Skip to main content

Active Kilitop and Safaris

'
Open savannah with a wildebeest herd and a safari vehicle, northern Tanzania
Home/Safari plans/Photographic Northern Circuit
Safari plan · 9 days · Northern circuit · Midrange

Photographic Northern Circuit

Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and three nights in the central Serengeti, in a private vehicle with time to wait for the picture — out at first light, back at last light, and a flight home instead of the long drive.

ArushaTarangireNgorongoroSerengetiArusha
Request a quote →See the days
Download this itinerary ↓
Length9 days · 8 nights
ParksTarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti
Starts & endsArusha / Kilimanjaro Airport
ComfortMidrange lodges & tented camps
Best monthsJune–October, December–February
OverviewThe routeDay by dayRatesWhere you sleepIncludedAdd-onsWhen to goFlights & extrasFAQEnquire
Download PDF ↓
IOverview

The same parks, but the day is built around the light.

Most safaris are paced for seeing. This one is paced for photographing: two nights where one would do, so you can return to a place in better light; out of camp as the gates allow and in again at closing; and one long drive, not two, because the flight home gives back the day that would otherwise be spent on gravel.

The vehicle is private, and that is the point. You choose when to stop, how close to work, and how long to wait for a leopard to come down or a herd to turn. Everyone has a window seat. What the vehicle carries in the way of bean bags, mounts and charging varies — ask us what the vehicle carries before you pack.

Major attractions · 3
  1. 01Tarangire National Park
  2. 02Ngorongoro Crater
  3. 03Serengeti National Park
Trip detailsPrivate
Tour length
9 days · 8 nights
Country
Tanzania
Start / end
Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), both ways
Accommodation
Midrange
Tour type
Private photographic safari
Group size
Maximum per vehicle
Meal plan
Full board on safari
Best period
Jun–Oct · Dec–Feb
Activity level
Easy — early starts, long days seated
Request a free quote →Questions? WhatsApp +255 762 914 714
IIThe route

Tarangire, the crater and the Serengeti by road, home by air.

9 days, 8 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: Arusha to Tarangire, Karatu and the Ngorongoro Crater, across to the central Serengeti, and a flight back to Arusha Kilimanjaro NP Kibo Serengeti NP Ngorongoro CA Tarangire NP Arusha NP L. Manyara L. Eyasi L. Natron N Arusha Tarangire Karatu Seronera Kilimanjaro Airport Makuyuni Mto wa Mbu Crater floor Olduvai Naabi Hill
  1. 01Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha~1 h road
  2. 02Arusha → Tarangire~2½ h road · ~4 h game
  3. 03Tarangire~9 h game
  4. 04Tarangire → Karatu~2 h road · ~4 h game
  5. 05Karatu → the crater → Central SerengetiThe long day~5½ h road · ~5 h game
  6. 06Seronera & the Seronera valley~9 h game
  7. 07Seronera & beyond~9 h game
  8. 08Seronera airstrip → Arusha~1½ h flight · ~1 h road · ~2 h game
  9. 09Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport~1 h road
Overnight stopPassing throughSchematic, roughly to scale
IIIDay by day

Nine 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.

Mount Meru above Arusha in the evening — 1600×1200
ArushaADD IMAGE · Mount Meru above Arusha in the evening
01/ 09

About an hour by road. Time to check the kit.

03°22′S 36°41′EDay 1 · Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha

Arrive in Arusha

Travel
~1 h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
Dinner
Sleep
Garden lodge
  1. On landing

    Your guide meets you at arrivals. The drive to Arusha is about an hour, on tarmac.

  2. Evening

    Dinner and a proper briefing: what you want to photograph, how you like to work, and how the vehicle is set up. Charge everything tonight.

Tell us early

Lenses, bodies, whether you shoot video, how many in the vehicle. We plan the seating and the stops around it.

Baobab silhouetted against the evening sky, Tarangire — 1600×1200
TarangireADD IMAGE · Baobab silhouetted against the evening sky, Tarangire
02/ 09

About 2½ hours on tarmac, then the afternoon light in the park.

03°52′S 36°00′EDay 2 · Arusha → Tarangire

Into Tarangire

Travel
~2½ h road
Game viewing
~4 h
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Tented lodge on the park edge
  1. Morning

    South-west out of Arusha through Maasai country, turning off at Makuyuni.

  2. Midday

    Lunch and the heat of the day, which is the worst light. A good time to scout the river.

