6-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari: Self-Launched Version
6 days · Tanzania
Serengeti African Tours charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£1,290 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on Serengeti African Tours' 6-day lodge safari covering Tarangire, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. The original package bundles a private 4x4, a driver-guide, lodge accommodation and all meals into one high price. Doing it yourself means joining a shared small-group camping/budget-lodge safari through an Arusha-based operator booked directly (typically £700-1,100 for 5-6 days on a shared basis in Tanzania), or hiring a local driver-guide shared between 2-4 travellers, and topping up with a Maasai village visit and crater fees paid individually. Costs below assume joining a shared budget safari (2-4 travellers in the vehicle), staying in mid-range tented camps/budget lodges and eating with the group cook. Prices are rough estimates for the dry season and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Arusha / Tarangire
Meet your shared safari group and driver-guide in Arusha between 07:00 and 08:00 (most budget operators offer a free pickup from central Arusha hostels). Drive roughly 2 hours south to Tarangire National Park, famous for its baobabs and huge elephant herds. Spend the afternoon on a game drive and eat a packed picnic lunch at the Tarangire River picnic site, where you can watch wildlife come down to drink. Continue to your tented camp or budget lodge near Karatu/Mto wa Mbu for dinner.
🚌Shared 4x4 safari vehicle with driver-guide (included in the shared-safari package, approx. £55-70/day per person covering vehicle, fuel, guide and cook)
🛏Budget tented camp or mid-range guesthouse near Karatu/Mto wa Mbu (shared safari package, approx. £45-60 per person per night full board)
- →Game drive in Tarangire National Park
- →Picnic lunch at Tarangire River viewpoint
Mto wa Mbu to the Serengeti via Ngorongoro viewpoint
Mto wa Mbu / Serengeti
Early breakfast and depart for the Serengeti, stopping at the Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint on the rim for the classic photo stop. Cross the Naabi Hill gate into the Serengeti and game-drive through the Seronera Valley in the late afternoon, timing your drive to catch sunset over the plains. Optional detour: a Maasai village visit near Ngorongoro (entrance roughly £8-16 per person, pay locally in TZS). Overnight in a tented camp inside or just outside the Serengeti.
🚌Shared safari 4x4; long drive of around 5-6 hours with game drives en route (included in package)
🛏Tented camp in/around Seronera or the Serengeti gate area (shared safari package)
- →Ngorongoro Crater rim viewpoint stop
- →Afternoon game drive in Seronera, Serengeti
- →Optional Maasai village visit
Full day in the Serengeti
Serengeti National Park
Up before dawn for an early-morning game drive when predators are most active, then return to camp for brunch. Head out again for a full-day drive across different regions of the park in search of lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant and, in season (roughly June-October), the Great Migration herds in the north/western corridors. Packed lunch in the bush. Back to camp for dinner under the stars.
🚌Shared safari 4x4 with driver-guide (included in package)
🛏Tented camp in the Serengeti (shared safari package)
- →Sunrise game drive
- →Full-day game drive across the Serengeti
Serengeti to Ngorongoro highlands
Serengeti / Ngorongoro
Another early game drive in the Seronera area, then exit the park with a slow game drive on the way out, passing through the Naabi Hill area and the short-grass plains. Drive up onto the Ngorongoro Crater rim to your lodge or camp, arriving late afternoon with time to watch the sun set into the caldera. Rest up for a pre-dawn crater descent the next morning.
🚌Shared safari 4x4 (included in package)
🛏Budget lodge or tented camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rim or nearby Karatu (shared safari package)
- →Morning game drive in Seronera
- →Game drive exiting the Serengeti
- →Ngorongoro Crater rim sunset
Ngorongoro Crater descent
Ngorongoro Crater
Leave camp early and descend the 600m into the Ngorongoro Crater in your 4x4 for a full-day game drive. The crater is the best place in Tanzania to spot black rhino, plus dense concentrations of lion, buffalo, hippo and flamingo on Lake Magogor. Picnic lunch at the Nsenyandi or similar site (watch your food - the kites are bold). Climb back out in the late afternoon. Note the crater descent is a separate conservation fee, usually paid by your operator but worth confirming.
🚌Shared safari 4x4 with crater descent permit (included in package)
🛏Budget lodge or tented camp near Karatu/Ngorongoro (shared safari package)
- →Crater descent and full-day game drive
- →Search for black rhino
Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha
Lake Manyara / Arusha
Drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive through the groundwater forest - famous for tree-climbing lions (elusive) and its huge hippo pool and flamingo-lined shoreline. After a picnic lunch, drive back to Arusha, arriving late afternoon where the shared safari ends. Book a hostel in Arusha for the night or take a shuttle to Kilimanjaro Airport (roughly £10-15 shared shuttle).
🚌Shared safari 4x4 back to Arusha (included); optional shared airport shuttle approx. £10-15
🛏Not included - Arusha hostel (approx. £12-20 per night) if staying on
- →Game drive in Lake Manyara National Park
- →Hippo pool visit
Self-launched vs. Serengeti African Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Serengeti African Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,290 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £460 per person (26%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Serengeti African Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,290
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does 6-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Safari: Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,290 per person for 6 days in Tanzania. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Serengeti African Tours?+
Yes — Serengeti African Tours charges around £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,290 — a saving of roughly £460 (26%) per person.
How long is the Tanzania trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Tanzania.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, backpacker trip through Tanzania, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.