Arusha and Kilimanjaro · Tarangire National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti
Ten-Day Family Safari Across Northern Tanzania
Giraffe on day two, a crater full of animals on day five, and a Serengeti pace that suits every age at the back of the vehicle.
- Duration
- 10 days
- Destinations
- Arusha and Kilimanjaro · Tarangire National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti
- Best months
- Jul, Aug, Dec
- Group size
- 3 to 8 guests
- From
- $6,125 per person
Overview
Giraffe on day two, a crater full of animals on day five, and a Serengeti pace that suits every age at the back of the vehicle.
Northern Tanzania can overwhelm a family if it is packed too tight. This route spreads ten days across four landscapes so that nobody is rushed: Arusha National Park for a gentle opening, Tarangire for elephants, Ngorongoro Crater for sheer density of animals, and the Serengeti for the long, slow finale.
The first morning in the field is deliberately easy. Giraffe and colobus monkeys sit close to the road, and the town of Arusha, at around 1,400 m (4,593 ft), lets arriving travellers settle before the bigger parks begin. Small choices like this are what turn a family-friendly label into a plan that works for a seven-year-old and a grandparent alike.
Whichever of the two accommodation levels you pick, you follow the same itinerary through the same parks, with the same count of game drives. The second tier is spacious and carefully chosen; the third puts every night in the very best family-suited properties on the Northern Circuit. Only the lodges change, never the days.
- Arusha National Park on day two, with giraffe, colobus monkeys and one of the few year-round guided walking safaris in the country
- A full day among Tarangire's elephant herds, under baobabs that have stood for more than a thousand years
- A cultural morning around Karatu that gives children and adults a break from the vehicle and a chance to talk with local people
- Ngorongoro Crater floor to floor: close to 30,000 animals in a single caldera, the Big Five among them
- A Maasai boma visit, then Olduvai Gorge and its museum, where 1.8-million-year-old fossil finds are explained in terms younger travellers can follow
- Three Serengeti days with a guide who tracks, explains behaviour and names birds at a pace that keeps all ages engaged
- A flight from Seronera back to Arusha, trading a drive of six hours or more for under an hour in the air
Best forFamiliesMulti-generational groups
Wildlife radar
What you can expect to see
The best months are July, August and December, which match school holidays in Europe and North America and bring excellent wildlife. These windows fill early, so book well ahead. June, September and October are also good, with fewer visitors, while the April and May rains are the quietest and greenest time.
- GiraffeGuaranteed
Arusha National Park
- Black-and-white colobus monkeyHigh
- African elephantHigh
- LionHigh
- LeopardRare
- Black rhinoRare
The difference
Built around how children actually travel
Most family itineraries are ordinary routes with a kinder label. Here the shape of the trip does the work: a soft landing at altitude, a non-wildlife day in the middle, and a flight at the end so the last day is not spent on a road.
Your guide sets the tempo for the whole car. Expect stops for a warthog family or a lion cub to be repeated if the children want them, and explanations pitched at whoever is asking.
Along the way
What each stop gives your family
Arusha National Park
A short drive from town, with giraffe, zebra and colobus monkeys reliably close. Lake Momela can mirror Mount Meru on a still morning, and walking with a ranger is possible here.
Tarangire National Park
Plains dotted with baobabs, and Tanzania's biggest elephant gatherings once the rains end, when the animals converge on the only reliable water for miles around.
Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge
An enclosed ecosystem of roughly 260 km² (100 sq mi), followed by the gorge where the Leakey family unearthed remains that reshaped the story of early humans.
Central Serengeti
The Seronera valley, where three habitats meet and big cats stay year-round instead of following the herds.
Day by day
Your itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Arusha
Arusha
Land at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive to your hotel. You are met, given a clear picture of the ten days ahead and left to sleep off the journey.
At about 1,400 m (4,593 ft), Arusha gives new arrivals a mild altitude cushion before the parks.
- 1,400 m / 4,593 ft
- Ridge
- Gran Melia, Arusha
- Summit
- Arusha Coffee Lodge
- Meals
- Dinner
Day 2
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park
A short transfer takes you into a park made for a first morning in the bush. Giraffe, zebra and colobus monkeys are usually near, Lake Momela can reflect Mount Meru, and families can choose a guided walk on foot.
Few parks in Tanzania allow guided walking safaris at every time of year; this is one of them.
- Ridge
- Gran Melia, Arusha
- Summit
- Arusha Coffee Lodge
- Meals
- All meals
Day 3
South to Tarangire
Tarangire National Park
The road south opens onto plains dotted with baobabs. This is where Tanzania's biggest elephant herds gather around the last dependable water for miles, and you spend the day with them.
Outside the rainy season Tarangire carries the country's largest elephant population, concentrated by scarce water.
- Ridge
- Kitela Lodge
- Summit
- The Manor at Ngorongoro
- Meals
- All meals
Day 4
A Morning in Karatu
Karatu
Halfway through the trip, the vehicle takes a rest. A local cultural experience around Karatu brings you into conversation with the people of the highlands. Families often say this was the day that surprised them most, and that it was the people rather than the animals.
Karatu is the last stretch of farmland before the Ngorongoro Conservation Area boundary and the crater highlands.
- Ridge
- Kitela Lodge
- Summit
- The Manor at Ngorongoro
- Meals
- All meals
Day 5
Descent into Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater
You spend a whole day down on the crater floor, home to nearly 30,000 animals, among them all five of the Big Five.
The crater is a closed system of roughly 260 km² (100 sq mi); most of its animals live out their lives inside it.
- Summit
- Lemala Osonjoi
- Meals
- All meals
Day 6
Maasai Boma, Olduvai and on to the Serengeti
Central Serengeti
Start with a visit to a Maasai boma, an honest welcome into a home and a way of life rather than a staged show. Next comes Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey discoveries, 1.8 million years old, are brought to life by the museum in terms younger travellers enjoy. The afternoon carries on into the Serengeti.
The Olduvai museum is a favourite with children because it turns ancient fossils into a story they can follow.
- Summit
- Lemala Nanyukie
- Meals
- All meals
Day 7
Serengeti, First Full Day
Central Serengeti
You drive the Seronera valley, a crossroads of three habitats that keeps its big cats close year-round. Your guide reads the mood of the car, points out tracks, explains behaviour and senses when a young lion or some warthogs merit lingering a little longer.
Seronera's blend of three habitats is why predators live here year-round instead of only during the migration.
- Summit
- Lemala Nanyukie
- Meals
- All meals
Day 8
Serengeti, Second Full Day
Central Serengeti
Another unhurried day of game viewing. The guide watches the family, not the clock, so no one is hustled away from a good sighting.
Guides follow fresh tracks and radio chatter from other vehicles, adjusting their position through the day instead of sticking to a set route.
- Summit
- Lemala Nanyukie
- Meals
- All meals
Day 9
Fly from the Serengeti to Arusha
Arusha
A bush flight from the Seronera airstrip returns you to Arusha, closing the wildlife chapter of the trip.
The flight takes under an hour; the same journey by road is more than six.
- Ridge
- Gran Melia, Arusha
- Summit
- Arusha Coffee Lodge
- Meals
- All meals
Day 10
Departure
Arusha
Transfer to the airport with ten days of family stories to carry home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Gallery
Along the route
Where you stay
Choose your style of stay
Price per person
Choose a level of stay and see what each person pays for your group size.
| Travelling together | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 3 travellers | $6,655 |
| 4 travellers | $6,390 |
| 5 travellers | $6,231 |
| 6 travellers | $6,125 |
- Prices are in US dollars, per person sharing a double or twin room. Vehicle and guide costs are shared, so the price per person changes with group size and does not always fall in a straight line.
- Park fees are set by the authorities and can change, so the quote you accept is the price that applies.
What's included
- Entrance fees for every park visited
- Game drives in a roomy private 4x4
- A guide experienced with families
- All meals
- Accommodation as set out in the itinerary
- Airport transfers
- The Seronera to Arusha flight on day nine
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Optional extras such as a hot air balloon flight
Good to know
- Connecting or adjoining rooms depend on each lodge and are confirmed at the time of booking.
- Availability can change the exact lodge line-up on specific travel dates.
- Park and conservation fees are set by the Tanzanian authorities and can change without notice.
Questions
Good to know
Only the lodges. The parks, the route and the number of game drives are the same. The second tier is comfortable, roomy and carefully picked; the third places your family in some of the finest properties on the Northern Circuit.
Game drives have no blanket minimum age across the parks, but long days in a vehicle can tire very young children, and some activities, such as the walk in Arusha National Park, carry their own age guidance. Share your children's ages when you enquire and we will adjust the pacing.
Most of the route lies in a malaria-risk zone, so speak to your family doctor well ahead of travel about preventive options for the children. Repellent, long sleeves and the treated bed nets provided at every lodge on this route all help.
Many of the properties can arrange connecting or adjoining rooms, but layouts differ and are confirmed when you book rather than promised in advance. Tell us your family size and sleeping needs early so we can match you to the right lodges.
Yes. The route is often booked for the July and August breaks and for December, and it suits families with more flexible dates just as well, when the parks are quieter.
Vehicle, guide and some accommodation costs are spread across the group, so larger families usually pay less per head. We will confirm the exact figure when we quote.
Park entrance fees, game drives in a private 4x4, a family-experienced guide, all meals, accommodation and airport transfers are covered. International flights, visas, insurance, gratuities and extras like a balloon flight are not.
Yes, many families finish with a few days in Zanzibar. Ask us about adding it to either accommodation level.
Ten-Day Family Safari Across Northern Tanzania
Tell us your dates and group size and we will confirm availability and a personal quote.