8 daysTarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
8-Day Northern Circuit & Serengeti Safari
The full northern circuit with three nights inside the Serengeti and room for a balloon flight or a cultural day.
From
$2,150 USD pp
8-day safaris
8-Day Tanzania Safari from Arusha
Eight days is the full northern circuit without compromise — three nights in the Serengeti, both crater and lake, and enough slack to follow the animals instead of the clock.
From
$2,150
USD per person, camping
Duration
8 days / 7 nights
Parks
Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater
Best for: Photographers, migration chasers, families, honeymoons and anyone flying a long way
How the 8-day itinerary is built
Our 8-day safari is the 7-Day Northern Circuit with one extra night inside the Serengeti, and it is bookable as its own itinerary. That single night is what changes the trip: it lets you push further north or west after the herds, spend a full day with a leopard or a cheetah family instead of moving on, and still reach the Ngorongoro Crater rested.
The route covers Tarangire, Lake Manyara, three nights in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, starting and finishing in Arusha. It can also be built around the northern Serengeti in migration season, or extended with a balloon flight or a Lake Eyasi cultural day.
What an 8-day safari costs
From $2,150 per person camping and $2,950 per person in lodges, based on two sharing. That is the 7-day price plus the extra Serengeti night, and it includes every park, crater and conservation fee, a private 4x4 with your guide, all accommodation, meals and Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport transfers.
Park fees are charged per person per 24 hours, so we always send a written breakdown showing exactly what goes to TANAPA and the NCAA and what stays with us — including the 10% that goes to the Fruitful Orphanage.
Worth adding on eight days
- A sunrise balloon flight over the Seronera Valley, followed by a bush breakfast
- A night in the northern Serengeti for the Mara River crossings between July and October
- A Lake Eyasi morning with Hadzabe hunters before returning to Arusha
- A day at the Fruitful Orphanage in Arusha to meet the children your booking supports
A typical 8-day route
Day 1
Arusha to Tarangire — elephants, baobabs and the river circuit.
Day 2
Lake Manyara's groundwater forest, flamingos and tree-climbing lions.
Day 3
Ngorongoro highlands into the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate.
Day 4
Full day in the central Serengeti — Seronera Valley cats and kopjes.
Day 5
Second full Serengeti day, following the herds north or west depending on the season.
Day 6
Third Serengeti morning, optional balloon flight, then Olduvai Gorge.
Day 7
Ngorongoro Crater floor from gate opening, overnight in Karatu.
Day 8
Cultural morning or a slow drive back, arriving in Arusha in the afternoon.
Parks on a 8-day safari
8-day safaris you can book
View itinerary
7 daysTarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
7-Day Northern Circuit Safari
Every park in the northern circuit, unhurried, with three nights inside the Serengeti.
From
$1,890 USD pp
5 daysTarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
5-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
Two full nights inside the Serengeti plus a crater day — the shortest itinerary that does the migration justice.
From
$1,290 USD pp
Read before you book
Planning
How Many Days Do You Need for a Safari? 2, 3, 5 or 7
The right length depends on one thing above all: whether you want to include the Serengeti.
Wildlife
The Great Migration: Where the Herds Are Each Month
The migration is not an event with a date. It is a continuous 800-kilometre loop, and knowing where it is decides where you should sleep.
Travel Tips
What to Pack for a Tanzania Safari
Almost everyone brings too many clothes and not enough layers. Here is what actually gets used.
8-day Tanzania safari FAQ
The questions we get most about 8-day trips from Arusha.
- What does an 8-day Tanzania safari include?
- Tarangire, Lake Manyara, three nights inside the Serengeti and a full morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, starting and finishing in Arusha. Park and crater fees, a private 4x4 with driver-guide, accommodation, meals and transfers are all included.
- How much does an 8-day Tanzania safari cost?
- From $2,150 per person camping and $2,950 per person in lodges, in US dollars, based on two people sharing. It is priced as our 7-day northern circuit plus one extra night in the Serengeti.
- Is 8 days too long for a safari?
- Not if you are flying from Europe or North America. Eight days lets you slow down, revisit good sightings and add a balloon flight or a cultural day. If your time is tighter, the 5-day Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari covers the highlights.
- Can I see the Mara River crossings on an 8-day trip?
- Yes, between roughly July and October. We move one of the Serengeti nights to a camp in the far north so you are on the river in the morning rather than driving towards it.
- Can the 8-day safari be combined with volunteering or Zanzibar?
- Both. Many of our guests volunteer at the Fruitful Orphanage in Arusha before or after the safari, and we can arrange your onward flight to Zanzibar from Arusha or Kilimanjaro at the end of the trip. 10% of whatever you pay goes to the orphanage either way.
Tell us your dates and we will send a written 8-day quote in USD within 24 hours — with 10% going to the Fruitful Orphanage.
Plan my 8-day safari