10-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Self-Drive Itinerary

The route

1. Day1

   Arusha to Lake Manyara NP

   126 km2 hrs

   Collect vehicle from Arusha. Drive west to the Lake Manyara main gate. Afternoon circuit through the groundwater forest (tree-climbing lions in the fig trees, habituated elephant herds at very close range) and the lake shore (flamingos when conditions are right).

   • Lake Manyara park entry: USD 59/person/day

   Overnight: Manyara Wildlife Camp or public campsite

2. Day2

   Lake Manyara to Tarangire NP

   100 km2 hrs

   Morning lake circuit — hippo pool and the flamingo concentration on the south shore. Drive south to Tarangire via Makuyuni. Afternoon Tarangire River circuit — elephant herds and baobab landscape.

   Overnight: Tarangire campsite

3. Day3

   Tarangire — Full Day

   Full day Tarangire. Dawn elephant herds on the river. Silale Swamp circuit (south park). Afternoon baobab woodland — lion, giraffe, and the endemic Tarangire species (fringe-eared oryx, greater kudu).

   Overnight: Tarangire campsite

4. Day4

   Tarangire to Ngorongoro Rim

   200 km3.5 hrs

   Drive north via Makuyuni and west through Karatu to Lodoare gate. Pay NCAA fees. Drive to the crater rim. First view of the Ngorongoro caldera.

   • NCAA entry: USD 80/person/24 hrs + USD 60/vehicle/crater descent

   Overnight: Simba public campsite

5. Day5

   Ngorongoro Crater Descent

   5:45 am departure from Simba campsite. 6 am descent. Full day in the crater — black rhino at Lerai Forest, lion prides, spotted hyena, elephant bulls (cow herds don't use the descent road — only large bulls enter the crater). Exit by 4 pm.

   Overnight: Simba campsite

6. Day6

   Ngorongoro to Serengeti — Seronera

   145 km3 hrs

   6 am departure through the NCA. Olduvai Gorge stop. Enter Serengeti at Naabi Hill gate. Afternoon Seronera circuit.

   • Serengeti entry: USD 70/person/day + USD 40/vehicle/day

   Overnight: Seronera campsite

7. Day7

   Serengeti — Full Day Seronera

   Full day Seronera circuit: the Seronera River resident leopard population, Maasai kopjes (lion), and the central plains (cheetah).

   Overnight: Seronera

8. Day8–9

   Serengeti — Season-Dependent Extension

   July–October: Drive north 90 km to Kogatende (northern Serengeti). 2 days at the Mara River crossing sites — the single most spectacular wildlife event on Earth during peak crossing weeks.

   January–February: Drive south 80 km to Ndutu (Ngorongoro Conservation Area, adjacent to south Serengeti). 2 days on the calving plains — 8,000+ wildebeest calves born per day at peak calving, with cheetah and lion hunting at extreme intensity.

   Other months: Extend Seronera circuit west to the Mbalageti River (western corridor, Grumeti River area, less visited).

   Overnight: Kogatende public campsite

9. Day10

   Serengeti to Arusha

   320 km5 hrs

   Dawn game drive (6–9 am) then exit via Naabi Hill gate. Drive east to Arusha. Arrive by 3 pm. Vehicle return.