The northern circuit without the long Serengeti drive
Lionesses with their cubs.
If you want variety but not long hours on the road, this is the trip. Three very different parks, all within easy reach of Karatu, with two nights in the same lodge.
Day one is Lake Manyara's forest, floodplain and birdlife. Day two is a full day on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, the best day of the trip for most people. Day three is Tarangire's elephants and baobabs on the way back to Arusha.
Because you sleep two nights in Karatu, you only unpack once, and none of the drives is longer than about three hours.
Three parks in three days
A full day on the crater floor
Only one lodge, two nights
Short, easy drives
Lake Manyara National Park · Karatu
We pick you up from your Arusha hotel in the morning and drive west into the Rift Valley. Your game drive starts in the groundwater forest, home to baboons and blue monkeys, and opens onto the floodplain where elephants, buffalo, giraffes and zebras graze. The lake draws pelicans, storks and, in season, flamingos.
Lunch is in the park. In the late afternoon you climb the escarpment to Karatu for dinner and the night.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After an early breakfast you drive up through the highland forest to the rim for your first view of the caldera, then down to the floor for a whole day among grassland, swamp and soda lake. Lions, hyenas, buffalo, wildebeest, zebras and hippos are seen regularly, and this is one of the few places in Tanzania to find black rhino. Picnic lunch on the floor, then back up to Karatu.
Tarangire National Park · Arusha
After breakfast you check out and drive to Tarangire. Baobabs stand over the grassland, and in the dry season the river pulls in large elephant herds, zebras, wildebeest and the predators that follow them. After a game drive and a picnic lunch you return to Arusha, arriving in the early evening.
Lodge named when we confirm your dates. Airport transfers can be added on request.
The line shows the order of the trip, not the exact road. Press ↻ to play it again.
| Season | 1 Person | 2 People | 3 People | 4 People | 5 People | 6 People |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High SeasonJune – October · 20 Dec – February | $1,990 | $1,230 | $980 | $860 | $780 | $770 |
| Low SeasonMarch – May · 1 Nov – 19 Dec | $1,690 | $1,045 | $835 | $730 | $665 | $655 |
High Season: June to October and 20 December to the end of February. Low Season: March to May and 1 November to 19 December.
Private trip for your group only: the more of you share the vehicle and guide, the lower the price per person. For 7 or more people we send a quote.
How booking works: a 30% deposit confirms your trip and the balance is paid on arrival in Tanzania, before the trip starts. We reply within 3 hours. Booking terms
Reaching the Serengeti by road takes most of a day each way. This trip spends that time in the parks instead. Add a day or two if you want the Serengeti too.
Most of the day is on the crater floor, with a picnic lunch, before you drive back up to Karatu in the afternoon.
Yes, if lodge availability allows. Tell us your preference when you enquire.
Tarangire's elephants on day one, the crater on day two.
The classic short circuit: elephants, the Serengeti and the crater.
Four parks at a comfortable pace, in mid-range lodges.
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and how many of you are travelling. We reply within 3 hours.
