7-Day Complete Camping Circuit
OVERVIEW
TAKE THE LONG WAY INTO THE WILD.
Seven days gives northern Tanzania room to unfold.
Begin among Tarangire’s elephants and ancient baobabs, explore the changing habitats of Lake Manyara, spend three days immersed in the Serengeti ecosystem and finish with a descent into the extraordinary Ngorongoro Crater.
Camping keeps you close to the landscape and makes this one of the most accessible ways to experience the full Northern Circuit. Your private vehicle, guide and camp crew take care of the practical details while you concentrate on the important things: looking, listening and wondering what might appear around the next bend.
This isn’t luxury wrapped in linen.
It’s the luxury of being out there.
DAY 01 / TARANGIRE - START WITH THE GIANTS.
Meet your Wildpack guide in Arusha and head southwest toward Tarangire National Park.
The safari begins properly when the baobabs appear.
These enormous trees rise above a landscape shaped by seasonal water and the Tarangire River. Elephants thrive here, often travelling in large family groups between the river, woodland and open plains.
Spend the afternoon exploring in search of elephants, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and predators including lions and leopards.
As evening approaches, continue to camp for dinner and your first night beneath the Tanzanian sky.
OVERNIGHT
Public Campsite / Budget Camping
MEALS
Lunch · Dinner
DAY 02 / LAKE MANYARA - BETWEEN THE LAKE AND THE RIFT.
After breakfast, make your way toward Lake Manyara National Park.
Small on the map, Manyara packs an unusual variety of habitats into a narrow strip beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Groundwater forest, acacia woodland, grasslands and wetlands create a completely different atmosphere from yesterday’s Tarangire.
Look for elephants beneath the trees, giraffes on the open ground, large troops of baboons, buffalo and zebra. The lake environment also supports rich birdlife, including seasonal concentrations of waterbirds.
After your game drive, continue toward camp for the evening.
OVERNIGHT
Mto wa Mbu / Karatu Area Camping
MEALS
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
DAY 03 / SERENGETI - THE ROAD RUNS OUT OF EDGES.
Today, head into the Ngorongoro Highlands and continue across the conservation area toward Serengeti National Park.
The journey itself is part of the story.
Highlands gradually give way to enormous grasslands. Settlements disappear. The horizon grows wider.
Then you enter the Serengeti.
Game drive toward camp while searching for lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas and the grazing herds that sustain this extraordinary ecosystem.
Reach camp toward evening and settle in for your first night on the plains.
OVERNIGHT
Serengeti Public Campsite
MEALS
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
DAY 04 / SERENGETI - NOTHING TO DO BUT FOLLOW THE WILD.
Wake in the Serengeti with an entire day ahead and nowhere else you need to be.
Set out early while the air is cool and predators may still be active. Your guide will read tracks, animal behaviour and recent wildlife activity to determine where the morning takes you.
Perhaps lions are gathered around a kopje. A leopard might be resting in an acacia tree. A cheetah could be watching gazelles across the grass.
During migration periods, enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra may become the day’s focus depending on their seasonal location.
Stop for a picnic lunch before continuing through the afternoon.
OVERNIGHT
Serengeti Public Campsite
MEALS
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
DAY 05 / SERENGETI - STAY. WATCH. SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
A second full day gives you something surprisingly valuable on safari: time.
Instead of racing toward the next destination, explore another part of the Serengeti or return to areas where wildlife activity looks promising.
Watch the small things as well as the spectacular ones. Elephants communicating quietly within a herd. Hyenas returning to their dens. Giraffes moving through morning mist. Lions doing absolutely nothing for several hours, as lions are magnificently good at doing.
There is no fixed checklist today.
The Serengeti writes the itinerary.
OVERNIGHT
Serengeti Public Campsite
MEALS
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
DAY 06 / NGORONGORO LEAVE THE PLAINS. KEEP LOOKING BACK.
Enjoy a final morning game drive as you begin travelling east across the Serengeti.
The journey out remains very much part of the safari, so keep your camera nearby. Wildlife doesn’t care that you’re technically travelling somewhere else.
Gradually, the plains begin to rise toward the Ngorongoro Highlands.
Continue toward the crater rim, where the air becomes cooler and the landscape changes dramatically once again.
Settle into camp for your final night in the bush.
Tomorrow morning, you’ll discover what lies below.
OVERNIGHT
Ngorongoro / Simba Public Campsite or Similar
MEALS
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
DAY 07 / NGORONGORO CRATER - ONE LAST WILD WORLD.
Wake early and descend approximately 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater.
Within its ancient volcanic walls lies one of Africa’s most remarkable concentrations of wildlife. Grasslands, woodland and wetlands support lions, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hippos, hyenas and an extraordinary variety of birdlife.
The crater is also one of northern Tanzania’s important strongholds for the endangered black rhino, although sightings are never guaranteed.
Spend the morning exploring before stopping for a picnic lunch.
Then climb back toward the rim and begin the journey to Arusha.
Seven days ago, you started with elephants beneath the baobabs.
Somewhere between there and here, Tanzania got under your skin.
MEALS
Breakfast · Lunch
END POINT
Arusha
$2,050
MAKE THIS JOURNEY YOURS
Safari Includes
- All Park Fees
- All transportation
- Professional private safari guide
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Accommodation as specified in the itinerary
- Government taxes and VAT
Safari Excludes
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- Personal items
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some Meals