Skip to main content

Active Kilitop and Safaris

'
Flamingos at Lake Manyara
Home/Safari plans/Birding the North
Safari plan · 7 days · Northern circuit · Midrange

Birding the North

Montane forest and the Momella lakes in Arusha National Park, the dry savannah of Tarangire, Lake Manyara’s shore and forest, and the highland forest on the Ngorongoro rim — a week of very different habitats a short drive apart.

Arusha NPTarangireLake ManyaraNgorongoroArusha
Request a quote →See the days
Download this itinerary ↓
Length7 days · 6 nights
ParksArusha NP, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro
Starts & endsKilimanjaro Airport
ComfortMidrange lodges
Best monthsNovember–March
OverviewThe routeDay by dayRatesWhere you sleepIncludedAdd-onsWhen to goFlights & extrasFAQEnquire
Download PDF ↓
IOverview

Forest, soda lakes and savannah, at the speed of a birder’s day.

The northern circuit is usually sold on its mammals, but it crosses a remarkable run of habitats in a short distance: montane forest and alkaline lakes in Arusha National Park, dry acacia and baobab country in Tarangire, the groundwater forest and lake shore at Manyara, and the cool highland forest on the Ngorongoro rim. This plan visits each at a birder’s pace, with time to stop for a call in the bushes.

It keeps the drives short and the crater included, so the big animals are not missed. What it does not include is the Serengeti; see ‘Make it yours’ if you want the plains too. Tell us you are birding and we will match you with a guide who knows the birds and the calls; ask us about availability for your dates.

Major attractions · 4
  1. 01Arusha National Park and the Momella lakes
  2. 02Tarangire National Park
  3. 03Lake Manyara National Park
  4. 04Ngorongoro Crater and highland forest
Trip detailsPrivate
Tour length
7 days · 6 nights
Country
Tanzania
Start / end
Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), both ways
Accommodation
Midrange
Tour type
Private birding safari
Group size
Maximum per vehicle
Meal plan
Full board on safari
Best period
Nov–Mar
Activity level
Easy — short drives, some gentle walking
Request a free quote →Questions? WhatsApp +255 762 914 714
IIThe route

A short loop, with the habitats close together.

7 days, 6 nights, 4 places to sleep. The solid line is this plan; the dotted lines are the other roads through the region. Point at a day to see its leg.

Route map: Kilimanjaro Airport to Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Karatu and the Ngorongoro Crater, and back to Arusha Kilimanjaro NP Arusha NP L. Manyara N Arusha Arusha NP Tarangire Karatu Kilimanjaro Airport Makuyuni Mto wa Mbu Manyara NP Crater floor
  1. 01Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha National Park area~1 h road
  2. 02Momella lakes & the montane forest~8 h game
  3. 03Arusha National Park → Arusha → Tarangire~3 h road · ~3 h game
  4. 04Tarangire → Lake Manyara NP → Karatu~2½ h road · ~5 h game
  5. 05Karatu → the crater → Karatu~1½ h road · ~6 h game
  6. 06Karatu → Arusha~3 h road
  7. 07Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport~1 h road
Overnight stopPassing throughSchematic, roughly to scale
IIIDay by day

Seven days, one at a time.

Each day lands on top of the last as you scroll: honest road time, game time, meals and where you sleep. Times are door to door in a safari vehicle and move with the season and what you stop for.

Garden birds in a lodge garden below Mount Meru — 1600×1200
Arusha National Park areaADD IMAGE · Garden birds in a lodge garden below Mount Meru
01/ 07

About an hour by road. Garden birds before dinner if the light allows.

03°16′S 36°53′EDay 1 · Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha National Park area

Arrive, to the foot of Meru

Travel
~1 h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
Dinner
Sleep
Lodge near the park
  1. On landing

    Your guide meets you at arrivals. The drive is about an hour, on tarmac for most of the way.

  2. Evening

    Dinner and the briefing: what you most want to see, and how you like to spend a birding day.

Bring binoculars

Your own, one pair each. Ask us whether the vehicle carries a field guide or a spare pair.

