9 Days Luxury Honeymoon Safari
Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Crater · Tarangire National Park
Duration
9 days / 8 nights
Starts
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Ends
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Safari style
Ultra luxury
Group
Private — couples
Best time
July to September for the river, February for calving
Safari overview
This is the trip we build when the brief is "we only do this once, make it right". You fly directly into Kogatende in the northern Serengeti rather than spending a day driving, which puts you at the Mara River on your first afternoon.
From there the route works south — central Serengeti, the Ngorongoro rim, and finally Tarangire, where the camps are among the best in the country and almost nobody goes. Every night is at the luxury or ultra-luxury tier, drinks are included throughout, and the camps are told it is a honeymoon, which reliably produces a bath drawn in the wrong place and a bottle of something cold.
There is no beach on this one by design. If you want the Indian Ocean afterwards, we add Zanzibar or Pemba on the end.
- Northern Serengeti — 150 km, Flight, then 2.5 hours by road
- Central Serengeti — 129 km, 2 hours plus game viewing
- Crater rim — 145 km, 2 hours plus game viewing
- Southern Tarangire — 95 km, Crater morning, then 1 hour 15
- Southern Tarangire — 140 km, Game driving
- Kilimanjaro International Airport — 171 km, 2 hours 20
Safari highlights
Day by day
Every day below can be moved, lengthened or dropped. This is how we would run it.
You fly north the same day you land, which means you are in the northern Serengeti while other people are still driving. The camp is a mobile one — it moves through the year to stay with the herds — and in crossing season it sits within reach of the Mara River.
Three nights gives you three shots at a crossing, which is roughly the minimum for a fair chance. In between, the northern woodlands hold resident lion, elephant and some of the best leopard country in the park. It is also, outside July to September, one of the quietest parts of the Serengeti.
- Flight to Kogatende
- Game drives along the Mara River
- Crossing watch in season
- Bush breakfast on the river
- Drive
- 150 km
- Travel time
- Flight, then 2.5 hours by road
- Overnight
- Northern Serengeti
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner
Tonight · Mobile camp · Luxury
Or a similar camp of the same standard, such as Aurari Camp, depending on availability.
South through the park with a full day of game viewing on the way. The central Serengeti is the reliable heart of it — resident prides that do not migrate, leopard along the Seronera river line, and cheetah out on the open ground.
There is a Maasai community visit on this leg, arranged directly with a family we have worked with for years rather than at one of the roadside villages.
- Game drive south through the park
- Seronera valley drives
- Maasai community visit
- Balloon flight and champagne breakfast
- Drive
- 129 km
- Travel time
- 2 hours plus game viewing
- Overnight
- Central Serengeti
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight · Lodge · Ultra luxury
Or a similar camp of the same standard, such as Nimali Serengeti, depending on availability.
East and up onto the eastern rim, staying minutes from the descent gate and well away from the busier western lodges. Dinner with the caldera going dark below you.
- Game drive leaving the Serengeti
- Afternoon on the rim
- Sunset over the crater
- Drive
- 145 km
- Travel time
- 2 hours plus game viewing
- Overnight
- Crater rim
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight · Tented camp · Luxury
Or a similar camp of the same standard, such as Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, depending on availability.
First down into the crater and out again by late morning, then south to Tarangire — and specifically to the south of the park, well past where the day visitors turn around.
- Full morning on the crater floor
- Transfer to southern Tarangire
- Evening game drive
- Drive
- 95 km
- Travel time
- Crater morning, then 1 hour 15
- Overnight
- Southern Tarangire
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight · Tented camp · Luxury
Or a similar camp of the same standard, such as Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge, depending on availability.
A full day in the south of Tarangire, where walking is permitted and the elephant herds along the river run to two and three hundred animals in the dry months. Almost no other vehicles come this far.
- Full-day game drive
- Walking safari with an armed ranger
- Bush dinner under the stars
- Drive
- 140 km
- Travel time
- Game driving
- Overnight
- Southern Tarangire
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight · Tented camp · Luxury
Or a similar camp of the same standard, such as Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge, depending on availability.
