyable time when the itinerary allows for some time out of the 4X4 with opportunities to meet some of the people and communities who live here.
A word of caution: There are some fairly dubious “Maasai village” experiences offered here and in Kenya – lots of these are staged and feel quite exploitative. There are sensitive and respectful ways of meeting local community members, which I’ve outlined in this suggested itinerary.
Key information
| Destinations | Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park |
|---|---|
| Activity | Safari, Nature & Wildlife, Culture |
| Physical Level | Mild |
 Season |
February - December |
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Tanzania's Northern Circuit Tour
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7 days From $2,100 ppThe best Tanzania northern circuit itinerary itinerary
Arrival in Arusha
Day 1 in Arusha
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Arusha, the main gateway to the northern circuit.
Karatu via Tarangire National Park
Day 2 in Tarangire National Park
Leave Arusha in the morning and travel west to Tarangire National Park, known for its elephant herds and baobab trees. The journey doubles up as your first game drive and you’re highly likely to see elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, lions, hyenas, and possibly leopards or cheetahs.
Stop for a picnic lunch under the shade of a baobab tree before continuing to Esilalei, near Karatu, where you’ll spend the night.
Lake Manyara
Day 3 in Lake Manyara National Park
Tanzania is much more than a place to see wildlife. From Karau you can visit a Maasai boma (traditional homestead) to meet a local family. This is a working village, not a tourist attraction and no tips are expected or accepted.
Then head into Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive. Manyara, with its dramatic Rift Valley escarpment, is known for its rare tree-climbing lions, hippos and flamingoes near the lake, along with the usual complement of elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest.
After a bush lunch you might want some well deserved down time at your camp. Another popular cultural excursion is a late afternoon ‘medicinal hike’ with a Maasai guide who will show you the plant and root extracts used in traditional Maasai healing.
Ngorongoro Crater
Day 4 in Ngorongoro Conservation Area
From here it’s a 50 minute drive to the entrance gates at Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife areas. Descend into the vast volcanic caldera, where an extraordinary density of animals thrives in the open grasslands and acacia woodlands. This is one of the best places to see the Big Five in a single day.
Stop for lunch at scenic Ngoitoktok Springs before continuing with the game drive. By mid-afternoon, ascend back to the rim. Accommodations on the rim itself have amazing views over the entire crater.
Serengeti via Ndutu Plains
Day 5–7 in Seronera
Depart Ngorongoro and travel through the Ndutu Plains before reaching Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s most famous park. The landscape transitions from open plains to kopjes and riverine woodlands as you enter the Seronera region, known for its resident predator populations. Again, the journey itself doubles up as a full day’s game drive, broken up with a bush lunch before continuing. You’ll arrive at your lodge by late afternoon.
Spend the next two days enjoying the Serengeti to the fullest. You can take an early morning balloon safari, with the remainder of your days flexible: relax at your camp or continue to explore the park. The Seronera region offers year-round wildlife encounters, with resident lions, cheetahs, and leopards regularly sighted among the savannah and rocky outcrops.
Departure
Day 8 in Arusha
It’s a short, scenic bush flight from Seronera airstrip to Arusha. From here it’s about 1.5 hours by road journey to Kilimanjaro International Airport – or perhaps you’re not ready to leave yet? Mt Kilimanjaro is just down the road…
Alternate endings
More active folk might want to replace the cultural activities with a visit to Lake Natron, where you can hike to the Ngare Sero falls, or do one of the incredible summit climbs in this part of Tanzania: Ol Doinyo Lengai, and Kilimanjaro’s Shira Plateau are short one or two day hikes. You can also spend longer hiking in the forests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area or nearby Empakaai Crater.
When to go
The wildlife in these parks is active year-round, although I’d say the months of February, March, October, November or December are the best balance of great wildlife, decent weather and lighter crowds.
During July and August, the crowds are drawn northwards to see the migration river crossings, where things do get exceptionally busy and crowded outside of the super high-end exclusive concessions.
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