Flamingos on one of the Momella lakes, Arusha National Park — 1600×1200
Momella lakes & the montane forestADD IMAGE · Flamingos on one of the Momella lakes, Arusha National Park
02/ 07

No transfer. A full day in a small park with very different habitats.

03°16′S 36°53′EDay 2 · Momella lakes & the montane forest

Arusha National Park: forest and lakes

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~8 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same lodge, second night
  1. Morning

    The montane forest on the lower slopes of Meru, where forest species such as turacos are found, alongside colobus monkeys.

  2. Midday

    The Momella lakes, a group of shallow alkaline lakes. Flamingos are often present, in numbers that vary with the water.

  3. Afternoon

    Open glades and swamp edges on the way back. Arusha National Park allows walks with an armed ranger; ask us if you want to add one.

Elephants under baobabs in Tarangire
Tarangire
03/ 07

About 3 hours on tarmac, then an afternoon in the park.

03°52′S 36°00′EDay 3 · Arusha National Park → Arusha → Tarangire

South to Tarangire

Travel
~3 h road
Game viewing
~3 h
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Tented lodge on the park edge
  1. Morning

    Back through Arusha and south-west through Maasai country to Makuyuni and the Tarangire gate.

  2. Afternoon

    Acacia and baobab country along the Tarangire River: savannah birds, raptors, and the elephants the park is known for.

  3. Evening

    Back at the lodge. Night sounds are part of the list here.

Waterbirds on the shore of Lake Manyara below the Rift Valley escarpment — 1600×1200
KaratuADD IMAGE · Waterbirds on the shore of Lake Manyara below the Rift Valley escarpment
04/ 07

About 1½ hours to the park, a long day inside it, then up the escarpment.

03°20′S 35°40′EDay 4 · Tarangire → Lake Manyara NP → Karatu

Lake Manyara, then up to Karatu

Travel
~2½ h road
Game viewing
~5 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Farm lodge
  1. Early

    An early drive in Tarangire, then north to Mto wa Mbu and the Lake Manyara gate.

  2. Midday

    The groundwater forest near the gate, then out to the lake shore and floodplain. Flamingos gather here when water levels suit, and waterbirds are usually plentiful.

  3. Afternoon

    Up the escarpment to Karatu, in cool farm country.

The Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater
05/ 07

The highland forest on the way up, several hours on the crater floor, Karatu again.

03°20′S 35°40′EDay 5 · Karatu → the crater → Karatu

The crater and the highland forest

Travel
~1½ h road
Game viewing
~6 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same lodge, second night
  1. Dawn

    Up through the highland forest on the crater rim, with stops for forest birds on the way.

  2. On the floor

    Grassland, swamp and the soda lake, where flamingos are often present, plus the grassland birds of the floor and the chance of black rhino.

  3. Afternoon

    Back up through the forest and down to Karatu. Farm and garden birding before dinner.

Time on the floor

Time on the crater floor is limited per vehicle. We go down early to make the most of it.

Acacia woodland along the road from Mto wa Mbu to Makuyuni — 1600×1200
ArushaADD IMAGE · Acacia woodland along the road from Mto wa Mbu to Makuyuni
06/ 07

About 3 hours, with stops where the birds are.

03°22′S 36°41′EDay 6 · Karatu → Arusha

Back to Arusha

Travel
~3 h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Garden lodge
  1. Morning

    Down the escarpment and back along the tarmac, stopping where the roadside acacia and wetlands are good.

  2. Afternoon

    Arusha by mid-afternoon. Time to go through the list.

Lodge garden in Arusha in the early morning — 1600×1200
Kilimanjaro AirportADD IMAGE · Lodge garden in Arusha in the early morning
07/ 07

About an hour to the airport, timed to your flight.

03°26′S 37°05′EDay 7 · Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport

Depart

Travel
~1 h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
Breakfast
Sleep
Homeward
  1. Morning

    An early walk in the lodge garden, and breakfast.

  2. Afternoon

    About an hour by road to Kilimanjaro Airport.

IVRates

Priced by group size, because the vehicle is shared.

Park fees, accommodation, vehicle, guide and meals as listed — per person, no booking fees. Rates move with the month and lodge availability; your quote is fixed once you book.

