The journey
Tanzania's Northern Circuit is the most famous safari route in Africa. Most operators race through it in five days. We take eight, and we do not consider this a slow itinerary, only the natural pace for a place this alive.
Day by day
Your flight arrives at Kilimanjaro International Airport. A private transfer (about 90 minutes) brings you to your Arusha lodge, set in coffee plantation gardens, the perfect place to exhale. A slow evening. An unhurried dinner. A briefing with George, where possible. Early to bed.
After a slow breakfast, the transfer to Tarangire National Park (about 3 hours, including stops). Picnic lunch en route. Afternoon game drive in the park. Africa's largest elephant herds, ancient baobabs, dense bird life. Evening at your lodge as the bush settles.
Dawn departure for a full morning game drive. Return to the lodge for lunch and a real midday rest. Late afternoon game drive, different routes, different light, different wildlife. Optional Maasai cultural visit if appetite remains. Sundowner overlooking the Tarangire River.
Morning transfer to Lake Manyara National Park. Half-day game drive, tree-climbing lions if luck is with us, dense bird life, the soda lake with its flamingos, the dramatic Great Rift Valley wall rising behind. Late afternoon transfer to the central Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with stops for crater rim views. Arrive at your camp for sundowner.
Full day in the central Serengeti. Dawn game drive into the heart of the plains. Picnic breakfast in the kopjes. The vastness begins to register. Return to camp for lunch and rest. Late afternoon drive with sundowner. First evening fire under the stars.
A second full day to go deeper. We follow the rhythm the bush sets rather than a fixed schedule. If there is a sighting worth sitting with for an hour, we sit. Picnic lunch in the field. Late afternoon return with sundowner. An optional hot air balloon flight is available at dawn (additional cost).
A final dawn game drive on the Serengeti plains, slow, attentive, the bush at its quietest before the day begins. Quiet last breakfast in the bush. Late morning transfer to the Ngorongoro highlands (about 4 hours by road, or 45 minutes by light aircraft to Manyara airstrip). Arrive at the crater rim in time for sundowner. First night at altitude, with the caldera dropping away beneath your lodge.
Dawn descent into the crater. Several unhurried hours among the densest wildlife concentration in Africa: lions, elephants, black rhinos, hyenas, hippos, flamingos, all within the 20km caldera walls. Picnic breakfast on the crater floor. Late morning ascent. Transfer to Arusha (about 3 hours). Lunch in Arusha if your flight allows. Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure home. We send you off with a small gift and a promise to be in touch.
Part of the journey
Private vehicle and senior naturalist guide throughout
All accommodations as listed (mid-luxury tier; upgradeable)
All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
All park, conservation, and rescue fees
Bottled water and snacks in the vehicle
Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
Pre-trip preparation guide and personal briefing with George
Post-trip letter and continued connection
24/7 in-country support
Make it yours
Sayari, Sanctuary, Serengeti Under Canvas
Arusha-Serengeti
The Lens upgrade
Requires an extra night near Lake Eyasi
Travel with confidence
Teva EcoTravels is a registered Tanzanian tour operator, with Certificate of Incorporation of a Company Section 15 No: 185103307. Our journeys are fully insured, our guides are certified, and every booking is confirmed in writing. Payments are handled securely, and George replies to every enquiry within 24 hours.
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