Northern Safari Circuit
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Circuit · Northern Tanzania
The Circuit That Made Tanzania Famous
The northern circuit is the most travelled route in Tanzania, and with good reason. Within a few hours’ drive of Arusha sit the Serengeti plains, the Ngorongoro Crater, the baobab country of Tarangire and the Rift Valley escarpment above Lake Manyara — four completely different landscapes, and some of the densest wildlife concentrations anywhere in Africa.
It is also the circuit built for a first visit. The parks connect by road, the lodges range from mobile camps to serious luxury, and the Great Migration moves through the Serengeti in a broadly predictable annual cycle. Everything here can be combined with Kilimanjaro or a finish on Zanzibar.
- The Great Migration and its river crossings in the Serengeti
- The Ngorongoro Crater — the world's only intact caldera
- Tarangire's elephant herds and ancient baobabs
- Cultural days with Maasai and Chagga communities
Good to Know
Northern Safari Circuit at a Glance
Gateway
Arusha, reached via Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Best Time
June to October for dry-season game viewing; January to March for the calving season.
Big Five
All five are possible, with black rhino most reliably seen on the Ngorongoro crater floor.
Getting Around
Road transfers between parks, with fly-in options to the Serengeti airstrips.
Where You'll Go
Destinations in This Circuit
Eight destinations across the northern circuit, from the Serengeti plains to the hot springs below Kilimanjaro.
When to Travel
Timing the Migration
The northern circuit works all year, but what you see changes month to month. From December to March the herds are on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, and calving season brings the most intense predator activity of the year.
From July to October the migration is in the north, and the Mara River crossings are the draw. The long rains in April and May are the quietest and cheapest time to travel, with green landscapes and some camps closed.
- December to March — calving season on the southern plains
- June to October — dry season, best general game viewing
- July to October — Mara River crossings in the north
- April to May — long rains, lowest rates, some camps closed
Build Your Northern Circuit
Every route here can be lengthened, shortened or combined with Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Tell us your dates.