Tanzania protects roughly a third of its land. That sounds like a lot of choice, but for a first trip the decision is simpler than it looks: the northern circuit parks sit close together and can be combined comfortably in a week.
Here is what each park does well, so you can spend your days where they count.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti covers 14,763 square kilometres of plains, woodland and rocky kopjes, and holds the highest concentration of large predators in Africa. It is also the stage for the Great Migration.
It is big enough that where you stay matters more than in any other park. The right camp for February is the wrong camp for August.
- Best for: migration, big cats, photography
- Give it: three nights minimum
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The crater is a collapsed volcano 600 metres deep with around 25,000 animals living on its floor, including one of the few reliable black rhino populations in the country.
Game viewing is exceptional but the floor gets busy by mid morning. One full descent is usually enough, and the rim lodges have some of the best views in Africa.
- Best for: rhino, dense game in a small area, scenery
- Give it: one full day
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire has the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania and a landscape of ancient baobabs along a seasonal river. In the dry season the concentrations along the river are outstanding.
It is usually the first stop on a northern circuit trip and is far quieter than the Serengeti or the crater.
- Best for: elephants, baobabs, birdlife
- Give it: one to two nights
Lake Manyara National Park
A small park under the Rift Valley escarpment, known for tree-climbing lions, big troops of baboons and thousands of flamingos when the water level is right.
It works well as a half day on the way to or from the crater. We would not build a trip around it.
- Best for: a half day stop, birding
- Give it: half a day
The southern and western parks
Ruaha and Nyerere, the old Selous, are enormous, wild and far less visited. Boat safaris and walking safaris are possible in Nyerere, which the northern parks cannot offer.
They need flights and more days, so they suit second trips rather than first ones. Katavi and Mahale, where you can track chimpanzees, are further still.
- Best for: repeat visitors, walking and boat safaris, solitude
How to combine them
| Days | Sensible route |
|---|---|
| 3 days | Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire |
| 5 days | Tarangire, Ngorongoro, central Serengeti |
| 7 days | Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti with two or three Serengeti nights |
| 10 days | Northern circuit plus Zanzibar, or a deeper Serengeti stay |
Common questions
How many parks should I visit in a week?
Three is comfortable: Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Adding a fourth usually means more time in the vehicle and less time watching animals.
Is Ngorongoro a national park?
It is a conservation area rather than a national park, which is why Maasai communities still live and graze cattle there alongside the wildlife.
Which park is best for the Big Five?
Ngorongoro Crater gives you the best single-day odds because rhino are present. The Serengeti is stronger for lion, leopard and cheetah over several days.
