7 Days Grand Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara

Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport, you will be met by your driver-guide and transferred to your lodge in Arusha. Spend the rest of the day settling in, resting after your journey, and enjoying the peaceful gardens of the lodge. In the evening, meet with your safari guide for a comprehensive briefing on the upcoming 7-day northern circuit adventure, followed by a delicious dinner.

Main Destination: Arusha
Accommodation: Arusha Planet Lodge

Accommodation: Arusha Planet Lodge

After an early breakfast, depart Arusha and drive south to Tarangire National Park, famed for its ancient baobab trees and massive elephant herds. Spend the day traversing the park’s rolling savannahs and riverbanks, where large numbers of elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and impalas gather around the Tarangire River. Scan the acacia branches for tree-climbing pythons and predators taking shade during the heat of the day. Enjoy a scenic picnic lunch in the park before completing an afternoon game drive. Later, exit the park and drive to the green hills of Karatu for check-in and dinner.

Main Destination: Tarangire National Park
Accommodation: Farm of Dreams Lodge

Accommodation: Farm of Dreams Lodge

Depart Karatu after breakfast, traveling through the cool, mist-covered Ngorongoro Highlands before descending onto the sweeping plains of the Serengeti. Wildlife viewing starts as soon as you pass through the Naabi Hill gate, leading into the heart of the Central Serengeti (Seronera region). Renowned for its abundant resident game and high predator density, Seronera features acacia woodlands and granite kopjes frequented by lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Spend the afternoon tracking wildlife across open grasslands before heading to camp for dinner and an evening under the stars.

Main Destination: Central Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Kontiki Serengeti Camp

Accommodation: Kontiki Serengeti Camp

Following breakfast, embark on a journey north through the Serengeti’s changing terrain, moving from central acacia plains toward the remote hills and riverine forests of the Northern Serengeti. This area is home to the Mara River, the famous crossing site for hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras during the Great Migration. Conduct game drives along the riverbanks, watching for herd movements and predatory crocodiles lurking near water edges. Arrive at camp in the late afternoon for check-in, evening relaxation, and dinner.

Main Destination: Northern Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Sero Mara Camp

Accommodation: Sero Tented Camp

Spend the morning exploring the Northern Serengeti with an extended game drive around the Mara River area to track migratory herds, big cats, and resident wildlife in action. Capture the morning light as animals move across open plains. Around midday, begin your game-drive transfer back toward the Central Serengeti, stopping along key waterholes and kopjes to spot resident lions, hyenas, and herbivores. Return to Kontiki Serengeti Camp in the Seronera valley for a hot meal and a restful night.

Main Destination: Central Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Kontiki Serengeti Camp

Accommodation: Kontiki Serengeti Camp

Rise early for a final morning game drive out of the Serengeti as you travel back toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Descend 600 meters down the steep volcanic slopes into the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater for an extraordinary half-day game drive. This self-contained natural amphitheater houses over 25,000 large mammals, providing unmatched opportunities to see the Big Five—including the rare black rhino—in a single day. Enjoy a picnic lunch by the hippo pool, then ascend the crater walls late in the afternoon and transfer to Karatu for dinner and rest.

Main Destination: Ngorongoro Crater
Accommodation: Farm of Dreams Lodge

Accommodation: Farm of Dreams Lodge

After breakfast, complete your safari circuit with a visit to Lake Manyara National Park, nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Drive through lush groundwater forests populated by baboons and blue monkeys before emerging onto open floodplain shores lined with pink flamingos, pelicans, and waterbirds. Keep an eye out for Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions, giraffes, and elephants. After a morning game drive and lunch, drive back to Arusha or proceed directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your departure flight.

Main Destination: Arusha / JRO Airport (Departure)