SERENGETI GREAT MIGRATION (JULY –OCTOBER)
Tour Overview
This is one of the best Tanzania Wildlife Safari holidays. Migration safari lets you witness the Great Wildebeest Migration. Over 2 million Wildebeest, Zebra, and Gazelles move through the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystem in search of green pastures and safe calving ground. The biggest chance to see river crossings on Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Safari is around July and August when the wildebeest migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya or around September and October when they cross the way around.
July marks the start of the Masai Mara River crossing as well as the mating season in the Serengeti. It is the time of the year when wildebeest herds begin moving faster in search of water and greener grass, making their way across the Grumeti and Mara Rivers.
ITINERARY
Arrive in Tanzania
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to the hotel in Moshi/Arusha town. You will meet your driver guide who will brief you on your upcoming safari, then rest until the next day morning.
• Note: No meals included
DAY 1: ARUSHA – TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
• Distance: 140 km.
Your Serengeti Wildebeest Migration safari will begin by 7:30AM in the morning with a pick up from your hotel at Moshi or Arusha. With everyone aboard, you will head towards Tarangire National Park. The 140km drive form Arusha will be covered in about 2 hours. The national park is extremely famous and special for its diverse landscape and nine different vegetation zones. As you begin your game drive, you will be welcomed by the ancient and gigantic Baobab trees, which make even animals like the giraffe look tiny. The game drive goes on till about late afternoon and includes a small stop for a picnic lunch. The 3,000 Square kilometers park gets its name from the Tarangire River that flows through it. The river attracts a lot of diverse animals and you should be able to spot a lot of elephants, giraffe, lions, antelopes and zebra. After the game drive you will leave the park in the late afternoon and drive to the lodge for your overnight stay.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
DAY 2: TARANGIRE – CENTRAL SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
• Distance: 205km. After breakfast we head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, we descend into 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 head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. We arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the central Serengeti national park.After your tour around the park, you will be transferred to your lodge where you will be spending the night.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
DAY 3: CENTRAL SERENGETI TO NORTH SERENGETI
• Distance: 150km.
Starting by 8 AM after a filling breakfast, you will explore the central portion of the Serengeti National Park today and move towards the northern part of the park. The enroute game drive towards the Kogatende region will offer mild action from the resident game. As you approach the northern part of the Serengeti, you will notice the terrain change from the usual plain grassland to a more hilly and broken terrain. The northern region offers a variety of resident game such zebras, topi, gazelle, buffaloes, leopards and lions. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long drive itself. Based on the time of your arrival you will able to spend a few hours by the Mara River. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
DAY 4 & 5: NORTH SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
As usual, you will finish a good breakfast and begin your day by 8AM. In the months between mid-June to September the migration can be found in this region. From mid-June to September, the Mara River in this region offers the most dramatic river crossing of the great migration. Fierce, deep and heavy rain fed the river takes an enormous toll on the migrating wildebeest. Watching the wildebeest surging through the torrential flow, some drowning and a few falling prey to lurking crocodiles is unforgettable. If it’s your lucky day you will be able to witness this natural wonder and watch nature take its course. Tracing the great migration you might even move towards the Lobo valley. The pristine lobo valley is scattered with woodlands, plains, hills and famous granite Kopjes. It offers enormous amount of big cat game with lions, leopards and cheetah in plenty. During the dry season the permanent water sources in the valley attract plenty of resident and migratory animals, resulting in excellent game viewing. During the full day game drive, you will have a stop where you can have your picnic lunch. The day comes to an end with a tasty dinner and a good rest in your choice of accommodation.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
DAY 6: NORTH SERENGETI – CENTRAL SERENGETI
• Distance: 150km.
Starting your day at the routine time of 8AM after a heavy breakfast, today you will head south towards the central Serengeti. The four hours’ drive to the Centre of Serengeti will offer mild enroute game. The drive south from the Mara river valley takes you through hill country, the Lobo area, woodlands and then back into the Seronera terrain. The central portion of the Serengeti – known as Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. As you make your way into the Seronera region, you will begin to notice the hilly and broken terrain altering into plain grasslands. In Seronera one must really look out for the many lion prides that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion prides provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long drive itself. After your tour around the park, you will be transferred to your lodge where you will be spending the night.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
DAY 7: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK - NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
• Distance: 145 km
After breakfast you will join another game drive in the Serengeti National Park and you might spot animals you haven’t seen during the last two days. The Serengeti is also home to the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard and today you might be able to tick off all the members of this group. After lunch at a picnic site, you will drive in direction of the Ngorongoro Crater and as soon as you have reached the edge of the crater, the caldera opens up before you. This approximate 20 km wide crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to over 25,000 animals. You will drive to the lodge from where you can witness the sunset over the crater.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
DAY 8: NGORONGORO CRATER – MOSHI
• Distance: 25 km. After an early breakfast, you will drive down the steep and narrow road that takes you into the crater. The slopes are forested but soon the landscape changes to savannah. Here the wildlife is just breathtaking and with a little luck you can observe the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard – in just a few hours. You should also see warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, hippos, and some of the more than 500 bird species in the area. After a morning dedicated to game viewing and a picnic lunch, you will leave the crater in the early afternoon to drive back to Moshi, where you will arrive in the early evening.
• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch included
DEPARTURE DAY
Rest in the hotel and transfer to the airport.
Hotels check out is 11:00am. In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, you have the option to extend your hotel stay till 6:00 PM for an extra fee
- Private Transport in a customized pop-up top 4 x 4 Safari Land cruiser with plugs to charge the mobile, and camera, also with an intercooler to keep drinks cold.
- Service of an English-speaking professional driver guide.
- Unlimited drinking water during safari.
- Three meals per day during safari.
- Accommodation on safari per person sharing as indicated on the program shared.
- All applicable park entry fees as per the program.
- Unlimited game drives
- All applicable transfers.
- Picnic Lunch or hot Lunch on safari depending on the onward program. - Government taxes & local levies.
- International flights.
-Domestic flights.
- Visa entry fees upon arrival at the airport - Medical/luggage Insurance.
- Any change in tax rates will be applicable
- Any extra orders at meals are not included - Set menu meals are part of the package.
- Anything not mentioned in the inclusions/itinerary is excluded.
- Pre and post-safari accommodation – can be arranged for extra costs.