7 Days – Splendours of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit

Arusha, Tanzanie

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7 Days – Splendours of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit

Arusha, Tanzanie

Overview

Natural and cultural highlights without limits - the ideal safari experience for Tanzania first-timers! Discover an abundance of African wildlife and diverse ecosystems.

Tour Plan

Day 1 : Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, our driver guide will pick us up at the hotel and we will head to Tarangire National Park. Once arrived, we spend the afternoon on a first game drive. We will encounter the famous Tarangire national park elephants, but are equally stunned by the gigantic baobab trees.

Overnight we stay at Tarangire Treetops (luxury) in a wildlife protected area connected to Tarangire National Park, at Tarangire Sopa Lodge (standard) in Tarangire National Park, or are camping at a public campsite (budget) in Tarangire National.

Day 2: Tarangire National Park

The full day is at our disposal to explore the stunning Tarangire National Park. We will enjoy the beautiful scenery and observe animals that roam through the bush: zebras, wildebeests and antelopes. At the same time we can also marvel at Tarangire National Park’s incredible variety of birds.

After the game drive we continue our way to Karatu.

Overnight we stay at the Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge (luxury) bordering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, at the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge (standard) in Karatu, or are camping at the Kudu Campsite (budget) in Karatu.

Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast, we will continue our journey to Lake Manyara National Park. On the drive through the diverse vegetation at Lake Manyara, we get the chance to observe various wildlife: monkeys in the trees, flamingos in the lake and with some luck even the famous tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara National Park.

After the game drive, we will return to the Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge (luxury), the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge (standard), or the Kudu Campsite (budget) where we can relax and stay overnight.

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater

Early in the morning, we drive to the famous Ngorongoro Crater and down to the floor of the crater. In spectacular scenery the crater hosts an abundance of wildlife, among them all Big Five. Expect to see zebras and wildebeests, meet some lions and with some luck glance at the rare rhinos.

Overnight we stay at the Lemala Ngorongoro tented camp (luxury) in the shade of the forest on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, the Rhino Lodge (standard) on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, or are camping at the Simba Campsite (budget).

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

In the morning, we proceed to the Serengeti where we spend your full day on game drives in the savannah of the Serengeti plains. You can see herds of zebras and wildebeests or maybe some lions enjoying the view from a kopije.

Overnight we stay at the Serengeti Migration Camp (luxury) next to the Grumeti River in the Serengeti, at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge (standard) in the heart of the Serengeti, or are camping at a public campsite (budget) at the heart of the Serengeti.

Day 6: Serengeti and Olduvai Gorge

We will start our day with another game drive through the Serengeti in the early morning. Then we drive back to Karatu with a stop at Olduvai George - the cradle of mankind.

Overnight we stay at The Plantation Lodge (luxury) in Karatu, at the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge (standard) in Karatu, or are camping at the Kudu Campsite (budget) in Karatu.

Day 7: Karatu and return to Arusha

We have the morning at our disposal to relax or go for a stroll through Karatu. After lunch we go back to Arusha from where you proceed to further adventures or back home.

Best Time to Travel

With Ngorongoro's wildlife remaining in the steep-walled crater all year round, the question of when to go on safari in this area is less about optimising your game viewing experience and more about how many other people and vehicles you want to share the crater with.

High visitor numbers can be expected during the dry July to September peak season and again during the December to February calving season that follows the November rains.

With this in mind, the main April to May rainy season is often considered the best time to visit the Ngorongoro Crater as there are far fewer visitors and the crater is wonderfully lush and green compared to the dusty dry-season landscape.

The short October/November and March/April rainy seasons notwithstanding, the Serengeti's temperate and mostly dry climate plus abundant resident wildlife makes for a great game viewing experience all year round - the question of exactly when to go to the Serengeti really revolves around whether you want to see the wildebeest migration.

If so, then the best time to visit the Serengeti is between October and July before the wildebeest return to Kenya's Masai Mara around August. Note however that the migration is a fluid affair: not only is its precise timing subject to each year's rainfall pattern but the herds move around the Serengeti depending on the time of year.

7 Days – Splendours of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit