The best places to visit in Tanzania are spread across the northern circuit, from the Serengeti plains to the Ngorongoro Crater, the lakes of the Rift Valley, and on to the coast and the mountains. The northern circuit holds most of them, and it is where we own and operate our camps. Each place has its own character, and most trips combine two or three of them.
How to choose where to go in Tanzania
Start with what you want to see. For the great migration and big cats, the Serengeti leads. For dense wildlife in a small area, the Ngorongoro Crater is hard to match. For elephants and old baobab trees, Tarangire. For culture and birds, the Rift Valley lakes. Then look at your time, because each region needs its own days, and the season, which moves the migration around the map. Most places to visit in Tanzania are within a few hours of each other on the northern circuit.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is the first place most people picture, and it earns the spot. It covers 14,763 square kilometers (5,700 square miles) of plains, and it holds the great migration along with resident lions, leopards and cheetahs. The central area around Seronera has wildlife all year. For the regions, timing and where to stay, see our Serengeti safari guide.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is a collapsed volcano with steep walls and a flat floor full of animals. You can see lions, elephants, buffalo and black rhino in a single day on the crater floor. It is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where Maasai graze cattle alongside the wildlife. Read more on our Ngorongoro page.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire is known for big elephant herds and ancient baobab trees. In the dry season, animals gather along the Tarangire River, which makes June to October the strongest months. It is calmer than the Serengeti and easy to reach from Arusha. See our Tarangire National Park page for the detail.
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is a shallow soda lake below the Rift Valley wall, backed by a groundwater forest. It draws flamingos and more than 350 bird species, and it is known for lions that rest in the trees. A half day here pairs well with Tarangire or the crater. More on our Lake Manyara page.
Lake Eyasi
Lake Eyasi lies south of the Ngorongoro highlands, and it is where the Hadza live, one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in Africa. A morning with them, and with the Datoga herders nearby, is one of the most direct cultural visits on the circuit. The lake also brings birds in the wet months. See our Lake Eyasi page.
Ndutu and the southern Serengeti
Ndutu is on the southern Serengeti plains, on the Ngorongoro Conservation Area side of the boundary. From late December to March the migration gathers here to give birth, and this is the calving season. The short grass and open views make it strong for predators and photography. See our Ndutu safari guide.
Karatu
Karatu is a green farming town on the Rift Valley escarpment, about 30 minutes from the Ngorongoro Crater rim. It works as a base for the crater, Lake Manyara and Lake Eyasi, with coffee farms and markets of its own. See our Karatu page.
Arusha
Arusha is the city most northern circuit safaris begin from, close to Kilimanjaro International Airport and the start of the road west. It is our head office, and it is where many trips spend the first or last night. Mount Meru rises behind the town.
Beyond the northern circuit
Tanzania has more beyond the north. Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, draws climbers to its routes. Zanzibar adds Indian Ocean beaches and the old lanes of Stone Town. The southern parks, Nyerere and Ruaha, are wilder and see fewer visitors. We focus on the northern circuit, so we cover these in brief and plan the rest around them.
How many places to combine, and how long
Most trips combine two or three places. Three to four days in the Serengeti, one or two at the crater and Tarangire, and a cultural stop at the lakes make a full week. Add Ndutu in the calving months, or the north for the river crossings. For worked routes, see our Tanzania safari itineraries.
Best time to visit
The dry season from June to October is the easiest time for game viewing across the northern circuit. The green season from November to May has fewer visitors and lower prices, with the calving in the south. The migration moves through the year, so timing shapes where you go. For the full picture, see our best time to visit Tanzania guide.
Where to stay
We own and run five camps across the northern circuit, three inside the Serengeti, one inside Tarangire and one near Karatu. Each has ten tents and full board. To compare them by region and season, see our Serengeti safari camps guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best places to visit in Tanzania?
The Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Lake Eyasi on the northern circuit, plus Mount Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar for mountains and the coast.
How many places can I visit in one trip?
Most trips combine two or three. A week covers the Serengeti, the crater and Tarangire, with a cultural stop at the lakes.
What is the best place for the great migration?
The Serengeti. The south around Ndutu holds the calving from late December to March, and the north holds the river crossings from July to November.
When is the best time to visit Tanzania?
June to October for dry-season game viewing, and November to May for the green season and the calving in the south.
Which place is best for a first safari?
The Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater together give the widest range of wildlife in a short trip.
Do you visit places outside the northern circuit?
We focus on the northern circuit. We can add Mount Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar around a safari.
Plan your trip
The northern circuit puts most of Tanzania best places within a week of each other. To plan your route and dates, use our enquiry form.
