Overview
Over ten days you follow the Great Migration through the Serengeti and the Ndutu plains, explore the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater and finish in Tarangire, with a cultural walk among local Maasai and Datoga communities.
Nights are split between comfortable tented lodges and permanent camps in the bush. It is a thorough tour of northern Tanzania's best parks, with enough time in each place to avoid feeling rushed.
Read our migration route guide, or contact our team to book this safari.
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (10 days)
ARRIVAL AT MOIVARO COFFEE LODGE
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) whenever suits you. An Abakombe Tours driver takes you to Moivaro Coffee Lodge in Arusha, set among coffee farms. At 5:30 pm we hold a pre-safari briefing and confirm your medical cover and travel insurance.
Overnight at Moivaro Coffee Lodge, half board.
GAME DRIVE IN LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
A full day in Lake Manyara National Park. Though one of Tanzania's smaller parks, it offers varied and rewarding game viewing. The lakeshore is alive with birds, and while you watch them you may spot one of the park's famous tree-climbing lions. The cliffs of the Rift Valley escarpment make a dramatic backdrop. In the late afternoon you drive a short way to your lodge.
Overnight at Marera Valley Safari Lodge, full board.
OLDUVAI GORGE AND INTO THE SERENGETI
Heading for the Serengeti, you can stop at Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey made landmark discoveries about early humans in the 1950s; a small museum shows remains dating back about 2.5 million years. After lunch you enter the Serengeti and spend the afternoon on game drives across wide plains broken by acacia trees and rocky kopjes. In the calving season the migration herds are normally close by, and there are always resident giraffe, buffalo, elephant, lion, cheetah and leopard.
Overnight at a tented camp in the Serengeti, full board.
FULL DAY IN THE SERENGETI
An early start gives you a full day in the park. Your guide picks the best areas for the season, perhaps the hippo pool where hippos and crocodiles share the water, a lion pride resting in the shade or the middle of the migration surrounded by wildebeest and zebra. You also visit the kopjes, rocky outcrops that shelter many animals and give sweeping views over the grasslands. Look for elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and lion, and with luck leopard and cheetah.
Overnight at your Serengeti camp, full board.
FOLLOWING THE MIGRATION SOUTH-WEST
Taking a packed lunch, you follow the migration, which can form a line of around 40 km heading south-west. After lunch around midday you keep tracking the herds. Around 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000 gazelle and 200,000 zebra have been counted grazing these short-grass plains.
Overnight at Serengeti Acacia Tented Camp, full board.
FULL DAY IN THE NDUTU AREA
At 8:30 am you set off for a full day around Ndutu, where acacia woodland meets short-grass plains. In the woodland lies Lake Ndutu, one of the Rift Valley's soda lakes. At the height of the migration, and after heavy rain, columns of wildebeest can be seen crossing the lake with zebra and Thomson's gazelle alongside. Even in the dry season the game viewing here is excellent, and the sense of space is unforgettable.
Overnight at Lake Ndutu Tented Camp, full board.
NGORONGORO CRATER
After an early game drive you head for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, managed for both wildlife and the Maasai, who graze their cattle alongside wild animals. After a stop at the gate to learn about this volcanic landscape, you drive along the crater rim with views of the herds below, then descend to the floor. The crater walls create a natural sanctuary for lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and sometimes leopard; giraffe are absent because the slopes are too steep for them.
Overnight at a lodge on the crater rim, full board.
GAME DRIVE IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Today you drive to Tarangire National Park for excellent game viewing. In the dry months wildlife and birds crowd along the Tarangire River, the park's permanent water source. You spend the night at a lodge set inside the park with wonderful views.
Overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge, full board.
MAASAI AND DATOGA CULTURAL WALK
After breakfast the day is yours to relax or join a cultural walk to meet local Maasai and Datoga communities. Hearing about their history and way of life is as memorable as the views from the surrounding hilltops.
Overnight at Tarangire Roika Tented Lodge, full board.
TARANGIRE TO KIA LODGE
You drive to KIA Lodge near the airport and settle into one of its 40 garden bungalows, with views of Kilimanjaro from the open-air bar. Spend the rest of the day by the pool or relaxing on your veranda. A late buffet dinner is available for guests arriving late.
Overnight at KIA Lodge, half board, followed by your departure transfer.
Rates Per Person
The Overview tab explains the accommodation and meal options. Send us your dates and group size for an exact price.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Serengeti National Park and ends in Olduvai Gorge.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport or Mwanza Airport is the most common arrival point for this trip.
Transfer Information
We meet you at the airport and handle every transfer between destinations throughout your trip.
Accommodation Before/After
Want an extra night in Arusha, Moshi or Zanzibar before or after your trip? Just ask and we will arrange it.