Tanzania Safari Northern Serengeti
Seasonal Information
This safari brings you the best of Northern Tanzania – in some of the few last expanses of true wilderness and arguably the best game viewing areas on the continent. From untouched Tarangire to the world-famous Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Parks, this private safari is run at a leisurely pace, allowing one ample time to savour the beauty of some of Africa’s most iconic game parks. This is the season for witnessing dramatic river crossings and capturing iconic migration shots.
- Arusha
- Tarangire National Park
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Central Serengeti
- Northern Serengeti
- Big 5 safari experience
Tarangire National Park
Highly underrated, yet bursting with a dense wildlife population, it won’t take you long to appreciate just why we love Tarangire. It’s a special park, virtually untouched, with far fewer visitors than the world-famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro. During the dry season (June to September) thousands of animals including elephants, buffalo, giraffes, wildebeests, kudu, and the rarely seen oryx migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water. Lion, leopard and other predators follow, so be sure to charge your camera battery and empty your memory stick as some unique memories are waiting to be made. With impressive landscapes dominated by baobab trees, an enormous elephant population and over 550 varieties of birds, Tarangire offers secluded game viewing and loads of wildlife – a winning combination in anyone’s book!
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Thanks to anti-poaching patrols, the crater is now one of the few places in East Africa where visitors can be certain of seeing black rhinos, with the number now approaching 25. Leopard may occasionally be seen in the trees of the forest surrounding the crater, while cheetahs are also present. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes, while more than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted. The crater, having been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which covers more than 8,300²km.
Central Serengeti
Situated in the heart of Tanzania, the Central Serengeti encompasses the world-famous Seronera Valley which is known for its prime wildlife-viewing opportunities. This picture-perfect landscape is characterised by endless stretches of savannah-covered open plains, interspersed by rocky outcrops of granite, scattered with acacia woodlands and covered in a network of rivers and streams. The Central Serengeti forms part of the great wildebeest and zebra migration and provides an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife such as giraffe, impala, waterbuck, hippo, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, serval and much more.
Northern Serengeti
The vast, rolling savannah of the Northern Serengeti, is known as the hub of the great migration. The landscape is characterised by vast stretches of savannah interspersed with acacia trees and riverine woodlands. Wildlife can be seen along the banks of the Mara River and visitors can view the annual spectacle of the half a million migrating wildebeest. Commonly spotted wildlife include: a multitude of plains game such as buffalo, zebra, gazelles, impala, giraffe as well as lion and leopard.
You will be met upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport by a representative and transferred to Arusha to be checked into your accommodation.
Arusha
Resting at the foot of Mount Meru, the sprawling city of Arusha is known as the safari capital of northern Tanzania. It serves as an excellent base from which to explore the remarkably scenic surrounding area which includes majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as the Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks.
An early morning briefing at your Arusha hotel kick starts your safari, before we head off away from the main safari route of the Northern Circuit, to Tarangire National Park, a true hidden gem. After a meet and greet at your chosen lodge for the next 2 nights, you will then head into the national park on your first safari game drive. The next 2 days will be full of wildlife sightings and educational talks on the habits of the wild animals.
Tarangire National Park
Highly underrated, yet bursting with a dense wildlife population, it won’t take you long to appreciate just why we love Tarangire. It’s a special park, virtually untouched, with far fewer visitors than the world-famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro. During the dry season (June to September) thousands of animals including elephants, buffalo, giraffes, wildebeests, kudu, and the rarely seen oryx migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water.
After breakfast, head up through the beautiful highlands to Ngorongoro Crater one of the wildlife spectacles to experience in your lifetime.
Ngorongoro Crater
At 2,286 metres above sea level, it is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 metres from the crater floor, this natural amphitheatre measures 19.2 kilometres in diameter and 304²km in area. It is home to up to 30,000 animals, almost half of which are wildebeest and zebra. Buffalo, elephant, hippo, hyena, jackal, lion, ostrich, serval, warthog, bushbuck, eland, hartebeest, reedbuck, waterbuck and huge herds of both Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle are easily seen on the crater floor.
