Serengeti & Iconic Northern Tanzania Safari for First Timers

Giraffes at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

What to expect on this itinerary

Tanzania's Northern Circuit takes you on an evocative 9-day safari journey with a classic route to blend the landscapes and habitats to reveal an inspiring ode to nature's ancient realm. This luxury itinerary reveals all, with four days in three diverse parks, before four days of thrilling encounters in the Serengeti. On a private safari, follow Tanzania's iconic route and culminate with the vivid drama of the great wildebeest migration.

Countries Visited

Tanzania

Places Visited

Karatu, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park

Suggested Duration

9 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Karatu – Tranquility After the Flight

Tanzania's safari landscape cascades across the north of the country as the plains extend beneath the volcanic cones of the Kilimanjaro, Meru, and Ngorongoro. Touch down at Kilimanjaro International, and you can immediately sense the extravagance of nature as these towering mountains guide you westward towards the small town of Karatu. It's a three-hour journey as you cross grass plains filled with Maasai herdsmen and the scent of the wild. Your lodge will provide a tranquil complement to the journey as the verandah gazes out on fertile slopes that are sporadically dotted with wildlife. Reedbuck wander past, vervet monkeys impishly approach, and zebra randomly marches across the slopes. While the safari adventure starts tomorrow, you're immediately introduced to just how untouched Tanzania's landscapes can be.

What's Included:

Accommodation
Transfer
Dinner
Day 2

Lake Manyara – Pristine Introductions to the Safari World

Day 3

Tarangire – Huge Elephant Herds Amongst the Baobabs

Day 4

Ngorongoro Crater – Exploring Africa's Mammal Utopia

Day 5 - 6

Serengeti – The Endless Plains of the Southern Serengeti

Day 7 - 8

Serengeti – Evocative Predatory Scenes in an Untouched Realm

Day 9

Kilimanjaro – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Explore the fabled grass plains of the Serengeti with four days of a safari through the wilderness
  • Discover some of the millions of mammals that reside in the Serengeti and surround yourself with astonishing predatory scenes
  • Take a walking safari through Tarangire, a national park that's filled with giant elephant herds and a great array of ungulates
  • Enter the surreal world of Ngorongoro Crater, a small haven where you can see the Big Five in a single drive
  • Celebrate the diversity of the landscape by enjoying a range of accommodation including lodges, permanent camps, and a mobile tented camp
  • Start the safari with a day in Lake Manyara, a peaceful utopia of tree-climbing lions, hippos, baboons, and an array of antelopes

Starting Price

$6,300 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 629 reviews

Gina I.
Tanzania Travel Review: Safari, 8 Nights

This was an amazing trip. It was well planned by Zicasso's travel company and executed to perfection. The lodges were beautiful and strategically located. The game drives were so much fun. The guides were tremendous. I have never been on such a well-designed trip.

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Margarita M.
Tanzania, Kenya Vacation Review: 12 Nights

We had a wonderful journey, with every step detailed and escorted from end to end. Our Zicasso travel experts did a great job and were always available for support.

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Stephanie L.
Tanzania, Kenya Travel Review: Balloon Safari, Boat Ride, Culture, 12 Days

Without exaggeration, this was the most amazing trip of my life. Everything was perfect, from the itinerary to the lodging, food, and guides. We saw so much and so many varied topographies. We also got such a great flavor of the culture, people, and way of life in both countries. It truly was incredible from start to finish.

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Cathy W.
Tanzania, Rwanda Tour Review: Tented Cabins, Gorillas, 11 Nights

Zicasso's travel designer was easy to work with and, most importantly, listened to what we wanted our trip to be. He is a true professional and helped guide us to some truly spectacular places in Tanzania and Rwanda. We highly recommend his travel company!

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Dave A.
Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa Tour Review: Victoria Falls, 26 Nights

It was a unbelievable, fantastic trip. Working with Zicasso's travel agency was a pleasure. They set everything up, working with me closely to customize my trip. Everything went as planned and all the selections and partner companies were great.

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Scott K.
Tanzania, Kenya Vacation Review: Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Maasai Mara, Zanzibar, Nairobi, Elephant Experience, Wildlife, Nature, 16-Day Trip

The trip to Kenya and Tanzania was absolutely amazing! The itinerary chosen for us was perfect and checked off all the things I wanted to accomplish on our first safari. Zicasso's tour agency was the best to work with. They offered great suggestions and were very responsive to all our questions and concerns!

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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