Tanzania
The Serengeti's wildebeest migration, the wildlife-dense Ngorongoro Crater, and Kilimanjaro standing over it all: Tanzania's northern circuit is East African safari at its biggest scale.
Overview
Tanzania's northern circuit runs from Lake Manyara and Tarangire, both known for large elephant herds and Tarangire's ancient baobabs, through the Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcanic caldera whose floor holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, and on into the Serengeti itself, the same ecosystem that continues north into Kenya's Masai Mara.
The Serengeti's wildebeest and zebra migration moves through the park on a rough annual circuit, with calving season on the southern plains around January to March and river crossings further north later in the year. Where to be depends on the month, so we plan the route around it rather than a fixed itinerary.
Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is climbable on several routes without technical gear and is often combined with the northern circuit or a beach extension to Zanzibar. We arrange the flights, park fees, lodges and a private guide for the whole trip.
Highlights
- The Serengeti migration and its river crossings
- Ngorongoro Crater's dense, concentrated wildlife
- Tarangire's elephant herds and ancient baobabs
- Kilimanjaro treks and a Zanzibar beach extension
Best time to visit
June through October is the classic dry season across the northern circuit. Where the migration is depends on the month: calving on the southern plains around January to March, river crossings further north from around July.
Getting there
Kilimanjaro International Airport and Arusha serve the northern circuit, with direct flights from Nairobi; light aircraft link the parks themselves.
How we arrange it
We don't guide inside Tanzania ourselves, and we don't publish a fixed Tanzania itinerary the way we do for Kenya: no set trips exist yet for this country, so we build each one individually rather than invent a day-by-day plan that isn't real. What we do is put the trip together end to end, flights in and out, the right lodges and camps for your budget and interests, road or light-aircraft transfers between them, and a private guide on the ground who knows that particular park well.
Tell us what you want to see and how many days you have, and we'll draw up an itinerary and put you in touch with the people who can deliver it, with Nissa as your single point of contact throughout.
Outside Kenya we work through ground operators licensed in their own country, and they hold the permits and guiding accreditation required there. Nissa Safaris plans the trip, books it and stays your single point of contact throughout; the local operator runs the vehicles and guides on the ground.
Ready to plan Tanzania?
Send us your travel dates and we'll put together a Tanzania itinerary around them, flights, lodges and a guide on the ground.
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