Overview
Each year more than two million wildebeest, zebra and antelope travel around 450 miles in a great loop between Tanzania and Kenya, with lions, cheetahs and other predators never far behind.
This 11-day safari is timed for the most dramatic part of that journey, the Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti, where herds gather on the bank and plunge in past waiting crocodiles. It starts somewhere completely different, at the flamingo-pink Lake Natron below Ol Doinyo Lengai, and ends with the Ngorongoro Crater, a morning with the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and Tarangire.
Read our month-by-month migration guide, or talk to us about timing your trip.
| 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 (11 days)
ARUSHA TO LAKE NATRON
After breakfast you leave the main safari routes behind and drive north to Lake Natron through Maasai country. On the way you pass Engaruka, the ruins of an ancient farming settlement, and the cone of Ol Doinyo Lengai, the only active volcano in this part of the Rift Valley. Minerals in the water turn Lake Natron shades of pink, green and red, and flamingos are often present, making it a truly otherworldly place. After checking in during the late afternoon, you take a guided walk along the shore for birdwatching and the sunset.
Overnight at Lake Natron Tented Camp, full board.
EXPLORING LAKE NATRON
A full day of activities around the lake. You can watch the flamingos and other birds, walk the shoreline with a guide, hike to the waterfalls or visit the ancient human footprints preserved in volcanic mud. In the evening enjoy a drink overlooking the lake, with Ol Doinyo Lengai and Gelai mountains in view as the sun sets behind the Rift Valley escarpment.
Overnight at Lake Natron Tented Camp, full board.
LAKE NATRON TO KOGATENDE, NORTHERN SERENGETI
After breakfast you drive into the Serengeti with a picnic lunch, game viewing for much of the way before arriving at camp in the late afternoon.
Overnight at Acacia Migration Tented Camp, full board.
MARA RIVER CROSSINGS AT KOGATENDE
A full day following the migration along the Mara River in the northern Serengeti, an area with plenty of resident wildlife as well. Herds may cross the river northwards one day and back south a few days later. Seeing a crossing takes patience and luck, as herds can wait on the bank for days before deciding to go. The landscape of kopjes, woodland, riverside forest and open plains feels much like Kenya's Masai Mara.
Overnight at Acacia Migration Tented Camp, full board.
KOGATENDE TO THE CENTRAL SERENGETI
You travel south to the central Serengeti. Together with your guide you can choose a full day of game driving or return to camp for lunch and head out again in the afternoon.
Overnight at Central Serengeti Acacia Tented Camp, full board.
FULL DAY IN THE CENTRAL SERENGETI
With a packed lunch you spend the day on game drives, following the herds, which can form a line of about 40 km heading south-west. Around 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000 gazelle and 200,000 zebra have been counted on these short-grass plains.
Overnight at Central Serengeti Acacia Tented Camp, full board.
SERENGETI TO THE NGORONGORO RIM
After a final morning game drive in the Serengeti, you drive into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and up to the crater rim for the night.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Kirurumu Tented Camp, full board.
NGORONGORO CRATER, THEN LAKE EYASI
Today you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world, about 600 m deep and 19 km across. Some 30,000 animals live inside, giving great chances of seeing lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. After a game drive and picnic lunch on the crater floor, you continue to Lake Eyasi.
Overnight at Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp, Lake Eyasi, full board.
MORNING WITH THE HADZABE AT LAKE EYASI
An early start with a local guide takes you to meet a group of Hadzabe, among the last hunter-gatherers in East Africa. They speak a language with click sounds and move their camps with the seasons and the wildlife. Your guide, a member of the community, shows you how they track animals, hunt, make fire and collect wild honey, and explains their customs and daily life. Afterwards you drive on towards Tarangire.
Overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge, full board.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK AND BACK TO ARUSHA
A game drive in Tarangire National Park, which comes alive in the dry season as animals and birds gather along the permanent Tarangire River. In the late afternoon you drive the short distance to Arusha.
Overnight at Masailand Safari Lodge with dinner and breakfast included.
DEPARTURE
Depending on your flight time, you are transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward journey.
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 Lake Eyasi.
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.