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Overview of Great Migration Serengeti
Eight days from Arusha through Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti, with camps chosen to put you where the herds are that month.
- Length
- 8 days
- Countries
- Tanzania
- Pace
- Steady
- From
- USD 5,420
Best for timing a trip around the migration. Prices are per person sharing a twin or double room and are confirmed on enquiry.
Highlights
- Early descent into the 260 sq km Ngorongoro Crater
- Mara River crossings in the north, July to September
- Calving season around Ndutu in February
- Leopard and cheetah country in the Seronera valley
- Scheduled flight out, skipping the long road back
Where this one goes
6 stops over 8 days, in travel order.
Day 1
Kilimanjaro (JRO), Arusha
Land and brief on where the herds are
Days 2 to 3
Tarangire National Park
Baobab country and elephant herds
Days 3 to 4
Ngorongoro Crater
Dawn descent to the crater floor
Days 4 to 6
Central Serengeti, Seronera
Leopard, lion and cheetah along the river
Days 6 to 8
Northern Serengeti, Kogatende
Mara River crossings, July to September
Day 8
Kilimanjaro (JRO)
Fly from the Serengeti, then depart
When to travel
The windows below are for the countries this journey crosses. Tell us the month you are thinking of and we will say what it means for this route.
- Jun to OctBest
- Dry season and the Mara River crossings. The headline window.
- Jan to MarStrong
- Calving in the southern Serengeti and predators working the herds.
- Apr to MayGreen
- Long rains. Some mobile camps move or close, rates fall hard.
- Nov to DecMixed
- Short rains and the herds moving south through the Seronera.
What you are likely to see
Listed because this route goes where these animals are, and on which day. None of it is a promise of a sighting, and anyone who gives you a percentage is guessing.
Elephant
Tarangire National Park, day 2
Concentrations are strongest in the dry months, June to October
Black rhino
Ngorongoro Crater floor, day 4
The best black rhino odds in the region
Lion
Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, days 4 to 7
Hippo
Ngorongoro Crater floor, day 4
Leopard
Seronera valley, day 5
Most reliable in the sausage trees along the river
Cheetah
Seronera valley, day 5
Wildebeest
Mara River, Kogatende, days 6 and 7
River crossings run July to September
Day by day
Day 1
Land at Kilimanjaro, transfer to Arusha
Meet at JRO and drive about an hour to Arusha. In the evening your guide briefs you on the route and on where the herds are right now.
OvernightArusha. Hotel, breakfast.
Day 2
Tarangire National Park
Drive 2 hours to Tarangire for a full day among baobabs and elephant herds along the Tarangire River. Concentrations are strongest in the dry months, June to October.
OvernightTarangire National Park. Lodge, full board.
Day 3
Tarangire to the Ngorongoro rim
Drive about 3 hours via Mto wa Mbu and Karatu to the crater rim. The late afternoon is yours at the rim viewpoint, looking down into the caldera.
OvernightNgorongoro rim. Lodge, full board.
Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater, then on to the Serengeti
A 5:30 start to be first on the crater descent road, then a morning game drive on the 260 sq km floor for black rhino, lion and hippo. After lunch we pass Olduvai Gorge and drive about 4 hours to the central Serengeti.
OvernightCentral Serengeti, Seronera. Lodge or tented camp, full board.
Day 5
Seronera valley
A full day on the Seronera River, the most reliable cat country in the park, with leopards in the sausage trees and cheetah on the kopjes. We keep the herds in view as the season dictates.
OvernightCentral Serengeti, Seronera. Lodge or tented camp, full board.
Day 6
North to the Mara River
From July to September, drive about 5 hours north through the open plains to the Mara River in the Kogatende area. In other months the herds sit south, so we stay on the central and southern plains, with Ndutu as the base for the February calving.
OvernightNorthern Serengeti, Kogatende. Tented camp, full board.
Day 7
Mara River day
Dawn to dusk at the crossing points, where herds gather on the banks for hours before they commit to the water. Crossings cannot be scheduled, so we use the full day to wait for one.
OvernightNorthern Serengeti, Kogatende. Tented camp, full board.
Day 8
Fly out of the Serengeti
A last morning drive, then a scheduled flight to Arusha of about 2 hours and a 1 hour transfer on to Kilimanjaro. This suits evening international departures.
Timing a trip around the migration, over 8 days at a steady pace.
Where you stay
7 nights, in travel order. Prices are per person sharing a twin or double room.
| Nights | Where | Type | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha | Hotel | Breakfast |
| 1 | Tarangire National Park | Lodge | Full board |
| 1 | Ngorongoro rim | Lodge | Full board |
| 2 | Central Serengeti, Seronera | Lodge or tented camp | Full board |
| 2 | Northern Serengeti, Kogatende | Tented camp | Full board |
Photographs from Great Migration Serengeti
Included
- Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire park and conservation fees, including the crater service fee
- Private 4x4 with pop-top roof and driver-guide
- Scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Arusha
- Seven nights in lodges and tented camps, sharing a twin or double room
- Full board in the parks, breakfast at the Arusha hotel
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Airport transfers at Kilimanjaro (JRO)
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa
- Travel insurance, including medical evacuation cover
- Tips for guides and camp staff
- Drinks other than bottled water
- Optional balloon safari
Questions
- When should I travel for the river crossings?
- July to September. In those months day six drives about five hours north to the Mara River in the Kogatende area. In other months the herds sit south, so we stay on the central and southern plains, with Ndutu as the base for the February calving.
- Can a river crossing be guaranteed?
- No. The herds follow the rain and can sit on a bank for days before crossing. What the itinerary does is put you with them for your dates and give the crossing more than one morning to happen.
- Why the 5:30 start on crater day?
- The first vehicles down the descent road have the 260 square kilometre crater floor largely to themselves for an hour. That hour is the best of the day for black rhino, lion and hippo, and it is worth the alarm.
- Will I stay in a lodge or a mobile camp?
- It depends on where the herds are forecast for your dates. A lodge cannot move and the wildebeest can, so in the crossing season a mobile camp is sometimes the better placement, and we say which before you confirm.
- Why does the trip fly out of the Serengeti?
- To avoid repeating a long drive. The scheduled flight to Arusha takes about two hours, then a one hour transfer to Kilimanjaro, which suits evening international departures and gives day eight a last morning game drive instead of a road day.
Enquire about this journey
Tell us your dates and who is coming. We confirm the route, what is still open for those dates and the price per person.
Other journeys
Plan Great Migration Serengeti around your dates.
Tell us when you want to travel and how many are coming, and we confirm the route and the price.
From USD 5,420 per person sharing a twin or double room. The lead-in price is confirmed on enquiry.