Midrange · price per person, sharing
Group size1 person2 people3 people4 people5 people6 people
From yearraterateraterateraterate
Single supplementamount
Children

Child policy: ages, sharing discount, lodge minimum ages

What moves the price

What changes itHow much

  • The month you travel

    The dry season and the Christmas weeks are peak rates at almost every camp. The long rains are the lowest.

  • How many share the vehicle

    The vehicle and guide cost the same for two people or six, so the per-person price falls as the group grows.

  • Where you sleep

    The same night can cost several times more at one camp than at another a short drive away.

  • Flying instead of driving

    A light-aircraft seat replaces hours in the vehicle, and costs more than the time it saves.

  • Park fees

    Fixed per person per day by the authorities, and the same whoever you book with. We show them as their own line.

Not sure which level suits you? Tell us your dates, group and budget and we will send an itemised quote with named properties.

Request a free quote →
On request
On request
VWhere you sleep

Four places in six nights, starting under Meru.

Each night is described by type first, because the right camp depends on your month. The properties we normally use at each level are listed below; your quote confirms them against availability.

Nights 1–22×

Arusha National Park area

Lodge near the park

Close to the gate, so the forest is reached in the first, best hours of the day.

Midrange here means
En-suite room, hot water, mains power.
Step up
A lodge with its own forest or lake-edge grounds.
Night 31×

Tarangire

Tented lodge on the park edge

Sleeping by the park puts you in the gate at opening, and in Manyara before the heat the next day.

Midrange here means
Canvas walls, proper beds, en-suite, solar or generator power.
Step up
A camp inside the park itself.
Nights 4–52×

Karatu highlands

Farm or garden lodge

Close to the crater gate and the highland forest, with gardens worth birding in themselves.

Midrange here means
Cottage rooms, mains power, gardens to walk in.
Step up
A lodge on the crater rim itself.
Night 61×

Arusha

Garden lodge or small hotel

A quiet last night close to the airport.

Midrange here means
En-suite room, hot water, mains power, Wi-Fi.
Step up
A coffee-estate lodge on the slopes of Meru.

The properties we use

WhereMidrangeLuxury
Arusha National Park areapropertyproperty
Tarangirepropertyproperty
Karatu highlandspropertyproperty
Arushapropertyproperty

What ‘midrange’ means on this trip

  • En-suite everywhere. Your own bathroom every night.
  • Gardens. We choose lodges with grounds you can walk at dawn. Ask about each one when you get your quote.
  • Power. Mains in most places; solar or generator hours at Tarangire. Bring a power bank.
  • Food. Full board on safari. Early packed breakfasts on request.
VIThe fine print

What is in the price, and what isn’t.

✓Included

  • Private 4×4 safari vehiclePop-up roof, window seat for everyone
  • A professional driver-guideAsk us about a guide with a birding focus
  • All park and conservation feesIncluding the crater service fee. Itemised on your quote
  • Six nights’ accommodationAs described above
  • Meals as listed each dayFull board from day two
  • Drinking water in the vehicle
  • Airport transfersKilimanjaro Airport, both ways

–Not included

  • International flights
  • Tanzanian visaApply online before you travel
  • Travel insuranceRequired. It must cover medical evacuation
  • Tips for guide and camp staffWe send guidance with your booking
  • Drinks at lodges and campsUnless the property includes them
  • Optional activitiesRanger walks, canoeing, cultural visits
VIIAdd-ons & changes

The plan is a starting point, not a package.

The changes people ask for most, each with what it costs you in days or hours. Not in the standard price — arranged on request, and most can be combined.

Same lengthprice

A walk in Arusha National Park

Spend part of day two on foot with an armed ranger. Birding on foot is slower, quieter and very different.

Makes senseAnyone who wants time out of the vehicle
Walking safaris →
Same lengthprice

Canoeing on a Momella lake

Swap an afternoon drive for a canoe outing on the lakes, for a waterbird’s-eye view.

Makes senseWhen the lake conditions allow
Canoeing →
+2 nightsprice

Add the central Serengeti

Drive on from the crater to Seronera for the plains birds and the resident big cats.

Makes senseA first safari that wants the Serengeti too
The Serengeti →
+1 nightprice

Lake Eyasi

Add a night by Lake Eyasi, south-west of Karatu, for a hotter, drier habitat and a visit to the communities who live there.

