Safari
8 daysNorthern Tanzania
8 Days Lodge Safari
An 8-day Northern Tanzania lodge safari from Arusha through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro, with Classic, Luxury, and Premium accommodation options.
View itinerary →9 days · Northern Tanzania
9 Days Migration Safari
A 9-day Northern Tanzania safari from Arusha through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the central and northern Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. A Mara River crossing is not guaranteed.
Quick facts
- Duration
- 9 days
- Safari type
- Northern Tanzania migration safari
- Start and end
- Arusha to Arusha
- Accommodation options
- Classic, Luxury, and Premium
Destinations
- Tarangire National Park
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Serengeti National Park
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Overview
This nine-day safari follows the Northern Tanzania circuit and adds time in the northern Serengeti, where the itinerary looks for the wildebeest migration around the Mara River.
A river crossing is not included as a guaranteed event. The itinerary states that a crossing can be difficult to witness and is sometimes a matter of luck. A herd may stand beside the river and cross only days later.
Classic, Luxury, and Premium follow the same route. Premium is the name used on this page for the document’s Premium Luxury pricing tier.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Arusha to Tarangire
After breakfast, depart from Arusha for Tarangire National Park and take an afternoon game drive. Tarangire is known for elephants, lions, and a wide variety of birds. The night is spent at the planned lodge for the selected style.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Tarangire Simba Lodge
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Lemala Mpingo Ridge
Day 2
Tarangire to Lake Manyara
After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The park is compact, with the Great Rift Escarpment above the lake’s western side. The lake is shallow and salty, and its level changes with the seasons. It draws large numbers of wading birds, including flamingos, and the wider park holds more than 500 bird species. Baboons and elephants may be seen in the evergreen forest, and the park is known for tree-climbing lions.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Marera Valley Lodge
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Acacia Farm Lodge
Day 3
Karatu to the Serengeti
After breakfast, drive into the cooler Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a stop to see the Ngorongoro Crater. The drive then continues through the conservation area into the central Serengeti. The central Serengeti is known for open grassland and wildlife viewing. It is also known for the Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope. Where the migration is found changes through the year.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Into the Wild
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Four Season
Day 4
Full day in the Serengeti
An early game drive looks for wildlife that is active in the morning, including nocturnal animals returning to cover. After breakfast at the lodge, the day continues in the park with a packed lunch, across plains, woodland, hills, rocks, and rivers. You return to the lodge for dinner.
Optional: Hot-air balloon safari. This activity is optional and is not part of the included activities.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Into the Wild
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Four Season
Day 5
Central Serengeti to the northern Serengeti
Leave the central Serengeti and travel north, toward the area used to look for migration river crossings. Wildlife may be seen on the drive, and the terrain and vegetation change between the two areas.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Mara Kati Kati
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Mara Under Canvas
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Ole Serai Luxury Camp, Kogatende
Day 6
Full day in the northern Serengeti
A full day in the northern Serengeti, with early morning and late afternoon game drives. These drives are timed for the possibility of a wildebeest migration river crossing. A crossing is not guaranteed. Other wildlife in this area can include lions, leopards, and elephants.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Mara Kati Kati
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Mara Under Canvas
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Ole Serai Luxury Camp, Kogatende
Day 7
Full day in the northern Serengeti
After breakfast, a full-day game drive looks for the migration in the Mara area. The itinerary describes resident wildlife numbers as exceptionally high around Wagakuria. The Mara River is the main feature, and herds sometimes cross north on one day and south again a few days later. It can be very difficult to witness a crossing, and it is sometimes a matter of luck. A herd can be beside the river and cross only a couple of days later. The area has kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation, and open plains, similar to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Mara Kati Kati
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Mara Under Canvas
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Ole Serai Luxury Camp, Kogatende
Day 8
Northern Serengeti to Ngorongoro
Leave the northern Serengeti for Ngorongoro. The day ends at accommodation on the crater rim. The game drive on the crater floor is the next morning.
- Classic
- Planned accommodation: Rhino Lodge
- Luxury
- Planned accommodation: Serena Ngorongoro
- Premium
- Planned accommodation: Melia Ngorongoro
Day 9
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
An early game drive on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wildlife named for this drive includes rhinos, lions, and birds, inside the crater walls. After the drive, return to Arusha, where the safari ends.
