7 DAY SAFARI | TARANGIRE · LAKE MANYARA · SERENGETI · NGORONGORO CRATER

Classic Wildlife Safari

Tanzania's four great parks in sequence. The full sweep of the northern circuit, from elephant herds in Tarangire to rhino in the Crater, and three nights deep in the Serengeti.

Inquire about this safari >

DURATION

7 Days

|

DESTINATIONS

4 Parks

|

STARTS FROM

~$ 1,622 pp

|

Calendar icon for tracking best seasons for a Tanzania safari

BEST SEASON

Year Round

|

EXPERIENCE

Big 5 · Migration

[ OVERVIEW ]

Tanzania’s most iconic circuit, perfectly paced

The Classic Wildlife safari traces Tanzania's Northern Circuit through its four defining ecosystems — the elephant-haunted baobab savannas of Tarangire, the flamingo-fringed shores of Lake Manyara, the endless predator-rich plains of the Serengeti, and the extraordinary enclosed world of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Seven days is the right amount of time to absorb each park without rushing through any of them. Your guide sets the pace — not a schedule. Three days in the Serengeti means mornings decided by animal behavior, not a timetable.

Big 5 across all parks

Great Migration routes

Prime photography conditions

Oldupai Gorge option

[ DAY BY DAY ]

DAY 1

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Tarangire National Park

DEPART ARUSHA — 2 HR DRIVE WEST

Depart Arusha after breakfast for the two-hour drive west into Tanzania's second-largest park. Tarangire is home to one of the continent's highest concentrations of elephants with more than 30 herds migrate through here. The ancient baobab trees make for extraordinary photography. Watch for pythons coiled in the branches and lions using the same vantage points.

Elephant herds · Tree-climbing lions · Python sightings

DAY 2

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

Lake Manyara National Park Safari

UNDER THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY ESCARPMENT

Drive north to Lake Manyara, a park of remarkable ecological diversity compressed into a narrow strip between the lake and the Great Rift Valley escarpment. The alkaline lake draws seasonal flamingo flocks and hippo pools. The forested sections are the only place in Tanzania to reliably find lions in trees — a rare behavior worth watching for through the midday hours.

Tree-climbing lions · Flamingoes · Hippo pools

DAY 3

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Ngorongoro Highlands to Serengeti

OLDUPAI GORGE · OPTIONAL MAASAI VILLAGE WALK

Pass through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and across the highlands into the drier plains. Stop at Oldupai Gorge to walk the museum documenting one of the most significant paleoanthropological sites on Earth. Optional: a visit to a traditional Maasai village in the Conservation Area. Arrive at Seronera in the central Serengeti as afternoon light falls across the plains.

Oldupai Gorge · Ngorongoro panoramas · Maasai culture

DAY 4

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Serengeti Seronera Game Drives

SERONERA RIVER VALLEY · YEAR ROUND PREDATOR COUNTRY

A full day in the central Serengeti, widely considered the best general game-viewing area in Tanzania. Stay close to the Seronera River system, where predators and prey concentrate around the permanent water year-round. Four of the Big Five are resident here. Dinner in the bush, under an open sky, before returning to camp.

Lion · Leopard · Cheetah · Full Big 5 territory

DAY 5

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Central Serengeti Migration

In migration season (roughly July–October), this morning brings the extraordinary spectacle of wildebeest and zebra moving in ancient patterns across the plains. Outside migration season, the central area offers exceptional big-cat sightings — cheetah, leopard, and lion — throughout the year. Your guide will read the conditions and position you for the best opportunities of the day.

SEASONAL WILDEBEEST & ZEBRA MOVEMENTS

Great Migration · Wildebeest · Zebra · Seasonal predator action

DAY 6

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA

Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Rim

SERENGETI EAST to THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA

Wind east out of the Serengeti through the East Gate, climbing into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area as the temperature drops and the vegetation deepens. Arrive at the crater rim in time for dusk — the light at this hour across the caldera is extraordinary and rarely photographed. Overnight in a lodge on the rim, 2,300 metres above sea level.

Crater rim sunset · Ngorongoro Highland forest · Evening wildlife

DAY 7

NGORONGORO CRATER

Ngorongoro Crater · Return to Arusha

CRATER FLOOR DESCENT AT DAWN

Descend into the crater at first light — the preferred time for spotting the elusive Black Rhino before the day warms. The crater floor holds one of Africa's highest concentrations of wildlife in a single contained ecosystem: elephant, zebra, wildebeest, lion, and the Big 5 resident in this 260 km² bowl. The drive back to Arusha arrives by evening, completing a circuit that very few travelers ever forget.

Black Rhino · Full Big 5 · Crater floor dawn

[ PRICING ]

Choose your accommodation style

All prices are estimates in USD per person. The itinerary, guide, vehicle, and park experience are identical across all tiers - the difference is where you sleep.

STANDARD CAMPING

From (per person)

$1,622

6 persons traveling together

___________________________

2 persons $2600

4 persons $1869

SELECT LODGING

From (per person)

$2,336

6 persons traveling together

___________________________

2 persons $3288

4 persons $2577

PREMIUM LODGING

From (per person)

$3,090

6 persons traveling together

___________________________

2 persons $4085

4 persons $3345

All prices are per person in USD and inclusive of park fees, accommodation, meals as specified, and game drives in a private 4WD vehicle with your Misele guide. Pricing varies by travel dates, group size, and accommodation tier.

INCLUDED

All national park and conservation fees
Airport transfers (Arusha / Kilimanjaro)
Accommodation as specified
All meals during the safari
Game drives in private 4WD vehicle
Bottled water in the vehicle
Expert & licensed Misele driver-guide

NOT INCLUDED

International flights
Tanzania entry visa
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Guide gratuities
Alcoholic beverages
Personal expenses & souvenirs

Prices vary by season and are estimates only. Submit a request for exact figures reflecting your travel dates and group.

Request a Custom Quote

[ BEST TIME TO TRAVEL ]

There’s no wrong season, only different ones

June - October

Vegetation thins and wildlife concentrates around permanent water. This is the most consistent game-viewing of the year. Northward wildebeest river crossings peak July-October.

Dry season

March - May

Lower prices, far fewer visitors, landscapes transformed by rain. Exceptional birdlife (500+ species active), calving season drama Jan-Feb, and great photographic light.