Your safari in the Northern Circuit

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The most popular safari destinations of Tanzania, such as the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, are part of the Northern Circuit. This is the mainstream touristic area of the country, where you will find as well a wide choice of lodges and camps belonging to the most important international chains. 

If you want to see the Great Migration, this is the area to be.

Arusha National Park

This national park lies about 45km east of Arusha town, the “safari capital” of Tanzania. In this area stands the Mount Meru, Tanzania’s “other mountain” aside Kilimanjaro. Despite its relatively small size, this park has a lot to offer such as Colobus monkeys, flamingos, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, plus a variety of bird and plant species. A visit to this park can be a one-day excursion, part of a Mt Meru hike or a broader safari itinerary that will continue to other national parks.

Lake Manyara National

Park 60% of this park’s total area is covered by the Lake Manyara, and the remaining 40% is a forest where you can find over 350 species of birds and an array of mammals such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, blue monkeys, impala, lions and leopards. The forest at Lake Manyara is always green due to ground water that finds its way from the Ngorongoro highlands. Due to its close proximity to Arusha, a day visits to this park can be arranged.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro is a unique place, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. It is part of the broader Serengeti ecosystem, often regarded as the 8th wonder of the world. From stunning landscapes, wildlife concentrations to the “cradle of mankind”, Ngorongoro has everything you might want to see. Its intact caldera is home to the very rare black rhino and the largest concentration of wildlife per square kilometre anywhere in the world. We recommend 2 days at Ngorongoro.

Serengeti National Park

This is the ultimate park for safari experience, it is every visitors' desire to see the “land of endless plains” as it is known by the nomadic Masaai who are found here. Serengeti is famous for the annual wildebeest migration but also because of the huge number of species living in this area. Due to the distance from Arusha, this park is seldom planned as a visit on very first day of a safari unless flights to Serengeti are planned. Depending on the time of visit, we recommend a minimum of two or more nights.

Tarangire National Park

The Northern Circuit’s best kept secret, it offers a unique landscape compared to any park in the Northern Circuit. The presence of a permanent source of water makes Tarangire especially good during the dry season (June-Oct, Dec-Feb) as plenty of wild animals migrate here. Tarangire is best known for its baobab trees, large concentrations of big mammals, including leopards and other carnivores. We recommend 2 days in this park.