No accommodation. This is the end of the safari.
Choose your safari style
Classic, Luxury, and Premium are the three accommodation styles in Johnson’s package. The route stays the same. Premium on this page is the Premium Luxury pricing tier from the source document. Planned lodges and camps are named for each day. Availability is confirmed by Operation Kilimanjaro before a deposit.
- Classic. Source name: Classic Lodge Safari.
- Luxury. Source name: Luxury Lodge Safari.
- Premium. Source name: Premium Luxury Lodge Safari.
Price by number of travelers
Price shown for the selected number of travelers. The source table is headed “No of pax” and “Price $”, next to a tipping line in US dollars. These figures are shown in US dollars. The document does not state whether each figure is per person or for the whole group. For larger groups, pricing may reflect additional safari vehicle requirements.
| Travelers | Classic | Luxury | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$5,225 | US$6,540 | US$8,925 |
| 2 | US$3,960 | US$5,280 | US$7,660 |
| 3 | US$3,540 | US$4,860 | US$7,240 |
| 4 | US$3,330 | US$4,650 | US$7,030 |
| 5 | US$3,205 | US$4,525 | US$6,910 |
| 6 | US$3,120 | US$4,440 | US$6,820 |
| 7 | US$3,060 | US$4,380 | US$6,760 |
| 8 | US$3,330 | US$4,650 | US$7,030 |
| Single-room supplement | US$5,340 | US$985 | US$2,485 |
Prices are based on the selected safari style and number of travelers. Final availability and trip details are confirmed by Operation Kilimanjaro before deposit. Each style has its own single-room supplement from the source. The supplement is not added into the table above.
Tipping guideline: US$15.00 per person per day. This is a guideline in the source document, not a charge added to the safari price.
What’s included
- Park fees for non-residents
- All activities, unless labelled as optional
- All accommodation, unless listed as an upgrade
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation, unless labelled as optional
- All taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals, as specified in the day-by-day section
- Drinks, as specified in the day-by-day section
- Amref Flying Doctor
What’s not included
- International flights, from and to home
- Additional accommodation before and after the tour
- Tips (tipping guideline: US$15.00 per person per day)
- Personal items, including souvenirs, travel insurance, and visa fees
Request this safari
- Choose this safari, a style, and the number of travelers.
- Send a plan request, or message the team on WhatsApp.
- Operation Kilimanjaro confirms the itinerary and the deposit amount.
- The confirmed deposit is paid through the Pesapal deposit link. Choosing a price here does not confirm a booking.
Need a custom itinerary?
Tell us your travel dates, group size and interests, and our Moshi team can help plan a tailored Kilimanjaro and/or safari itinerary.
- Standard trip: choose a published itinerary, request it, confirm the details with the team, then pay the confirmed deposit.
- Custom trip: share dates, group size and interests. The team plans the itinerary, sends a quotation, and confirms it before any deposit.
Safari questions
- How long is the safari?
- 9 days
- Where does it go?
- Arusha to Arusha. Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
- Which parks are included?
- Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- What accommodation choices exist?
- Classic, Luxury, and Premium. Each day lists the planned property for that style.
- What is included?
- Park fees for non-residents; All activities, unless labelled as optional; All accommodation, unless listed as an upgrade; A professional driver/guide; All transportation, unless labelled as optional; All taxes/VAT; Roundtrip airport transfer; Meals, as specified in the day-by-day section; Drinks, as specified in the day-by-day section; Amref Flying Doctor
- What is excluded?
- International flights, from and to home; Additional accommodation before and after the tour; Tips (tipping guideline: US$15.00 per person per day); Personal items, including souvenirs, travel insurance, and visa fees
- How does pricing change with group size?
- The source gives a separate dollar amount for 1 through 8 travelers, for each style. The pricing basis is not stated beyond the traveler count.
- How do I request the safari?
- Use Plan This Safari or WhatsApp. The team confirms the details. The form does not confirm a booking by itself.
- How is the deposit paid?
- After the trip and the deposit amount are confirmed, the deposit is paid through the Pesapal deposit page.
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