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A juvenile zebra among the herd - Northern Tanzania Circuit, Tanzania
A juvenile zebra among the herd  | Ian Williams
Giraffe crossing in the Serengeti National Park - Northern Tanzania Circuit, Tanzania
Giraffe crossing in the Serengeti National Park  | Ian Williams
Buffalo bull in the Serengeti, Tanzania - Northern Tanzania Circuit, Tanzania
Buffalo bull in the Serengeti, Tanzania  | Peter Brooke

Northern Tanzania Circuit

A complete small group northern Tanzania safari showcasing four iconic parks in one expertly guided circuit.

Tanzania
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 3 reviews

8 Days from

$ 

Trip Code: TPW
View dates to Book
Essential Information
Duration
  • 8 Days
Activities
  • Wildlife Safari
Accommodation
  • 5 nights permanent safari camp/lodge
  • 2 nights hotel
Meals
  • 6 Dinners
  • 6 Lunches
  • 7 Breakfasts
Difficulty Grading  
2 / 10

Adventure touring

Carbon Footprint  

51kg of CO2-e PP per day

(358kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)

Trip highlights

  • Explore four iconic parks: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire
  • Multiple game drives across forest, crater floor and open savannah in search of the Big Five
  • Small group safari in custom 4WD vehicles with experienced local guides
  • Stay in permanent tented safari camps, combining comfort with an authentic wilderness setting

Overview

This 8 day northern circuit safari delivers a comprehensive wildlife journey through Tanzania’s most celebrated national parks. Beginning and ending in Arusha, it pairs seamlessly with a Kilimanjaro climb while standing alone as a richly rewarding safari experience. Travelling in purpose-built 4WD safari vehicles with experienced local guides, you explore four distinct ecosystems: Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Tarangire National Park. Accommodation is in permanent tented camps that combine comfort with immersion in the safari environment.

Lake Manyara lies beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment, where it's lake shores are frequented by flamingos and hippos. The park is also known for its tree climbing lions and exceptional birdlife. The Serengeti is known for it's vast grasslands and large herds of wildebeest, zebra and antelope move across the plains, closely shadowed by lion, cheetah and leopard. The Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed volcanic caldera, forms a natural wildlife sanctuary. Permanent water and fertile grazing support high densities of animals, including black rhino, lion and large herds of plains game. A walk on the crater rim adds a unique perspective to this extraordinary setting. Tarangire completes the circuit with its baobab studded savannah and river systems that attract large elephant herds and prolific birdlife, particularly during the dry season.

Itinerary

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On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha you will be met and transferred to the group hotel, which is a lodge set in a wonderful location surrounded by coffee plantations and with beautiful views of Mt Meru. You can explore the gardens or choose to relax by the swimming pool - this is a perfect start to any African safari. Overnight Moivaro Lodge (or similar).

Meals: Nil

An early start this morning (approx 7:00 pickup). Today we will drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park, we enjoy a packed lunch and our wildlife encounters with a full day game drive. Lake Manyara National Park is situated between the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment and the lake and there is an abundance of animals within only 125 square miles (two thirds of which is Lake), as they attracted by the permanent water in the lake and small rivers. The surrounding forest is jungle-like with giant trees and snaking lianas. Often called Tanzania's water wonderland due to the large number of birds and animals the lake supports, Lake Manyara National Park is also famous for its tree-climbing lions. Tonight we stay at the Migunga Tented Camp or Marera Tented Camp (or similar).

Meals: B,L,D

After breakfast, we will drive to Serengeti National Park via the world famous Olduvai Gorge where our earliest ancestors were discovered by Professor Richard Leakey. The Serengeti National Park is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage area for its wildlife and natural beauty. We stay this evening at Osupuko Tented Camp (or similar), which is set in the midst of an incredible vista of savannah and African skies. Today is a long day but passing through varied landscapes and with opportunities to see wildlife and Masai people along the way it holds plenty of interest. (We will visit a Masai village either today or on the return journey).

Meals: B,L,D

Our full day in the Serengeti is spent game viewing in our 4WD safari vehicle. We will either stay out all day, with a picnic lunch, or return to camp for lunch and time to relax before going out again in the late afternoon, depending on what we see. We will explore the different habitats found within the park. Famed for its annual migration, it offers amazing game viewing: herds of buffalo, groups of elephant and giraffe, zebra, impala and other antelopes, wildebeest, lion, leopard, cheetah and much other wildlife. We hope to experience one of the blazing Serengeti sunsets, with silhouetted acacia trees and the call of the wild close at hand. We overnight again at Osupuko Tented Camp (or similar).

