Northern Circuit · 6 days, 2 nights in the Serengeti
BIG CATS,
The best of Tanzania including two full nights in the vast Serengeti plains, plus Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. The itinerary for anyone whose first question is where the cats are.
- 2 nights in the Serengeti
- Four parks
- Luxury tented camp
Private 4x4 Fleet
Guaranteed Window Seat
Local Expert Guides
Direct Operator Pricing
Why two nights matters
ENOUGH TIME TO
One Serengeti night means one morning drive, and cats do not work to a schedule. Two nights gives your guide two full mornings and an afternoon, which is the difference between hoping and tracking.
The rest of the route is the classic circuit: Tarangire on the way in, the crater floor on the way back, and Lake Manyara on the final morning before Arusha.
- Two full nights at a luxury tented camp in the central Serengeti
- A full day given over to big cats, hippos, crocodiles and the herds
- The Ngorongoro crater floor on the way back, not rushed on arrival
- Four distinct parks without doubling back on yourself
THE ITINERARY,
Every park, every drive, every lodge and exactly which meals are covered.
Price from
On request
per person, private group
6 Days
On safari
5 Nights
Accommodation
4 Parks
Visited
Private
Vehicle and guide
YOUR ROUTE
START
Arusha
DAY 2
Tarangire
DAY 3
Serengeti
DAY 4
Serengeti
DAY 5
Ngorongoro
DAY 6
Lake Manyara
END
Arusha
DAY
1
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha
Airport greeting by KissRock Adventures and transfer to Arusha Planet Lodge.
STAY
Classic Comfort
MEALS
At own expense
- Night at Arusha Planet Lodge
DAY
2
Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Your guide collects you from your accommodation after breakfast for a morning drive to Tarangire National Park, then full-day game drives among baobab trees and large elephant herds.
PARK
Tarangire National Park
DRIVE
Morning drive from Arusha
STAY
Classic Comfort
MEALS
All meals, drinks not included
- Night at Eileen's Tree Inn
DAY
3
Day 3: Karatu to Serengeti National Park
Transit through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area into the central Serengeti, with afternoon game viewing in the vast grasslands.
PARK
Serengeti National Park
DRIVE
Via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
STAY
Luxury Tented
MEALS
All meals, drinks not included
- Night at Embalakai Serengeti Camp
DAY
4
Day 4: Serengeti National Park
A full day devoted to game drives in the Serengeti, tracking big cats, hippos, crocodiles and Great Migration herds.
PARK
Serengeti National Park
DRIVE
Full day in the park
STAY
Luxury Tented
MEALS
All meals, drinks not included
- Night at Embalakai Serengeti Camp
DAY
5
Day 5: Serengeti to Ngorongoro
A morning drive toward the Ngorongoro Crater for an afternoon game drive on the crater floor, before ascending to Karatu.
PARK
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
DRIVE
Serengeti to the crater
STAY
Classic Comfort
MEALS
All meals, drinks not included
- Night at Eileen's Tree Inn
DAY
6
Day 6: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha
Explore Lake Manyara’s forest and salt lake before returning to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport.
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 5Eileen's Tree InnClassic Comfort
- Nights 3–4Embalakai 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 included
What's not included
The vehicle matters
FOUR WHEELS,
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
Every month works for something. The question is which month works for what you came to see.
Calving season on the Ndutu plains, with heavy predator action.
Calving season on the Ndutu plains, with heavy predator action.
The tail of calving season before the long rains arrive.
Green, quiet and much cheaper. Some tracks get difficult.
Green, quiet and much cheaper. Some tracks get difficult.
Dry season begins. Animals start concentrating around water.
Classic dry season. The herds are crossing the Mara.
Classic dry season. The herds are crossing the Mara.
Dry, short grass, and the easiest sightings of the year.
The last reliable dry month before the short rains.
Short rains pull the herds south. Quieter parks, lower rates.
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,
They cover much the same ground. What really changes is how many nights you get out on the plains.
3 days3-Day Big Five ExpressOn requestView
4 days4-Day Northern Circuit ExplorerOn requestView
5 days5-Day Classic Wildlife & SerengetiOn requestView
6 days6-Day Serengeti Big Cat & CraterOn requestYou are here
6 days6-Day Great Migration Calving SeasonOn requestView
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.
Serengeti Big Cat
TELL US WHEN.
Send your dates, your group size and the lodge tier you want. A guide replies with a costed itinerary inside 24 hours.