Northern Tanzania Safari : The well-known “Northern Circuit” safari in northern Tanzania, which includes national parks, game reserves, conservation zones, and private concessions, offers some of the most diversified safari experiences available anywhere in the world. Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park, as well as their less well-known neighbors Lake Manyara National Park, are among these. They are both renowned and iconic national parks.
The incredible variety and wealth of wildlife that call these parks home, including year-round residents and migratory species, as well as the largest yearly migration of wildebeest and zebra in the world, are all intended to be protected. Even though this region of the world has become busier due to its fame, if you know where to look, you may still find a peaceful spot and get away from the crowds.
Where is Northern Tanzania?
Everyone should put a safari in northern Tanzania on their travel wish list. The Great Migration in the Serengeti National Park is one of the most incredible wildlife spectacles in the world, and a safari on the crater floor of the extinct volcano at Ngorongoro is unmatched for seeing animals. The highest freestanding mountain in the world and presumably the most difficult obstacle in Africa, Kilimanjaro, towers above everything. In contrast to their more well-known neighbors, quieter parks like Tarangire National Park offer excellent opportunities for watching wildlife away from the tourist areas. The largest flocks of flamingos on earth breed in the Rift Valley Lakes of Eyasi and Natron, which are also home to Hadzabe tribes. A safari in Northern Tanzania is frequently regarded as the best safari of all.
The most well-known safari region in Africa is Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. There is an incredible concentration of big game in this region with to the presence of the internationally renowned Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the less well-known Tarangire and Lake Manyara parks.
The majority of travel plans to this area centre on the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, with the Serengeti’s Wildebeest Migration and massive predator concentrations serving as the primary draws, not to mention the Big Five encounter in the Ngorongoro. The region is one of the most scenically stunning and diverse regions of the continent, and it is also home to a range of indigenous cultures, including the Maasai and the Hadzabe.
Northern Tanzania Safari or Southern Tanzania Safari?
How long should you spend on safari? Should you go in the north or south of Tanzania? The first and most crucial choice you must make is this. There are benefits and drawbacks to each of the northern safari parks, which are substantially different from those on the southern Tanzania safari:
With regular flights from Dar and no stopovers needed, it is easier to reach the more isolated southern Tanzanian parks. The camps in the south are more affordable, more intimate, and offer a variety of activities like walking, boating, and fly camping than those in the north. The viewing experience is improved by using open-sided vehicles to watch the game. The south offers a quick, inexpensive, and very gratifying experience with rarely any other tourists because it prefers the shorter safari and beach combination.
In contrast, the bulk of parks in the north need closed-sided vehicles, do not permit walking (save in a few camps), or boat safaris, and are typically quite populated and not as “wild.” If your budget allows and you are savvy, you can discover modest tented sites that are nestled away from the crowded places. However, the majority of camp and resort options are big and characterless. The Great Wildebeest Migration, the Big Five, and the breathtaking scenery are the benefits in the north, but beware of generally higher prices and worse value for money in the low- to mid-range.
There are a variety of options available, but like any travel, it really comes down to what your budget is. You truly do get what you pay for in this instance.
The &beyond flying circuit, which entails zero driving between camps, is available to high-end travelers. The Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, and any number of nights above two at Serengeti Under Canvas and/or Kleins Camp are typically included in such safaris. This is a magnificent, expensive excursion. Addition of one or more of Singita’s camps in the Grumeti Reserves- Faru Faru, Sasakwa, or Sabora-would be the cherry on top.
A mid-range northern circuit would involve travelling between Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, and the Ngorongoro Crater and Highlands (by far the most popular route that we sell). Then, after landing in a much less populated area of the Serengeti, you would fly to one of the smaller tented lodges. The initial leg of the safari is driven (rather than flown) to save money, but you then fly to wherever the migration is occurring in the Serengeti. This type of safari is less expensive than high-end itineraries without necessarily affecting your game watching experience.
