6 DAYS · PRIVATE NORTHERN CIRCUIT SAFARI
The Classic Northern Circuit
Three Landscapes.
One Remarkable Safari.
The Classic Northern Circuit brings together three of Tanzania’s most celebrated wildlife destinations in one beautifully paced private journey. Begin among Tarangire’s ancient baobabs and great elephant herds, continue into the boundless plains of the Serengeti and conclude inside the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater.
Travelling overland in your own private safari vehicle allows you to experience the changing landscapes between each destination not simply the places themselves. With a dedicated guide, carefully chosen accommodation and time to explore at your own pace, these six days reveal the remarkable diversity of northern Tanzania.
AT A GLANCE
Your Safari, Simply Explained
Everything you need to understand the journey at a glance from its duration and travel style to where you will stay and the best time to explore. Each detail can be thoughtfully adjusted to create a private safari that feels entirely your own.
DURATION
6 Days 5 Nights
SAFARI STYLE
Private Road Safari
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DESTINATION
Tarangire, Serengeti and
Ngorongoro Crater
ACCOMMODATION
Safari Lodges and Tented Camps
BEST TIME
Year-round
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START & FINISH
Arusha
Journey Highlights
PRIVATE GAME DRIVES
Enjoy the freedom of exploring with your own professional guide and private safari vehicle, with each day shaped around your interests and preferred pace.
REMARKABLE WILDLIFE
Search for lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and countless other species across one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife landscapes.
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BEAUTIFULLY LOCATED STAYS
Relax in a thoughtfully selected tented camp or safari lodge that brings together comfort, warm hospitality and the atmosphere of the wilderness.
UNHURRIED MOMENTS
Spend longer at the sightings that fascinate you, pause for photography and experience the Serengeti without following a shared group schedule.
YOUR JOURNEY, DAY BY DAY
Six Days Across Northern Tanzania
From Tarangire’s baobab-dotted landscapes to the endless Serengeti plains and the dramatic depths of Ngorongoro Crater, each day introduces a different character of northern Tanzania. The journey is carefully paced to balance rewarding game drives, beautiful scenery and time to experience the wilderness without feeling hurried.
ARUSHA TO TARANGIRE - WHERE THE WILD JOURNEY BEGINS
DAY 01
Depart from Arusha with your private guide and travel towards Tarangire National Park. As the city gives way to open countryside, your guide will introduce you to the landscapes, communities and natural history of northern Tanzania.
Enter Tarangire and begin your first game drive among rolling savannah, seasonal wetlands and ancient baobab trees. The park is particularly known for its elephants, although giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelopes and predators may also be encountered.
Enjoy a picnic lunch or continue towards your lodge for a relaxed afternoon. Later, return to the wilderness for golden-hour wildlife viewing before settling into your accommodation.
Overnight: Tarangire Area
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
DAY 02
FROM TARANGIRE TO THE SERENGETI
After breakfast, leave Tarangire and travel through the changing landscapes of northern Tanzania towards Serengeti National Park. Depending on the selected route, the journey may pass through the Ngorongoro Highlands, offering beautiful views across cultivated slopes and distant valleys.
Continue towards the Serengeti as the landscape opens into vast grasslands. Enter the national park and begin an afternoon game drive while travelling towards your camp.
Wildlife may appear at any moment from giraffes moving across the horizon to lions resting beside rocky outcrops. Arrive at your accommodation as evening settles over the plains.
Overnight: Serengeti National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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EXPLORING THE SERENGETI PLAINS
DAY 03
Rise early for a full day of private game viewing across the Serengeti. The cooler morning hours often bring heightened wildlife activity as predators complete their nocturnal movements and grazing animals spread across the plains.
Your guide will shape the day around wildlife activity and your interests. You may follow fresh tracks, pause beside a pride of lions or watch elephants moving quietly between woodland and open grassland.
Choose between returning to camp for lunch or carrying a picnic to explore farther into the park. End the day with an evening game drive before returning to camp for dinner beneath the African sky.
Overnight: Serengeti National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 04
THE SERENGETI AT YOUR OWN PACE
Enjoy another complete day in the Serengeti, giving you time to explore beyond the most familiar routes and appreciate the smaller details of the ecosystem.
Every season creates a different experience. Large herds may gather on the open plains, newborn animals may take their first steps and predators may use the tall grass and rocky outcrops as cover. Your guide will interpret these movements and help you understand the relationships that sustain the landscape.
An optional sunrise balloon safari may be arranged at an additional cost. Later, continue your private game drive and enjoy your final evening surrounded by the Serengeti wilderness.
Overnight: Serengeti National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
SERENGETI TO THE NGORONGORO HIGHLANDS
DAY 05
Begin with a final morning game drive through the Serengeti before travelling towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Wildlife encounters continue along the way, allowing the transfer to remain part of the safari experience.
As you approach Ngorongoro, the open plains gradually rise into cooler, greener highlands. Depending on timing and your chosen itinerary, an optional visit to Olduvai Gorge or a culturally respectful community experience may be arranged.
Arrive at your lodge near the crater rim or within the surrounding highlands and enjoy a peaceful evening overlooking one of Tanzania’s most dramatic landscapes.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Highlands
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 06
NGORONGORO CRATER AND RETURN TO ARUSHA
After an early breakfast, descend approximately 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater for a final and unforgettable game drive. The crater floor supports an exceptional concentration of wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, lions and, with good fortune, the endangered black rhinoceros.
Explore its grasslands, forests, wetlands and lakes before pausing for a picnic lunch in this extraordinary natural sanctuary.
Later, ascend the crater walls and begin the return journey to Arusha. Upon arrival, your guide will transfer you to your hotel, airport or agreed drop-off point, marking the end of six remarkable days across northern Tanzania.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
PLEASE NOTE
This itinerary is a thoughtfully designed starting point and can be personalised around your travel dates, interests and preferred accommodation style. Flight schedules, seasonal wildlife movements, weather conditions and accommodation availability may influence the final programme.
WHERE YOU WILL STAY
Close to Nature.
Carefully Chosen.
Your accommodation will be selected according to your travel dates, preferred comfort level and the most rewarding area for wildlife viewing.
We work with welcoming safari lodges and tented camps that combine genuine hospitality, thoughtful service and a strong sense of place. Wake to distant birdsong, enjoy meals overlooking the plains and end each day beneath the immense Serengeti sky.
Final accommodation options will be presented clearly in your personalised safari proposal and confirmed according to availability.
SAFARI INCLUSIONS
YOUR SAFARI CAN INCLUDE
Scheduled return flights between Arusha and the Serengeti
Private 4×4 safari vehicle
Professional English-speaking safari guide
Three nights’ accommodation
Meals stated in the itinerary
National park and conservation fees
Airport or hotel transfers in Arusha
Bottled drinking water during game drives
Local planning and on-safari support
NOT NORMALLY INCLUDED
International flights
Tanzania visa fees
Travel and medical insurance
Optional balloon safari
Premium drinks not included by the accommodation
Tips and gratuities
Personal purchases and expenses
Any services not included in your final proposal
YOUR TANZANIA STORY STARTS HERE
Tell us when you would like to travel, who will be joining you and what you hope to experience. We will listen carefully and thoughtfully tailor Tanzania Safari Essence around your dates, interests, pace and preferred style of accommodation.
