Great Migration and Ngorongoro Crater2 — 8 Days Africa Great Migration Adventure

Overview

Experience one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles on this 8 Days Africa Great Migration Adventure Safari. This incredible journey takes you through Tanzania’s most famous wildlife destinations, including the legendary Serengeti National Park and the breathtaking Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Witness the dramatic movement of millions of wildebeests and zebras as they follow the ancient migration routes in search of fresh grazing and water. Explore the vast Serengeti plains, discover the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater, and enjoy unforgettable game drives in some of Africa’s most remarkable wilderness areas. This safari offers exceptional opportunities to see the Big Five, observe predator action, experience stunning landscapes, and create memories in the heart of East Africa’s wildlife paradise.

Safari Highlights

Game Drive
Nature walks
Wildebeest migration

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport, you will be welcomed by your safari guide and transferred to your hotel in Arusha.

Arusha is the main gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit and provides a perfect starting point for your Great Migration adventure.

Depending on your arrival time, relax at the hotel, explore the town, or prepare for your safari. Your guide will provide a briefing about the journey ahead.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Arusha Planet Lodge

Mid-range: Four Points by Sheraton Arusha

Luxury: Gran Meliá Arusha

Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, depart Arusha and drive to Tarangire National Park for your first wildlife experience.

Tarangire is famous for its large elephant herds, ancient baobab trees, and seasonal wildlife concentrations along the Tarangire River. During your game drive, search for elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, wildebeests, antelopes, and various bird species.

Enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park before continuing your afternoon exploration.

Later, transfer to your lodge near the Ngorongoro area for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Fanaka Safari Camp

Mid-range: Marera Valley Lodge

Luxury: Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater Safari

After an early breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for an unforgettable wildlife experience.

The crater is one of Africa’s best locations for spotting a large variety of wildlife in one area. Explore the crater floor while searching for lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, hyenas, flamingos, and the endangered black rhino.

Enjoy a picnic lunch near the hippo pool before ascending the crater and continuing towards Serengeti National Park.

Arrive in Serengeti with an afternoon game drive as you enter the famous plains.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Seronera Public Campsite

Mid-range: Serengeti Heritage Camp

Luxury: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Full Day Great Migration Safari in Serengeti

Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti in search of the Great Migration.

Depending on the season, you may witness thousands of wildebeests and zebras moving across the plains, dramatic predator encounters, and large wildlife gatherings.

Your guide will take you to areas with the highest chances of sightings based on current animal movements. Explore the Seronera Valley, one of Serengeti’s most productive wildlife regions, known for lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, and other species.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options

As Above

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Serengeti Northern Corridor and Migration Experience

After breakfast, continue exploring Serengeti’s migration routes.

The northern Serengeti is famous for spectacular landscapes and dramatic wildlife events, especially during the migration season when herds move towards the Mara River.

Enjoy game drives across the open plains while searching for predators following the migrating herds. You may encounter lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, and large groups of herbivores.

Return to your accommodation after an exciting day in the wilderness.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Serengeti Public Campsite

Mid-range: Kogatende Safari Camp

Luxury: Serengeti Migration Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Serengeti Wildlife Exploration

Enjoy another day of adventure in Serengeti National Park.

Explore different areas of the ecosystem while looking for unique wildlife experiences. The Serengeti offers year-round sightings of resident animals, including large predator populations and diverse bird species.

Your safari guide will choose the best routes depending on seasonal conditions and recent wildlife activity.

Enjoy a final sunset game drive before returning to your lodge.

Accommodation Options

As Above

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After breakfast, enjoy a final morning game drive in Serengeti before travelling back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Along the way, visit Olduvai Gorge, one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, where discoveries have helped researchers understand early human history.

Continue to your lodge near the crater rim and enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding landscapes.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Simba Public Campsite

Mid-range: Rhino Lodge

Luxury: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Lake Manyara National Park and Return to Arusha

After breakfast, depart for Lake Manyara National Park for a final wildlife experience.

Enjoy a game drive through the park’s diverse habitats, searching for elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, monkeys, hippos, flamingos, and the famous tree-climbing lions.

After lunch, begin the drive back to Arusha.

Arrive in the late afternoon where your safari ends, or transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Optional Activities

Hot air balloon safari over the Serengeti.
Champagne bush breakfast after the balloon flight.
Maasai village cultural experience.
Olduvai Gorge guided tour.
Wildlife photography safari.
Sundowner experience in the Serengeti.
Bush dinner under the stars.
Scenic flight over the Serengeti.
Bird watching experience.
Coffee plantation tour in Arusha.
Walking safari in selected conservation areas.
Cultural tour in Mto wa Mbu village.

