Begin the grand northern circuit adventure with a drive to Tarangire National Park, home to the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania. Ancient baobab trees tower over the savanna as thousands of animals congregate along the Tarangire River.
Morning
Depart Arusha after breakfast. Drive south to Tarangire National Park (2.5 hours, 120km). Enter the park and begin morning game drive along the iconic Tarangire River, watching elephant herds drink and bathe in the shallows. Search the ancient baobab groves for tree-climbing pythons and leopards resting in the forks of giant trees.
Afternoon
Picnic lunch under a colossal baobab tree. Afternoon game drive through the southern circuits — vast swamps teeming with waterbirds, giraffe striding between the trees, and zebra and wildebeest moving across the open grasslands. Visit Silale Swamp for remarkable bird diversity.
Evening
Drive to your luxury lodge in the Tarangire area. Welcome dinner with views across the savanna as the last light fades over the baobab silhouettes.
WildlifeAfrican elephant (largest herds in northern Tanzania), lion, leopard, giraffe, Burchell's zebra, wildebeest, fringe-eared oryx, lesser kudu, gerenuk, python, over 550 bird species including yellow-collared lovebird and ashy starling
SceneryAncient baobab tree landscapes stretching to the horizon, Tarangire River valley teeming with wildlife, Silale Swamp panorama, termite mound-dotted savanna with Masai Steppe views
Tarangire is at its most spectacular during the dry season when thousands of animals converge on the river. The park boasts more elephant per square kilometre than anywhere else in East Africa.