Riverside tented camp
Canvas rooms on raised decks above the river, lit by lantern and open to the sound of elephant at night.
Signature Journey
Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Open plains at first light, a descent into the crater floor, and unhurried afternoons where the only schedule is the one the wildlife keeps.
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Region
- Northern Tanzania
- Pace
- Balanced
- Best months
- June – October, January – March
The route in short
Eight days across the two landscapes northern Tanzania is best known for, arranged so that neither feels rushed. You spend the long middle of the journey in the Serengeti, moving between camps as the wildlife moves, then close in the Ngorongoro Highlands with a full day on the crater floor.
The journey is designed in a private format, with a dedicated safari vehicle and guide for your travelling party. Daily departure times can be discussed around your interests, energy and the conditions on the ground.
What this journey gives you
- Two nights in the central Serengeti
- Resident lion and leopard territory, with early departures that put you on the plains before the first vehicles arrive.
- A full day on the crater floor
- A pre-dawn descent, breakfast beside Lake Magadi, and the density of wildlife the caldera is known for.
- Tarangire's baobab country
- Elephant herds along the river and a landscape that looks nothing like the plains that follow it.
- Qualified local guiding
- The route is designed around knowledgeable Tanzanian guiding and time to read tracks, weather and wildlife behaviour.
Day by day
A suggested sequence for a typical season. Exact days can move, and often should.
Arrival in Arusha
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International and transfer to a quiet lodge in the wider Arusha area. Nothing else is scheduled, leaving time to rest and review the suggested route before the safari begins.
Into Tarangire
A morning drive south-west into baobab country. Afternoon game drive along the Tarangire River, where elephant families gather through the dry months, and a first night under canvas with the river running below camp.
Tarangire to the Serengeti
A long, beautiful transfer through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping where the escarpment opens onto the Rift Valley. You reach the central Serengeti in the late afternoon, in time for a slow first drive as the light drops.
Central Serengeti
A full day in Seronera. Early departure with breakfast carried, following whatever the night has left behind - tracks, calls, vultures on the horizon. Afternoons are unhurried, often spent with a single pride rather than chasing a list.
Following the herds
Move to a camp positioned for the season: the western corridor, the north near the Mara River, or the southern short-grass plains. The final location reflects current conditions and confirmed availability.
A day without a plan
The day we protect. No transfer, no fixed departure - a picnic in the shade, an afternoon on a kopje, and the space for the long sighting you cannot schedule.
Ngorongoro Crater
A dawn descent into the caldera before the road fills. Breakfast beside Lake Magadi among flamingos, then the slow circuit of the floor - black rhino, resident lion, elephant bulls with old ivory. Afternoon on the rim as the mist comes in.
Highlands to departure
A last slow morning in the highlands, coffee looking into the crater, then the drive back to Arusha for your flight - or on to Zanzibar if you would like a few quiet days by the ocean.
Journey map
The route
A road journey from the Arusha area through Tarangire and the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Highlands.
The line is a planning overview, not a turn-by-turn road map. Final routing responds to season and confirmed accommodation.
Suggested route
- 1
Arusha area
1 night
- 2
Tarangire
1 night
- 3
Central Serengeti
4 nights
- 4
Ngorongoro
2 nights
Where you stay
Central Serengeti camp
A small permanent camp among the kopjes, close enough to the plains for pre-dawn departures.
Mobile camp with the herds
A light camp that moves through the year to sit where the migration is, not where the map says it should be.
Crater rim lodge
Rooms facing into the caldera, with fires lit early and the mist arriving most afternoons.
In the field
A sense of the journey
Included
- Private safari transport for the road itinerary
- Qualified Tanzanian guiding for the safari programme
- All accommodation as described, on a full-board basis
- All park, conservation and crater-descent fees
- Airport transfers in Arusha and Kilimanjaro
- Drinking water, soft drinks and house beverages in camp
- Flying-doctor evacuation cover for the duration of the safari
Not included
- International flights and Tanzanian visa fees
- Travel insurance, which we ask every guest to arrange
- Premium wines, spirits and champagne
- Balloon flights, walking safaris and other optional activities
- Personal spending, laundry where not included, and gratuities
Pricing guidance
Price on request
Price on request. Your final quotation is shaped by travel dates, accommodation level, party size and the balance of road and air transfers.
What shapes the price
- Travel season
- Accommodation style
- Number of travellers
- Road or air transfers
When to travel
- January – March
- Calving on the southern short-grass plains. Predator activity is at its most concentrated and the light is soft.
- April – May
- The long rains. Green, quiet and considerably less expensive, with some tracks difficult and a few camps closed.
- June – October
- Dry season. Wildlife holds to water, the northern crossings build from July, and the crater is at its clearest.
- November – December
- Short rains and the herds returning south. Uncrowded, dramatic skies, and good value before the festive weeks.
Practical notes
- Getting there
- Most guests fly into Kilimanjaro International (JRO). We meet you in arrivals and handle everything from that point.
- Driving and flying
- This route is driven, which shows you the country between the parks. Light-aircraft legs can replace the longer drives if you prefer.
- Who it suits
- First-time and returning safari travellers, couples, and families with children of roughly eight and above. We adjust drive lengths for younger travellers.
- Health and entry
- A visa is required for most nationalities and yellow-fever certification may apply depending on your route. Please confirm current requirements with your doctor and embassy.
Other routes to consider
All safaris
The Great Migration
Follow the herds across the Mara River and the western corridor, timed season by season with guides who read the grass before the guidebooks do.
Best months: July – OctoberPace: ActiveFrom On request
Southern Tanzania Unscripted
Boat safaris on the Rufiji, walking country in Ruaha, and long stretches of wilderness where you may not see another vehicle all day.
Best months: June – NovemberPace: ActiveFrom On request
Plains & Ocean
A week of northern wildlife softened by five slow days on the Indian Ocean - dhow sails, long lunches and nothing at all to do.
Best months: June – MarchPace: GentleFrom On request
Enquire about Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Send your dates and who is travelling, and a planner will reply with a route and a real cost.