Best Time to Visit

The Great Migration can be experienced throughout the year as the herds move through different parts of the Serengeti ecosystem. The best months depend on the specific migration event you want to witness. January to March is ideal for the calving season in the southern Serengeti, while June to July offers opportunities to see large herds moving through the western corridor. July to October is the best period for dramatic river crossings in the northern Serengeti.

The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater offer excellent wildlife viewing throughout the year, making this safari a rewarding experience in every season.

Tour Includes

Travel in a 4×4 car
Professional guide
Park fees
Accommodation
Meals
All Activities In Itinerary

Tour Excludes

Alcoholic drinks
Laundry
Tips
Shopping
Insurance
Anything not included per itinerary

Following the Migration Across the Border

This itinerary extends beyond Kenya’s Maasai Mara into Tanzania’s Serengeti, following the Great Migration across both sides of the shared ecosystem, a combination that gives a fuller picture of the migration’s movement than a single-country trip covering only one side of the border.

Crossing between Kenya and Tanzania typically involves either a short regional flight or the Isebania-Sirari land border, and we coordinate this crossing directly as part of the itinerary, handling the visa and logistics involved.

Practical Notes

Most nationalities can apply for a Kenya e-visa online before travel, and Kenya participates in the East Africa Tourist Visa alongside Uganda and Rwanda. A yellow fever certificate is required for entry if arriving from a country with risk of transmission. Travel insurance covering wildlife activities and medical evacuation is strongly recommended.

Kenyan shillings are useful for everyday purchases, tips and markets, while US dollars printed after 2009 are widely accepted for park fees and lodge bills. Most lodges also accept card payments for incidentals.

Because lodge availability tightens considerably during the June to October peak migration season, we recommend booking this itinerary at least three to four months in advance for travel during that window.

Tipping is customary though not compulsory. Your driver-guide is typically tipped at the end of the full trip, scaled to group size and length of stay, and we’re glad to advise on typical ranges when you book.

A private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and an experienced English-speaking driver-guide accompanies you throughout this itinerary.

Best Time for This Cross-Border Itinerary

The migration’s presence shifts between the Serengeti and the Mara depending on the time of year, generally in the Serengeti’s southern and western areas from December through June, and moving into the Mara from July through October. We time this itinerary’s routing based on where the herds are expected during your specific travel dates.

Because migration timing varies somewhat year to year based on rainfall, we monitor conditions closely in the lead-up to departure and can adjust the balance of time spent on each side of the border accordingly.

The Great Migration in the Masai Mara

The Masai Mara National Reserve, an extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti ecosystem across the Kenyan border, is best known for the Great Migration, when over a million wildebeest along with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle cross into the Mara between roughly July and October in search of fresh grazing. The dramatic river crossings at the Mara and Talek rivers, where crocodiles lie in wait and the herds must overcome both the current and steep banks, are among the most sought-after wildlife spectacles on the continent. Outside migration season, the Mara remains one of Africa’s most productive game-viewing areas year-round, with resident populations of lion, leopard, cheetah and elephant supported by its open, rolling grassland.

Wildlife and the Great Migration in the Serengeti

The Serengeti’s vast, open plains support one of the last great terrestrial wildlife migrations on earth, as roughly two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle move in a broadly circular pattern through the ecosystem each year, following the rains in search of fresh grass. Depending on the season, this can mean vast herds spread across the southern plains during calving season, dramatic river crossings in the west and north, or smaller, more dispersed groups elsewhere in the park — so the exact experience varies considerably by month. Beyond the migration, the Serengeti’s year-round resident wildlife, including some of Africa’s largest lion prides and healthy cheetah and leopard populations, makes it a rewarding destination regardless of when the herds themselves are present.

Wildlife Density in the Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, contains an estimated 25,000 large mammals within its roughly 260-square-kilometre floor, a natural enclosure formed when a volcano larger than Kilimanjaro collapsed in on itself some two to three million years ago. Because the crater walls largely confine the resident wildlife year-round, sighting rates for lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo and the crater’s small but present population of black rhino are exceptionally high regardless of season, making it one of the most reliable single-day game drives in Africa. The descent into the crater floor along a steep access road, followed by a full day exploring the grassland, swamp and forest habitats within, is typically treated as its own dedicated day on a Tanzania itinerary.

Elephants and Baobabs at Tarangire

Tarangire National Park is known for two distinctive features: some of the largest elephant herds in Tanzania, with family groups sometimes numbering in the hundreds gathering along the Tarangire River during the dry season, and a landscape studded with ancient, swollen baobab trees that can live for well over a thousand years. The Tarangire River is the area’s only permanent water source through the dry months, which concentrates wildlife along its banks and makes June through October a particularly productive period for game viewing here. The park also supports species less commonly seen elsewhere in northern Tanzania, including fringe-eared oryx and gerenuk, alongside large pythons that are more frequently spotted here than in other parks in the region.