6-Day Complete Northern Circuit Safari
Six days, four parks, the complete Northern Circuit. The 5-day version skips Lake Manyara; this one doesn't. Built for travelers who want all four major northern parks in one trip, with the extra day giving more lodge time and less daily driving between game drives.
FROM $2,550 per person
Duration
6 Days
Parks Visited
4
Best For
Slower-paced first-timers
Best Season
Year-round
About This Trip
The complete Northern Circuit — all four major parks, less daily driving.
The 5-day Northern Circuit Classic is the most-booked safari in northern Tanzania. This 6-day version is for travelers who want two things the shorter trip can't give: Lake Manyara, and a slower pace.
Lake Manyara National Park is small (330 km²) but unusually varied — alkaline lakeshore filled with flamingos, dense groundwater forest at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment, and the famous (though rarely seen) tree-climbing lions for which the park is known. It's not the highlight of any safari, but skipping it means missing one of northern Tanzania's most distinctive ecosystems.
The extra day also changes the trip's rhythm. Where the 5-day Classic involves two long driving days (out to Serengeti, back from Serengeti), this 6-day version spreads those drives more comfortably, with more time at lodges and shorter travel segments. The total game-driving time is similar — but the days feel less rushed.
"The 5-day trip is the safari most first-timers do. The 6-day trip is the safari they wish they'd done. The difference is one day and Lake Manyara."
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Day by Day
The 6-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Arusha · Welcome and rest
- Altitude: 1,400m
- Driving: ~1 hour from JRO
- Overnight: Arusha
Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). Our driver meets you in the arrivals hall and transfers you to your Arusha lodge — about an hour through coffee plantations and small villages. Arusha sits at 1,400m, which begins gentle acclimatization before the safari starts.
Afternoon free to rest after the long flights. Your safari guide meets you in the evening for a brief introduction, a walk-through of the itinerary, and to answer any questions you have. Most first-time visitors are too jet-lagged to want anything more on Day 1 — and we keep it deliberately quiet so you start the safari days fresh.
Meals
Lunch and dinner at lodge
Accommodation
Outpost Lodge or similar (budget-friendly Arusha)
Today's highlight
First proper sleep after the flights — and the realization that you're really here
Day 2 — Arusha → Tarangire National Park · Elephant herds and baobabs
- Driving: ~2.5 hours
- Game drives: morning and afternoon
After breakfast, your safari guide collects you for the drive to Tarangire National Park. The route passes through Masai land — you’ll see roadside cattle markets and traditional Maasai villages along the way.
Tarangire is famous for two specific things: the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania (often 100+ animals visible at the Tarangire River, especially in dry season), and the ancient baobab trees scattered across the landscape. The park is also one of the best places in Tanzania for bird life — over 550 recorded species. Full day in the park with game drives morning and late afternoon. Picnic lunch inside the park to maximize game viewing time. Return to your Karatu lodge by evening for dinner.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch (picnic), dinner
Accommodation
Eileen's Tree Inn or similar (Karatu, mid-range)
Today's highlight
First elephant herd at the Tarangire River — often within the first hour in the park
Day 3 — Karatu → Serengeti National Park · Onto the plains
- Driving: ~5 hours through Ngorongoro highlands
- Afternoon game drive
A driving day through some of the most beautiful country in northern Tanzania. The route climbs through the misty highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing coffee farms and Maasai villages, before cresting the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater itself — your first view down into the crater, with thousands of animals visible far below.
Continue on to the Serengeti via the southern plains. The word “Serengeti” means “endless plains” in the Maasai language — and you’ll understand why as you descend into the central Seronera Valley. Afternoon game drive on arrival in the area with the densest predator population in Africa. You’ll likely see lions, possibly leopards, and the resident herds of zebra and wildebeest. Depending on the season, you may also see segments of the Great Migration on the move. Dinner at the lodge under stars that look impossibly close at altitude.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch (picnic), dinner
Accommodation
Signature Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp or similar (mid-range tented)
Today's highlight
Cresting the Ngorongoro Crater rim — your first view down into it
Day 4 — Full day in the Serengeti
- Two game drives: morning and afternoon
- No long transfers
Today is what you came for. A full day in the Serengeti with no driving between camps — just game drives. Choose between a full-day drive with a picnic lunch in the bush, or morning and afternoon drives with lunch back at camp. Either way, the entire day is built around wildlife.