Makes senseAnyone curious about the people as well as the birds
Cultural encounters →
+3–5 nightsprice

Finish on Zanzibar

Fly on from Arusha to the island. The coast has its own birds.

Makes senseEveryone, most of the year
Zanzibar →
VIIIWhen to go

Rated for this route, not for the country.

Birds are good in the north all year, but the best months for this plan are roughly November to April, when Palearctic migrants from Europe and Asia are present and many residents are in breeding colours. The long rains of April and May make some tracks hard going. June to October is dry, the birding is resident species only, and the big-game parks are at their busiest.

Jan
Migrants present
Feb
Migrants, breeding plumage
Mar
Migrants leaving
Apr
Long rains
May
Rains easing
Jun
Residents only
Jul
Residents only
Aug
Residents only
Sep
Residents only
Oct
First migrants
Nov
Migrants arriving
Dec
Migrants, green
Three bars — the route at its bestTwo — good, with trade-offsOne — possible, and quiet
IXFlights & extras

Getting there.

Arrive

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

About an hour by road from Arusha, and the airport most long-haul connections use. Land any time on day one — the first night exists to absorb late arrivals.

Depart

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

The last day reaches the airport in the afternoon, which suits the evening departures. Book nothing earlier without asking us first.

Via Nairobi

Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO)

Workable: a short regional flight or a road transfer across the Namanga border to Arusha. It adds most of a day, so allow an extra night.

What else to budget.

Not part of the safari price, in order of how much they matter.

  • Tanzanian visaApply online before travel
    Current fee
  • Travel insuranceMust cover medical evacuation
    Typical cost
  • TipsGuide and camp staff, per day
    Guideline
  • DrinksAt lodges and camps
    Typical range
  • Personal spendingLaundry, crafts, extras
    Varies
XWhy book with us

Only what we can prove.

01

Arusha, since 2010

A Tanzanian company, locally owned, running safaris and climbs from Arusha for more than fifteen years.

02

Licensed and registered

TALA-licensed through the Tanzania Tourist Board and registered with BRELA. Ask us for the numbers; we will send them.

03

One guide, one vehicle

The same guide drives you from the first day to the last. Nobody else joins your vehicle.

04

Every fee on its own line

Park, conservation and concession fees are shown separately on your quote, so you can see exactly what goes to the authorities.

XIQuestions

The ones we are asked most.

We will not put a number on it. It depends on the month, the weather, your guide and how you like to bird. The mix of forest, lake and savannah on this route is what makes it good.

Palearctic migrants from Europe and Asia are present roughly from November to April. The rest of the year you are seeing resident species, which is still a great deal.

Often, but not always. Flamingos move between the soda lakes as water levels change. The Momella lakes, Lake Manyara and the crater’s soda lake are all places they gather when conditions suit.

Tell us you are birding and we will match you with a guide who knows the birds and the calls. Ask us about availability for your dates.

Yes. It includes Tarangire’s elephants and the Ngorongoro Crater, and the drives are short. Tell us and we will balance the days.

In Arusha National Park, walks with an armed ranger are possible; ask us to add one. Lodge gardens are good for early-morning birding on foot.

Begin here

Send us your dates. We will send you the real version.

Named camps, the right direction of travel for your month, every fee on its own line — and a straight answer if another plan would suit you better.

Rather talk it through?WhatsApp us+255 762 914 714
Safari request Birding the North 7 days · 6 nights · private
01When, and what for?
How fixed are the dates?
What do you want from it? Pick any
02Who’s coming?
Travelling as
03How you like it
Style of camp

Not a commitment. It lets us send something realistic instead of something you have to reject.

04Where to reach you
We need a name to write back to.
That email address does not look complete.
Step 1 of 4
Other safari plans
7 days · Northern circuitThe Great Midrange JourneyRead the plan →
3 days · Northern circuitTarangire, Ngorongoro & Manyara ExpressRead the plan →
5 days · Northern circuitMidrange Best of TanzaniaRead the plan →
4 days · Northern circuitSerengeti Fly-inRead the plan →
Loading itinerary…
Saved Trips