10-Day Northern Tanzania Safari
A private 10-day mid-range safari from Arusha through all the main northern parks: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, four nights in the Serengeti, two of them where the migration herds are in your month, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Northern Circuit Without the Rush
Ten days is a comfortable length for a first big safari in Tanzania. Tarangire and Lake Manyara come first, on short drives from Arusha, then you cross the Ngorongoro highlands to the Serengeti for four nights: two in the centre of the park, known for its big cats, and two in the area where the wildebeest and zebra herds are at that time of year.
On the way back you spend a night on the Ngorongoro highlands and go down to the crater floor early the next morning. Lodges and tented camps are mid-range throughout, all full board, and the vehicle and driver-guide are yours alone for the whole trip.
One more day in Tarangire? See the 11-Day Northern Circuit Safari →
Why Travellers Choose It
- Tarangire's elephants and Lake Manyara's forest and shore
- Four nights in the Serengeti: the centre and the migration area
- A game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Mid-range lodges and tented camps, full board
- Private vehicle and driver-guide throughout
Read our park guides: Serengeti National Park, The Great Migration month by month
We meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to your hotel in Arusha to rest after the flight.
Overnight: Hotel in Arusha (or similar)
Meals: Dinner is not included on arrival day
About two and a half hours by road to Tarangire for a full day of game drives among elephant herds, baobab trees and the Tarangire River, with a picnic lunch.
Overnight: Lodge near Tarangire National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, through the groundwater forest with its baboons and monkeys and out along the lake shore, then up the Rift Valley wall to Karatu.
Overnight: Lodge in Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Over the Ngorongoro highlands and down onto the Serengeti plains. Two nights in the centre of the park, around the Seronera River and the granite kopjes. 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: Lodge or tented camp in the central Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You move to the part of the Serengeti where the wildebeest and zebra herds are in your month: usually the southern plains around Ndutu from about December to March, when the calves are born, and the north near the Mara River from about July to October. In the months between, we choose the area with the most news of the herds. Their exact position depends on the rain.
Overnight: Tented camp in the area of the herds
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A last morning game drive in the Serengeti, then the drive back to the Ngorongoro highlands.
Overnight: Lodge on or near the Ngorongoro Crater rim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
An early descent to the crater floor for a game drive among buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, lions and, with luck, black rhinos, then the drive back to Arusha.
Overnight: Hotel in Arusha (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
We drive you to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home, or on to Zanzibar if you add a beach stay.
Meals: Breakfast
Price Per Person — Private Safari
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $6,490 |
| 2 People | $4,875 |
| 3 People | $4,335 |
| 4 People | $4,065 |
| 5 People | $3,905 |
| 6 People | $3,795 |
Price per person in US dollars, by the number of people travelling together, sharing rooms. Groups of more than 6: price on request.
Trip Notes
- Start & end: Kilimanjaro Airport
- Private safari: your group only, on the dates you choose
- Lodges named when we confirm availability
- 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 and concession fees, and the Ngorongoro Crater vehicle fee
- 2 nights in Arusha (bed and breakfast) and 7 nights in mid-range lodges and tented camps, full board
- Drinking water
- Airport transfers
Excludes
- International flights and visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Hot-air balloon flight (optional)
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
- Drinks not included in the meal plans
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
Questions Travellers Ask
What is the difference from the 11-day safari?
The 11-day safari spends two nights in Tarangire. This one spends one, so it is a day shorter and costs less, with the same four nights in the Serengeti.
Will we see the Great Migration?
Days 6 and 7 are spent where the herds are in your month. Their exact position depends on the rain and cannot be guaranteed.
Can we add Zanzibar?
Yes. You can fly from Arusha or the Serengeti to Zanzibar for a few nights on the beach; ask us for a price.
Can we upgrade the lodges?
Yes. Any night can be upgraded to a luxury lodge or camp; ask us for a price.
