6 Days Great Tanzania Northern Serengeti Migration

On this first day of your safari you will leave Arusha along the Arusha – Dodoma highway, a scenic route to Serengeti National Park via Ngorongoro Reserve. You’ll go through the supermarket (if you want to) to do some last-minute shopping for any personal items you might need. You will reach the Serengeti in the afternoon.

Serengeti National Park – home of the great annual migration with endless plains stretching as far as the eye can see. We will continue to the Lobo region located just north of the Seronera region (Central Serengeti National Park). Wildebeest usually pass through the Lobo region each year around July/August en route to the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and again late October/November en route back south to Serengeti National Park.

NOTE: You can break up the trip with one or both of the following activities:

Olduvai Gorge Museum: sometimes called the Cradle of Mankind, the Olduvai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you’ll see some of the world’s oldest fossil evidence of human habitation, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to learn about human travel and take in sweeping views of the country this austere gorge.

Maasai Boma Tour: you’ll visit one of the famous Maasai boma, where you’ll have the chance to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, visit an authentic Maasai village and even shop for souvenirs at the local market.

The above two activities are excluded from your tour (additional charges apply).  Lunch is made at one of the picnic sites, possibly at the gate of Naabi Hill, where you’ll also have the chance to stretch your legs while the guide arranges registration information and related paperwork. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti.

• Game viewing time: 6-7 hours
• Overnight at: KatiKati Campsite
• Meals: Lunch & Dinner

On day two, after breakfast, spend the whole day in the Serengeti. The area around Lobo and the Grumeti River, an important river in the Serengeti migration, has good resident game year round. Non- migratory animals such as elephants, buffalos, antelopes, zebras, lions, leopards and cheetahs can be seen here all year round. The game viewing is very good and you can watch the wildlife for long periods without seeing other vehicles – truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti Plains. Visitors can find magnificent greenery along the river and birds such as kingfishers and fish eagles can be found here

• Game viewing time: 6-7 hours
• Overnight at: Katikati Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast on the third day we head to the northernmost tip of Serengeti National Park, also known as Wagakuria. We will do game drives on the road from Lobo area to Wagakuria area. As we head north, giraffes, herds of buffalo and elephants are often seen. We arrive in time for lunch, and then we will drive for an afternoon game in the area. Migratory wildebeest are usually found in the Wagakuria region from mid-July to October, depending on rainfall. A long stretch of the Mara River runs through the northern part of the Serengeti National Park, and the Mara River presents the most difficult migration obstacle. Witnessing herds of wildebeest frantically crossing the Mara River as a part of the migration is incredible.

• Game viewing time: 6-7 hours
• Overnight at: Katikati Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, guests can drive all day in the Wagakuria/Kogatende region. The population of resident wildlife is particularly high in this part of the park, with numbers boasting up to 30 lions. However, from mid-July to October, the area transforms into a paradise of wild animals. The key attraction is the Mara River, an important river in the Serengeti migration and it is not uncommon to see herds crossing the Mara River north one day and then back south a few days later. Finding a crossing is difficult and sometimes  it’s a matter of luck. A herd can be seen next to the river and only decide whether to cross or not to pass a few days later. The area is a beautiful area with kopjes, woodlands, river vegetation and open plains, similar to the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.

An option for hot air balloon is also available in this area: Serengeti Balloon Safaris: No words can make the experience of hovering above Serengeti justice. Get a bird’s-eye view of the park as you fly over the landscape and wildlife. The flight lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather around a table, surrounded by the park’s lush plains, for an “Out of Africa” English breakfast.

• Game viewing time: 6-7 hours
• Overnight at: Katikati Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

On the fifth day continue your morning and afternoon game drives at the Serengeti with mid-afternoon lunch and a relaxing break at the lodge. The term Serengeti means endless plains in the Maasai language. In the central plains, there are carnivores such as leopards, lions, hyenas and cheetahs. Various birds can be seen here including eagles, ducks, geese, storks, vultures, secretary birds, ibis, storks, herons, kites, pelicans, cranes and guinea fowl. Serengeti National Park is arguably the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world with over 3 million species of large mammals. About 35 species of delta animals can be seen here, including the “big 5” elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and buffalo. Other common species found here include hippos, giraffes, eland, impala and antelopes, baboons, monkeys and countless more than 500 species of birds.

In May or early June, huge herds of wildebeest, antelope and zebra begin their spectacular annual northward migration. In their wake, watch for predators, lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs with vultures hovering overhead! After lunch, you’ll continue the sightseeing game in the Serengeti towards the Serengeti Gate to leave the Serengeti National Park, then you’ll continue the game on the road towards Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and Overnight at the edge of Ngorongoro Crater.

Option for hot air balloon rides is also available in this area.

• Game viewing time: 6-7 hours
• Overnight at: Simba Campsite
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, you will be go down to the crater with lunch and enjoy the driving game for more than 7 hours. Millions of years ago, a volcano the size of Mount Kilimanjaro rose from the northern highlands of Tanzania. Its eruption formed the largest unexpanded crater in the world, Ngorongoro Crater. Now dormant and full of wildlife, the crater is a playground where you can enjoy driving games in search of the Big Five.

The natural protection of the walls of the 600 m (1,968 ft) caldera, ‘Ngorongoro Crater’, where many species thrive, is one of the most densely populated areas of African wildlife in the world and home to around 30,000 species of animals and this is the best place in Tanzania to see the critically endangered black rhino. The park is supported by a year-round supply of water and fodder, and the crater is home to a wide variety of animals including herds of wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, elk, and zebras, hippopotamus and giant African elephant. There is also a huge predator population, including lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the elusive leopard. After the picnic, you will have a game drive and then return to Arusha/Moshi for an overnight stay.

• Game viewing time: 6 – 8 hours
• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
• Overnight at: Planet Lodge