Nine days gives genuine breathing room across three parks — Arusha National Park’s walking safaris, the Serengeti’s endless plains, and Ngorongoro’s extraordinary wildlife density — without the rushed pace a shorter version of this circuit demands.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1
Your driver-guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the short transfer into Arusha National Park itself, one of the few parks in the region permitting walking safaris — an armed ranger leads on foot rather than from a vehicle. An optional canoe trip on the Momella Lakes follows, paddling among hippos and flamingos at water level.
Arusha National Park Walking Safari
Accommodation Options
Mid-rangeHatari Lodge
LuxuryRivertrees Country Inn
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
DAY 2
A long drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s highlands towards the Serengeti, climbing past the crater rim itself before descending onto the vast plains via Naabi Hill gate.
Transfer Towards Serengeti
Accommodation Options
BudgetSerengeti Wildebeest Camp
Mid-rangeSerengeti Serena Safari Lodge
LuxuryFour Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3
A full day across the plains for lion, leopard, elephant and, seasonally, the Great Migration.
Full Day Serengeti Game Drives
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4
A further day exploring different sectors of the park — the Serengeti’s scale genuinely rewards continued time here.
Second Serengeti Game Drive Day
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5
Additional time exploring the park’s central and northern sectors, depending on current wildlife movement, your guide adjusting the day’s route based on the latest reports radioed in from other guides across the ecosystem.
Third Serengeti Game Drive Day
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 6
The drive back toward the crater rim, arriving with dramatic views into the caldera from your lodge, over 600 metres straight down to the floor.
Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
Accommodation Options
Mid-rangeNgorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
LuxuryNgorongoro Crater Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7
An early descent onto the crater floor for a full day of game viewing — one of the highest wildlife densities anywhere in Africa within a collapsed volcanic caldera.
Ngorongoro Crater Descent
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8
An optional second crater descent for travellers who want more time on the floor, or a visit to a local coffee farm in nearby Karatu — a genuinely different, more relaxed final activity day, walking through the growing, drying and roasting process on a working smallholder farm.
Second Crater Day or Karatu Coffee Tour
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 9
Drive back to Arusha, timed against your onward flight.
Return to Arusha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Permits & Costs
| Arusha National Park entry | ~$45 per person per day |
| Serengeti park entry | ~$82 per person per day |
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area fee | ~$70 per person per day, plus crater descent fee |
Who This Itinerary Suits
Travellers wanting a genuinely unhurried northern circuit trip, with real time in each park rather than a compressed sample.Tour Includes
- Travel in a 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof hatch
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All accommodation per itinerary
- Meals as specified
- Park entry & crater descent fees
Tour Excludes
- International flights
- Visas
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips & gratuities
- Travel insurance