The Ultimate Northern Circuit — 8-Day Big Five Safari
8 Days / 7 Nights

The Ultimate Northern Circuit — 8-Day Big Five Safari

Experience Overview

Experience Overview

The Northern Circuit is Tanzania's classic safari route, and this eight-day itinerary covers all four of its great parks at an unhurried pace, in a private 4×4 with your own guide.

Four parks, each with its own character

Lake Manyara is a compact park of groundwater forest, soda-lake shoreline and Rift Valley escarpment, known for baboon troops, hippos, flamingos when water levels suit them, and lions that are sometimes seen resting in trees. Tarangire is elephant country, with large herds along the river and ancient baobabs. In the Serengeti you spend three days on the plains, searching for lion, leopard and cheetah and following the migration herds wherever they are that season. The safari ends in the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world, where a single morning gives you the best chance in Tanzania of seeing the Big Five.

Comfort between game drives

Nights are spent in carefully chosen lodges and tented camps, with full board throughout, so every day can be built around the best wildlife-viewing hours.

Journey Map

Route Overview

Follow the itinerary as it moves through each destination, with grouped day ranges for consecutive stays.

6 Stops

5 Destinations: Arusha Town, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater

Highlights

The standout moments built into this safari.

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All four Northern Circuit parks in one safari

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The best chance in Tanzania to see the Big Five, in the Ngorongoro Crater

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Tarangire's elephant herds among ancient baobabs

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Lake Manyara's groundwater forest, hippos and Rift Valley escarpment

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Three days in the Serengeti following predators and migration herds

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Award-winning lodges and exclusive tented camps

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Sunset over the Ngorongoro Crater from the rim

Itinerary

An editorial journey through each day of the safari, with destinations, imagery, and places you will stay.

Day 1
Arusha Town

Arrival in Arusha

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your guide meets you and drives you to your lodge on the edge of Arusha.

After time to rest, join your guide for a welcome dinner and a full safari briefing: the route for the week, what each park is known for, and practical tips for game drives and photography from the vehicle.

Overnight: lodge in Arusha (Full Board)

Arusha Town
Arrival in Arusha
Day 2
Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park

Drive west to Lake Manyara National Park, which lies at the foot of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Within a few minutes of the gate you enter a lush groundwater forest of fig and mahogany trees, home to large olive baboon troops and blue monkeys.

Game drives continue onto the open floodplain, where buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest graze and hippos rest in the pools. Depending on water levels, the lake shore can attract flamingos and pelicans, and the park's lions are sometimes found resting in the branches of acacia trees. More than 400 bird species have been recorded here.

In the afternoon, drive up the escarpment to your lodge in the Mto wa Mbu or Karatu area.

Overnight: lodge in the Lake Manyara area (Full Board)

Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Day 3
Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park

Spend a full day in Tarangire National Park, about an hour and a half from Lake Manyara. In the dry season this is one of the best parks in Africa for elephants, with large herds coming down to the Tarangire River beneath giant baobab trees.

Game drives follow the river and the surrounding woodland, where lion, leopard, giraffe, buffalo and fringe-eared oryx are regularly seen, and where the dense acacia trees hide pythons and a remarkable variety of birds. Enjoy a picnic lunch at a shaded viewpoint over the river.

In the late afternoon, drive to the green Karatu highlands for the night.

Overnight: lodge in Karatu (Full Board)

Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
Day 4
Serengeti National Park

Karatu to the Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge

Climb through the forest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a stop at the crater rim viewpoint, before descending onto the short-grass plains towards the Serengeti.

On the way, visit Olduvai Gorge, where fossil discoveries made by the Leakey family transformed our understanding of human evolution. The small museum gives a clear introduction to the site.

Enter the Serengeti in the early afternoon and game drive towards your camp, crossing open plains where gazelle, topi and ostrich graze and lion prides rest on rocky kopjes.

Overnight: tented camp in the Serengeti (Full Board)

Serengeti National Park
Karatu to the Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge
Day 5
Serengeti National Park

Full Day in the Serengeti

Spend the whole day exploring the central Serengeti around the Seronera Valley, the most reliable area of the park for big cats all year round.

Go out at dawn, when lions return from the night's hunting and cheetahs begin to scan the plains. Your guide follows the rivers lined with sausage and acacia trees, where leopards rest in the branches, and the kopjes, granite outcrops that offer shade and lookouts for predators.

Return to camp or stop for a picnic lunch in the field, then head out again in the afternoon. An optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight can be booked for this morning.

Overnight: tented camp in the Serengeti (Full Board)

Serengeti National Park
Full Day in the Serengeti
Day 6
Serengeti National Park

Serengeti — Following the Herds

Today your guide takes you to a second area of the Serengeti, chosen according to where the migration is grazing that month: the southern plains in the calving season, the western corridor and Grumeti River at the start of the dry season (around June), or the northern-central woodlands around Lobo as the herds move north.

Watch columns of wildebeest and zebra, the predators that follow them and the vultures and hyenas that clean up after a kill. Lunch is a picnic on the savanna.

The famous Mara River crossings take place in the far north of the park, usually between July and October. They can be added to this safari with an extra night or a light-aircraft flight — ask us when you plan your dates.

Overnight: tented camp in the Serengeti (Full Board)

Serengeti National Park
Serengeti — Following the Herds
Day 7
Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater Descent

Leave the Serengeti early and drive to the Ngorongoro Crater, descending 600 metres onto the crater floor for a game drive of several hours.

