Northern Circuit Safari & Zanzibar

Overview

A 10-day mid-range journey combining Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar. Comfortable lodges, private vehicle and full board.

See the full included / not included list →

Highlights

• Game drives among baobabs and elephant herds
• Tarangire River wildlife viewing (best in dry season)
• Game drive: tree-climbing lions, elephants, baboons
• Flamingos and birdlife on the lake (seasonal)
• Morning and afternoon game drives
• Big cats around Seronera (lion, leopard, cheetah)
• Crater floor game drive (Big Five except giraffe)
• Picnic lunch at the hippo pool
• Beach relaxation (Nungwi, Kendwa or Paje)
• Stone Town walking tour (UNESCO World Heritage)

About the destinations & activities

Activities marked included are covered by the package price. Activities marked optional are available in that destination for an extra cost.

Tanzania

Tarangire 1 night

Known for its ancient baobab trees and large elephant herds that gather at the Tarangire River in the dry season. Less crowded than the Serengeti.

Included in Tarangire

• 1 night: Tarangire Sopa Lodge or similar
• Meals: Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Park / reserve entry fees
• Game drives among baobabs and elephant herds
• Tarangire River wildlife viewing (best in dry season)
• Bird watching (over 500 species)

Not included in Tarangire

• Guided walking safari (extra cost)
• Night game drive (outside the park, where available) (extra cost)
• Drinks, unless stated
• Tips and personal items

Activities in Tarangire

• Game drives among baobabs and elephant herdsincluded
• Tarangire River wildlife viewing (best in dry season)included
• Bird watching (over 500 species)included
• Guided walking safarioptional · extra cost
• Night game drive (outside the park, where available)optional · extra cost

Tanzania

Lake Manyara 1 night

A compact park beneath the Rift Valley escarpment with a groundwater forest, a soda lake and famous tree-climbing lions. It is a good first stop on the Tanzanian northern circuit.

Included in Lake Manyara

• 1 night: Kirurumu Manyara Lodge or similar
• Meals: Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Park / reserve entry fees
• Game drive: tree-climbing lions, elephants, baboons
• Flamingos and birdlife on the lake (seasonal)
• Groundwater forest drive

Not included in Lake Manyara

• Mto wa Mbu village cultural tour (extra cost)
• Canoe safari on the lake (seasonal) (extra cost)
• Tree-top canopy walkway (extra cost)
• Drinks, unless stated
• Tips and personal items

Activities in Lake Manyara

• Game drive: tree-climbing lions, elephants, baboonsincluded
• Flamingos and birdlife on the lake (seasonal)included
• Groundwater forest driveincluded
• Mto wa Mbu village cultural touroptional · extra cost
• Canoe safari on the lake (seasonal)optional · extra cost
• Tree-top canopy walkwayoptional · extra cost

Tanzania

Serengeti 2 nights

Tanzania's oldest national park: endless plains, huge predator populations and the Great Migration. The herds move through the park in a yearly cycle, calving in the south around January–March and crossing rivers in the north around July–October.

Included in Serengeti

• 2 nights: Serengeti Sopa Lodge or similar
• Meals: Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Park / reserve entry fees
• Morning and afternoon game drives
• Big cats around Seronera (lion, leopard, cheetah)
• Great Migration viewing (location changes with the season)
• Retina Hippo Pool visit

Not included in Serengeti

• Hot air balloon safari over the plains (extra cost, about $550–$600 per person)
• Guided walking safari (where permitted) (extra cost)
• Bush breakfast or sundowners (extra cost)
• Drinks, unless stated
• Tips and personal items

Activities in Serengeti

• Morning and afternoon game drivesincluded
• Big cats around Seronera (lion, leopard, cheetah)included
• Great Migration viewing (location changes with the season)included
• Retina Hippo Pool visitincluded
• Hot air balloon safari over the plainsoptional · extra cost, about $550–$600 per person
• Guided walking safari (where permitted)optional · extra cost
• Bush breakfast or sundownersoptional · extra cost

Tanzania

Ngorongoro 1 night

A UNESCO World Heritage site. The crater is an ancient collapsed volcano about 260 km² in area, with a floor about 600 m below the rim. It holds a dense population of wildlife including black rhino, lion and hippo in a natural enclosure.

