9-Day Luxury Safari on Tanzania's Northern Circuit – Exclusive Wildlife Experience

9-Day Luxury Safari on Tanzania’s Northern Circuit – Exclusive Wildlife Experience

Overview

This Tanzania safari takes you through the famous Northern Circuit, offering incredible wildlife viewing across a range of diverse ecosystems.

The 9-day luxury safari on Tanzania’s Northern Circuit provides a chance to explore the stunning Tarangire National Park, known for its massive elephant herds and iconic baobab trees, as well as the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater and the seemingly endless Serengeti Plains. By staying in the Eastern Corridor of Central Serengeti, you will be far from the busier tourist zones and may even be fortunate enough to witness portions of the migrating herds.

In addition to outstanding game drives, you will enjoy several exclusive experiences, including a night game drive in Tarangire, a walking safari in the Serengeti, and a delicious warm lunch served on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. This itinerary is an excellent combination of top-tier luxury camps in prime locations, complete with all modern comforts, alongside some of the finest wildlife viewing available, led by knowledgeable world-class guides and rangers.

Highlights of the 9-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Luxury Safari

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha
Days 2–3: Tarangire National Park
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater Rim
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater Rim (crater floor exploration)
Days 6–8: Eastern Serengeti
Day 9: End of safari and departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, you will be greeted by our driver and transferred to a hotel located on the outskirts of Arusha, situated on the Kili Golf estate. Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to take part in optional excursions such as a City Tour, a Coffee Plantation Tour, a Bike Ride, a half-day game viewing experience in Arusha National Park, or a visit to Lake Duluti.

Alternatively, you can spend the remainder of the day at the lodge, enjoying the garden and swimming pool, relaxing among the lush vegetation, and preparing for your early wake-up call the following morning.

Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hamerkop House by Lemala

Days 2–3 – Tarangire National Park

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before meeting your driver for a transfer to the airstrip, where you will board a flight to Tarangire National Park. Upon arrival at Kuro Airstrip, you will meet your safari guide and transfer to the camp via a game drive that explores Tarangire with its iconic baobab trees, swamps, reptiles such as monitor lizards and pythons, and many colorful species of endemic and migratory birds.

You will spend two nights at Mpingo Ridge, where all meals, selected beverages, and shared game drives are included in your stay. Additionally, a night drive has been added to your experience. Just because the sun has set does not mean that Tarangire National Park goes to sleep. Under star-studded skies and gentle winds, the shadow of an elephant may meander through the forest. The eerie silence is occasionally broken by the roar of a lion, and the shining eyes of curious wildlife peer at you as you drive past. It becomes an entirely different world bathed in moonlight—a truly wonderful Tanzania safari experience.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge

Day 4 – Ngorongoro Crater Rim

After breakfast, your guide will meet you at a pre-arranged time for your scheduled transfer to the airstrip, where you will board a flight to Manyara. Upon arrival, you will be met by the camp’s guide and transferred toward the camp. There will be time for a photo stop at the Ngorongoro Crater Rim to admire the view from above. You will then continue around the crater rim to the lodge—Lemala Osonjoi—arriving in time for lunch.

Spend the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the beautiful acacia forest. Nights can be cold due to the elevation, so you will enjoy a wonderful dinner by the fire before retiring for an early night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lemala Osonjoi Lodge

Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater Rim Exploration

Wake up early for breakfast, then travel down into the Ngorongoro Crater to enjoy several hours of game viewing before the crowds arrive. The Ngorongoro Crater is often called the Eighth Wonder of the World and is a stunning sight to behold. This caldera is the largest of its kind anywhere in the world, formed approximately 25 million years ago after an extinct volcano collapsed inward.

You will have an excellent chance to see a wide variety of wildlife, including the Big Five—lions, leopards, Cape buffaloes, elephants, and rhinos. Enjoy a warm lunch on the crater floor. Depending on the time of year, you may see vast flocks of pink flamingos around the shores of the shallow Lake Magadi, while hippos inhabit the surrounding swamps. Other animals you may encounter during your game drive on the crater floor include various cats, jackals, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, flamingos, bat-eared foxes, as well as approximately 400 species of colorful birds.

- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Lemala Osonjoi Lodge

Days 6–8 – Eastern Serengeti

Today, you will drive back to Manyara Airstrip for a flight to Central Serengeti. Arrive at Seronera Airstrip, where you will be met by your safari guide from the camp and depart on game drives organized by the knowledgeable local guide. Travel to the Eastern Corridor, far from the crowds of Central Serengeti, where only a few camps exist and vehicle traffic is very light.

The name Siringeti is the Maasai word for “endless plains,” and when you drive into the Serengeti, the name begins to make perfect sense. Timeless vistas and wide horizons are dotted with acacia trees and cut through by rivers bordered by trees and bushes.

The kopjes (rocky outcroppings) provide shelter and collect rainwater, making them favored places for the lions, leopards, and cheetahs that roam the Serengeti. The rocky hills, rivers, and woodlands surrounding the camp are home to elephants and buffaloes, waterbucks and hippos, crocodiles and giraffes, elands, and many other species.

A walking safari has been added during your stay, allowing you to experience the wildlife on foot. A walking safari in the Serengeti will change your perspective from that of a passive spectator to an active participant in the unspoiled natural world. In this pristine wilderness, your senses are quickly heightened as you are guided through the bush for an up-close and personal experience with nature.

Your three-night stay at Lemala Nanyukie Lodge includes all meals, selected beverages, and shared game drives.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (each day)
Accommodation:Lemala Nanyukie Lodge

Day 9 – End of the Safari

Today is your final day in the bush. Enjoy breakfast and then take a game drive en route to the airstrip. Bid farewell to your safari guide and board a scheduled flight to Arusha Airport. From there, you will be driven to Kilimanjaro International Airport to catch your flight back home or to your next destination.

End of the 9-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Luxury Safari

Trip Includes

Accommodation as specified (Hamerkop House, Lemala Mpingo Ridge, Lemala Osonjoi, Lemala Nanyukie)
Meals as indicated (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Shared game drives
Night game drive in Tarangire
Walking safari in the Serengeti
Warm lunch on Ngorongoro Crater floor
Internal flights: Arusha → Tarangire → Manyara → Serengeti → Arusha
Airport transfers

Best Time to Travel

This luxury safari is exceptional year-round, but the Eastern Serengeti and Northern Circuit offer particularly rewarding game viewing during the dry season (June to October) , when wildlife congregates around water sources.