The crater is a self-contained world of grassland, marsh, forest and a soda lake, home to lion, spotted hyena, elephant, buffalo, hippo, large herds of zebra and wildebeest, and one of Tanzania's last populations of black rhino. With so much wildlife in a small area, it gives you the best chance in the country of seeing the Big Five in a single day.

Enjoy a picnic lunch by a hippo pool, then climb back up to your lodge on the rim in time for sunset over the caldera.

Overnight: lodge on the Ngorongoro Crater rim (Full Board)

Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater Descent
Day 8
Arusha Town

Ngorongoro to Arusha — Departure

After breakfast, drive through the farmland and coffee estates of the Karatu highlands and down the Rift Valley escarpment towards Arusha, with time to stop at a local craft market for souvenirs.

Enjoy a farewell lunch in Arusha before your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight, or to your hotel if you are staying longer.

End of safari.

Arusha Town
Ngorongoro to Arusha — Departure

Where You Will Stay

A curated look at the camps and lodges stitched into this itinerary.

What's Included & Excluded

A clear view of what is covered and what to plan for separately.

Included

All park and conservation fees
Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
Professional safari guide
All meals, water, and select beverages
Premium lodge and tented camp accommodation
Ngorongoro Crater service fee
Airport transfers
AMREF Flying Doctors insurance

Excluded

International flights
Visa fees
Travel insurance
Optional balloon safari ($599)
Gratuities
Personal expenditure

Ready to Plan Your Journey?

Download the full itinerary to share with your travel companions, or start customising this safari to match your dates, group size, and preferences.

Guest Reviews

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5.0

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E

elisa s

Super Safari, inoubliable avec un super guide nommé Bonaventura qui a su nous faire découvrir la faune et la flore de son pays avec générosité et passion. Nous avons pu voir les big Five. Nous le recommandons fortement! Ce fut une expérience riche en couleurs, aussi, bien d'un point de vue humain, que d'un point de vue découverte des animaux et des paysages. Elisa, Regis, Livio et Vasco dit Monsieur oiseau

Review of: Lomo Tanzania Safaris

Written November 1, 2025

L

Luc D

Nous avons vécu un moment inoubliable en famille lors de notre safari ! Nos guides ont rendu ce voyage exceptionnel du début à la fin grâce a leur générosité de partage et nous faire découvrir leur terre et nature ! D'u e grande connaissance de la faune et de la nature, toujours gentils et attentifs, Euge se missionnait pour trouver tous les animaux que nous désirions voir et Erick nous commentait toutes les lois de la nature ! Ce sont eux qui ont donné un véritable sens à ces jeux avec les animaux ! Avec grand respect ! Chaque moment était remplis d'émotions et les big five tous cochés ! Un immense merci pour cette expérience magique que nous n'oublierons jamais. Nous recommandons à 100 % cette agence et surtout nos guides Euge et Erick

Review of: Lomo Tanzania Safaris

Written October 27, 2025

K

Katty S

Flemalle, Belgium

Nous avons été ma fille et moi prisent en charge par Hussein et Francis. Ce guide était juste parfait, il nous a donné des explications très intéressantes et surtout les deux ont fait découvrir la vraie nature. Le parc TARANGIRE et tous ces éléphants. Le parc du lac MANYARA et ses singes, et la visite du village MTO WA MBU. Et le dernier parc, le NGORONGORO où il y avait des animaux à voir de tous les côtés. Nous avons grâce à valider 4 animaux du big five : lions, éléphants, rhinocéros et les buffles. Nous avons vu des troupeaux d'éléphants, de gnous, de zèbres, de lionnes, de buffles, de gazelles et bien d'autres animaux. C'était magnifique, magique, incroyable, époustouflant. Merci à vous deux

Review of: Lomo Tanzania Safaris

Written October 27, 2025

E

Enri000

We were fortunate to be accompanied for 7 days by Jones, our French-speaking guide, on safari through Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Tarangire. Traveling as a family spanning three generations, we were all amazed by his exceptional knowledge of wildlife, perseverance, and infectious enthusiasm. Thanks to him, we were able to observe all the iconic animals in perfect conditions, often feeling as if we were alone in spectacular landscapes. A special thank you also to Georges, who accompanied us in another vehicle for the luggage and brought good humor and positivity every day. Thanks to Jones and Georges, this safari will remain a magical, authentic, and emotional experience. We highly recommend them to anyone dreaming of an unforgettable safari in Tanzania. Hakuna Matata!

Review of: Lomo Tanzania Safaris

Written October 24, 2025

M

Mylene P

Super. David est à l écoute de nos demandes. Il connaît son métier par coeur. Il est dévoué. Et surtout il est au top. Il prépare les pic nique et non des box et il est même équipé de une nappe. Il est attachant, on a pas envie de le quitter.

Review of: Lomo Tanzania Safaris

Written October 20, 2025

Traveled Couples

C

Camille M

Incroyable safari en compagnie de notre super guide Boni qui parle français ! Merci pour ses explications détaillées. Au-delà d'avoir été notre guide, Boni est une très bonne personne ! Au programme du safari : Parc de Manyara, Ngorongoro et Tarangire et rencontre avec les tribus Datoga et Hadzabes avec de très bons plats à chaque pique-nique du midi. Merci à Boni, Lomo Tanzania Safari et Terra Africa pour l'organisation. Asante sana

Review of: Lomo Tanzania Safaris

Written October 17, 2025

Traveled Couples

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