Getting from Tarangire to the Serengeti means covering roughly 320 to 350 kilometres, a driving day of about six to eight hours with stops, or a scheduled flight of a little over an hour. The overland route climbs the Rift Valley escarpment and crosses the Ngorongoro highlands before dropping into the southern Serengeti at Naabi Hill Gate. Both parks sit on Tanzania’s northern circuit, making this one of the most travelled connections in the country.
The Tarangire to Serengeti Route via Ngorongoro
The classic overland Tarangire to Serengeti safari route does not run in a straight line, and there is a good reason for that. From Tarangire’s main gate near Boundary Hill, off the Arusha to Dodoma road, you head back towards the Makuyuni junction, then turn west and up the Rift Valley wall. The road passes below Lake Manyara, climbs through the farming town of Karatu, and enters the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at Loduare Gate.
From there the track skirts the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, crosses the Malanja depression and the open highlands, then descends past Olduvai Gorge onto the southern plains. You enter Serengeti National Park at Naabi Hill Gate in the southeast. It is a long transit through some of the most varied country in East Africa, moving from baobab savannah up into misty highland forest and out onto short-grass plains in a single day.
Because the route runs straight through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, most travellers build a crater visit into the same trip rather than treating it as a detour. The geography almost decides the itinerary for you.
Distance and Drive Time on a Tarangire to Serengeti Tour
Numbers help when you are trying to picture the day. The table below sets out the main legs of an overland Tarangire to Serengeti tour, using central Serengeti (the Seronera area) as the end point. Times are estimates and shift with road conditions, rain, and how often you stop to look at wildlife.
| Leg | Approximate distance | Approximate drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Tarangire gate to Karatu | 110 to 130 km | 2 to 3 hours |
| Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater rim | 25 to 30 km | 1 hour |
| Crater rim to Naabi Hill Gate (Serengeti) | 90 to 100 km | 2 to 3 hours |
| Naabi Hill Gate to Seronera | 70 to 75 km | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Total (Tarangire to central Serengeti) | 320 to 350 km | 6 to 8 hours |
Much of the road inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and across the Serengeti plains is graded dirt, corrugated in places and slow going in the wet months. The tarmac ends not long after Karatu. A driver guide will usually break the run with a picnic stop, and the Ngorongoro rim viewpoint is the obvious place to stretch and look down into the crater.
Flying from Tarangire to the Serengeti
If a full day in the vehicle does not appeal, a light aircraft transfer is the alternative. Scheduled flights on the northern circuit connect Kuro airstrip in Tarangire with the Serengeti airstrips, most often Seronera in the central Serengeti, though routing frequently passes through Arusha. Flying, you are looking at roughly one to one and a half hours in the air rather than the better part of a day on the road.
Small carriers such as Coastal Aviation and Auric Air run these hops, and schedules can involve a stop or two to pick up other passengers, so the door to door time is longer than the flight time alone. Baggage is limited, usually to a soft bag of around 15 kilograms, which matters if you are carrying camera gear.
The trade off is straightforward. Flying saves hours and skips the rougher roads, but you miss the Ngorongoro highlands and the crater along the way, and you give up the sense of the country changing beneath you. Many people drive one direction and fly the other to get both.
How Tarangire and Serengeti Fit Into a Safari Itinerary
On a typical northern circuit safari, Tarangire tends to sit near the start. It is close to Arusha, about two to two and a half hours by road, which makes it an easy first stop after landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport. A day or two among the elephant herds and baobabs along the Tarangire River sets the trip going before the longer transfers begin.
From Tarangire the natural flow is westward and upward: Lake Manyara or Ngorongoro next, then on to the Serengeti, which most itineraries treat as the main event and give the most nights. Because the Serengeti is vast, a couple of nights there is the sensible minimum, and more if you are timing a visit around the wildebeest migration in the southern plains during the calving months.
A Common Order for the Northern Circuit
Plenty of well planned trips follow a version of this sequence, spread across six to eight days.
- Arrival in Arusha, then transfer to Tarangire National Park for one to two nights.
- Overland to the Karatu or Ngorongoro area, with a Ngorongoro Crater descent.
- Continue into the Serengeti for two to three nights, or longer during the migration.
- Fly back to Arusha from a Serengeti airstrip, or drive the return via a different route.
Running the circuit this way means the transfers get progressively longer as you move west, which suits most people. You arrive fresh, ease in at Tarangire, and save the biggest distances for when you have found your rhythm.
Our Tanzania packages put trips like this together with the flights, lodges and game drives included.
Choosing Between Driving and Flying This Leg
There is no single right answer, and it comes down to time, budget, and how you feel about long drives. Driving keeps costs down, keeps your own guide and vehicle with you throughout, and lets you fold in Ngorongoro without any extra arranging. It is the better choice if you want continuity and do not mind the hours.
Flying suits travellers on a tight schedule, anyone who tires quickly on rough roads, and trips built around remote Serengeti camps that would otherwise take most of a day to reach by car. It costs more and it fragments the guiding, since you often pick up a new vehicle and guide at the far end. For many, the neat compromise is to drive out through the highlands and crater, then fly back to Arusha at the end, which trims one long transit without losing the scenic leg.
Best Time to Travel the Tarangire to Serengeti Route
The route runs all year, but the dry season from June to October makes the overland drive easier and the game viewing more reliable at both ends. Roads across Ngorongoro and the Serengeti plains are firmer, and in Tarangire the animals concentrate along the river, so a short pre transfer game drive tends to pay off.
The green season from November to May brings its own case. Tarangire is quieter and full of birds, the Serengeti’s southern plains fill with calving wildebeest between roughly January and March, and the landscape is at its greenest. The catch is the roads. Heavy rain in April and May can turn the dirt sections slow and sticky, and light aircraft schedules occasionally shift with the weather. If you travel in the wet months, build in a little slack.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to drive from Tarangire to the Serengeti?
Allow six to eight hours to reach the central Serengeti around Seronera, covering roughly 320 to 350 kilometres. The time swings with road conditions, rain, and how often you pause for wildlife. Breaking the drive at the Ngorongoro Crater rim is standard.
Can you fly from Tarangire to the Serengeti?
Yes. Scheduled light aircraft link Kuro airstrip in Tarangire with Serengeti airstrips such as Seronera, usually via Arusha, in a little over an hour of flying. Baggage is limited to roughly 15 kilograms in a soft bag, and schedules may include short stops for other passengers.
Do you pass through Ngorongoro on the way?
The overland route runs directly through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, past the crater rim and Olduvai Gorge, before entering the Serengeti at Naabi Hill Gate. This is why most itineraries fold a crater visit into the same trip rather than driving there separately.
Is it better to drive or fly between the two parks?
Driving is cheaper, keeps your guide and vehicle with you, and includes the Ngorongoro highlands. Flying saves several hours and skips the rough roads but costs more and usually means a new guide at the other end. Many travellers drive one way and fly the other.
How do park and conservation fees work on this route?
You pay separate fees for each protected area you enter, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area charges its own conservation fee plus a crater service fee for descending. Tarangire and Serengeti each have their own park entry fees. All fees are paid by card or mobile payment, since cash is not accepted at the gates, and your operator normally handles them within the tour cost.
What is the best order to visit Tarangire and the Serengeti?
Most northern circuit safaris start at Tarangire because it sits close to Arusha, then move west through Ngorongoro to the Serengeti, which gets the most nights. Running the trip this way keeps the longest transfers for later, once you have settled into the safari.