  3. Late afternoon

    The low sun on baobabs and elephants along the Tarangire River, until the park closes.

Elephants under baobabs in Tarangire
Tarangire
03/ 09

No transfer. The whole day in the park, working the good light.

03°52′S 36°00′EDay 3 · Tarangire

Tarangire, first light to last

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same lodge, second night
  1. First light

    Out as the gate opens. The first hour gives the soft light and the animals still moving.

  2. Midday

    Rest in the shade or back at the lodge. Harsh light and heat haze make this the time to review and back up.

  3. Last light

    Back to the places you scouted yesterday, now that you know where the light falls.

Why two nights

The second day is when the pictures come. You have seen the park once; now you return to the right place at the right hour.

Coffee farm and forest edge in the Karatu highlands — 1600×1200
KaratuADD IMAGE · Coffee farm and forest edge in the Karatu highlands
04/ 09

A morning drive, then about 2 hours up the escarpment.

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

A last Tarangire morning, up to Karatu

Travel
~2 h road
Game viewing
~4 h
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Farm lodge
  1. Morning

    One more early drive in Tarangire.

  2. Midday

    Out of the park and up the escarpment past Mto wa Mbu to Karatu.

  3. Evening

    An early night. Tomorrow starts in the dark.

The Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater
The long day05/ 09

The long one: the crater floor at opening, then about 4½ hours to Seronera.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 5 · Karatu → the crater → Central Serengeti

The crater at first light, then the Serengeti

Travel
~5½ h road
Game viewing
~5 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Permanent tented camp
  1. Dawn

    Down the descent road as it opens. Mist on the crater floor and low light on the walls, with few vehicles for the first hour.

  2. Morning

    Grassland, soda lake and swamp in one bowl. Black rhino are possible, never certain. Up again by around midday.

  3. Afternoon

    Across the highlands and the short-grass plains to Naabi Hill, then a game drive to Seronera, arriving in the evening light.

Why this order

Crater at opening gives the best light and the fewest vehicles. Putting the Serengeti after it means the long drive happens once, and the flight home replaces the drive back.

Lions beside an open safari vehicle in the Serengeti
Central Serengeti
06/ 09

No transfer. Out at first light, back at dusk.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 6 · Seronera & the Seronera valley

The Serengeti, all day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, second night
  1. First light

    Out with a flask and a packed breakfast. Cats are most active in the first two hours.

  2. Midday

    The central Serengeti has resident lion, leopard and cheetah all year. Midday is for waiting by a sleeping leopard’s tree, if that is what you want.

  3. Last light

    Kopjes and acacias against the evening sky. Back at camp by closing time.

The Serengeti plains
Central Serengeti
07/ 09

No transfer. The day you go back for the picture you missed.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 7 · Seronera & beyond

The Serengeti, a second full day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, third night
  1. First light

    Back to whichever sighting mattered most yesterday, or out to a different area altogether.

  2. Midday

    A long lunch in the field or at camp, depending on what the morning gave you.

  3. Last light

    The final evening in the park. Your guide will know by now what you are waiting for.

Light aircraft on the Seronera airstrip — 1600×1200
ArushaADD IMAGE · Light aircraft on the Seronera airstrip
08/ 09

A morning drive on the way to the airstrip, then a light-aircraft flight of an hour or two.

03°22′S 36°41′EDay 8 · Seronera airstrip → Arusha

Fly back to Arusha

Travel
~1½ h flight + ~1 h road
Game viewing
~2 h
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Garden lodge
  1. Morning

    A last drive on the way to the Seronera airstrip.

  2. Midday

    The scheduled light aircraft to Arusha, sometimes with a stop on the way. Ask us for the day’s timings.

  3. Evening

    A night in Arusha with mains power, to back up everything before the flight home.

Soft bags, and your cameras

Light aircraft take soft bags only, with a weight limit per person. Camera bags count. Ask us for the current figure; spare gear can travel by road with your guide.

Kilimanjaro seen from the road to the airport — 1600×1200
Kilimanjaro AirportADD IMAGE · Kilimanjaro seen from the road to the airport
09/ 09

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

03°26′S 37°05′EDay 9 · Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport

Depart

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

    A slow breakfast. The day is free until the transfer.

  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

Five places in eight nights, three of them in the Serengeti.

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.

Night 11×

Arusha

Garden lodge or small hotel

One night to land, charge up and brief your guide.

