9-Day Tanzania Safari
A private 9-day safari from Arusha in your own 4x4 with a pop-up roof, staying in mid-range lodges and tented camps, with four nights in the Serengeti and time to enjoy each park properly.
A Safari With Room to Breathe
Shorter safaris keep you moving. On this one you stay two nights in Tarangire, four nights in the Serengeti, split between the central plains and the area where the herds are in your month, and a night on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, so you can be on the crater floor early in the morning. A last morning in Lake Manyara's forest rounds off the trip on the way back to Arusha.
More nights in one place means fewer hours on the road and more time with the animals: long game drives, quiet afternoons at camp and the chance to wait at a sighting instead of driving on. It suits first-time visitors who want a thorough safari and photographers who like to take their time.
Shorter on similar parks: the 7-Day Northern Circuit Safari →
Highlights
- Two nights in Tarangire, with a full day among its elephants
- Four nights in the Serengeti, in the central plains and the area where the herds are
- A night on the Ngorongoro Crater rim and an early game drive on the crater floor
- A morning game drive in Lake Manyara
- Private vehicle and driver-guide, mid-range lodges and camps, all meals
What to bring
- Neutral-coloured clothes and a warm layer for early mornings and the crater rim
- Binoculars and a camera with a zoom
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sun cream
- Your passport
Read our guides: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Great Migration month by month
Route Map
- By road
- Day of the trip
- Arusha
Lines show the order of travel, not the exact roads.
Your driver-guide collects you from your hotel in Arusha. About two hours later you enter Tarangire for an afternoon game drive, then check in at your lodge in or near the park.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge in or near Tarangire
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
A whole day to explore Tarangire, from the river valley in the north, where elephants gather in the dry season, to the quieter swamps and woodland further south, with a picnic lunch in the park.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge in or near Tarangire
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You drive past Mto wa Mbu and Karatu, cross the Ngorongoro highlands with a stop at the crater viewpoint, and descend onto the Serengeti plains for a game drive to your camp.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A full day around the Seronera River valley and the granite kopjes, among the best places in Africa to look for big cats. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, impalas, wildebeest and hippos are common. Lions are seen often and leopards more rarely. Wild animals move freely, so no sighting can be guaranteed.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You move to a camp in the part of the Serengeti where the wildebeest and zebra herds usually are in your month: the southern plains around Ndutu from about December to March, the centre and west in about May to July, and the north from about July to October. Your guide follows the latest news on where the herds are.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the Serengeti (location depends on the season)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Another full day of game drives where the herds are, with a picnic lunch out on the plains. The herds move with the rain, so their exact position can never be promised.
Overnight: Mid-range tented camp in the Serengeti (location depends on the season)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A last morning game drive in the Serengeti, then back up into the highlands to a lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, with views down to the crater floor at sunset.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge on or near the Ngorongoro Crater rim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Staying on the rim means you can be on the crater floor soon after it opens, when the light is soft and the animals are active. You spend up to about six hours among buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and lions, with a picnic lunch, then drive to a lodge in the green hills of Karatu.
Overnight: Mid-range lodge in Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A morning game drive in Lake Manyara, through groundwater forest full of baboons and blue monkeys and out to the lake shore, then the drive back to Arusha, arriving in the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Price Per Person — Private Safari
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $6,125 |
| 2 People | $4,600 |
| 3 People | $4,090 |
| 4 People | $3,835 |
| 5 People | $3,685 |
| 6 People | $3,580 |
Price per person in US dollars, by the number of people sharing the vehicle, with mid-range lodges and tented camps. Groups of more than 6: price on request.
Optional extra: a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the central Serengeti, about an hour in the air, followed by a bush breakfast. About 599 US dollars per person for flights in 2026 and about 660 US dollars from 1 January 2027. Children from 7 years. Ask us to add it when you book.
Trip Notes
- Start & end: your hotel in Arusha
- Private safari: your group only, on the dates you choose
- Mid-range lodges and tented camps with private bathrooms
- Seasonal camp location for nights 5 and 6
- Prices may change if park fees change
Includes
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and a professional driver-guide
- All park entry fees and the Ngorongoro Crater vehicle fee
- 8 nights in mid-range lodges and tented camps
- All meals on safari and drinking water in the vehicle
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Arusha
Excludes
- International flights and visa fees
- Accommodation in Arusha before and after the safari
- Travel insurance
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Tips for your guide
- Drinks other than drinking water
- Hot-air balloon flight (optional)
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
Questions Travellers Ask
Why choose nine days instead of six or seven?
The extra days go to the Serengeti and Tarangire, so you have four Serengeti nights and two in Tarangire. You spend less time driving between lodges and more time on game drives.
Will we see the Great Migration?
Days 5 and 6 are planned around where the herds usually are in your month, which gives you a good chance, but the herds follow the rain and their exact position can never be promised.
Why sleep on the crater rim?
From the rim you can be down on the crater floor early, before most vehicles arrive and while the light is soft for photos.
Can we add Zanzibar afterwards?
Yes. Many travellers fly from the Serengeti or Arusha to Zanzibar for a few days on the beach. Ask us and we will add flights and a beach hotel.
Is this safari suitable for children?
Yes. With a private vehicle you set the pace, and the longer stays mean fewer long drives. Tell us their ages so we can choose family-friendly lodges.