The most affordable Tanzania safari is a traditional complete driving circuit with your own private driver-guide who will be with you the entire time. The more of you there are to split the expense, the more economical this becomes. We only schedule private safaris, and we organize the parks’ arrangements according on the weather. Having your own vehicle gives you the flexibility to stay at less expensive lodges without access to safari vehicles, and your private driver-guide will be available to show you the best attractions in the area each day. The drawback of this itinerary is that you are forced to stay in the bigger lodges in the busier parts of the parks, which is disappointing for the Serengeti as you can’t always count on witnessing the migration.
The northern parks are famous for having a very little selection of safari activities, and you are typically limited to daylight game drives. The private concessions occasionally have a little wiggle room and can provide night drives and walks, but this does vary a little from park to park.
Only daytime game drives are available at the Ngorongoro Crater, and if you are staying at one of the lodges on the crater rim itself, you may occasionally be able to take a quick bush walk around the grounds. More safari activities, such as hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking, are available at the lodges in the larger Ngorongoro Highlands region.
Unless you are staying in the extreme northern Kogatende district, where some lodges like Alex Walker’s Serian and Serengeti Lamai provide walking safaris in some sections, the Serengeti National Park only offers daytime game drives. Due to their seclusion, Kleins Camp and the Singita properties on the Grumeti reserve allow for nighttime driving and walking.
Because Lake Manyara National Park is easily accessible, depending on where you are staying, you can go on day or even night game drives there.
The most varied park in terms of activities is Tarangire National Park. Olivers Camp and Swala provide walking safaris, night drives, and bush nights when you can camp out beneath the stars inside the park. These are also offered, albeit in a less appealing setting, in the campgrounds outside the park.
The obvious walking and climbing opportunities are available in the nearby regions of Empakai, Lake Eyasi, Mount Meru, and Kilimanjaro, while Eyasi and the Southern reaches provide the chance to go hunting with the Hadazbe.
How much is a Northern Tanzania Safari?
The cost of the northern campgrounds varies greatly, and generally speaking, the higher the cost, the better the camp and game experience. Large permanent lodges with up to 70 rooms and prices around $500 per person per night, including game activities, are at the lower end of the scale. This is quite typical for all the parks. There are more affordable, although still busy, smaller tented camps like Kati Kati in the Serengeti that fall under this price range.
At about $650 per person per night, the superb mobile tented camps Olakira, Dunia, and Ubuntu are among the mid-range options. The fact that most of these camps relocate with the migration every four months avoids crowds, fosters a cosy camp atmosphere, and ensures that players have an excellent gaming experience. The best mobile operation in the Serengeti, Alex Walker’s Serian is $850 per person per night, but because to their frequent discounts, this item falls into the mid-range price range. The Ngorongoro Highlands’ Plantation Lodge or Gibbs Farm, both of which cost approximately $650 per person per night and provide access to the Crater and Manyara while avoiding the big hotels, work quite well with these campers.
For a summary of the best places to stay in the Serengeti.
In the northern parks, walking is prohibited with a few exceptions, and the only legal way to see game is from a closed-sided vehicle. With Serian and Nomads from their mobile camps, as well as from Sayari and Serengeti Lamai in the Lamai Wedge, it is now feasible to go on enjoyable, albeit brief, safari walks in the Serengeti.
It is highly recommended to venture off the beaten path, outside the National Parks, and into the less strictly managed concession areas if you want to stroll or hike properly. The areas around Nduara Camp in the Loliondo region and with the Hadzabe hunters and gatherers near Eyasi are the ideal for strolling. Guided tours at the summit of the Great Rift Valley escarpment with views of Manyara, frequently led by Maasai, are also rewarding.
A Northern Tanzania Circuit – How to get there.
Arusha, which was formerly a typical Maasai village, serves as the beginning point for a safari in the north. International flights land in Kilimanjaro, which is about a half-hour drive from Dar, a two-hour flight from Arusha. You can drive or take a short flight from Arusha to any of the parks to begin your northern safari
