01
Day 01
Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
Airport pickup and the drive into town.
- StayHotel in Arusha or Moshi
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this safari
The green season is the half of the year most brochures skip. The grass is long, the skies are enormous, the parks are quiet and prices are lower.
Two rain patterns matter. The short rains, roughly November into December, arrive as afternoon storms and rarely disrupt a day. The long rains, late March through May, are heavier and can genuinely make some tracks difficult — which is why this route stays on the northern circuit, where the roads are the best in the country.
What you get in return: newborn animals across every species, migrant birds in numbers, light that photographers plan whole trips around, and sightings you do not share with six other vehicles.
What you risk: an afternoon washed out, a muddy track, and long grass that makes small cats harder to spot. It is a fair trade and most people who take it once come back in the same months.
Tour length8 days / 7 nights
Start / endArusha → Arusha
PlacesLake Manyara, Ndutu, Serengeti, Karatu
AccommodationHotel, lodge, mobile or seasonal tented camp, lodge or permanent tented camp
Meal planFull board; Bed and breakfast
Best monthsNov–May
Vehicle4×4 with pop-up roof
Tour typePrivate, on your dates
Group sizeTo confirm
02 · The price
What the price covers — and what it doesn't
Included 7 items
- Park and conservation-area entry fees for every park listed in the route
- Government taxes and concession fees that apply to those parks
- A 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof, fuel and an English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation on the basis shown for each night
- Meals as marked on each day
- Drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- Transfers between Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha town and your first night
Not included 6 items
- International flights, and internal flights unless a day says otherwise
- Tanzania visa, passport costs and travel insurance
- Tips for your guide, cook and camp or lodge staff
- Drinks, laundry and other personal spending
- Optional extras — balloon flights, night drives, spa treatments, private vehicle upgrades
- Anything not listed as included
03 · At a glance
Itinerary highlights
- Day 1Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
- Day 2Lake Manyara
- Day 3Into the Serengeti or down to Ndutu
- Day 4The calving grounds
- Day 5North into the Serengeti
- Day 6Serengeti
- Day 7To the crater highlands
- Day 8The crater, and departure
04 · Prices
Prices and what moves them
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.
Mid-range
Luxury
Mid-range
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| 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+ |
Luxury
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| 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
The route, day by day
02
Day 02
Lake Manyara
The forest is at its best when it is wet, and the lake fills, which brings in enormous flocks. Up to the highlands in the afternoon.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Into the Serengeti or down to Ndutu
In the green months the herds are usually in the south. You cross the conservation area and drop onto the short-grass plains.
- StayMobile or seasonal tented camp, Ndutu
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
The calving grounds
A full day with the herds in the calving season, or on the southern plains either side of it. Predator activity in this area in these months is as good as it gets in Africa.
- StayMobile or seasonal tented camp, Ndutu
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
North into the Serengeti
Game driving north into the central park, where the resident animals stay all year.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
Serengeti
A full day around Seronera. Long grass makes cats harder and the landscape greener; storms build through the afternoon and break the light open.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
To the crater highlands
A dawn drive, then east to the rim, which is often in cloud and always dramatic.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
08
Day 08
The crater, and departure
Six hours on the floor — the crater drains well and stays good in the rains — then the drive back to Arusha or the airport.
- StayNone — the trip ends today
06 · Camps
Where you stay
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.
Night 1
Hotel in Arusha or Moshi
Bed and breakfast.
Nights 2 & 7
Lodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
Full board.
Nights 3–4
Mobile or seasonal tented camp, Ndutu
Full board.
Nights 5–6
Lodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
Full board.
07 · Add-ons
Optional add-ons
Not in the standard price. Arranged on request and priced in your quote.
Serengeti · sunrise
Hot-air balloon flight
An hour over the plains at first light, followed by breakfast in the bush.
After the safari
Zanzibar beach extension
A short flight to the coast, for days with nothing to track.
On the route
Cultural visit
Time with a community near the route, arranged with people who welcome visitors.
Before the safari
An extra night in Arusha
Useful after a long-haul flight, so the first day does not start tired.
08 · The ground
Where this safari takes you
The big question
Where are the herds in your month?
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.
Calving, southern plainsRiver crossings, northern SerengetiHerds on the move
This monthWhere the herds are
09 · Season
Best time to take this safari
Jun – Oct
The dry season
Short grass and animals close to water. The busiest months, and the clearest game viewing.
Late Jan – Mar
Calving on the southern plains
The herds are on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, with predators to match.
Apr · May · Nov
The green season
Rain, long grass and far fewer vehicles — and some camps close for the long rains.
10 · Flights
Flights
Arrive
Kilimanjaro International Airport
The international airport for Arusha and the northern parks. The transfer to your first night is included.
Depart
Kilimanjaro International Airport
Tell us your flight time and the last day is planned around it.
11 · Extras
Budget for these extras
Not in the package price, and worth planning for before you travel.
Most visitors need a Tanzania visa. What applies to your passport, and how to apply, is on our visas and vaccinations page.
Take a policy that covers medical evacuation from remote areas. More on our travel insurance page.
Tipping is customary but yours to decide. Our tipping guide sets out what is usual for guides, cooks and camp staff.
Water is provided in the vehicle. Other drinks at camps and lodges, laundry and souvenirs are paid locally.
12 · Why us
Why book this with us
01
Every route is a draft
Add a night, cut a day, finish on the coast. Most trips we run started as one of these and then moved.
02
Every quote itemised
Park fees, accommodation, vehicle and meals, line by line, for your dates and group.
03
Private, on your dates
Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide.
04
Planned from Arusha
Ask on WhatsApp and you reach the people who plan the trip.
13 · Reviews
Reviews
Guest reviews for this route will appear here. To confirm
14 · Questions
Asked about this trip
Usually not. Expect heavy showers, most often in the afternoon, rather than constant rain. Mornings are frequently clear.
On the northern circuit, yes, with a 4×4. The southern and western parks are a different matter and some camps there close in the long rains.
Yes — accommodation is materially cheaper in these months, which is most of a safari quote. Park fees do not change.
November to early December, and March to May, are the two rain windows. January and February sit between them: green, warm and the peak of the calving.
