4-Day Classic Northern Circuit
Tarangire, the Serengeti and the crater — the shortest honest version.
01 · Overview
This is the classic loop compressed into four days. It works, and thousands of people do it every season — but you should know before you book that one of those days is largely spent in a vehicle.
The order matters. Tarangire first, because it is close and it warms you up. Then the long drive west across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and down onto the Serengeti plains. Then the crater on the way home, which means you finish on the strongest day rather than starting on it.
If you can find a fifth day, take the 5-day lodge route instead: it adds a second Serengeti night, which is the difference between seeing the park and driving through it.
02 · The price
03 · At a glance
04 · Prices
Every quote is written for the dates and the number of people travelling, because park fees, season and vehicle sharing move the figure more than anything else. We itemise it: park fees, accommodation, vehicle, meals.
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Children. Child rates depend on age, the camps and how rooms are shared. Child policy to confirm
05 · The route
On the road by eight and in Tarangire by mid-morning. A full day among the baobabs and the elephant herds along the river, with a picnic lunch under a tree. In the late afternoon you drive up to the highlands near Karatu.
The long one: up over the crater rim, across the conservation area with a stop at the viewpoint, past Olduvai Gorge, and down onto the plains through Naabi Hill Gate. It is four to five hours of driving, but the last two are already game viewing. Afternoon drive in the Seronera valley, which holds resident lion and some of the best leopard country on the continent.
A dawn drive while the cats are still moving, breakfast back at camp, and then east again. Where you spend the middle of the day depends on where the herds are — in some months you drive straight through them. You reach the crater highlands in the late afternoon.
Down onto the crater floor early for the full six hours: lion, elephant, hippo, flamingo and the black rhino that live nowhere else in the north in these numbers. Picnic lunch inside the caldera, climb out in the early afternoon, and drive back to Arusha or the airport.
06 · Camps
Each night gives the kind of place and the area. The property itself is chosen for your month and your budget, and named in your quote.
Full board.
Full board.
07 · Add-ons
Not in the standard price. Arranged on request and priced in your quote.
An hour over the plains at first light, followed by breakfast in the bush.
A short flight to the coast, for days with nothing to track.
Time with a community near the route, arranged with people who welcome visitors.
Useful after a long-haul flight, so the first day does not start tired.
08 · The ground
The big question
The migration is somewhere in the Serengeti ecosystem all year. Pick a month to see where the herds usually are — rainfall moves their timing by weeks. For a route built around them, see the 7-day migration safari.
09 · Season
Short grass and animals close to water. The busiest months, and the clearest game viewing.
The herds are on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, with predators to match.
Rain, long grass and far fewer vehicles — and some camps close for the long rains.
10 · Flights
The international airport for Arusha and the northern parks. The transfer to your first night is included.
Tell us your flight time and the last day is planned around it.
11 · Extras
Not in the package price, and worth planning for before you travel.
12 · Why us
Add a night, cut a day, finish on the coast. Most trips we run started as one of these and then moved.
Park fees, accommodation, vehicle and meals, line by line, for your dates and group.
Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide.
Ask on WhatsApp and you reach the people who plan the trip.
13 · Reviews
Guest reviews for this route will appear here. To confirm
14 · Questions
Start planning
Every quote is written for your dates and the number of people travelling, and itemised line by line.
✓Private and joining safaris
✓Safari, mountain and coast
Tell us when you would like to travel, who is coming and what you most want to see.
We read every request ourselves and write back with a route that fits your dates and your budget.
A reply from a person, not an automatic quote.
Or message us on WhatsApp
Wild and Mike SafariSafari planner
