by Vika
November 24, 2022

Tanzania, our incredible home, is always open for travelers! We can’t wait to share her beauty with you.

Take a look below at what we have to offer: the routes, the accommodations, and the experiences.

The north of Tanzania is full of incredible sights, every way you look. Most of the highlights of the region are in relatively close proximity to each other, making it easy to travel through all of them on safari. The diversity between the parks in this region gives travelers a broad experience of East African nature, culture, and wildlife.

The information here will give you a better understanding of the distances and travel times involved in a private safari in Tanzania. It will be useful as you plan yours!

There is so much opportunity for travel in Tanzania, and your trip can easily include a safari in neighboring Kenya or a beach getaway to idyllic Zanzibar. Get in touch to find your perfect safari!

Arrival day, Kilimanjaro Airport

Your guide will greet you at Kilimanjaro Airport, and, depending on your time of arrival, you will either start your safari immediately or go to your lodge in Arusha to get some rest before heading out on the safari trail the next morning.

Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport - Lake Manyara National Park

Distance: 130 km
On the road: about 3 hours on paved roads from the lodge in Arusha. From Kilimanjaro Airport - about 4 hours (180 km).

The trip: see the town of Mto Wa Mbu and spend a couple of hours wandering the busy streets. Learn about the lives of the Maasai people and the 100 or so other cultural groups living in the area. Visit plantations, workshops, a local bar (to drink banana beer!), and the market stalls for some local produce. For our lunch, we will enjoy some authentic dishes prepared by locals.

Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport - Tarangire National Park

Distance: 160 km
On the road: about 3 hours on paved roads.

The trip: From Arusha it takes about 2 hours, from Kilimanjaro Airport about 3 hours (160 km).

Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport - Arusha National Park

Distance: 50 km
On the road: from Arusha about 1.5 hours on partly-paved roads, from Kilimanjaro Airport about 1 hour.

Lake Manyara National Park - Tarangire National Park

Distance: 100 km
On the road: about 1 to 1½ hours on paved roads.

Lake Manyara boasts Africa's highest concentration of elephants.

Lake Manyara National Park - Serengeti Central

Distance: 210 km
On the road: 6 hours on roads partly-paved, but mostly sandy and bumpy.

The trip: drive to Serengeti National Park via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. Eat lunch on the way while heading for the north of the Serengeti. This route goes straight through the heart of the Serengeti in the area of the Seronera River - one of the most thrilling rides in the region.

Things to do (optional): visit a Maasai Boma settlement and experience how semi-nomadic communities live with their age-old traditions.

This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

Lake Manyara National Park/ Karatu - Serengeti North (Lobo and Mara) / North East (Bolongonya)

Distance: 290 km
On the road: 8-9 hours on roads partly paved, but mostly sandy and bumpy. The road conditions here are poor and you will not have a lot of time to spend on game drives. We recommend to spend a minimum of 2 nights in the North Serengeti Region or opt for a flight in/out.

The trip: the road from Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park goes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. This route goes straight through the heart of the Serengeti in the area of the Seronera River - one of the most thrilling rides in the region.

Things to do (optional): visit a Maasai Boma settlement and experience how semi-nomadic communities live with their age-old traditions.

This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

Lake Manyara National Park - Lake Natron

Distance: 80 km
On the road: 2 hours on mostly sandy and bumpy roads.

The trip: an adventurous route to a special, off-the-beaten-track place. The road to Lake Natron takes you through the cultural home of the Maasai people, passing the archeological site of the stone-age settlement Engaruka, as well as the majestic Ondoyo Lengai, the only active volcano in the Great Rift Valley. Lake Natron fascinates visitors with its colors, varying from pink, to lime green, to red. The concentration of minerals in the water makes this place a surreal and breathtaking landscape (which may also include flamingoes!).

cheetah serengeti

Tarangire National Park - Serengeti Central

Distance: 300 km
On the road: 6-7 hours partly on paved roads, but mostly sandy and bumpy roads.

The trip: the road from Tarangire to Serengeti National Park goes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. This route goes straight through the heart of the Serengeti in the area of the Seronera River - one of the most thrilling rides in the region.

This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

Tarangire National Park - South Serengeti (Ndutu)

Distance: 225 km
On the road: 6 hours partly on paved roads, but mostly sandy and bumpy roads.

The trip: the road from Tarangire to Serengeti National Park goes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. This route includes a great opportunity to spot wildlife as you drive across the southern Serengeti.

This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

Ngorongoro - Tarangire National Park

Distance: 150 km
On the road: 2 hours mostly on paved roads.

The trip: the road from Ngorongoro takes you through Mto wa Mbu before arriving in Tarangire National Park. You can start the day with a game drive in Ngorongoro and head for Tarangire afterwards, or you can head to Tarangire in the morning and take your game drive there.

Things to do (optional): see the town of Mto Wa Mbu and spend a couple of hours wandering the busy streets. Learn about the lives of the Maasai people and the 100 or so other cultural groups living in the area. Visit plantations, workshops, a local bar (to drink banana beer!), and the market stalls for some local produce. For our lunch, we will enjoy some authentic dishes prepared by locals.

lions tanzania babies

Lake Natron - Serengeti National Park North (Lobo and Mara) and North East (Bolongonya)

Distance: 220 km
On the road: 7 hours mostly on sandy and bumpy roads. A beautifully scenic day-trip!

The trip: head out after breakfast with packed lunch boxes towards the north-eastern part of the Serengeti. Leaving the cliff ridges behind, you will be greeted by a majestic landscape and its residents with their cattle along the way. The landscape changes dramatically once you pass through Klein’s Gate and enter the Serengeti. Your road continues through seemingly-endless savannah with huge herds of grazing animals, and the carnivores which follow them.

wildebeest migration tanzania serengeti

Serengeti Central - Ngorongoro

Distance: 160 km
On the road: 3 hours on sandy and bumpy roads.

The trip: you can start the day with a game drive in the Serengeti and head for Ngorongoro right after lunch, or you can head to Ngorongoro in the morning and take your game drive there.

Serengeti Central - Serengeti North (Lobo and Mara) and North East (Bolongonya)

Distance: 140 km
On the road: 4 hours, or combined with a game drive about 7-8 hours. This also depends on the weather conditions, since many of the roads are gravel and corrugated. Alternatively, your guide may advise a different route with better roads, heading along the western outskirts of the Serengeti, with more time for game driving in the Kogatende/Lobo/Mara areas.

The trip: a full-day game drive in the off-the-beaten-track Lobo reserve. This is a relatively remote area of the Serengeti, so you will see real wilderness with rocky outcrops. Here, you will visit the Bologonja Springs, an important watering hole for migrating animals.

Ngorongoro Crater - Lake Eyasi

Distance: 90 km
On the road: about 2 hours on sandy and bumpy roads. These roads may be difficult during the rainy season (November - May).

Lake Eyasi - Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport

Distance: 180 km
On the road: 4 hours to reach Arusha, partly on paved roads, with some sandy roads. 5 hours (230km) to reach Kilimanjaro Airport.

hadzabe man lake eyasi tanzania

Arusha - Zanzibar

Time: 1¼-hour flight
From Arusha, you can fly to the Zanzibar archipelago or other beach areas on the coast of Tanzania for a luxurious wind-down after your safari.

Are you interested in an African safari?

Contact one of our safari experts and we will tailor-make a safari for you!

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