A last morning drive, then east to the airport. If you are continuing to Zanzibar we transfer you to the domestic terminal instead — which, for what it is worth, is what we would do.
- Morning game drive
- Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport
- Continue to Zanzibar
- Drive
- 171 km
- Travel time
- 2 hours 20
- Overnight
- Kilimanjaro International Airport
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Where you stay
These are the camps we would book. If any are full on your dates we substitute something of the same standard — and we tell you what changed and why.
Simbavati Migration Camp
A mobile camp that relocates through the year to stay with the herds — in the north for the Mara River season.
Meliá Serengeti Lodge
A large contemporary lodge built along a ridge in the central Serengeti, with generous rooms and long views.
Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Camp
A tented camp on the eastern rim, minutes from the descent gate and well away from the busier western lodges.
Oliver’s Camp
A small camp deep in the south of Tarangire, well beyond the day-visitor range, with walking permitted.
Prices
| Season | Solo | 2–3 guests | 4–5 guests | 6+ guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low season 01 April – 31 May The long rains. Lowest prices, greenest landscape, some camps closed. | US$11,475 | US$9,225 | US$7,915 | US$7,262 |
| Shoulder season 01 March – 31 March Also 01 November – 19 December. | US$12,505 | US$10,055 | US$8,630 | US$7,915 |
| High season 01 June – 30 June Also 01 January – 28 February and the month of October. | US$13,655 | US$10,975 | US$9,420 | US$8,640 |
| Peak season 01 July – 30 September Also 20 December – 02 January. Book nine to twelve months ahead. | US$14,685 | US$11,805 | US$10,130 | US$9,295 |
All prices are per person sharing, in USD.
Supplements & child rates
| Single supplement For guests travelling alone or wanting a room to themselves. | US$2,470 per stay |
|---|---|
| Child sharing with two adults Children under 3 travel free of our costs; park fees may still apply. Ages 3–11 | US$5,230 per person |
| Room upgrade — luxury tier Upgrade the safari camps to the next comfort level throughout. | US$3,050 per person |
What is and is not included
Included
- Private 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and a guaranteed window seat
- Professional English-speaking Tanzanian driver-guide throughout
- All national park and conservation area entry fees
- All accommodation as listed, or a camp of the same standard
- All meals on safari, on a full-board basis
- Drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- Airport meet-and-greet and all ground transfers
- Unlimited game drives within park operating hours
- All government taxes and levies
- Emergency evacuation cover (Flying Doctors) for the safari days
- 24-hour contact with our Arusha office for the whole trip
- All internal light-aircraft flights between camps
- All local alcoholic and soft drinks throughout
- Honeymoon welcome at each camp
- Laundry at all safari camps
Not included
- International flights to and from Tanzania
- Tanzanian visa — currently obtained on arrival or online in advance
- Travel and medical insurance, which we require you to hold
- Tips for your guide and camp staff
- Laundry, telephone and other personal expenses
- Optional activities such as balloon flights and cultural visits
- Anything not specifically listed under what is included
Questions we get asked
Yes. You have your own vehicle, your own guide and your own schedule. We do not put unrelated guests together unless you specifically ask us to, in order to share costs.
That is rather the point. Every itinerary on this site is a starting draft. Add nights, drop a park, change the comfort level, start from Zanzibar instead — tell us what you want and we will rebuild it and re-cost it.
A Toyota Land Cruiser adapted for safari: pop-up roof, charging points, a cool box, and enough space that nobody sits in a middle seat. Windows open fully on both sides.
For July to September, nine to twelve months if you want the better camps. For the green season, three to four months is usually enough. We can occasionally do much shorter notice — ask.
It is customary but not compulsory. As a guide, most guests give their driver-guide around US$20–30 per vehicle per day, and leave something in the camp staff box.
Yes, and most couples do. Four or five nights on the coast after this adds a flight from the Serengeti and the beach nights themselves. Tell us the budget and we will suggest two or three properties rather than twenty.
Usually 15 kg per person in a soft-sided bag, including hand luggage. It sounds tight but works well — every camp does same-day laundry, which is included on this itinerary.
Request this safari
Tell us your travel dates and group size. We will adjust the itinerary and send you an exact quote.
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