Northern Circuit · Since 1991
A 7 day Tanzania safari takes you through the Northern Circuit: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, starting and ending in Arusha. This page gives you the day-by-day plan, what it costs and the live tours you can book. We are an Arusha safari company, and our team has run this route since 1991.
Updated 13 October 2026
Tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling. We send a quote within 24 hours.
Day by day
This is our standard plan from Arusha, at mid-range level. Each tour below changes the order or adds extras, so check its own page.
| Day | Drive time | What you see | Where you sleep | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 Arrive in Arusha | About 45 min from the airport (50 km) | Mount Meru on the way to your hotel | Arusha hotel | Your driver-guide meets you at Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) with a Safari-TZ welcome board. In the evening you have a short briefing, then dinner and an early night. |
| Day 2 Lake Manyara National Park | About 2 hours to the gate (125 km) | Tree-climbing lions if they are active, elephants in the forest, flamingos when the lake holds water | Karatu lodge, for example Highview Hotel or Plantation Lodge | You leave at 7:00 and start the game drive about 9:15. Lunch is a picnic in the park. The park closes at 6:00 pm. |
| Day 3 Ngorongoro Crater, then the Serengeti | About 30 min to the Crater rim. After the Crater, about 2 hr 30 min to Naabi Hill gate and 1 hour more to central Serengeti | Lions, hippos, hyenas and black rhino on the Crater floor. Optional 45-minute stop at Olduvai Gorge | Serengeti tented camp or lodge, by tier | You go down into the Crater around 7:15 to beat the crowds, and spend about 5.5 hours on the floor. You are back on the rim by about 1:00 pm. |
| Day 4 Full day in central Serengeti | No transfer. Game drives from camp: about 4.5 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon | Lions, leopards and cheetahs on the morning drive, then a sundowner at a rocky outcrop | The same Serengeti camp | Brunch and a rest at camp fill the middle of the day. |
| Day 5 Second Serengeti day | No transfer, unless you move zones | Central plains, or the Western Corridor (about June) or northern Serengeti (July to October, river crossings) | The same camp, or a northern camp if you move zones | Your guide checks the migration reports that morning and suggests where to go. A move north can add cost, so tell us at quote time. |
| Day 6 Serengeti to Tarangire, through Karatu | About 8 hours in the vehicle, including game drives | A last Serengeti morning drive, then the Ngorongoro highlands and Karatu. An optional short drive in Tarangire | Tarangire lodge or camp, for example Tarangire Safari Lodge or Maramboi | This is the longest day of the trip. Lunch is in Karatu. |
| Day 7 Tarangire, then Arusha and home | About 2 hours to Arusha (115 km) | Elephant herds at the Tarangire River (largest from July to October) and baobab trees | Your flight home | The game drive runs 7:00 to 10:00. You reach Arusha about 1:00 pm. We aim to be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight. |
Drive times include game viewing, so they are longer than a map shows. Want hour-by-hour timings, packing lists and what your guide does each day? Read the 7 day Tanzania safari itinerary, hour by hour.
Ready-made tours
These are the 12 live 7-day Northern Circuit safaris on our tour list. Each price is the "from" price per person on that tour's page, read on 13 October 2026. Each card repeats what that tour's own page says its price includes.
BudgetFrom $1,815 per person
Visits: Materuni Waterfalls, Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, and round-trip airport transfers. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
BudgetFrom $1,870 per person
Visits: Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers, camping equipment, a sleeping bag and bath towels. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
BudgetFrom $2,100 per person
Visits: Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, and round-trip airport transfers. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
Mid-rangeFrom $2,050 per person
Visits: Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, plus Mto wa Mbu and Materuni Waterfalls
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
Mid-rangeFrom $2,100 per person
Visits: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, and round-trip airport transfers. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
Mid-rangeFrom $2,309 per person
Airport transfer not includedVisits: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT. Not included, says the tour page: round-trip airport transfer.
Mid-rangeFrom $2,321 per person
Visits: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, and round-trip airport transfers. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
Mid-rangeFrom $3,240 per person
Flights not includedVisits: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Materuni Waterfalls
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels. Not included, says the tour page: all flights during the tour.
LuxuryFrom $2,750 per person
Flights not includedVisits: Tarangire, Lake Eyasi (Hadza and Datoga visit), Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, and round-trip airport transfers. Not included, says the tour page: all flights during the tour.
LuxuryFrom $3,840 per person
Visits: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
LuxuryFrom $4,290 per person
Visits: Tarangire, central and northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels. The tour page lists nothing as not included.
LuxuryFrom $5,335 per person
Ask us about the flightVisits: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, with a flight out of the Serengeti on day 7
Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, and round-trip airport transfers. The tour page does not say if the flight out of the Serengeti is in the price.
Prices can change, so the tour page always wins. None of the tour pages list international flights, the Tanzania visa, travel insurance or tips.
What you pay
On our tour list, a 7 day Tanzania safari costs $1,815 to $5,335 per person. Where you sleep sets most of the price.
| Style | "From" prices | Tours | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $1,815 to $2,100 | 3 | Camping and simple hotels. Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. |
| Mid-range | $2,050 to $3,240 | 5 | Lodges and tented camps. Most visit three or four parks. |
| Luxury | $2,750 to $5,335 | 4 | Higher-end lodges and tented camps. One tour flies out of the Serengeti. |
The ranges overlap. Some luxury tours cost less than some mid-range tours, because each tour has its own route and extras. Compare what is in each list, not only the price.
Want a price for your dates and group size? Ask for a quote. For a wider view of Tanzania safari prices, see the Tanzania safari cost.
