
7 Days The Great Serengeti Migration Safari
A 7-day Serengeti migration safari through Ngorongoro, Central Serengeti and the northern Serengeti
Overview
7-day Serengeti migration safari
Book a 7-day Serengeti migration safari from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Crater and the northern Serengeti, timed for the herds between August and October.
Visit our Great Migration page to see other tours, read FAQ, and more.
This 7-Day The Great Serengeti Migration Safari package has been designed specifically to focus on and to increase your chance to see the great Serengeti Wildebeest Migration. We have designed the itinerary to include both the Lobo area (area north of the central Serengeti National Park) and Wagakuria area (remote northern Serengeti National Park) where the majority of the wildebeest migration can normally be found from August to October. To save on unnecessary travel time and to increase your game viewing time, this itinerary has been designed that you fly back from the Serengeti National Park to Arusha town. The itinerary also include a visit to the world famous Ngorongoro Crater.
Travel logistics
Start / Finish
Start
- Arusha
- JROKilimanjaro International Airport
Finish
- Arusha
- JROKilimanjaro International Airport
Highlights
What Makes This Safari Special
Witness the Great Migration herds
Flamingo-lined soda lakes
Game drives with a professional guide
Explore Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Explore Serengeti National Park
Day by Day
7-day Serengeti migration safari itinerary
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Intl Airport, you'll be greeted by a senior safari guide and drive you to the hotel in Arusha for dinner and overnight stay.
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania and the capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate climate. The city is close to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.
After breakfast, you’ll depart for the Ngorongoro Conservation area. You’ll arrive just in time for lunch at the lodge and then we’ll descend over 600m to the crater to view the wildlife in it.
Supported by a year round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro National Park supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque national park, is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. We will also visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the south western corner, which is one of the main features of the crater. A large number of flamingos, hippos and other water birds can usually been seen here.
After breakfast, we’ll head towards the heart of wild Africa, the Serengeti National Park, with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We’ll proceed to the Lobo area which is located just north of the Seronera area (central Serengeti National Park). The wildebeest migration, normally pass through the Lobo area every year around July / August en-route to the Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve and again in late October / November en-route to the southern Serengeti National Park.
We will arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park.
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the park. The area around Lobo and the Grumeti River has good resident game throughout the year. Non-migrating animals like elephant, buffalo, gazelle, zebra, lion, leopard and cheetah can be seen here all year round. The game viewing is very good and you can follow game for long periods without seeing other vehicles, truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti Plains. Magnificent riverine trees can be found along the river lines and bird species such as kingfishers and fish eagles can be found here.
After breakfast, we head towards the far northern reach of the Serengeti National Park, also known as the Wagakuria. We will do a game drive en-route from the Lobo area to the Wagakuria area. As we head north, good sightings of giraffe, plain game, herds of buffalo and elephants can often be seen.
We arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and after lunch will we enjoy an afternoon game drive in the area. The wildebeest migration can normally be found in the Wagakuria area from August to October, depending on rainfall patterns. A long stretch of the Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti National Park and the Mara River provides the migration with its most difficult obstacle. Witnessing the frantic herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River is amazing.
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the Wagakuria area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in this area of the park, with prides of lion up to 30 strong, however, from August to October the area turns into a wildlife paradise. The key feature is the Mara River and it is not uncommon to see the herds cross the Mara River north on one day and then back south a few days later. Please take note: Finding a crossing is very difficult and is sometimes a matter of luck. A herd can be seen next to river and only decide to cross or not cross until a couple of days later. This area is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation and open plains, similar to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve.
After breakfast at the camp, we depart for Kogatende Airstrip and enjoy a game drive en-route. The group should tip the guide around $20 to $ 30 a day.
Around mid-morning, join a scheduled flight from Kogatende airstrip to Arusha airport. Upon arrival to Arusha airport, meet our driver who’ll drive you to Arusha town. Upon arrival, we will have our lunch and then we will end our African safari adventure. You will be taken to your hotel, which ends our safari services.
Gallery
Photographs
Where You Stay
Handpicked
Retreats
Every lodge and camp is chosen for its location, character and comfort, so the place you rest is as memorable as the adventure itself.
What's Included
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Park fees
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Not Included
- International flights (from/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Alcoholic drinks
Questions
Frequently Asked
The price covers park fees; all activities (unless labeled as optional); all accommodation as stated in the itinerary; a professional driver/guide; all transportation (unless labeled as optional). Budget separately for international flights (from/to home); additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour; tips (tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day). Your personalized quote confirms the full breakdown line by line.
The prime months for this itinerary are August, September and October. That said, Tanzania rewards visitors in every season. Tell us your travel dates and we'll advise exactly what to expect.
This is a private, tailor-made safari for your own party of 2 to 12 guests. You won't be grouped with strangers. The itinerary, vehicle and guide are yours alone.
You'll stay at Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi, Karatu Acacia Farm Lodge, Olkarien Eco Safari Lodge and Enkutoto Migration Camp, as laid out in the day-by-day itinerary. If availability requires it, we substitute properties of a similar or better standard and always confirm before you travel.
Send an inquiry through the form on this page and our safari experts will come back with a personalized quote within 24 hours, free and with no obligation. Once the plan feels right, we lock in your dates and lodges.
Absolutely. Treat the 7-day program as a starting point. We can adjust the pace, upgrade or change lodges, add days, or combine it with other destinations. Tell us what your ideal trip looks like and we'll shape it around you.
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