Tour Overview
This 8-Day Great Serengeti Migration Safari package has been designed specifically to focus on and to increase your chance to see the great Northern Serengeti Wildebeest Migration (mara river crossing). We have designed the itinerary to include both the Lobo area (area north of the central Serengeti National Park) and Wagakuria area (remote northern Serengeti National Park) where the majority of the wildebeest migration can normally be found from Mid-july to October. This itinerary has been designed that you Drive/Drive back from the Serengeti National Park to Arusha town. The itinerary also include a visit to the world famous Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi and Tarangire National Park.
Mid-july through October, the migration heads north, out of the central Serengeti, splitting into two routes. The main group heads into the western corridor crossing the Grumeti River in spectacular stampedes. Enormous crocodiles wait patiently to snatch wildebeests as they surge across the river. The wildebeest continue to move steadily across the Grumeti region, making another perilous river crossing to cross the Mara River and reach the lush grazing in Kenya's Masai Mara.
0. Kilimanjaro Airport - Arusha
1. Arusha –Tarangire – Manyara/Karatu
2. Lake Eyasi Tour – back Manyara
3. Manyara/Karatu - Serengeti
4. Serengeti (Central Seronera)
5. Serengeti (Central Seronera) - Northern Serengeti (Kogatende)
6. Northern Serengeti (Kogatende) – Back central Seronera
7. Serengeti (Central Seronera) - Ngorongoro
8. Ngorongoro Crater – Back Arusha
DAY 0: Arrival - Arusha
Upon arrival at Arusha/Kilimanjaro airport, your Tanzania Arrow Marked Adventure guide will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi Tanzania.
Settle into your accommodation, relax and get used to the African atmosphere. Ready to start your 9 Days Great Tanzania Serengeti Migration safari (Mara River Crossing) the next day.
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania and the capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate climate. The city is close to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.
Accommodation: (OPTION)
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Arusha – Arusha Town)
• BUDGET LODGES –
Mrimba palm Hotel | Arusha tourist inn hotel
• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Natron Palace Hotel | City Link Hotel | Charity international
• LUXURY LODGES –
Mount Meru Hotel | Tulia Hotel & Spa | Kibo Paris | Arusha Serena Lodge
• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –
Gran Melia
DAY 1: Arusha – Tarangire
On this day you leave Arusha town; the base town for safaris in the northern Tanzania and along the Arusha – Dodoma highway a scenic drive towards the Tarangire National Park. You will pass by a supermarket (if you wish) for some last-minute shopping of any personal effects that you may need then drive through a scenic Masai Steppe and arrive at Tarangire in 2 hour-time.
Your driver will take care of the paper work at the park’s gate then you will embark on your first game drive
The Tarangire National Park has the highest density of elephants and large baobab trees that dot the grassland in North Tanzania and you can view these animals all year round in which the herds often can reach an impressive number of 300 animals. The Tarangire River has water all year round, and during the dry season, between July and October, many animals from the surrounding areas come to the river for drinking. If you visit the park during the dry season, you will witness an unforgettable natural wonder as you can observe wonderful creatures such as lions, giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests and zebras as well as various types of antelopes and gazelles and with a little luck, you can also spot a python! This area is during the dry season also a haven for bird watchers with over 550 different species including the Masai Ostrich -the world largest bird. Around lunchtime, you will stop at a suitable picnic place before the afternoon is dedicated to more wildlife watching. Before sunset, you will be taken to your Camp or Lodge in Manyara (MtowaMbu) for overnight.
DAY 2: Manyara/Karatu – Lake Eyasi – Back Manyara/Karatu
Explore wild, uncharted territory in southern Serengeti. Lake Eyasi, located in the immediate southwest of Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania, is one of the several beautiful lakes in the East African Rift Valley. The mildly alkaline lake stretches for about 50 km to the southwest with the vast plains of the Serengeti in its north. Enjoy walks along the shores of the lake and spend afternoons exploring the area dotted with ancient Baobab trees. Go on a hunting expedition with a Hadzabe family – Africa’s last remaining hunter-gatherers, to see their astonishing ability to track and hunt small game!
Early morning we depart to the village for local hunting experience with Hadzabe and Datonga tribes. This is not a mere performance. The bushmen rely on these techniques to survive and you'll need to be very attentive and at times quiet, while they demonstrate their use of locally made poisons in incapacitating the poor creatures on which they depend for survival. We return to your Accommodation for a late breakfast.
After Breakfast you will be introduced to the extraordinary people who belong to an indigenous tribe known as the 'Hadzabe' (hunter-gatherer bushmen). The tribe inhabits the shores of Lake Eyasi as do the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe. You will visit these tribes, which will include a visit to their homesteads, learn about their way of life, animal tracking, medicinal plants, and much more. Some wildlife and a wide range of bird species can be viewed during walks around the lake, which will be arranged.
At late Afternoon we drive back to Manyara/Karatu for Overnight
DAY 3: Manyara/Karatu – Serengeti
From Manyara (Mtowambu) we depart early after breakfast and head across the Great Rift Valley’s floor, up the escarpment and traverse the Ngorongoro Conservation area in what will ultimately end up being a pleasant and enjoyable scenic drive as you enjoy the beautiful scenery and breathtaking visitors on your way to the Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti National Park – with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We’ll proceed to the Lobo area which is located just north of the Seronera area (central Serengeti National Park). The wildebeest migration, normally pass through the Lobo area every year around July / August en-route to the Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve and again in late October / November en-route to the southern Serengeti National Park.
