8-Day Northern Circuit & Serengeti Safari

Eight days is the northern circuit without compromise. Three nights inside the Serengeti mean you can follow the herds north or west instead of chasing them, stay with a leopard sighting rather than moving on, and still reach the Ngorongoro Crater rested. Tarangire and Lake Manyara open the trip, and the final day leaves space for Olduvai, Lake Eyasi or a morning at the Fruitful Orphanage before you fly.

Best for

Photographers, migration chasers, families, honeymoons, long-haul travellers

Best months

July–October for the Mara River crossings; January–March for calving

Accommodation options

Camping from $2,150 pp · Lodge from $2,950 pp (USD)

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Arusha → Tarangire National Park

   Morning pick-up in Arusha and a full day game drive in Tarangire: elephant herds along the river, ancient baobabs and the swamp edges where lion and eland gather. Evening transfer up to Karatu.

   Meals: Lunch, dinner · Overnight: Karatu — campsite or lodge

2. 2

   Lake Manyara National Park

   A full day in Manyara's groundwater forest and along the soda lake: flamingos, hippo pools, baboon troops and the park's famous tree-climbing lions. Optional treetop canopy walkway in the afternoon.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Karatu — campsite or lodge

3. 3

   Karatu → Serengeti National Park

   Cross the Ngorongoro highlands with a stop at the crater rim viewpoint and Olduvai Gorge, then drop onto the plains through Naabi Hill Gate with an afternoon game drive to camp.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Serengeti — campsite or lodge

4. 4

   Full day in the central Serengeti

   Dawn start in the Seronera Valley for leopard in the riverine trees, lion on the kopjes and cheetah on the open grass, with a picnic lunch in the bush.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Serengeti — campsite or lodge

5. 5

   Serengeti — following the herds

   We move to the sector that matches the season: the northern Mara River area for the crossings between July and October, Ndutu and the southern plains for the calving from January to March, Seronera and the western corridor in between.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Serengeti — campsite or lodge

6. 6

   Serengeti morning → Ngorongoro rim

   Optional sunrise balloon flight and bush breakfast (extra cost, booked in advance), a last long game drive out of the park, then Olduvai Gorge and up to the crater rim for sunset over the caldera.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Ngorongoro rim or Karatu — campsite or lodge

7. 7

   Ngorongoro Crater

   First-light descent 600 metres to the crater floor for a full morning among the resident lion prides, elephant bulls, buffalo, hyena, flamingo on Lake Magadi and — with luck — black rhino. Picnic lunch inside the caldera, then back up to Karatu.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Karatu — campsite or lodge

8. 8

   Karatu → Arusha

   A slower final morning: a Lake Eyasi cultural visit, a coffee farm walk in Karatu or a stop at the Fruitful Orphanage to meet the children your booking supports, arriving in Arusha or at Kilimanjaro Airport in the afternoon.

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Optional add-on · from $500 per person

Sunrise balloon flight over the Serengeti

Lift off before first light and drift an hour over the plains, low over rivers and herds, landing to a champagne bush breakfast laid out under an acacia. It is the one extra almost everybody who takes it says was worth the money.

• Always optional. Nothing on this safari depends on it — you can decide before you travel or once you are in camp, subject to availability.
• It does not change the programme. The flight and breakfast finish mid-morning and your guide collects you in the park, so the day's game drives and every other day run exactly as written.
• It does not affect your group. Travelling companions who prefer to stay on the ground keep the vehicle and the guide, and simply meet you afterwards.
• Reference price $500 per person (USD, paid direct to the balloon operator). Children have a minimum age and height; we confirm the exact rate with your quote.