ENCOUNTERSAFRICA
7-Day Tarangire & Ngorongoro Safari

Tanzania - Fly-in safari

7-Day Tarangire & Ngorongoro Safari

Duration
7 days
Countries
Tanzania
Suited to
2-6 guests
Pricing
From USD 11,580

The journey

Updated on 23 August 2026

The northern circuit works best driven rather than flown. Tanzania's three great northern parks sit within a few hours of each other along the Rift wall, and the ground between them, Maasai steppe, escarpment and coffee country, is half the point. This programme gives you one guide and one private vehicle for six days, so nothing is handed over at an airstrip and no day is spent waiting on a flight. Tarangire comes first because it is at its best in the dry months, when the river is the only permanent water in a 20,000 square kilometre ecosystem and elephant arrive in herds of a hundred or more. Two nights at Swala Camp put you in the far south-west, two to three hours of game driving beyond the northern gate, where day visitors never reach. Then the escarpment: Lake Manyara's groundwater forest, a night at Gibb's Farm in the Karatu highlands, and two nights on the crater rim at Lemala Osonjoi. The crater itself is one long day, so the second rim night exists to let you descend at first light rather than in convoy. andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is closed for rebuild until January 2027, and the quieter eastern rim is the better address in the meantime.

Your camps, day by day

Stay 1

Coffee Farm at Arusha

You land at Kilimanjaro International and drive an hour west to Arusha Coffee Lodge, a working plantation on the edge of town where the chalets stand among the coffee rows. Your driver-guide meets you here and walks through the route over dinner. Sleep off the long-haul flight; tomorrow is a full day on the road and then in the park.

Stay 2

Baobabs and the Gursi

After breakfast you drive south-west to Tarangire, roughly two and a half hours, then trade tarmac for a game drive that runs another two to three hours through the park to Swala Camp on the edge of the Gursi Swamp. Twelve tents stand under flat-topped acacia and baobab, one or two built around the trunks. A waterhole in front of camp does the rest.

Stay 3

Elephant on the Silale

A full day in the far south of Tarangire, where vehicle numbers drop away almost entirely. The Tarangire River is the only permanent water for miles in the dry months, which is why elephant gather along it in herds of a hundred or more. Your guide works the Silale Swamp fringes for lion and the riverine figs for leopard. Swala also runs guided walks and night drives.

Stay 4

Down to the Lake

You game drive north out of the park, then drop to Lake Manyara for the afternoon: groundwater forest fed by springs at the foot of the Rift escarpment, blue monkey overhead, and flamingo working the soda lake when the water sits right. Late in the day you climb the escarpment to Gibb's Farm above Karatu, a coffee farm since the 1920s. Dinner comes out of the garden.

Stay 5

Up to the Rim

A slow morning on the farm, walking the coffee and the organic beds that supply the kitchen. Then you pass through Lodoare Gate into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and climb to Lemala Osonjoi on the quieter eastern rim, twenty suites with wood stoves and windows facing the forest. An afternoon rim walk with an armed ranger and a Maasai guide sets up tomorrow.

Stay 6

Into the Crater

You are on the descent road at first light, ahead of the vehicles coming up from Karatu. The crater floor covers 260 square kilometres inside walls some 600 metres high, and holds the densest lion population in Africa along with a small, closely watched group of black rhino near the Lerai forest. Lunch is set up privately on the floor rather than eaten in the car.

Stay 7

Down the Escarpment

A last breakfast looking into the rim forest, then out through Lodoare Gate and down through Karatu, Mto wa Mbu and the Maasai steppe to Arusha and Kilimanjaro International, about five hours with a stop for lunch. Your guide sees you into the terminal. Zanzibar, Mafia or a Serengeti extension all connect neatly from here if you have more days.