Included in Ngorongoro

• 1 night: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge or similar
• Meals: Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Park / reserve entry fees
• Crater floor game drive (Big Five except giraffe)
• Picnic lunch at the hippo pool
• Crater rim viewpoints

Not included in Ngorongoro

• Olduvai Gorge and museum visit (cradle of humankind) (extra cost)
• Maasai boma (village) visit (extra cost, paid locally)
• Guided nature walk on the crater rim (extra cost)
• Drinks, unless stated
• Tips and personal items

Activities in Ngorongoro

• Crater floor game drive (Big Five except giraffe)included
• Picnic lunch at the hippo poolincluded
• Crater rim viewpointsincluded
• Olduvai Gorge and museum visit (cradle of humankind)optional · extra cost
• Maasai boma (village) visitoptional · extra cost, paid locally
• Guided nature walk on the crater rimoptional · extra cost

Tanzania

Zanzibar 4 nights

A spice island off Tanzania's coast. Stone Town's alleys and carved doors are a UNESCO site, while the island's beaches at Nungwi, Kendwa and Paje have clear turquoise water. A natural finish to a safari.

Included in Zanzibar

• 4 nights: DoubleTree by Hilton Resort Zanzibar – Nungwi or similar
• Meals: Breakfast
• Beach relaxation (Nungwi, Kendwa or Paje)
• Stone Town walking tour (UNESCO World Heritage)

Not included in Zanzibar

• Spice farm tour (extra cost)
• Prison Island giant tortoise visit (extra cost)
• Mnemba Atoll snorkelling (extra cost)
• Dolphin trip at Kizimkazi (extra cost)
• Jozani Forest (red colobus monkeys) (extra cost)
• Sunset dhow cruise (extra cost)
• Kitesurfing at Paje (extra cost)
• Tips and personal items

Activities in Zanzibar

• Beach relaxation (Nungwi, Kendwa or Paje)included
• Stone Town walking tour (UNESCO World Heritage)included
• Spice farm touroptional · extra cost
• Prison Island giant tortoise visitoptional · extra cost
• Mnemba Atoll snorkellingoptional · extra cost
• Dolphin trip at Kizimkazioptional · extra cost
• Jozani Forest (red colobus monkeys)optional · extra cost
• Sunset dhow cruiseoptional · extra cost
• Kitesurfing at Pajeoptional · extra cost

Day-by-day itinerary

Accommodation

Mid-range lodges and hotels such as those below, or similar based on availability.

Journey details

Return international flights are included in this package.

What's included and not included

How the three travel levels compare

Optional activities (extra cost)

• Guided walking safari (Tarangire, extra cost)
• Night game drive (outside the park, where available) (Tarangire, extra cost)
• Mto wa Mbu village cultural tour (Lake Manyara, extra cost)
• Canoe safari on the lake (seasonal) (Lake Manyara, extra cost)
• Tree-top canopy walkway (Lake Manyara, extra cost)
• Hot air balloon safari over the plains (Serengeti, extra cost, about $550–$600 per person)
• Guided walking safari (where permitted) (Serengeti, extra cost)
• Bush breakfast or sundowners (Serengeti, extra cost)
• Olduvai Gorge and museum visit (cradle of humankind) (Ngorongoro, extra cost)
• Maasai boma (village) visit (Ngorongoro, extra cost, paid locally)
• Guided nature walk on the crater rim (Ngorongoro, extra cost)
• Spice farm tour (Zanzibar, extra cost)
• Prison Island giant tortoise visit (Zanzibar, extra cost)
• Mnemba Atoll snorkelling (Zanzibar, extra cost)
• Dolphin trip at Kizimkazi (Zanzibar, extra cost)
• Jozani Forest (red colobus monkeys) (Zanzibar, extra cost)
• Sunset dhow cruise (Zanzibar, extra cost)
• Kitesurfing at Paje (Zanzibar, extra cost)

Optional activities can be added before or during your trip and are paid for separately. Ask us for a current quote.