Tour Overview
Seven days. Four world-class parks. One unforgettable journey. This is our best-selling itinerary , and it earns that title every single time. Rather than a trimmed version or a taster, this is the full, immersive Northern Circuit experience at a pace that lets each park leave its mark.
You start in Tarangire, where the scale of the elephant herds immediately recalibrates your sense of what wildlife looks like in the wild. Next, Lake Manyara offers a compact but surprisingly rich experience , a park squeezed between the Rift Valley escarpment and an alkaline lake alive with flamingos and tree-climbing lions. Then comes the Serengeti: two full days in Africa’s most legendary landscape. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, and the possibility of the Great Migration create an experience that simply cannot be overstated.
Finally, the safari closes in the Ngorongoro Crater. Many guests consider it the single greatest wildlife experience of their lives. All five of the Big Five live here, within a natural enclosure so dense and dramatic it feels almost theatrical.
Planning your first Tanzania safari? This is the itinerary. Have you been before and want to return to the best of it? This is also the itinerary. Seven days in Tanzania’s north , exactly as good as you always imagined.
Route: Arusha → Tarangire → Lake Manyara → Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
Best For: First-time visitors, couples, families wanting a complete Tanzania experience
Meals Included: All meals included
Accommodation: Night 1: Arusha | Night 2: Tarangire | Night 3: Manyara | Nights 4–5: Serengeti | Night 6: Ngorongoro
Day-by-Day Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha
Welcome to Tanzania. Your Kori Safaris team will be waiting at Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport to transfer you to your hotel. The evening is yours to relax and acclimatise. We recommend an early night , the adventure starts at dawn.
Day 2: Tarangire National Park
Begin your safari in Tarangire, a park that earns its place as one of Tanzania’s most impressive. The dry-season elephant concentrations are legendary , the Tarangire River draws them in their hundreds, and watching these intelligent, social animals interact at close range is profoundly moving. Lions, leopards, buffalo, and a staggering variety of birds complete the experience.
Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park
Drive to Lake Manyara , a jewel of a park pressed between the Great Rift Valley escarpment and the alkaline lake itself. Tree-climbing lions are the headline act here, a behaviour scientists still debate. But Manyara also offers dense forest elephant encounters, vast hippo pools, and the astonishing spectacle of thousands of flamingos turning the lakeshore pink.
Day 4: Lake Manyara – Serengeti National Park
Transfer from Manyara through the Ngorongoro Highlands to the Serengeti. Stop at the crater rim viewpoint for photographs, then descend into the Serengeti basin. Afternoon game drives in the world’s most famous park never get old.
Day 5: Full Day Serengeti Safari
Another full, extraordinary day in the Serengeti. By now you are developing an eye for wildlife , spotting movement in the grass, reading the landscape for signs of predator activity, understanding the rhythm of the park. Your guide deepens your knowledge daily, and every drive feels richer than the last.
Day 6: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Morning game drive in the Serengeti, then travel to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The transition from open Serengeti plains to lush highland forest is dramatic and beautiful. Sunset from the crater rim is one of Africa’s finest views.
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha
Your final wildlife experience, a descent into Ngorongoro Crater, the natural wonder that brings your Northern Circuit to a fitting close. Black rhino, lion, hippo, elephant, and flamingo are all regularly seen here. After lunch on the crater floor, return to Arusha for your farewell dinner and overnight before onward travel.
What’s Included & Excluded
What’s Included
✓ All park and conservation fees
✓ Professional English-speaking safari guide
✓ 4×4 safari land cruiser / game drive vehicle
✓ Accommodation as specified per itinerary
✓ All meals as specified (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
✓ Safari bottled drinking water
✓ Flying doctors emergency evacuation insurance
✓ Airport/hotel transfers
What’s Excluded
✗ International and domestic flights
✗ Visa fees (Tanzania visa ~USD 50)
✗ Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
✗ Tips & gratuities for guides and camp staff
✗ Personal items, laundry, and souvenirs
✗ Alcoholic and soft drinks
✗ Optional activities (balloon safari, guided walks)
✗ Items of personal nature