The central Serengeti’s open plains and acacia woodlands give you the chance to see most of what the park is famous for — resident lion prides, cheetahs stalking gazelles, herds of elephants moving across the grasslands, and the constant background of zebra and wildebeest. Each turn of the road reveals something new. The afternoon often produces the trip’s best wildlife photography as the light softens. Return to camp at sundown, surrounded by the sounds of the bush.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation
Same camp as Day 3
Today's highlight
The afternoon when you finally stop trying to count the animals and just watch
Day 5 — Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater · The crater day
- Driving: ~4 hours
- Full afternoon in the crater
Early breakfast and the drive back south through the Serengeti and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The descent into the crater is dramatic — 600 meters of switchbacks down the crater wall into what is essentially a self-contained ecosystem. Inside the 260 square kilometer crater floor live roughly 25,000 large animals, including approximately 50 critically endangered black rhinos.
This is the highest concentration of wildlife in Africa, all visible in a single afternoon. Lions (resident prides), elephants, buffalo, hippos in the central lake, flamingos at Lake Magadi, and — with luck — black rhino. Picnic lunch inside the crater. Ascend the crater wall in the late afternoon for your final lodge night.
Meals
Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation
Eileen's Tree Inn or similar (Karatu, return)
Today's highlight
Black rhino sighting on the crater floor — or simply the contrast between the open Serengeti and the closed-in crater
Day 6 — Lake Manyara National Park · The final park, then departure
- Driving: ~1 hour to park
- Half-day game drive
- Then ~3 hours back to Arusha
The final safari day takes you to Lake Manyara National Park — the small but unusually varied park that the 5-day Classic safari misses. The drive from Karatu to the park gate is short, and you’ll be in the park by mid-morning.
Lake Manyara is known for tree-climbing lions (rarely seen, but the chance is real), large troops of baboons in the dense groundwater forest, hippos in the lakeshore pools, and flamingo flocks on the alkaline lake itself. The park is framed dramatically by the Great Rift Valley escarpment to the west — one of the most photographer-friendly settings of any northern park. Picnic lunch by the lake, then the drive back to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) for your departure.
Meals
Breakfast, picnic lunch
Onward options
Airport transfer, Zanzibar extension, extra Arusha night
Today's highlight
The Rift Valley escarpment view from inside Lake Manyara — and the final picnic lunch before departure
Full Transparency
What's Included & What's Not
The price you see covers everything below. We list the exclusions clearly so there are no surprises.
What's Included
Safari portion:
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof for game viewing (yours alone, no sharing)
- Professional English-speaking safari guide for all 5 days
- All park entry and conservation fees (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro)
- Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- All accommodation as listed (3-star lodge + mid-range tented camp)
- All meals during the safari (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — full board
- Drinking water in the safari vehicle (refilled daily)
- All game drives as per itinerary
- Picnic lunches in the parks on game-drive days
General:
- Airport transfers (pickup at JRO, drop-off after safari)
- All government taxes
- Rebleko 24/7 guest support throughout the trip
What's Not Included
- International flights to and from Tanzania
- Tanzania entry visa ($50 USD for most nationalities, available on arrival)
- Travel insurance (mandatory — we can recommend providers)
- Hotel accommodation before or after the safari (we can arrange on request)
- Alcoholic beverages and bottled soft drinks
- Personal expenses, souvenirs, laundry, phone calls
- Tips for guides and drivers (industry standard: $40–$60 per day for safaris)
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary (hot air balloon, cultural visits, etc.)
- Vaccinations and personal travel medications (yellow fever, malaria prophylaxis)
Where You'll Sleep
Accommodation on This Trip
ARUSHA · BUDGET-FRIENDLY LODGE
Outpost Lodge or similar
Budget-friendly lodge in Arusha with en-suite rooms, swimming pool, and self-catering kitchen access. The right place to recover from international flights before the safari proper begins. Free WiFi, restaurant with mixed Tanzanian and international cuisine, secure luggage storage. Quiet enough to actually sleep. Luxury upgrade to 4-star property available with notice.
KARATU · MID-RANGE LODGE
Eileen's Tree Inn or similar
Comfortable mid-range lodge in Karatu — the small town that serves as the safari hub for northern Tanzania. Outdoor swimming pool, gardens, en-suite rooms with private verandas, and a buffet restaurant with good variety. Used on Days 2 and 5 as the base for Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the final Lake Manyara visit on Day 6.
SERENGETI · MID-RANGE TENTED CAMP
Signature Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp or similar
Mid-range tented camp in the heart of the central Serengeti. Each tent has a proper bed, en-suite bathroom with hot water, and a sunset-facing veranda. The camp is unfenced — animals genuinely walk past your tent at night, and you'll be escorted to and from your tent after dark. The two nights here give you a real safari atmosphere rather than just one passing night. Luxury upgrade to Four Seasons Bilila or Sayari Camp available on request.
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Ready for Your Tanzania Safari?
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Tell us your preferred travel month, group size, and any specific interests (photography, families with kids, wildlife focus). We will reply personally within 4 business hours with a tailored quote — and questions about the small things (dietary requirements, mobility, preferred pace) that make a safari feel designed for you.