Overview
Nine days gives serious photographers real depth across Tanzania's Northern Circuit — enough time to spend multiple days at a single strong location rather than a single pass through each park, which matters considerably more for photography than for a standard sightseeing safari.
The itinerary typically covers Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and an extended stay in the Serengeti, with vehicles and guides suited to photography throughout. While our standard approach uses vehicle-based game drives, we can arrange a fly-in safari instead if you'd prefer to reduce transfer time between locations.
See our camera gear guide, or contact us to customize this itinerary's pacing and locations.
Day 5-6, 8
Day 3, 5
Day 1, 3
Day 8-9
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (8 days)
Today you will have breakfast and then drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park. You will arrive in time for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a game drive in the park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
After breakfast, you will go for an early morning game drive where you will spot animals like Leopards, Lions, hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs, giraffes, baboons, zebras, blue monkeys, dik-dik, gazelle and hippos, and birds like pelicans, cormorants, storks, Flamingos, and cormorants. In the afternoon after lunch, you may go cultural tour or you can go canoeing or take a community walk. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
After breakfast, you will drive to Ngorongoro National park. After arrival, you will have lunch and later go for an afternoon game drive to the crater for a game drive. Ngorongoro national park is a world heritage site, it’s located in Ngorongoro District and the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera lies within this conservation area. It was formally part of Serengeti national park. It’s home to over 500 bird species, 25,000 large animals, which live in the montane forest, grassland, and bushland, open grassland, woodland, Munge Stream, Lerai Stream, Ngoitokitok Spring, and many other small springs around the crater’s floor. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, you will go for a full day of game viewing where you will spot animals like cheetah, lion, black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, wildebeest, zebra, eland, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles, leopards, elephants, mountain reedbuck, and buffalo, wildebeest, hartebeest, waterbuck, warthog, hyena and jackals. Primates include baboons and vervet monkeys. During the game drive you might spot some birds which include ostrich, bizarre secretary, black eagles, secretary bird, Kori bustard, crowned crane, marabou stork, martial eagle, lovebirds, bustards and plovers, European migrants from November to May include White Storks, swallows, Yellow Wagtails among others, Stonechat, Schalow’s Wheatear, Anteater Chat, Fiscal Shrike, Augur Buzzards, Verreaux’s Eagle, and flamingoes, Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast go for a community walk to the Masai people where you will enjoy the traditional performances or you will take a forest walk and after lunch, you will drive to Serengeti National Park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Early morning game drive to see also nocturnal animals returning from hunting and lions awaking in the dawn During the game drive you might spot buffalos, elephant, giraffe, eland, topi, kongoni, impala, Zebras, lion, Solitary leopards near Seronera River, cheetahs, hyena, aardwolf, serval cat, Gaudy agama lizards, and rock hyraxes, Black Rhinoceros, waterbuck, baboon, African wild dog, and kongonis. Apart from the animals you might spot various birds which include the ostrich, bizarre secretary, black eagles, and acacia woodland secretary bird, Kori bustard, crowned crane, marabou stork, martial eagle, and lovebirds. Return to the lodge for lunch and in the evening you can relax at the lodge.
After breakfast, you will drive to Tarangire national park. The park is home to over 500 bird species and various animals which live in the acacia and mixed woodland vegetation, baobab trees and old palm, black cotton grass Baobab trees, dense bush, and high grasses.
On arrival you will go for a game drive where you will spot animals like the wildebeest, elephants, zebras, and hartebeest, giraffes, Impala, Eland, lesser kudu, waterbuck, gazelle rhinos, leopards, giant pythons, Thompson’s gazelle, greater and lesser kudu, cheetah, oryx and gerenuk, tree-climbing lions, birds like Kori bustard, stocking-thighed ostrich, ground hornbills, colourful Yellow-collared lovebird, drabber Rufous-tailed weaver, ashy starling, dwarf mongoose, and pairs of red-and-yellow barbet may be spotted too. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Breakfast and then drive back to Arusha.
Rates Per Person
See "Accommodation & Meals" on the Overview tab for the general comfort levels available — send us your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Serengeti National Park and ends in Tarangire National Park.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport and Mwanza Airport are the most common arrival points, depending on your route.
Transfer Information
Airport pickup and all transfers between destinations are included and arranged by our team.
Accommodation Before/After
Need a night in Mwanza or Arusha before or after this trip? We can arrange that on request.