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Northern Circuit · 5 days, 1 night in the Serengeti

THE CLASSIC CIRCUIT,

SERENGETI INCLUDED

A balanced five-day itinerary visiting Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and a night in the world-famous Serengeti National Park.

Private 4x4 Fleet

Guaranteed Window Seat

Local Expert Guides

Direct Operator Pricing

The middle ground

FOUR PARKS,

FIVE DAYS

This is the itinerary for anyone who wants the Serengeti on the list without committing a full week. You get the crater floor in the morning and transit into the Serengeti the same afternoon, which buys you a night and a morning on the plains.

If the Serengeti is the whole reason you are coming, look at the six and seven-day itineraries instead, they give you two and three nights out there. We will say so if you ask us.

THE ITINERARY,

DAY BY DAY

Every park, every drive, every lodge and exactly which meals are covered.

Price from

On request

per person, private group

5 Days

On safari

4 Nights

Accommodation

4 Parks

Visited

Private

Vehicle and guide

What’s included in the price?

YOUR ROUTE

START

Arusha

DAY 2

Tarangire

DAY 3

Ngorongoro, Serengeti

DAY 4

Serengeti

DAY 5

Lake Manyara

END

Arusha

DAY

1 Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

You will be picked up from the airport by a KissRock Adventures representative and driven to your accommodation at Arusha Planet Lodge.

STAY

Classic Comfort

MEALS

At own expense

DAY

2 Day 2: Tarangire National Park

Your guide collects you from your accommodation after breakfast for a full day of game viewing in Tarangire with a picnic lunch, overnighting in Karatu.

PARK

Tarangire National Park

DRIVE

Overnight in Karatu

STAY

Classic Comfort

MEALS

All meals, drinks not included

DAY

3 Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti

A morning descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, followed by an afternoon transit drive into the southern and central Serengeti.

PARK

Ngorongoro, then Serengeti

DRIVE

Crater first, transit after

STAY

Luxury Tented

MEALS

All meals, drinks not included

DAY

4 Day 4: Serengeti to Karatu

Morning game drives in the Serengeti before returning towards Karatu in the late afternoon.

PARK

Serengeti National Park

DRIVE

Back towards Karatu

STAY

Classic Comfort

MEALS

All meals, drinks not included

DAY

5 Day 5: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha

Explore Lake Manyara National Park before returning to Arusha for your onward travel arrangements.

PARK

Lake Manyara National Park

DRIVE

Return transfer to Arusha

MEALS

Breakfast and lunch, drinks not included

Where you sleep

Night 1Arusha Planet LodgeClassic Comfort
Nights 2 and 4Eileen's Tree InnClassic Comfort
Night 3Embalakai Serengeti CampLuxury Tented

These are the properties this price is built on. Want a different tier? We quote it against the same route so you can see what the upgrade actually costs.

WHAT'S IN,

WHAT'S NOT

What's included

Park and conservation feesEvery national park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area entry fee at the non-resident rate, already inside the figure we quote you.

All game drives and transportEvery activity and every kilometre of the route in a 4x4, from the first park gate to the last.

Your driver-guide, and VATA professional English-speaking guide who drives, spots and explains, with Tanzanian VAT already added rather than appearing at the end.

Accommodation as detailedThe named lodge or camp listed against each day below, not a tier to be confirmed later.

Airport transfers both waysCollected on arrival and dropped back at Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport when the safari ends.

The meals shown on each dayEach day below says exactly which meals are covered, so you know before you travel which ones are yours.

What's not included

International flightsYour flights into and out of Tanzania, which you book yourself or we quote separately.

Tanzania visaBought on arrival or in advance depending on your passport. We tell you which applies to you.

Crew tipsBudget around $15 per person per day as a guideline. We go through it at your briefing so nobody is caught out.

Travel and medical insuranceWe ask every guest to travel insured. Bring proof with you.

DrinksSoft drinks and alcohol are paid as you go, at the lodge or camp.

Personal itemsAnything personal, and anything not listed in the left column. Ask us and we will confirm.

The vehicle matters

FOUR WHEELS,

ONE WINDOW EACH

You will spend six to eight hours a day in this vehicle. It is not a detail.

Pop-Up Roof Land Cruisers

Custom Toyota Land Cruisers with full pop-up roofs, so everyone can stand and shoot at once.

Charging & Cold Storage

Inverter charging at every seat and a cold fridge, because dust and heat are relentless.

Binoculars In Every Vehicle

Quality binoculars as standard, plus a reference library to identify what you just saw.

HF Radio Between Guides

When one driver finds a leopard, the rest of the fleet knows within a minute.

WHEN IS THE

BEST TIME TO GO?

Every month works for something. The question is which month works for what you came to see.

Pick a month

BestGreen season

JanBest

Calving season on the Ndutu plains, with heavy predator action.

FebBest

Calving season on the Ndutu plains, with heavy predator action.

MarBest

The tail of calving season before the long rains arrive.

AprGreen season

Green, quiet and much cheaper. Some tracks get difficult.

MayGreen season

Green, quiet and much cheaper. Some tracks get difficult.

JunBest

Dry season begins. Animals start concentrating around water.

JulBest

Classic dry season. The herds are crossing the Mara.

AugBest

Classic dry season. The herds are crossing the Mara.

SepBest

Dry, short grass, and the easiest sightings of the year.

OctBest

The last reliable dry month before the short rains.

NovGreen season

Short rains pull the herds south. Quieter parks, lower rates.

DecGreen season

Short rains continue, with green light and fewer vehicles.

The herds move on their own schedule. We update this as our guides report in.

Choosing between them

SIX ITINERARIES,

ONE CIRCUIT

They cover much the same ground. What really changes is how many nights you get out on the plains.

An elephant family grazing on the green floor of the Ngorongoro Crater

3 days3-Day Big Five ExpressOn requestView

Elephants walking past an ancient baobab on the Tarangire plain

4 days4-Day Northern Circuit ExplorerOn requestView

5 days5-Day Classic Wildlife & SerengetiOn requestYou are here

A leopard resting along the branch of an acacia tree

6 days6-Day Serengeti Big Cat & CraterOn requestView

Vast wildebeest herds spread across the short-grass plains

6 days6-Day Great Migration Calving SeasonOn requestView

Wildebeest crossing fast water during the Great Migration

7 days7-Day Ultimate Serengeti ImmersionOn requestView

SAFARI FAQ

Is this a private safari?

Yes. The vehicle, the guide and the itinerary are yours. Nobody is added to your Land Cruiser to fill it, which is why every seat is a window seat and why we can change the plan on the morning if your guide hears something worth driving to.

Can you change the itinerary?

It is a starting point, not a fixed departure. Add a night, drop a park, start from Kilimanjaro instead of Arusha, or run it after a climb. Tell us what you want different and we re-cost it.

What are the lodges actually like?

Every property on this itinerary is named below, day by day, with the tier it sits in. We would rather you looked them up now than found out on arrival. If you want a different tier we quote it against the same route so you can see what the upgrade really costs.

How much should we tip?

Around $15 per person per day for the crew is the guideline we give, and we talk it through at your briefing rather than leaving you to guess on the last morning. It is not included in the price.

Can we add Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar?

Most of our guests do. The usual shape is mountain first, safari second, beach last. We arrange the transfers and the internal flight to Zanzibar as one booking so there is no gap for anything to go wrong.

Classic Wildlife

TELL US WHEN.

WE WILL COST IT.

Send your dates, your group size and the lodge tier you want. A guide replies with a costed itinerary inside 24 hours.