Overview
Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport opens this 10-day lodge-based itinerary. Your visa is processed on arrival, and you then transfer to your first night's accommodation, which makes for a well-organized start to a comprehensive Northern Circuit trip.
The route also stops at Lake Natron, known for its striking red-tinted water and dramatic setting beneath the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, and includes a walk along the Ngaresero River. The landscape is quite different from the rest of the Northern Circuit's parks.
Our Lake Natron guide has more on the area, or contact us to book this itinerary.
Day 4-6
Day 6-8
Day 2-4, 8-9
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (10 days)
When you land at Kilimanjaro International Airport, your visa is handled at immigration, and then our representative meets you and takes you to a lodge near Arusha. Check in and meet your safari manager, who gives a briefing on the days ahead.
Leave Arusha, driving through town in case you need a last-minute shopping stop or currency exchange, and continue over the Maasai Steppe and the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions, and at the lake itself you may see elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hippo and flamingo.
Drive north to Lake Natron, a striking alkaline lake with deep red-tinted water, counted among East Africa's most important flamingo breeding sites and set beneath the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai. Later in the afternoon, a walk beside the Ngaresero River takes you to a series of waterfalls.
Leave Natron and travel to the Serengeti, Tanzania's most famous park, where game viewing starts the moment you cross its boundaries.
Game drives take up the full day around Seronera, in the central Serengeti, where resident lion prides live and, depending on the season, the wildebeest migration passes through.
Drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, viewing game on the way. You spend the night on the crater rim, with views into the caldera.
Drive down onto the crater floor and spend the whole day viewing game in one of Africa’s most wildlife-dense areas. You climb back up to the rim in the evening.
Travel to Lake Eyasi, where the Hadzabe, one of the last hunter-gatherer communities in East Africa, live. An afternoon visit offers a real cultural exchange to complement the wildlife-focused days of the trip.
The last morning offers a walk with a Hadzabe hunting group, if you wish, followed by the afternoon drive to Arusha.
Depending on the time of your international flight, enjoy a relaxed final morning in Arusha before the transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home.
Rates Per Person
See "Accommodation & Meals" on the Overview tab for the general comfort levels available — send us your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Mount Kilimanjaro and ends in Tarangire National Park.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport and Mwanza Airport are the most common arrival points, depending on your route.
Transfer Information
Airport pickup and all transfers between destinations are included and arranged by our team.
Accommodation Before/After
Need a night in Mwanza or Arusha before or after this trip? We can arrange that on request.