Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceArusha–Ngorongoro–Serengeti–Mwanza
Make the full one-way northern-circuit road safari from Arusha through Ngorongoro and Seronera to Mwanza over seven days.
- Allow
- 7 days
- Route
- 675 km
- Drive time
- 17 hr 29 min
- Stops
- 9
This is the complete overland sequence. Arusha supplies the vehicle and guide, Mto wa Mbu marks the Rift Valley turn, Ngorongoro adds a protected multiple-use landscape and optional licensed-guide crater visit, and Oldupai opens the archaeological record before Naabi Hill enters Serengeti.
After at least two Seronera nights, the route exits west at Ndabaka for Mwanza. TANAPA and NCAA are different authorities with separate rules and fees; the crater and Oldupai require licensed guidance under NCAA regulations. Seven days is the minimum honest pace, not a target to beat.
The road, in one glance
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Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
- 01Arusha
- 02Mto wa Mbu
- 03Lodoare Gate
- 04Ngorongoro Crater Rim
- 05Oldupai Gorge
- 06Naabi Hill Gate
- 07Seronera
- 08Ndabaka Gate
- 09Mwanza
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceArusha
The northern-circuit hub is where vehicle, guide, permits and recovery equipment come together.
Arusha is the principal city of northern Tanzania and the logistical centre of the country's northern safari circuit. Set below Mount Meru, it concentrates vehicle operators, supplies and onward connections for Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Kilimanjaro journeys.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor · See sourceMto wa Mbu
A busy Rift Valley town provides a practical stop before the conservation-area climb.
Mto wa Mbu is an administrative ward and town in the Monduli district of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. According to the 2012 census, the ward had a total population of 11,405. The name Mto wa Mbu means " The river of Mosquitoes " in the Swahili Language.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceLodoare Gate
The main NCAA gate begins a separately regulated protected landscape.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area (UK:, US: ) is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceNgorongoro Crater Rim
The immense caldera opens below a forested rim and carefully controlled descent roads.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area (UK:, US: ) is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceOldupai Gorge
A museum and eroded gorge interpret one of the world’s key paleoanthropological landscapes.
The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge is a paleoanthropological site in northern Tanzania. Many sites exposed by the gorge have proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human evolution. A steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches across East Africa, it is about 48 km (30 mi) long, and is located in the eastern Serengeti Plains within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the Olbalbal ward located in Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region, about 45 kilometres (28 miles) from Laetoli, another important archaeological locality of early human occupation.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceNaabi Hill Gate
The Serengeti gate shifts the journey from NCAA rules to TANAPA park management.
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi) of savanna. The park was established in 1940.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceSeronera
Two or three central nights restore actual safari time after the long approach.
Seronera is a small settlement in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The oldest lodge in the national park is located in Seronera. It is home to a small airstrip.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceNdabaka Gate
The western gate closes the TANAPA portion before the paved run to Lake Victoria.
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi) of savanna. The park was established in 1940.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceMwanza
Lake Victoria’s granite city gives the one-way safari a proper rest and onward airport.
Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,104,521 and a population of 3,699,872 in the region (2022 census), it is Tanzania's second largest city, after Dar es Salaam.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Book one licensed operator for TANAPA and NCAA permits, equipped 4×4, guide, camps and one-way logistics. Respect 06:00–18:00 NCAA gates and every designated road.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.