Safari
Kilimanjaro Airport, Arusha, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Arusha
your journey
This six-day trip covers the four best-known parks of the northern circuit with one extra: a stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important fossil sites in the world. After an arrival night in Arusha you begin at Lake Manyara, cross the highlands to the Serengeti for two nights, return for a morning in the Ngorongoro Crater and finish in Tarangire on the way home.
Each park adds something different. Manyara has forest, baboons and a flamingo lake; the Serengeti has the open plains and the big cats; the crater is your best chance of black rhino; and Tarangire is known for its elephants and baobabs. Olduvai breaks up the long drive to the Serengeti with an hour among the story of our own ancestors.
You travel in a private 4×4 with a pop-up roof and the same driver-guide throughout, and your hotel nights in Arusha before and after the safari are included.
First-time visitors who want all four northern parks in under a week, travellers with an interest in human origins, and families who like a mix of wildlife and a little history.
Parks visited
Lake Manyara National Park · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Tarangire National Park
what makes it special
day by day
A Honesha representative meets you in the arrivals hall at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives you to your hotel in Arusha. The drive takes about an hour, and the rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight. That evening or the next morning your guide meets you for a full briefing on the safari ahead, covering the route, the parks, what to keep in your day bag and anything you would especially like to see.
After breakfast your guide collects you and drives you to Lake Manyara National Park, arriving in good time for an afternoon game drive. The park lies beneath the steep Manyara escarpment on the edge of the Rift Valley, around a shallow soda lake that attracts flamingos, yellow-billed storks and pelicans. Olive baboons are everywhere, and with luck you will find one of the lions that rest in the branches of the acacias. In the evening you drive up to your lodge in Karatu.
Today you cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards the Serengeti, about four and a half hours with a picnic lunch. On the way you stop at Olduvai Gorge, where Mary and Louis Leakey found fossils that changed our understanding of human origins, including a skull of Paranthropus boisei about 1.8 million years old. The small museum also covers the Laetoli footprints, left in volcanic ash about 3.6 million years ago. You then enter the Serengeti and game drive to your camp.
With a picnic lunch packed, you spend the whole day exploring the Serengeti. Where you go depends on the season: in May and June the migrating herds are often moving through the central and western Serengeti towards the Grumeti River, but even when the migration is elsewhere the resident game is rich. Expect buffalo, elephant and giraffe, big herds of topi, hartebeest, eland, impala and Grant's gazelle, and the lions, leopards and cheetahs that hunt them.
After an early breakfast you drive back through the Ngorongoro highlands to the crater rim and descend about 600 metres to the floor. The caldera, formed when a great volcano collapsed some two to three million years ago, covers about 260 square kilometres and holds around 25,000 large animals. It is one of the best places in Tanzania to see black rhino, and lion, elephant, buffalo and hippo are all regulars. After a picnic lunch you climb out to your lodge for the night.
Your last morning is in Tarangire National Park, a highlight for birdwatchers with more than 550 recorded species, including the kori bustard. The Tarangire River draws elephants, buffalo, giraffe and antelope, especially in the dry months from June to October, and the baobabs make a fine backdrop for your last photographs. After a morning game drive you continue to your hotel in Arusha or straight to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight.
the price
Price on request
before you ask
You can go on safari here all year. The dry season from June to October is the easiest time for game viewing, because animals gather near rivers and the grass is short, but it is also the busiest. From November to May the parks are green, quieter and excellent for birds, with short rains around November and the long rains in April and May. Where the wildebeest migration is depends on the month, so tell us your dates and we will plan the route around them.
Our safaris use 4x4 safari vehicles with a pop-up roof, so you can stand up for game viewing and photography. On a private safari the vehicle and driver-guide are yours alone for the whole trip.
Each tour page lists exactly what is included and excluded. On our northern circuit safaris, such as the 7-day Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire trip, national park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance fees are included. If you are not sure, ask your specialist before you book.
Yes. Every itinerary on this site is a starting point. We can add or remove days, swap parks, or change the accommodation to suit your budget, and your specialist will send you a revised plan and quote.
Bring light, neutral-coloured clothes, a warm layer for early mornings and for the Ngorongoro Crater rim, which is cold at night, comfortable shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent. Binoculars and a camera with spare batteries and memory cards make a big difference. Soft bags pack into safari vehicles more easily than hard suitcases.
Most visitors need a visa. Apply online in good time through the official Tanzania Immigration website at eservices.immigration.go.tz, and do not use unofficial agents. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival. Requirements differ by nationality, so check the official site for your country.
Enquire
Every AAA Express Adventure trip can be changed to suit you: the pace, the lodges, the number of days. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and our team in Arusha will come back to you with a plan and a price.
Your journey
Price on request
6 days · 5 nights
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Price on request
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Price on request
7 days · 6 nights
Arusha National Park · Lake Manyara National Park · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Tarangire National Park
Price on request
karibu
Call us on +255 784 281316, email sales@aaaexpressadventure.com or send an enquiry. Our team in Arusha will get back to you.
Price on request
Plan your trip
Enquiry about: 6-Day Northern Circuit Safari with Olduvai Gorge
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