Meals: B,L,D

Early this morning we will have a game drive in the Serengeti before returning to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Today is again a long day as we retrace part of our drive from Day 3. However, we often see things differently in the reverse direction and of course there is opportunity to see wildlife and observe the Masai as they roam with their cattle. Overnight Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp or Crater Forest Tented Camp (or similar).

Meals: B,L,D

After breakfast we drive down into the Ngorongoro Crater, also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, for a special day of game viewing. At nearly 2300m, the mornings are brisk and low cloud sometimes covers the area. Please bring some warm clothing as it can be cold here. The Crater is one of the last refugees for the endangered black rhino in northern Tanzania; the rhino population here is carefully protected and they are quite commonly seen. With over 30,000 animals across all species, the Ngorongoro Crater can be regarded as a “Garden of Eden”. The 100 sq km caldera also has the highest density of lions anywhere in Africa. When leaving the Crater proper we will get out of our vehicles and enjoy the environment with a short walk (approx. 1.5 - 2 hours) which adds a unique dimension to our time here. We continue to our accommodation in the late afternoon. Tonight is spent at the Crater Forest Tented Camp (or similar).

Meals: B,L,D

We depart from Ngorongoro for Tarangire National Park, which is approx. a 3.5 hour drive. Once we arrive in the National Park we will spend time game viewing within the park. This area has the largest population of elephants in northern Tanzania, with approximately 2000 sighted along the river at certain times of the year. In the dry season, (July–November) most of the wildlife in the Tarangire ecosystem migrates to the permanent water of the Tarangire River. The lush green shores of the river are a big attraction to many varieties of wildlife, so they offer fantastic game viewing. Dry baobab and acacia trees are scattered widely throughout Tarangire National Park and these provide an ideal home to over 500 species of birds. Most people who have visited East Africa give fabulous accounts of their safaris in this national park, which is famous for both its flora and fauna. We will overnight at Moivaro Lodge (or similar) again on return to Arusha this evening.

Meals: B,L,D

After a leisurely breakfast, your trip concludes with a transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. If you would like additional nights in Arusha or an airport transfer on any other day, please ask for details (additional cost applies).

Meals: B

Ready to start your adventure?

13 scheduled departures between 6 Dec 2026 and 5 Dec 2027.

  • Departs 6 Dec 2026 – ends 13 Dec 2026 (8 days)
  • Departs 3 Jan 2027 – ends 10 Jan 2027 (8 days)
  • Departs 19 Jan 2027 – ends 26 Jan 2027 (8 days)
  • Departs 1 Feb 2027 – ends 8 Feb 2027 (8 days)
  • Departs 30 May 2027 – ends 6 Jun 2027 (8 days)
  • Departs 4 Jul 2027 – ends 11 Jul 2027 (8 days)
  • … and 7 more departures.
View dates to Book

What's included?

Included

  • 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners
  • 5 nights in 3 star permanent safari camps or lodges on a twinshare basis
  • 2 nights in 3 star hotel on a twinshare basis
  • Game drives and excursions as listed in itinerary
  • National Park fees valued at US$497
  • Private transport in 4WD safari vehicle
  • English speaking local driver-guide
  • Airport transfers (day 1 and 8 only)

Not included

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Visa
  • Bottled water and alcoholic drinks
  • Meals not specified in the itinerary
  • Arrival and departure transfers if not arriving/ departing on Days 1 and 8
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Tips

Reviews (3)

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Just a quick note to thank you, Nicola and all the team at World Expeditions. We have just got back and had an amazing time! We saw lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, cheetahs, leopards, wildebeest, hyenas, countless birds - and thousands of flamingoes :) Everything went to plan with no hiccups.

Our amazing guide Francis was so knowledgeable about everything, and always managed to get the best spot for a photo, or spot a small bird or animal while driving. His concern for and love of the environment and the animals shone through, very much reflecting the ethos of World Expeditions.

