8 days · Safari
The Northern Wild
Our fullest northern itinerary: four parks, three Serengeti nights and space in the schedule for the days that turn out to be exceptional.
Is this trip for you?
Trip type
Private departure
Every safari is yours alone: your own Land Cruiser, your own driver-guide, your own dates. We do not sell seats on a shared vehicle, so the day runs at your pace and the itinerary changes when you want it to.
Ages
All ages
Children are welcome and we run family safaris regularly. A few camps set minimum ages, and long transfer days are hard on younger children, so family itineraries get shorter drives and more rest.
Fitness
No fitness requirement
Game drives are done sitting down. The demanding part is the road, not the walking. Tell us about mobility needs and we will plan around them.
Group size: 1 to 7 travellers per vehicle, everyone on a window seat
Day by day.
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1
Arrival in Arusha
We meet you at Kilimanjaro International, transfer to your hotel and run through the itinerary over dinner. Overnight in Arusha.
- Overnight
- Arusha
- Where
- None — arrival day
- Driving
- About 1 hour from Kilimanjaro Airport
- Meals
- Dinner
-
2
Arusha to Tarangire
Drive to Tarangire and spend the afternoon on the river circuit among elephant and baobabs. Overnight near the park.
- Overnight
- Near Tarangire
- Where
- Tarangire National Park
- Driving
- 2 to 2.5 hours
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-
3
Tarangire to Lake Manyara
A morning game drive, then Manyara's forest, floodplain and lake shore in the afternoon. Overnight in Karatu.
- Overnight
- Karatu
- Where
- Tarangire, then Lake Manyara
- Driving
- 3 to 4 hours across the day
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-
4
Karatu to the Serengeti
Over the highlands, past Olduvai Gorge, and out onto the plains with an afternoon game drive. Overnight in the Serengeti.
- Overnight
- Central Serengeti
- Where
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area, then Serengeti
- Driving
- 5 to 6 hours over the highlands
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-
5
Full day in the Serengeti
A whole day on the plains with a picnic lunch. Overnight in the Serengeti.
- Overnight
- Central Serengeti
- Where
- Serengeti National Park
- Driving
- A full day out with a picnic lunch
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-
6
Second full Serengeti day
A second full day, moving to wherever the wildlife has been most active. Overnight in the Serengeti.
- Overnight
- Central Serengeti
- Where
- Serengeti National Park
- Driving
- A full day out with a picnic lunch
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-
7
Serengeti to the crater rim
Morning drive, then east to the Ngorongoro rim for an afternoon at leisure. Overnight on the rim.
- Overnight
- Ngorongoro rim
- Where
- Serengeti, then Ngorongoro
- Driving
- 5 to 6 hours east
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
-
8
Crater floor and departure
A dawn descent and long morning game drive, then the drive back for your departure flight.
- Overnight
- You fly home
- Where
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Driving
- 4 to 5 hours to the airport after the crater
- Meals
- Breakfast and a picnic lunch
Where you sleep.
Camping
Einoti's own camping safari: a two-person tent on the public campsites inside or beside the parks, pitched by the crew, with a safari cook travelling with you and cooking on site. Bring a sleeping bag and mat, or hire them from us. It is the cheapest way to travel and the closest to the bush you will get.
Comfort
Small lodges and permanent tented camps just outside the parks. En-suite bathrooms, hot water, solid food and a real bed. The difference from the tier above is the location and the size of the room, not the safety or the cleanliness. Note that there is no accommodation inside Lake Manyara National Park at any tier: the options there are around Karatu or inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Classic
Mid-range lodges and tented camps, usually inside the park or on its boundary, which buys you an earlier start at the gate and a longer evening. Pools at most properties, and a proper restaurant.
Premium
Small luxury camps and lodges in the best positions on each circuit, including mobile camps that follow the migration. Fewer rooms, more staff, and a view you will not want to leave in the morning.
We book against availability for your dates rather than naming a property we may not be able to get you into. Your written quotation names every lodge and camp before you pay anything.
What is included
- All park entrance and administrative fees
- All meals while on safari
- 1.5 litres of drinking water per person per day
- Transfers from and to your hotel
- 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof while on safari
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Staff fees
- Accommodation where noted in the itinerary
- A walking tour in those protected areas that allow one
Not included
- International airfares and departure taxes
- Visa fees
- All items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for hotel and lodge staff, camp staff, your driver and guides
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
- Laundry services
When to go.
June to October — dry season
The busiest and most expensive months, and the easiest game viewing of the year. Water is scarce, so animals concentrate on the rivers and waterholes and the grass is short enough to see through. The Mara River crossings fall in the northern Serengeti between roughly July and September.
January to March — short dry season
Hot, green and much quieter than the June-to-October rush. The wildebeest are calving on the southern Serengeti plains in February, which is the single best month of the year for predator sightings.
November to December — short rains
Rain falls in the afternoon and rarely stops a day. The parks are green, the migration is moving south, and both lodges and park traffic are lighter.
April and May — long rains
The wettest months. Some camps close and some tracks become difficult, but the parks are empty and the light is extraordinary. We plan these trips around the surfaced roads and the lodges that stay open.
Questions about this trip.
Why does this start with a night in Arusha?
Because most long-haul flights land in the evening and nobody enjoys a five-hour drive after them. The first night is a shower, a meal and a proper sleep.
What do the two full Serengeti days give us?
Range. One day is spent close to camp in the Seronera valley; the other can go wherever the reports point, including a long push north or west.
Is eight days too long in a vehicle?
It is eight days with only three long transfers, which is the point of the itinerary. If you want less driving still, we can fly you between the Serengeti and Arusha and use the saved day on the plains.
On this route
Where you will be.
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Plan it with us
Make this itinerary yours.
Add days, drop a park, change the pace. This is a starting point, not a fixed departure.