Midrange here means
En-suite room, hot water, mains power, Wi-Fi.
Step up
A coffee-estate lodge on the slopes of Meru.
Nights 2–32×

Tarangire

Tented lodge on the park edge

Close to the gate for opening time, and two nights so the second day can be spent on the good light.

Midrange here means
Canvas walls, proper beds, en-suite, solar or generator power.
Step up
A camp inside the park itself.
Night 41×

Karatu highlands

Farm or garden lodge

Close to the crater gate for a descent at opening.

Midrange here means
Cottage rooms, mains power for charging.
Step up
A lodge on the crater rim itself.
Nights 5–73×

Central Serengeti

Permanent tented camp

Three nights and two full days with no transfer, where the resident cats are.

Midrange here means
En-suite tent, hot shower, power in the evenings, no fence.
Step up
A smaller camp away from the busiest Seronera circuits.
Night 81×

Arusha

Garden lodge or small hotel

A buffer night after the flight, so a delayed light aircraft never costs you the flight home.

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

The properties we use

WhereMidrangeLuxury
Arushapropertyproperty
Tarangirepropertyproperty
Karatu highlandspropertyproperty
Central Serengetipropertyproperty

What ‘midrange’ means on this trip

  • En-suite everywhere. Your own bathroom every night.
  • Charging. Mains in Arusha and Karatu; limited solar or generator hours in the parks. Bring spare batteries and a power bank; ask us what the vehicle carries.
  • Early meals. Camps will pack breakfast for a first-light start. Tell your guide the night before.
  • Food. Full board on safari. Tell us about diets early.
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-guideThe same guide from Arusha to Seronera
  • Light-aircraft seat, Seronera → ArushaScheduled flight, soft bags only
  • All park and conservation feesIncluding the crater service fee. Itemised on your quote
  • Eight 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 and your equipment
  • Tips for guide and camp staffWe send guidance with your booking
  • Drinks at lodges and campsUnless the property includes them
  • Photographic equipmentAsk us what the vehicle carries
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.

+2 nightsprice

Northern Serengeti, for the river

Add two nights at the Mara River for the crossings. Long waits, and no promise, but the pictures people travel for.

Makes senseJuly to October
Mara River Crossings →
Same lengthprice

Ndutu instead of Seronera

Move the Serengeti nights south to Ndutu for the calving and the predators that follow.

Makes senseLate January to March
Ndutu Calving Season →
Same lengthprice

Balloon over the Serengeti

Swap one dawn drive for a balloon flight over the Seronera valley. A different angle on the plains.

Makes senseAny season it operates
The balloon, honestly →
+1 nightprice

Lake Manyara for birds

Add a day in Lake Manyara on the way to Karatu, for birds and the groundwater forest.

Makes senseNovember to April especially
Lake Manyara →
+3–5 nightsprice

Finish on Zanzibar

Fly on from Arusha instead of home. An hour in the air.

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

Rated for this route, not for the country.

Photographers can come in any month, and each has a different light. The dry months, June to October, give clear skies, animals concentrated at water and a lot of dust in the air by afternoon. The green months bring dramatic skies, clean air and fresh grass, with storms to plan around. April and May are the wettest, and some Serengeti camps close.

Jan
Dry spell, green plains
Feb
Calving in the south
Mar
Rains building
Apr
Long rains
May
Rains easing
Jun
Dry season begins
Jul
Dry, busy, cool
Aug
Dry, busy
Sep
Dry, Tarangire at its best
Oct
Dry, dusty
Nov
Short rains
Dec
Green, quieter
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.

No. This is a private safari with a professional driver-guide who works around your photography. If you want a photographic tutor, ask us and we will tell you honestly what we can arrange.

It varies with the vehicle. Ask us what the vehicle carries — bean bags, mounts, charging — before you decide what to bring.

Yes, within the park rules and opening hours. That is what the private vehicle is for.

As much as fits for the road days. On the flight home from Seronera there is a weight limit for soft bags, camera bags included. Ask us for the current figure; spare equipment can go back by road.

It depends on the picture. The dry months give animals at water and dusty golden light; the green months give storm skies, clean air and young animals. Tell us what you want and we will tell you which month suits.

Yes, though the early starts are relentless. Some camps set a minimum age; ask us and we will choose ones that welcome the ages in your group.

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 Photographic Northern Circuit 9 days · 8 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