We would really recommend to your future customers travelling as a couple in a private trip - it felt like we could see so much more than in a big group. We would also highly recommend the "diversion" to Natron - not only are there flamingoes there, but the scenery is amazing, the Camp is awesome, there's the opportunity to spend time with local Maasai guides and the drive to and from Natron is an incredible experience. A nice extra benefit is that by taking this route we entered Serengeti by the quiet Klein's Gate, which is much less busy than the main gates - within 10 minutes of entering the gate we saw dozens of elephants and zebras and a sleepy lion by the side of the road, all pretty much to ourselves.

Richard L.|Reading, UK
1 Oct 2019
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Spending eight nights surrounded by wild life and its beauty was a dream come true. Tanzania is very rich in both flora and fauna. We really enjoyed our safari in every national park we've visited. Ngorongoro crater was my number one. I really recommend this trip to Tanzania, exploring its rich culture, history and nature.

J. Cassar|Malta
31 Jul 2019
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The 2 tours were brilliant - really well organised and run. Great safari - saw some great wildlife and brilliant scenery. Made the Kili climb - tough slog but very doable. Thanks for all your arrangements

Tim|Melbourne, Australia

Extra trip info

Will My Trip Run?Wildlife Safari Safety

Every departure date advises whether the date is confirmed, and roughly how full it is. Here is what each one means.

Is the departure confirmed?

Guaranteed to go This departure has reached its minimum number and will run.
It is the point travellers should wait for before booking any non-refundable flights.
Close to guaranteed This appears only when a date is close to reaching minimum numbers. If it shows 1 or 2 to guaranteed, book as a pair on a date needing two and it reaches its minimum. Your booking confirms the date for everybody already booked.

How full is the date I am looking at?

Space is filling or Space is filling fast This date has bookings and places are still open. Filling fast means limited spots available, so don't leave your decision too late.
Closing soon Down to its last few places, or close enough to departure that we are finalising numbers. Still bookable online.
Closed Not bookable online - either full, or inside the notice we need to arrange permits, flights and logistics. Ask us anyway, you never know!

Availability questions answered

Will this trip actually go ahead, or could it be cancelled?

If a date shows Guaranteed to go, it runs regardless of further bookings.

What does 2 to guarantee mean?

It means two travellers are enough to confirm the departure. It could be 2 more to add to the group, or the date only needs 2 people to run. Either way, if you book for two people, the date will become guaranteed to run.

What happens if my departure does not reach minimum numbers?

You will know the status before you book. Every date on this page is labelled, and dates marked “Guaranteed to go” are running regardless of further bookings. Where a date has not reached its minimum we either offer a surcharge to operate for a smaller group size so it can still run, or we cancel it. We contact you directly either way.

Will I get my money back if you cancel a departure?

If we cancel a departure due to not meeting minimum trip numbers, you receive a full refund of everything you have paid us less any non recoverable costs, where insurance may cover you. We cannot refund money committed elsewhere – additional non refundable deposits advised at the time of booking, flights, visas, vaccinations, gear - which is why it is worth waiting for “Guaranteed to go” before booking other arrangements around this trip date. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before you book.

Why can't I book some dates online?

Each trip closes online a set time before departure. Permits, internal flights and hut or campsite bookings all have to be arranged before we take payment. Call or enquire as it might still be possible to organise last minute places.

The date I want is closed. What are my options and why does it say to enquire?

Cancellations happen and places do open up on closed dates, so it is worth being on our list. We can also tell you which nearby date on the same trip has space, which is usually the faster route.

None of these dates suit me. Can you run this trip on another date?

Yes, as a private departure. We can run this trip on a date you choose, for your own group - family, friends, a club, or in many cases, just for the two of you. Tell us when you want to travel and who is coming, and we will build it around that.

Early morning game viewing walk in Hlane National Park in Swaziland

Your safety is our main priority

Africa's wildlife is wild and unfenced. On many wildlife safaris you may meet them on foot, or from a vehicle. Walking in big-game country carries some risk, and the safeguards are not the same in every country.

Rules on firearms, guide qualifications, group size and how close you may approach an animal are set country by country, park by park. Many incorrectly assume that every wildlife safari in Africa travels with an armed ranger. Several countries prohibit firearms outright. Where an armed escort is required, it is supplied by the park authority.

What is consistent is how these trips operate. You walk in a small group with a professional local guide who knows the country and the animals in it. We do not include captive or hands-on wildlife encounters in any itinerary.

Read more

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