10-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari

The Northern Circuit, Unhurried

This 10 day Tanzania safari itinerary is the journey our Tanzanian-born team knows best, taken slowly.

The route Arusha → Tarangire → Ngorongoro Crater → Central Serengeti → Northern Serengeti

The 10 day Tanzania safari itinerary, day by day

This 10 day Tanzania safari itinerary is the journey our Tanzanian-born team knows best, taken slowly: Tarangire’s baobab country, the crater at dawn and long, unrushed days in the Serengeti.

Nothing here is fixed. In fact, this is the route we plan most often. So tell us what to keep, lengthen or swap, and we’ll send you your own version, fully priced.

Best time to go

June–October for dry-season game; January–March for calving on the southern plains.

US travelers: check current entry requirements for each country on travel.state.gov (we also walk you through visas at booking).

Day1

Arusha

Arrive Kilimanjaro (JRO); met at the aircraft steps and privately transferred to a garden lodge outside Arusha, about 45–60 minutes away.

Days2–3

Tarangire

Private 4×4 from Arusha, normally about 2–2½ hours with game-viewing as you arrive. Elephants among the baobabs, with night drives and walking safaris the parks cannot offer.

Days4–5

Ngorongoro Crater

Next, a private drive on toward the highlands, about 2½–3 hours via the Rift wall. Then, from the quiet eastern rim, descend by the lesser-used access road to be among the first vehicles on the crater floor at dawn.

Days6–9

Serengeti, by season

Next, drive down to Lake Manyara Airstrip and fly to the airstrip serving your season’s region: Ndutu for calving, Seronera for the resident big cats, Kogatende in crossing season. Scheduled flights may make brief stops. Four nights in one camp, no one-night hopping, so you get long, unrushed days where the game actually is.

Day10

Departure

Finally, fly from your Serengeti airstrip back to Arusha for your onward international flight. Connections via intermediate strips are normal.

Where you’ll stay on the Northern Circuit

We select your accommodation privately after we understand your dates, pace and priorities. Then we recommend each camp, lodge or villa for its location, guiding, privacy, room configuration and seasonal suitability. Finally, you’ll see the places we suggest, and why, in your proposal.

Plan your private safari

All lodging & meals

Every camp night, all meals and house drinks on safari.

Private guide & vehicle

A private expert guide and 4x4 where specified; at fly-in camps, game drives may be shared unless a private vehicle is reserved.

Fees & flights within Africa

Park fees, light-aircraft hops and meet-and-greet on every leg.

One transparent quote

Priced to your budget, your camps and the season. No set packages.

This journey at a glance

Duration & route

10 days · Northern Circuit

Best months

June – October and January – March

Best suited to

First-timers and families

The heart of it

Tarangire, the Crater and the Serengeti, unhurried

Typical private investment

Every itinerary is priced individually, to your budget.

Based on two guests sharing. Final pricing therefore depends on season, camps, private guiding, internal flights and itinerary length. However, the price excludes international flights.

Generally included

Every camp named night by night · internal flights and transfers · park and conservancy fees · meals and game activities per each lodge’s terms · airport meet & greet · a founder’s direct line while you travel.

This itinerary is a starting shape rather than a package. Above all, every journey is fully tailor-made around your dates, pace and interests. Design this journey privately →

Questions about this Northern Circuit Tanzania safari

Yes. In short, ten days covers Tarangire, the crater and four unhurried Serengeti nights without the one-night hopping that ruins safaris. Fewer than eight days means cutting a park; more lets us add Zanzibar.

Every version we build is tailor-made. For example, the ten-day shape stretches to fourteen with Zanzibar or compresses to eight by trimming Tarangire. Your dates and pace decide it.

Twelve months ahead for June–October travel, since the best Serengeti camps fill first. However, green-season dates are workable at six months.

The practical detail

Who this Northern Circuit journey suits

First-time safari travelers and returning guests who want the classic Northern Circuit (Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti) at an unhurried pace, with time to sit with a sighting rather than rush the next one.

Guiding

Private guide and 4x4 vehicle throughout, yours alone for the whole route.

Journey investment

Private, tailor-made journeys on this route are priced individually, to your budget. In particular, the final figure depends on the season, the camps chosen and the flights involved. Then we quote one clear price in writing, with no hidden extras.

Typically included

Accommodation throughout on a full-board basis; guiding as described above; park, conservancy and concession fees; internal flights and road transfers along the route; airport meet-and-greet; and direct access to the founders before and during travel.

Typically not included

International flights; visas and travel insurance; gorilla or chimpanzee permits unless stated; premium wines and spirits; spa treatments; gratuities; and personal items such as shopping and laundry where charged.

We confirm every inclusion and exclusion in writing in your proposal before you pay anything. Payment and cancellation terms are set out in our terms and conditions.

Make this journey yours.

Tell us when you’d like to go and what you’d change. We’ll send back your own fully priced version within a few days.

Plan your safari Request a private call