The Northern Circuit
The Northern Circuit is the group of northern parks near Arusha. Together they cover about 26,235 sq km. Four parks fit a week. A fifth park would take more time in the vehicle than watching animals.
14,763 sq km · Days 3 to 6
The park most people picture. The migration is in Tanzania about 8 months of the year. Plan two full game-drive days at the very least.
8,292 sq km conservation area · 260 sq km crater floor · Day 3
Big animals in one flat bowl, including resident black rhino. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Going down early means fewer vehicles.
2,850 sq km · Days 6 and 7
Baobab trees, the Tarangire River and the largest elephant population in Tanzania. The herds gather at the river from July to October.
330 sq km · Day 2
The smallest park on the circuit and a good first day. It has tree-climbing lions, a forest fed by groundwater and flamingos when the lake holds water.
Planning
Yes. For the Northern Circuit, 7 days is the length we plan around.
With 5 days you rush the Serengeti, drop a park or turn two days into half days. With 10 days or more you see the same four parks again, unless you fly south to Ruaha or Selous. Read Is 7 days enough for the Serengeti?
When to go
Most months work. You are choosing between weather, crowds and price.
This is the dry season. Visibility is good, and the herds are in the north of the Serengeti. Mara River crossings happen about July to October. Lodges fill early, so book ahead.
Calving season in Ndutu, in the south of the Serengeti. Wildebeest calves are born and predators are busy. It is a strong second choice after the crossings.
The green season. It is quiet and green. Expect afternoon rain and some hard roads in the Serengeti.
Good weather with fewer visitors, so many travellers find it the best value.
Calving River crossings Moving between zones
For more, read best time to visit Tanzania for safari.
Want a different start, style or comparison? These pages cover it.
Our 12 live 7-day Northern Circuit tours cost $1,815 to $5,335 per person. Budget camping tours start at $1,815, mid-range tours at $2,050 and luxury tours at $2,750. These are the "from" prices on each tour page, read on 13 October 2026. Every tour lists park fees, a driver-guide, meals, accommodation, activities and transport. Two tours say flights are not included, and one does not include airport transfers. International flights, the visa, insurance and tips are not on any list. See the cost table.
A good 7 day Tanzania safari starts and ends in Arusha. Day 1 is arrival. Day 2 is Lake Manyara. Day 3 is Ngorongoro Crater, then the drive to the Serengeti. Days 4 and 5 are Serengeti game drives. Day 6 is the long drive to Tarangire, and day 7 is a morning in Tarangire before the airport. Read the day-by-day plan, or open the hour-by-hour 7 day Tanzania safari itinerary.
Yes, for a safari in the Northern Circuit. Seven days gives you an arrival day, five safari days and a departure day. That is enough for two full Serengeti days, a morning in Ngorongoro Crater, a day in Tarangire and a day at Manyara. To see more, you need a new region, such as Ruaha or Selous in the south. Why 7 days works, or read Is 7 days enough for the Serengeti?
For the Northern Circuit we plan around 7 days. A 5-day trip is possible if your flights are fixed, but it means a rushed Serengeti, a dropped park or half-day visits. More than 7 days adds more time in the same parks, unless you fly south to Ruaha or Selous. If your trip starts in Zanzibar, see Tanzania safari from Zanzibar for shorter trips.
It depends on the tour, so read the card for each package. All 12 tours on this page list a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport and taxes. Eleven also list round-trip airport transfers. "Manyara, Serengeti & Crater Safari" does not. "Luxury Northern Circuit + Lake Eyasi Safari" and "Mid-Range Safari + Materuni Falls" say flights are not included. "Luxury Drive-In Fly-Out Safari" flies out of the Serengeti and does not say if that flight is in the price, so ask us. No list covers international flights, the Tanzania visa, travel insurance or tips. See the packages.
Most visit the northern parks of the Northern Circuit: the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara. Together they cover about 26,235 sq km (Serengeti 14,763, Ngorongoro Conservation Area 8,292, Tarangire 2,850 and Manyara 330). Some tours skip Manyara and add Materuni Waterfalls or a Lake Eyasi visit instead. Compare the four parks.
June to October is dry, with the migration in the north of the Serengeti. January and February are calving season in Ndutu, in the south. April and May are green and quiet, with rain and some hard roads. October and November give good weather with fewer visitors. Most months work, so you are choosing between weather, crowds and price. See the month-by-month strip or read best time to visit Tanzania for safari.
Yes. Both are common. Many guests end the safari with a few days on the Zanzibar beach. See our 7-day safari from Zanzibar page or the Tanzania safari from Zanzibar hub. A Kilimanjaro climb is a separate trip, so ask us on WhatsApp how to fit it in.
This is our advice. For July to September and Christmas to New Year, book 6 to 12 months ahead, because Serengeti camps fill first. For June, October and November, 3 to 6 months is usually enough. For April and May, 2 to 3 months is fine. Last-minute trips are sometimes possible for budget and mid-range tours outside peak months. Ask for a quote with your dates.
Yes. All 12 tours on this page are listed as private tours. You travel in your own 4x4 pop-up roof vehicle with a driver-guide, and you are not mixed with other groups. Read more on our private 7-day safari page.
Tell us your travel dates, how many of you are coming and your budget level. We send a quote within 24 hours.
Travel Consultant, Safari-TZ
Send Salma your dates and she will help you plan your trip.
Our senior guides include Geoffrey Komba, William Mwasimba and Isaac Munuo.
Contact Salma by email at info@safari-tz.com or call or WhatsApp +255 740 666 662.
