Overview
For serious photographers, nine days on Tanzania's Northern Circuit allows real depth. You can stay several days at one productive location instead of passing through each park once, and that counts for far more in photography than it does on a standard sightseeing safari.
Expect Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and a long stretch in the Serengeti, with vehicles and guides suited to photography the whole way. Game drives in a vehicle are our usual approach, but if you want to cut down on transfer time between locations, we can arrange a fly-in safari instead.
Our camera gear guide is a good place to start, and you can contact us to tailor the pacing and locations of this itinerary.
Day 5-8
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 (9 days)
After breakfast today, you drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park, arriving in time for lunch. Once lunch is over, you head out on a game drive in the park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Following breakfast, you set out on an early morning game drive and may spot animals such as Leopards, Lions, hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs, giraffes, baboons, zebras, blue monkeys, dik-dik, gazelle and hippos, along with birds such as pelicans, cormorants, storks, Flamingos and cormorants. After lunch in the afternoon, you can take a cultural tour, go canoeing or join a community walk. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Following breakfast, drive to Ngorongoro National Park. On arrival you have lunch, then head down into the crater for an afternoon game drive. Ngorongoro is a world heritage site in Ngorongoro District, and the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world sits inside this conservation area. It was once part of Serengeti National Park. The area is home to more than 500 bird species and 25,000 large animals, living in montane forest, grassland, bushland, open grassland, woodland, Munge Stream, Lerai Stream, Ngoitokitok Spring, and many other small springs on the crater floor. When the game drive ends, you go back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
A full day of game viewing follows breakfast. Animals you may spot include 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. Baboons and vervet monkeys are the primates. On the drive you might see birds including 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. In the evening you head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, either take a community walk to visit the Masai people and enjoy their traditional performances, or go on a forest walk. After lunch, you drive on to Serengeti National Park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Spend a full day on game drives across the central Seronera area of the Serengeti, home to resident lion prides and, depending on the season, the migration.
Another day exploring different parts of the Serengeti, with priority given to positioning for photography rather than covering the most ground.
Following breakfast, you drive to Tarangire National Park. More than 500 bird species and many animals live here, among acacia and mixed woodland, baobab trees and old palm, black cotton grass, dense bush, and tall grasses.
Upon arrival you set out on a game drive where you may see wildebeest, elephants, zebras, 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, and birds such as Kori bustard, stocking-thighed ostrich, ground hornbills, the colourful Yellow-collared lovebird, the drabber Rufous-tailed weaver, ashy starling, dwarf mongoose, and pairs of red-and-yellow barbet. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Have breakfast, 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.