7-Day Northern Circuit Safari from Arusha
A 7-day mid-range private safari from Arusha through five northern Tanzania parks: Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.
A week-long circuit through five of Tanzania's northern parks, starting in Arusha. You walk among giraffe in Arusha National Park, drive Lake Manyara and Tarangire for elephants and birdlife, cross the Serengeti plains in search of big cats and the migration, and finish on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater with its lions and black rhino. Lion Crest's signature circuit.
Tour Details
- Destinations: Arusha, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Tarangire
- Activities: Bird Watching
- Budget Level: Mid-Range
Flight lands at Kilimanjaro International Airport; driver-guide transfers you to Arusha (~1 hour through farmland below Mount Meru). Check in, rest, and a short briefing on the week ahead — the five parks, driving involved, and daily game-drive pattern. Rest of day free (relax, swim, wander lodge gardens). Dinner at the lodge.
Meals: Dinner. Overnight: lodge in Arusha.
Short drive to Arusha National Park on the slopes of Mount Meru. Momella lakes ringed with flamingos and waterbirds, forested Ngurdoto Crater, grassy glades with giraffe, buffalo, zebra, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. No lions in the park, so a guided walking safari on foot with an armed ranger is possible. Kilimanjaro sometimes visible beyond Meru on clear mornings. ~5 hours exploring with a picnic lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: lodge near Arusha.
Drive southwest (~2 hours) to Lake Manyara National Park below the Rift Valley escarpment. Groundwater forest with baboons and blue monkeys, open floodplain grazed by elephants and buffalo, soda lake with flamingos, pelicans, storks; hippos in spring-fed pools. One of the few places lions sometimes rest in trees. ~5 hours game drive with picnic lunch; afternoon continues toward Tarangire area.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: lodge between Manyara and Tarangire.
Full day in Tarangire, famous for elephants and ancient baobab trees. In dry season the Tarangire River draws big herds of elephant, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, with lion, leopard, and cheetah in pursuit. Rolling grassland studded with baobabs. Excellent birdlife (bee-eaters, kori bustard). Picnic lunch in park; ~6 hours exploring.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: lodge or tented camp near Tarangire.
Scenic climb to the Serengeti through Ngorongoro Conservation Area, past Maasai homesteads and grazing herds, with a stop at the crater rim viewpoint. Enter at Naabi Hill Gate, game viewing en route to central Seronera area — prime ground for lion and cheetah, and in season, the wildebeest migration. Arrive camp in afternoon with time for a first drive. Picnic lunch en route.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: camp in central Serengeti.
Early morning game drive in the Serengeti for best light and active predators (lion, leopard, cheetah around Seronera). Turn east toward the highlands, with a possible stop at Olduvai Gorge (early human fossil site). Climb to the cool, forested rim of Ngorongoro Crater. Overnight on the rim, ready for an early descent. Picnic lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: lodge on Ngorongoro rim.
Early descent into Ngorongoro Crater. One of the densest wildlife gatherings anywhere — look for black rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, and flamingos on the soda lake. Picnic lunch beside the water. Climb out in early afternoon, drive to Arusha (3–4 hours). Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for departure, or to a hotel for a day room, depending on flight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch. End of services.
Price Per Person, By Group Size
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $3,150 |
| 2 People | $2,590 |
| 3 People | $2,390 |
| 4 People | $2,190 |
| 5 People | $2,090 |
| 6 People | $1,990 |
Price per person sharing in US dollars, based on the number of people travelling together in one vehicle.
Includes
- All park entrance & conservation fees, Ngorongoro service fee
- 4x4 vehicle with pop-up roof & professional driver-guide
- Guided walking safari in Arusha National Park
- Full board accommodation, bottled water, airport transfers
Excludes
- International flights, Tanzania visa
- Travel & medical insurance
- Tips, personal items, optional balloon flight
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
