8-Day Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lobo, Lake Natron & Lake Manyara Safari

Day-by-day itinerary

Route: Nairobi → Arusha → Tarangire → Ngorongoro → Serengeti → Lobo → Lake Natron → Lake Manyara

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Arusha

   You leave Nairobi after breakfast and head for Arusha, continuing through the farmland and Maasai country below Mount Meru. Arrival is followed by check-in and a first drive into northern Tanzania's safari gateway town below the slopes of Mount Meru. Arusha is the staging point for the northern Tanzania circuit and where most safari briefings take place. This is a joining departure, so the safari vehicle is shared with other guests. Dinner is served at your Arusha camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

2. Day 2

   Arusha to Tarangire

   The day opens in Arusha with a morning departure for Tarangire, driving south-west from Arusha through Maasai grazing country. You arrive in time to settle in, and the day continues with a game drive across rolling country of ancient baobabs, seasonal swamps and the year-round Tarangire River. Look for large elephant herds, zebra, wildebeest, eland and a notably rich birdlife as the light softens through the afternoon. In the dry season the Tarangire River draws wildlife from a wide area, and the park is famous for its baobab-studded landscape. Dinner is served at your Tarangire camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

3. Day 3

   Tarangire to Ngorongoro

   Following an early breakfast, the day begins with the road transfer from Tarangire to Ngorongoro, climbing the forested crater highlands to the rim viewpoint. Arrival is followed by check-in and a first drive into a collapsed volcanic caldera roughly six hundred metres deep, with grassland, soda lake and fever-tree forest on its floor. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes lion, elephant, buffalo, flamingo and one of the few remaining populations where black rhino may be seen. The crater floor holds a resident concentration of wildlife year-round because the caldera walls create a largely self-contained ecosystem. You return for dinner and an overnight stay at Ngorongoro.

4. Day 4

   Ngorongoro to Serengeti

   After breakfast you leave Ngorongoro and travel on toward Serengeti, crossing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descending onto the open plains. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through vast short-grass plains broken by granite kopjes and seasonal watercourses. Your guide works the area for lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe and immense herds of wildebeest and zebra, with sightings varying by season and conditions. The Serengeti's wildlife moves with the seasons, so the sector visited is chosen to match where the herds and predators are likely to be at that time of year. You return for dinner and an overnight stay at Serengeti.

5. Day 5

   Full-Day Serengeti Safari

   You spend the day in Serengeti, heading out early and returning as the light goes. Your route takes in vast short-grass plains broken by granite kopjes and seasonal watercourses, with your guide reading recent movement to decide where to spend time. Species commonly associated with the area include lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe and immense herds of wildebeest and zebra. The scale of the plains rewards a full day, with time to work several areas rather than rushing between them. The Serengeti's wildlife moves with the seasons, so the sector visited is chosen to match where the herds and predators are likely to be at that time of year. You return to your camp or lodge for dinner and a second night at Serengeti.

6. Day 6

   Serengeti to Lobo

   The day opens in Serengeti with a morning departure for Lobo, crossing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descending onto the open plains. Once you reach Lobo there is time to check in before heading out among vast short-grass plains broken by granite kopjes and seasonal watercourses. Look for lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe and immense herds of wildebeest and zebra as the light softens through the afternoon. The Serengeti's wildlife moves with the seasons, so the sector visited is chosen to match where the herds and predators are likely to be at that time of year. Dinner and overnight are at your camp or lodge in Lobo.

7. Day 7

   Lobo to Lake Natron

   You leave Lobo after breakfast and head for Lake Natron. You arrive at Lake Natron, check in and have time to settle before the next stage of the journey. Travelling time depends on road and border conditions on the day, and your guide will confirm the schedule each morning. You return for dinner and an overnight stay at Lake Natron.

8. Day 8

   Lake Natron to Lake Manyara

   You leave Lake Natron after breakfast and head for Lake Manyara, driving west from Arusha past Maasai settlements and the escarpment wall. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through groundwater forest, open floodplain and an alkaline lake beneath the Rift Valley escarpment. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes elephant, baboon troops, hippo, giraffe and large numbers of waterbirds including flamingo. Manyara is known for its groundwater forest fed by springs at the base of the escarpment, and for lions that are sometimes seen resting in trees. The evening is spent at your Lake Manyara accommodation, with dinner and overnight there.