Arusha → Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
This is the more comfortable version of the 3-day Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari. Travelers still share the safari vehicle, but instead of sleeping at public campsites, they stay in comfortable lodges or tented camps. The route is short, so the itinerary gives most of the available time to Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Lodges in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro area offer a different experience than camping. You get a proper bed, hot water, and a roof over your head. The meals are prepared by chefs, not cooked over a fire. And you still get the wildlife — the lodges are located inside the parks, so you're surrounded by the bush.
This is a group safari. You share the vehicle with other travelers, which keeps the cost down. The group size is capped at seven guests, so the vehicle never feels crowded. Your guide handles all the logistics, and you focus on the wildlife.
You're picked up from your Arusha hotel around 8 AM. The group gathers, and you head toward the Serengeti. The drive takes you through the Ngorongoro highlands, where the air cools and the landscape shifts from farmland to open grassland.
You enter the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate. The plains stretch out in every direction. You stop for a game drive on the way to your lodge. It's a gentle introduction — zebras, gazelles, giraffes. By late afternoon, you check into your lodge. The rooms have views over the bush. Dinner is served in the dining room.
Breakfast is early. You head out for a morning game drive while the predators are still active. The group tracks lions, cheetahs, or leopards depending on the morning reports.
By mid-morning, you start the drive toward Ngorongoro. The route takes you back through the conservation area. You check into your lodge on the crater rim. The view from the terrace is the first thing everyone notices — the crater floor 600 meters below. The sun drops behind the crater wall, and the lights of the lodge flicker on.
You're up before sunrise. The lodge packs breakfast boxes, and you're at the crater descent road by 6:30. The mist sits low on the crater floor as you drive down.
The crater is dense with wildlife. Lions on the plains, elephants in the forest, hippos in the lakes, rhinos in the grasslands. The group spreads out across the floor, stopping for photos and sightings. Picnic lunch happens near the Hippo Pool — windows down, listening to the grunts.
After a full morning, you climb back up and drive to Arusha. Three hours later, you're at your hotel or the airport.
Lodge safaris run year-round. The lodges are open in every season, and the wildlife doesn't migrate out of the parks.
Park fees, crater entry, shared 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, professional guide, lodge or tented camp accommodation, full board meals, and unlimited bottled water. International flights and personal expenses are not included.
The group size ranges from 2 to 7 guests. The vehicle is a 7-seater Land Cruiser, so everyone has a window seat.
Lodges are permanent buildings with rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and restaurants. Tented camps are permanent safari tents with proper beds, en-suite bathrooms, and hot water. Both offer similar levels of comfort.
No. This is a group safari. You share the vehicle with other travelers. If you prefer a private safari, check our private lodge safaris.
Yes. Many travelers combine a Northern Circuit safari with a Zanzibar beach holiday. Contact us for a combined quote and itinerary.
Looking for a different style or a longer trip? Check out these related safaris.