Safari highlights

  • Two nights at Swala Camp in Tarangire's quiet far south
  • Baobab country and dry-season elephant on the Tarangire River
  • Lake Manyara's groundwater forest below the Rift escarpment
  • Gibb's Farm above Karatu, a working coffee farm since the 1920s
  • Lemala Osonjoi on the quieter eastern crater rim
  • A full crater day with a private lunch set up on the floor

What is included

Included

  • 6 nights accommodation, per person sharing
  • Private extended-body 4x4 Land Cruiser with a professional driver-guide for six days, exclusive to your party, fuel included
  • Road transfers: Kilimanjaro International to Arusha Coffee Lodge on arrival, and Ngorongoro crater rim to Kilimanjaro International on departure
  • All road travel by route: Arusha to Tarangire, Tarangire to Lake Manyara and Karatu, and Karatu to the Ngorongoro crater rim
  • Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park entry fees, concession fees and vehicle fees
  • Ngorongoro Conservation Area entry fees for two 24-hour periods and the crater service fee for one descent
  • Full board with house drinks at Swala Camp, Gibb's Farm and Lemala Osonjoi, and bed and breakfast plus dinner in Arusha
  • Private catered lunch on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater
  • AMREF Flying Doctors evacuation cover and the Tanzania tourism development levy

Not included

  • International flights to and from Africa
  • Tanzania visa, currently USD 50 for most nationalities and USD 100 for United States passport holders
  • Travel and medical insurance, which is compulsory on this programme
  • Champagne, premium wines and imported spirits
  • Gratuities for your driver-guide and camp staff
  • Items of a personal nature, including curios and spa treatments
  • Optional extras such as a hot-air balloon flight over Tarangire and Maasai village visits

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 7-day Tarangire and Ngorongoro safari cost?

This programme starts at USD 11,580 per person sharing in shoulder season and runs to about USD 13,680 in peak months. That covers six nights, a private 4x4 and professional driver-guide for six days, all road transfers from Kilimanjaro International, full board with house drinks in the bush, every park and conservation fee, the Ngorongoro crater service fee and a private lunch on the crater floor.

Are international flights included in the price?

No. International flights to and from Africa are excluded, so you book your own long-haul into Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha. Everything on the ground in Tanzania is included: the airport transfers, the private Land Cruiser and driver-guide for the full six days of the route, and all park entry, concession and crater fees. We are glad to advise on routings and timings when you enquire.

How much is the Ngorongoro Crater entry fee in 2026?

Two separate charges apply and both are included here. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area entry fee is USD 70.80 per non-resident adult per 24 hours, so two rim nights means two charges. On top of that the crater service fee is USD 295 per vehicle per descent plus 18 percent VAT, valid for a single entry with the last exit at 16:30. Together they are the largest fee line on any northern circuit trip.

Is andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge open in 2026?

No. andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is closed for a full rebuild and is not due to reopen until January 2027, so it cannot be booked for any 2026 departure. This itinerary uses Lemala Osonjoi Lodge on the eastern crater rim instead, twenty suites with wood stoves and forest-facing windows. Ngorongoro Serena, Entamanu and The Highlands are the other rim alternatives we use.

When is the best time to visit Tarangire National Park?

June to October. In the dry season the Tarangire River is the only permanent water across a 20,000 square kilometre ecosystem, and elephant concentrate along it in herds of a hundred or more, with lion on the Silale Swamp fringes. The green season from November to May is quieter and cheaper, with better birding, though Swala Camp closes through April and May.

How long is the drive from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Crater?

About four and a half to five hours for the 190 kilometres, on tar as far as Karatu and then a graded climb to the rim through Lodoare Gate. This itinerary breaks that run rather than doing it in one push, going Arusha to Tarangire on day two and Karatu to the rim on day five, so the longest single drive you face is the five-hour return on day seven.

Do I need malaria tablets and a yellow fever certificate for Tanzania?

Tarangire and Lake Manyara are malaria areas, so take prophylaxis and pack repellent. The Ngorongoro rim sits above 2,200 metres and risk there is very low, but stay on your course. A yellow fever certificate is required only if you are arriving from or transiting a country with risk of transmission. See a travel clinic six weeks out. Evacuation cover is included.