This 8-day tour will give you the best chance to visit all the famous national parks in the Northern circuit of Tanzania, including Lake Natron. In 8 days, you will visit Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, the famous Serengeti plains and Lake Natron. This tour includes all accommodations, meals, and transportation. Accommodation on the last day can be arranged upon request.
8-Day Authentic Tanzania Safari
This 8-day tour will give you the best chance to visit all the famous national parks in the Northern circuit of Tanzania, including Lake Natron. In 8 days, you will visit Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, the famous Serengeti plains and Lake Natron. This tour includes all accommodations, meals, and transportation. Accommodation on the last day can be arranged upon request.
8-Day Authentic Tanzania Safari highlights.
- Game drive
- Lake Natron
- Bird watching
- Wildlife viewing
- Kilimanjaro Airport
- Ngorongoro crater
- Tarangire National Park
- Serengeti National Park
8-Day Authentic Tanzania Safari
This 8-day tour will give you the best chance to visit all the famous national parks in the Northern circuit of Tanzania, including Lake Natron. In 8 days, you will visit Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, the famous Serengeti plains and Lake Natron. This tour includes all accommodations, meals, and transportation. Accommodation on the last day can be arranged upon request.
We pick you up from Kilimanjaro or Arusha Airport and drive to your hotel in Arusha for check-in. Then, depending on your arrival time, we drive into Arusha town to explore (this activity is free and optional). Arusha is situated at the foot of Mount Meru and is the most famous city as a gateway to the Northern safari circuit. You will overnight at the Green Mountain Hotel.
We will pick you up from your hotel after breakfast and drive you to Tarangire National Park for a morning game viewing. Have a picnic lunch, then go for a game drive in the afternoon. The vast number of baobabs will catch your eye as you enter Tarangire National Park. The gently rolling countryside is dotted with these majestic trees, which seem to dwarf the animals that feed beneath them. Herds of up to 300 elephants roam in the park with the migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest, and eland. You will overnight at Eileen's Trees Inn in Karatu town.
We will depart for Serengeti National Park via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We will drive down to the Ngorongoro Crater for morning game viewing and a picnic lunch. The Ngorongoro Crater is also known as the Eighth Wonder of the World. This heritage center shelters the most beautiful wildlife heaven on earth. Ngorongoro has over 20,000 large animals, including some of Tanzania's last remaining black rhinos, protected within its rim.
After lunch, you will do a game-viewing drive on the way out and exit the crater through the Ngorongoro Crater rim forest to the Serengeti plains. You will overnight at Osero Serengeti Tented Camp in the park.
Today, we have a full day in the park. After breakfast, with your lunch box, we depart for a morning game drive on the northwestern Serengeti plains. After the picnic lunch, we have a late afternoon game drive on the way to your hotel in the south-central part of the Serengeti. We will overnight at Osero Serengeti Tented Camp in the park.
Today is our last day in the Serengeti plains. After breakfast, we depart for game viewing in Serengeti National Park on our way out of the park. We will then go on a morning game drive in the northeastern Serengeti towards the Loliondo area. We will drive to Lake Natron for the night and overnight at Maasai Giraffe Eco Lodge in the park.
After breakfast, we will meet our guide to start a 2-hour cultural tour. We will explore the local Maasai villages and culture and then return for lunch and a restful afternoon. After lunch, we can go for an afternoon walk or enjoy the swimming pool. We will have a relaxed day and overnight at Maasai Giraffe Eco Lodge.
After breakfast, we will do a slow 2 to 4-hour guided walk to Lake Natron. Lying in a beautifully scenic area below the Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Natron has such a high concentration of sodium that the water is often viscous to the touch. There is a good chance to see some wildlife and birding in this harsh landscape with dry country species such as kudu and oryx. We might occasionally see giraffe and zebra. Lake Natron is also the only known breeding ground for East Africa's millions of lesser flamingos, which cover the lake between August and October. We will overnight at the Green Mountain Hotel.
After breakfast, we will pick you up and drive to Arusha town to explore or to Kilimanjaro International Airport for departure, depending on your flight departure time.
Inclusions and Exclusions
Cost Inclusions
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- A professional driver/guide
- All accommodation
- All transportation
- All Taxes/VAT
- Gorilla permits
- Chimp permits
- All activities
- Park fees
- Meals
- Drinks.
Cost Exclusions
- • International flights(From/to home)
- • Tips(Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- • Some meals(As specified in the day-by-day section)
- • Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- • Personal items(Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tanzania is a year-round destination, but the best wildlife viewing months are June to October (dry season). For the Wildebeest Migration, timing depends on location:
- Calving Season: Jan–March
- Grumeti River: May–June
- Mara River Crossings: July–September
Expect 4–8 hours of game viewing daily depending on travel distances between parks. Some days involve full-day drives with picnic lunches.
Pack lightweight neutral-coloured clothing, a warm jacket for early mornings, comfortable shoes, sunhat, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, personal medication, chargers, and a camera. Soft bags are preferred over hard suitcases.
Common exclusions are:
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks
- Tips for the guide (~$10–$20 per day per guest)
- Personal expenses like souvenirs and laundry
The package normally includes:
- Accommodation for 7 nights
- All park entrance fees
- Full-board meals during the safari
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Bottled drinking water
- Airport transfers
Most nationalities require a tourist visa, which can be obtained online (e-visa) or upon arrival. It is recommended to apply online to avoid queues.
Yes. Most lodges are family-friendly, and children above 3 years can join safari drives. Some camps may have age restrictions, so it’s important to confirm in advance.
The tour includes stays in mid-range or luxury lodges and tented camps, all with en-suite bathrooms, comfortable beds, and excellent service. You can upgrade or downgrade accommodation depending on your budget.
You can expect sightings of the Big Five—lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhino—plus cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas, flamingos, and hundreds of bird species. Serengeti also offers a chance to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration depending on the season.
Most 8-day itineraries cover Northern Circuit highlights—Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater. Some tours may also include cultural visits to the Maasai community or Olduvai Gorge.