Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Tarangire

Nine days

The Brief

Our deepest northern circuit, taken slowly. Nine days through the four flagship parks, with extra time in the Serengeti and a quiet day at Lake Manyara. For travellers who want the wildlife to dictate the day.

— The Ascend Tanzania

— 01

The route

A single arc with no backtracking: down the Rift wall, across the highlands to the plains, then back east through the crater and Tarangire.

ArushaLake ManyaraSerengetiNgorongoroTarangireArusha

Day 01Arrival in Arusha
Day 02Lake Manyara National Park
Day 03Transfer to the Serengeti via Olduvai
Day 04Full day in the central Serengeti
Day 05Serengeti to the north (or south, depending on Migration)
Day 06Full day in the Migration zone
Day 07Serengeti to Ngorongoro
Day 08Crater floor and Tarangire
Day 09Tarangire and departure

— 02

Length & vehicle

We quote shorter or longer arcs from the same park sequence when flights allow — below are the tiers we publish for this itinerary family.

Private vehicle quotations assume your party only; shared departures quote per seat on confirmed dates.

Safari length	Shared / group seat	Private vehicle
8 days	$5,580	$6,920
9 days	$5,880	$7,290

Compare

Which option fits you?

Both can deliver the same parks and lodges — compare price and schedule certainty with exclusivity on the vehicle and day-to-day pacing.

Shared / group seat

Pros

Better per-seat value when departure dates suit you.
Straightforward choice if you enjoy small-group vehicle dynamics.

Cons

Wildlife rhythm follows the broader group unless everyone agrees to stop.
Pickup times and sightings can be paced to the median guest.
Seat-mate chemistry is not guaranteed.

Private vehicle

Pros

Your vehicle — start times, sightings, and photo stops follow your crew.
Ideal for mixed ages, honeymooners, or anyone who prefers not to share sightings.
Cleaner extension into beach or bush flights — one itinerary spine.

Cons

Higher cost for exclusive use of the vehicle and guiding team.

Families and photographers rarely regret the upgrade; budget-first travellers sharing fixed dates tend to thrive on seats.

Tell us preferred dates and party type — we will confirm availability within one business day.

— 03

Day by day

Typical pacing and overnight stops on this safari. Your final dates and camps shift slightly with rainfall, wildlife movements, and your own pace.

DAY 01

Arrival in Arusha

Airport pickup, briefing at our office, dinner at the lodge.

—Met at Kilimanjaro International and driven straight to the lodge
—Kit check and route briefing with the guide who takes you the whole way
—An early night — day two starts at the Manyara gate

Arusha

Park · Arusha

Tonight · Arusha Coffee Lodge

DAY 02

Lake Manyara National Park

A full day at Lake Manyara — tree-climbing lions, vast flocks of flamingo, and the Rift Valley wall as backdrop.

—Groundwater forest at the gate: baboon troops of 200 and blue monkey overhead
—Floodplain and lake shore, with flamingo when the water level allows
—The Rift escarpment 600 m above you for the whole drive
—Up to the rim lodge before dark

Lake Manyara

Park · Lake Manyara National Park

Tonight · Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge

DAY 03

Transfer to the Serengeti via Olduvai

Drive through the Ngorongoro highlands, stop at Olduvai Gorge for the cradle of humankind, then descend to the central Serengeti.

—Over the Ngorongoro highlands with a stop at the crater rim viewpoint
—Olduvai Gorge and its rebuilt museum — where the Leakeys placed human origins
—Down onto the plains through Naabi Hill gate
—The transfer doubles as a game drive; the camp is reached before last light

Olduvai Gorge / Serengeti

Park · Serengeti National Park

Tonight · Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

DAY 04

Full day in the central Serengeti

Full day of game drives in Seronera. Big cats are most active in the morning and late afternoon.

