Understanding Tanzania's Northern Circuit Parks

The Northern Circuit is the collective name for five parks: the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Arusha National Park. It's Tanzania's most-visited safari region, and for good reason: it offers the shortest travel distances between genuinely different ecosystems anywhere in the country. This is where most first-time Tanzania safaris are built, and it's a strong choice specifically because you can combine several distinct wildlife experiences — the crater's contained, high-density game viewing, the Serengeti's vast open plains, Tarangire's elephant herds — without long transfers eating into your actual safari time. For a different, quieter alternative, the Southern Circuit (Ruaha, Nyerere/Selous) offers real appeal too, though it isn't part of the migration route and requires more deliberate planning to reach. Browse our Northern Circuit safari itineraries, or contact us to plan your route through these five parks.