Riverside tented camp
Canvas rooms on raised decks above the river, lit by lantern and open to the sound of elephant at night.
Signature Journey
Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Open plains at first light, a descent into the crater floor, and unhurried afternoons where the only schedule is the one the wildlife keeps.
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Region
- Northern Tanzania
- Pace
- Balanced
- Best months
- June – October, January – March
The route in short
Eight days across the two landscapes northern Tanzania is best known for, arranged so that neither feels rushed. You spend the long middle of the journey in the Serengeti, moving between camps as the wildlife moves, then close in the Ngorongoro Highlands with a full day on the crater floor.
Everything is private: your vehicle, your guide, your mornings. Departure times are decided the night before, around what you saw that day and what the light is likely to do the next.
What the week gives you
- Two nights in the central Serengeti
- Resident lion and leopard territory, with early departures that put you on the plains before the first vehicles arrive.
- A full day on the crater floor
- A pre-dawn descent, breakfast beside Lake Magadi, and the density of wildlife the caldera is known for.
- Tarangire's baobab country
- Elephant herds along the river and a landscape that looks nothing like the plains that follow it.
- Guides who grew up here
- Tanzanian guides who read tracks, weather and mood, and who know when to stop talking.
Day by day
Written as we would run it in a normal season. Days move, and often should.
Arrival in Arusha
Met at Kilimanjaro International and driven to a quiet lodge outside Arusha. Nothing is scheduled — the day is yours to sleep, swim or walk the gardens. Your guide joins you in the evening to talk through the week and adjust it to how you want to travel.
Into Tarangire
A morning drive south-west into baobab country. Afternoon game drive along the Tarangire River, where elephant families gather through the dry months, and a first night under canvas with the river running below camp.
Tarangire to the Serengeti
A long, beautiful transfer through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping where the escarpment opens onto the Rift Valley. You reach the central Serengeti in the late afternoon, in time for a slow first drive as the light drops.
Central Serengeti
A full day in Seronera. Early departure with breakfast carried, following whatever the night has left behind — tracks, calls, vultures on the horizon. Afternoons are unhurried, often spent with a single pride rather than chasing a list.
Following the herds
You move to a camp positioned for the season: the western corridor, the north near the Mara River, or the southern short-grass plains. Your guide decides the day before, based on where the herds actually are.
A day without a plan
The day we protect. No transfer, no fixed departure — a picnic in the shade, an afternoon on a kopje, and the space for the long sighting you cannot schedule.
Ngorongoro Crater
A dawn descent into the caldera before the road fills. Breakfast beside Lake Magadi among flamingos, then the slow circuit of the floor — black rhino, resident lion, elephant bulls with old ivory. Afternoon on the rim as the mist comes in.
Highlands to departure
A last slow morning in the highlands, coffee looking into the crater, then the drive back to Arusha for your flight — or on to Zanzibar if you would like a few quiet days by the ocean.
Where you stay
Central Serengeti camp
A small permanent camp among the kopjes, close enough to the plains for pre-dawn departures.
Mobile camp with the herds
A light camp that moves through the year to sit where the migration is, not where the map says it should be.
Crater rim lodge
Rooms facing into the caldera, with fires lit early and the mist arriving most afternoons.
Included
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a guaranteed window seat for every traveller
- A private Tanzanian guide throughout, from arrival to departure
- All accommodation as described, on a full-board basis
- All park, conservation and crater-descent fees
- Airport transfers in Arusha and Kilimanjaro
- Drinking water, soft drinks and house beverages in camp
- Flying-doctor evacuation cover for the duration of the safari
Not included
- International flights and Tanzanian visa fees
- Travel insurance, which we ask every guest to arrange
- Premium wines, spirits and champagne
- Balloon flights, walking safaris and other optional activities
- Personal spending, laundry where not included, and gratuities
When to travel
- January – March
- Calving on the southern short-grass plains. Predator activity is at its most concentrated and the light is soft.
- April – May
- The long rains. Green, quiet and considerably less expensive, with some tracks difficult and a few camps closed.
- June – October
- Dry season. Wildlife holds to water, the northern crossings build from July, and the crater is at its clearest.
- November – December
- Short rains and the herds returning south. Uncrowded, dramatic skies, and good value before the festive weeks.
Practical notes
- Getting there
- Most guests fly into Kilimanjaro International (JRO). We meet you in arrivals and handle everything from that point.
- Driving and flying
- This route is driven, which shows you the country between the parks. Light-aircraft legs can replace the longer drives if you prefer.
- Who it suits
- First-time and returning safari travellers, couples, and families with children of roughly eight and above. We adjust drive lengths for younger travellers.
- Health and entry
- A visa is required for most nationalities and yellow-fever certification may apply depending on your route. Please confirm current requirements with your doctor and embassy.
Other routes to consider
All safaris
The Great Migration
Follow the herds across the Mara River and the western corridor, timed season by season with guides who read the grass before the guidebooks do.
Best months: July – OctoberPace: ActiveFrom On request
Southern Tanzania Unscripted
Boat safaris on the Rufiji, walking country in Ruaha, and long stretches of wilderness where you may not see another vehicle all day.
Best months: June – NovemberPace: ActiveFrom On request
Plains & Ocean
A week of northern wildlife softened by five slow days on the Indian Ocean — dhow sails, long lunches and nothing at all to do.
Best months: June – MarchPace: GentleFrom On request
Enquire about Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Send your dates and who is travelling, and a planner will reply with a route and a real cost.