—Seronera valley at first light, when the cats are still moving
—Kopjes at midday for leopard and resident lion prides
—Retina hippo pool late in the afternoon
—Optional balloon at 05:15, booked in advance

Serengeti

Park · Serengeti National Park

Tonight · Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

DAY 05

Serengeti to the north (or south, depending on Migration)

We move with the wildlife. In July–October we head north to the Mara River. In January–March we go south to the calving grounds.

—Positioned on where the herds actually are, not a fixed camp
—North to Kogatende in the crossing months, south to Ndutu for calving
—Mobile camp — struck and rebuilt as the migration moves

Serengeti

Park · Serengeti National Park

Tonight · Mobile camp (seasonal)

DAY 06

Full day in the Migration zone

A full day with the Migration herds.

—A full day with the herds and a packed lunch, no returning to camp
—River crossing watch in season — patience is the method
—Highest predator density of the trip

Serengeti

Park · Serengeti National Park

Tonight · Mobile camp

DAY 07

Serengeti to Ngorongoro

A morning game drive, then the long drive back to the Crater rim.

—Morning drive on the plains before leaving
—Out through Naabi and up onto the rim via the Malanja depression
—Rim viewpoint at golden hour, 600 m above the crater floor

Ngorongoro Crater

Park · Ngorongoro Crater

Tonight · Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

DAY 08

Crater floor and Tarangire

Morning game drive on the Crater floor, lunch on the rim, then transfer to Tarangire for the afternoon.

—Six o’clock descent, ahead of the day vehicles from Karatu
—Lerai forest for elephant, Lake Magadi for flamingo, the grassland for rhino
—Lunch on the rim, then east to Tarangire for the afternoon

Ngorongoro Crater / Tarangire

Park · Tarangire National Park

Tonight · Tarangire Sopa Lodge

DAY 09

Tarangire and departure

A morning game drive in Tarangire — the elephants come to the river. Lunch, then transfer to JRO.

—Morning on the river circuit, where the elephant herds come to drink
—Baobabs over a thousand years old along the escarpment
—Lunch, then the run back to Kilimanjaro International

Tarangire

Park · Tarangire National Park

Tonight · Departure

Included

→Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
→Named guide-driver
→All park, conservation, and crater fees
→Eight nights’ accommodation, full board (mobile camp in the Serengeti seasonal)
→All transfers
→Filtered drinking water
→Binoculars per guest

Yours to bring

·International flights
·Tanzania visa
·Insurance
·Tips
·Optional Serengeti balloon flight

Gallery

The same theatre

Granite ridges, teak-coloured plains, crater light, and rainforest — corners of Tanzania our teams work in every season.

A few questions

Time. The nine-day adds Lake Manyara, Olduvai, and a full day in the Migration zone. The pace is slower and the wildlife encounters are richer.

Tell us when, where, and for how long. We will compose the rest.

Length & vehicle

We quote shorter or longer arcs from the same park sequence when flights allow — below are the tiers we publish for this itinerary family.

Private vehicle quotations assume your party only; shared departures quote per seat on confirmed dates.

Safari length	Shared / group seat	Private vehicle
8 days	$5,580	$6,920
9 days	$5,880	$7,290

Compare

Which option fits you?

Both can deliver the same parks and lodges — compare price and schedule certainty with exclusivity on the vehicle and day-to-day pacing.

Shared / group seat

Pros

Better per-seat value when departure dates suit you.
Straightforward choice if you enjoy small-group vehicle dynamics.

Cons

Wildlife rhythm follows the broader group unless everyone agrees to stop.
Pickup times and sightings can be paced to the median guest.
Seat-mate chemistry is not guaranteed.

Private vehicle

Pros

Your vehicle — start times, sightings, and photo stops follow your crew.
Ideal for mixed ages, honeymooners, or anyone who prefers not to share sightings.
Cleaner extension into beach or bush flights — one itinerary spine.

Cons

Higher cost for exclusive use of the vehicle and guiding team.

Families and photographers rarely regret the upgrade; budget-first travellers sharing fixed dates tend to thrive on seats.

Tell us preferred dates and party type — we will confirm availability within one business day.