NOTE THAT:
You can break up the drive with some or both of thebelow activities:
• Olduvai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Olduvai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you will see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.
• Maasai boma visit: You will visit one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you'll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.
Both of the above activities are excluded in your Tour (additional cost is Needed).
Arrive the Serengeti in the late afternoon for an Evening game drive until Evening when you will check in at a Camp/lodge, dinner and overnight. Lunch is taken at one of the Picnic sites most likely at the Naabi Hill Gate where you will also get the chance to stretch your legs as your guide sorts out the registration and relevant paperwork. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti. All meals included.
DAY 4: Serengeti (Seronera Area)
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the park. The area around Lobo and the Grumeti River has good resident game throughout the year. Non-migrating animals like elephant, buffalo, gazelle, zebra, lion, leopard and cheetah can be seen here all year round. The game viewing is very good and you can follow game for long periods without seeing other vehicles – truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti Plains. Magnificent riverine trees can be found along the river lines and bird species such as kingfishers and fish eagles can be found here.
DAY 5: Serengeti (Central) – Northern Serengeti (Kogatende Area)
After breakfast, we head towards the far northern reach of the Serengeti National Park, also known as the Wagakuria. We will do a game drive en-route from the Lobo area to the Wagakuria area. As we head north, good sightings of giraffe, plain game, herds of buffalo and elephants can often be seen.
We arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and after lunch we will enjoy an afternoon game drive in the area. The wildebeest migration can normally be found in the Wagakuria area from Mid-july to October, depending on rainfall patterns. A long stretch of the Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti National Park and the Mara River provides the migration with its most difficult obstacle. Witnessing the frantic herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River is amazing.
DAY 6: Northern Serengeti (Kogatende) - Serengeti (Central)
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the Wagakuria area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in this area of the park, with prides of lion up to 30 strong, however, from Mid-July to October the area turns into a wildlife paradise. The key feature is the Mara River and it is not uncommon to see the herds cross the Mara River north on one day and then back south a few days later. Please take note –Finding a crossing is very difficult and is sometimes a matter of luck. A herd can be seen next to river and only decide to cross or not cross until a couple of days later. This area is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation and open plains, similar to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve.
(An option of doing a Hot Air Balloon is also in this area)
Serengeti Balloon Safaris: There are no words that can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice.” Get a birds-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun.
The flight lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather round a table, surrounded by the park’s lush plains, for an “Out of Africa” English-style breakfast.
DAY 7: Serengeti (Central) – Ngorongoro
Proceed with morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti with a lunch and leisure break at the lodge in the midafternoon. The term Serengeti means endless plains in Masai language. In the central plains there are carnivores like leopard, lion, hyena and cheetah.
This park is normally the scene of the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra that occurs between the Kenyan Mara and the Serengeti. Varied bird species can be seen here including eagles, ducks, geese, egrets, vultures, secretary birds, ibis, stork, herons, kites, pelicans, cranes and guinea fowl.
The Serengeti National park is a arguably the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world with over 3 million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen there including the “big 5” - Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo. Other common species found here includes hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkey and a profusion of over 500 species of birds.
In May or early June, huge herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra begin their annual spectacular migration northwards. In their wake follow predators, lion, cheetah and wild dogs with vultures circling overhead!
After having your lunch, you will continue with game view in Serengeti heading to the gate of Serengeti to check out of Serengeti National Park, after there you will proceed with game on route heading to Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and overnight at a Camp or Lodge at the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.
(An option of doing a Hot Air Balloon is also in this area)
Serengeti Balloon Safaris: There are no words that can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice.” Get a birds-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun.
The flight lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather round a table, surrounded by the park’s lush plains, for an “Out of Africa” English-style breakfast.
DAY 8: Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha
after breakfast, descend into the crater with lunch box enjoying the game drive for more than 7 hours.
Millions of years ago, a volcano the size of Mount Kilimanjaro rose from the highlands of northern Tanzania. Its eruption formed the largest unflooded caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Crater. Now inactive and filled with wildlife, the crater is a playground where you can enjoy game drives in in search of the Big Five.
The natural protection of the crater’s 600 m (1,968 ft) high walls “Ngorongoro Crater” helps many species to thrive, is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world and is home to an estimated 30,000 animals and this is the best place in Tanzania to see critically endangered black rhino.
The park is supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the crater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants.
Another big draw card to this picturesque national park is its huge population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard crater floor. After a picnic lunch you will have a game drive, After game Drive we drive to Arusha.
Price Inclusions and Exclusions
INCLUSIONS
- 4x4 Toyota Safari Land Cruiser, with pop-top roof.
- Experienced Professional Tour guide
- All taxes and Park Fees
- Crew Wages and Gate Transfer
- 3-Ltrs mineral waters per person / day during game drives
- All accommodation as mentioned in itinerary EXCEPT LABELED AS OPTIONAL
EXCLUSIONS
- Local and International flights
- Tips to Guide and Cook
- No night drives
- Medical insurance
- Visa & Travel insurance
- Expenses a personal nature
- Drinks and beverages in lodges
- Hotel accommodations before & after safari
