01
Day 01
Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
Met at the airport and driven to Arusha, about an hour. A pool, an early dinner and a long sleep after the flight.
- StayHotel in Arusha with a pool
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this safari
A family safari fails for one reason more than any other: too much driving. This route covers the same parks as the classic circuit and halves the worst days.
The changes are small and they matter. Two nights everywhere instead of one, so mornings are not spent packing. Game drives split into a short dawn run and a late-afternoon one, with the hot middle of the day at the pool. A picnic lunch under a tree rather than a three-hour transfer.
Children see differently and often better than adults — they spot movement, they ask the questions adults are too polite to ask, and they do not mind watching a dung beetle for twenty minutes. A good guide runs with that.
Minimum ages apply in a few places: the Ngorongoro crater floor is fine at any age, walking safaris usually start at twelve, and balloon flights at seven. We will flag anything on your dates that has an age limit.
Tour length9 days / 8 nights
Start / endArusha → Arusha
PlacesTarangire, Lake Manyara, Mto wa Mbu, Serengeti
AccommodationHotel, lodge or tented camp, lodge, lodge or permanent tented camp
Meal planFull board; Bed and breakfast
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 2Arusha to Tarangire
- Day 3Tarangire, at your own pace
- Day 4Lake Manyara and Mto wa Mbu
- Day 5Into the Serengeti
- Day 6Serengeti
- Day 7Serengeti, and a slow morning
- Day 8To the crater highlands
- Day 9The 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
Arusha to Tarangire
A short two-hour drive, then a full day in the park. Tarangire is the best first park for children: elephants in family groups, baobabs that look invented, and a good chance of everyone forgetting the flight.
- StayLodge or tented camp near Tarangire
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Tarangire, at your own pace
A dawn drive, back for breakfast and a swim, then out again at four. No packing, no transfer.
- StayLodge or tented camp near Tarangire
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
Lake Manyara and Mto wa Mbu
A morning in Manyara — forest, baboon troops and huge flocks on the lake shore — then a short drive to the highlands. Afternoon free.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
Into the Serengeti
The longest day of the trip, broken with stops: the crater viewpoint, Olduvai Gorge, and game viewing from Naabi Hill onwards.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
Serengeti
A full day in the central Serengeti with the middle of the day at camp. Lion are usually the headline; for most children the hippo pool is the highlight.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
Serengeti, and a slow morning
A second full day, or a late start if the family needs one. Junior-ranger style activities, tracks and signs, and the chance to sit still with a herd for an hour.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
08
Day 08
To the crater highlands
A morning drive out of the park and east to the rim, arriving in the afternoon.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
09
Day 09
The crater, and departure
Down early for the crater floor, picnic lunch beside the hippo pool, then out and down 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 with a pool
Bed and breakfast.
Nights 2–3
Lodge or tented camp near Tarangire
Full board.
Nights 4 & 8
Lodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
Full board.
Nights 5–7
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.
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
Around six, in our experience, for a trip of this length. Younger children do fine with shorter drives and more pool time; talk to us and we will cut the route down.
Most lodges have family rooms or interconnecting rooms, and many tented camps have triple tents. We check availability for your dates — and child rates are quoted on request.
The northern circuit is low risk but not zero. Speak to a travel clinic about prophylaxis for children, and pack repellent and long sleeves for dusk.
Front seats, frequent stops and a real break in the middle of the day fix most of it. Download things for the long transfer days; there is no signal in the parks.