After an eventful day return to your lodge near the rim of the crater to recap with your guide what you saw today and savours nature’s great dance of survival.
After an early morning on the crater floor, your guide will transfer you on into the Central Serengeti. Famed for the great migrations of wildebeest the great plains of the Serengeti provide the playground for nature, as huge herds of wildlife migrate for greener pastures. Predators are highly active to capitalise on the abundance of prey. After checking in to your tented accommodation, you will be out in the wild again to witness the game on safari drives.
Central Serengeti
Situated in the heart of Tanzania, the Central Serengeti encompasses the world-famous Seronera Valley which is known for its prime wildlife-viewing opportunities. This picture-perfect landscape is characterised by endless stretches of savannah-covered open plains, interspersed by rocky outcrops of granite, scattered with acacia woodlands and covered in a network of rivers and streams. The Central Serengeti forms part of the great wildebeest and zebra migration and provides an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife such as giraffe, impala, waterbuck, hippo, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, serval and much more.
Continue onto the Northern Serengeti. Enjoy game drives in the area and, hopefully, some spectacular river crossings.
Northern Serengeti
The vast, rolling savannah of the Northern Serengeti, is known as the hub of the great migration. The landscape is characterised by vast stretches of savannah interspersed with acacia trees and riverine woodlands. Wildlife can be seen along the banks of the Mara River and visitors can view the annual spectacle of the half a million migrating wildebeest. Commonly spotted wildlife include: a multitude of plains game such as buffalo, zebra, gazelles, impala, giraffe as well as lion and leopard.
After breakfast, transfer to Kogatende airstrip for your scheduled flight aboard a light aircraft back to Kilimanjaro Airport.
*Baggage allowance is 15 kgs in checked luggage and 5 kgs in hand luggage
Dates are flexible so please make an enquiry and tell us a range of dates you are considering so we can check availability.
Health Requirements
Please contact us for updated Covid-19 regulations/ requirements to ensure you have the latest information
Currently, the situation is that officially, yellow fever vaccines are no longer required to enter Tanzania unless you have been via an endemic area. However, on the ground, it often differs and you are likely to be ASKED FOR A YELLOW FEVER certificate, even if you have only been in transit via Nairobi. We strongly suggest you have a Yellow Fever vaccination in any case, as regulations can change and often staff at border posts have the incorrect information on this, which can cause delays. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/traveler-information-center
Visa Requirements
All visitors to Tanzania must have a valid passport which needs to be valid for 6 months after the return date of travel and have at least 3 blank pages in it. Except for exempted countries, all visitors require a visa to enter Tanzania. South Africans visiting on holiday currently do not require a visa. Visas are currently US$ 50 per person, single entry for most other nationalities. An exception is US citizens for whom a single-entry visa is US$100
We recommend that all visitors to Tanzania apply via the e-visa portal: https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa. The online process asks for more information than a visa on arrival, and visas are issued within 2 – 3 weeks.
Travel Insurance
Is compulsory for all guests travelling with Wild Frontiers.
- Services of a driver guide
- Park Fees
- Return transfers from Kilimanjaro Airport
- 1 night at Arusha Coffee Lodge on a bed & breakfast basis in a Plantation room
- 2 nights at Lemala Mpingo Ridge on a full board basis
- 1 night at Lemala Ngorongoro on a full board basis in a standard room
- Ngorongoro Crater Visit
- 1 night at Lemala Ewanjan on a full board basis
- 2 nights at Lemala Kuria Hills on a full board basis
- Game viewing activities
- Bottled water for game drives / in vehicle (not at hotels/lodges)
- Scheduled light aircraft flight Kogatende airstrip to Kilimanjaro Airport
- All international and domestic flights and airport taxes
- Park fees as mentioned under price
- Personal expenses such as visas, health requirements, travel insurance, porters, drinks, tips,
- Services/activities/meals not included above