5-Day Northern Circuit Lodge Safari
Two Serengeti nights instead of one. The version we would book ourselves.
01 · Overview
Add one day to the four-day classic and the whole trip changes character. The second Serengeti night removes the drive-through feeling, and gives you a full day in the park with nowhere else to be.
The route is the same loop — Tarangire, west into the Serengeti, back over the highlands, the crater on the final morning — but the middle of the trip stops being about distance. A full Serengeti day means dawn in the Seronera valley, the hot hours at camp, and the light again from four.
You sleep in lodges or permanent tented camps: proper beds, hot water, and a pool at some of them. The exact property depends on your dates and on what is available at the standard you want, and it is named in your quote before you pay anything.
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
Two hours on tarmac, then a full day in the park. Tarangire in the dry season is the elephant show — herds of forty and more coming down to the river — and the baobabs make it the most photogenic park in the north. You climb to the highlands in the late afternoon.
West across the conservation area, past the crater viewpoint and Olduvai Gorge, then down onto the plains. From Naabi Hill the driving is game viewing. You reach the central Serengeti in time for an afternoon drive.
No transfer, no gate, no packing. Dawn drive, breakfast in the bush or back at the lodge, the hot hours off, and out again for the last light. Where you go depends on the month: the herds in season, the Seronera river circuit for cats when they are elsewhere.
A final morning drive on the way out of the park, then east across the plains and up to the rim. Afternoon free — most lodges here look into the caldera, and the view does a lot of the work.
The early descent, six hours on the floor, picnic lunch by the hippo pool, then out and back to Arusha or the airport by late afternoon.
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
