6-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari from Arusha: Great Migration

Serengeti safari tour crossing plains with zebras, wildebeest, and antelope migration

A 6-day guided safari from Arusha through Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara, following the Great Migration of over a million animals. You'll spend three full days in the Serengeti on game drives, then descend into Ngorongoro Crater (a caldera 610 meters deep with 25,000 animals concentrated on its floor) before returning to Arusha. A professional guide drives and narrates. All park fees, activities, meals and accommodation are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Central Serengeti National Park

• Breakfast at hotel
• Guide picks you up at 08:00
• Drive via Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Stop at Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint
• Picnic lunch inside Serengeti National Park
• Arrive at tented camp in Serengeti
• Relax and have dinner at camp

Day 2: Central to Northern Serengeti National Park

• Early breakfast
• Game drive starting at 6:30 am
• Explore Serengeti wildlife and migration
• Return to camp by 14:00
• Relax, dine, and swim at camp

Day 3: Full Game Drive in Northern Serengeti

• Breakfast at camp
• Full day game drives in Serengeti
• Observe migrating herds and predators
• Return to Kenzan tented camp
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 4: Northern to Central Serengeti

• Hearty breakfast
• Full-day game drive in Central Serengeti
• See wildebeest calves and herds
• Return to accommodation
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 5: Central Serengeti then Ngorongoro Crater

• Very early wake-up
• Early morning game drive and sunrise
• Return to camp for brunch
• Drive to Ngorongoro Crater
• Enjoy sundowner at Ngorongoro
• Overnight at hotel inside crater

Day 6: Ngorongoro crater then Arusha

• Early sunrise views over crater
• Hearty breakfast
• Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
• Picnic lunch inside crater
• Travel back to Arusha
• Drop off at accommodation or airport

The experience

Your guide picks you up at your Arusha hotel or airport at 8:00 am on day one and drives toward Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping at the crater rim for views before descending into the park itself. You'll have a picnic lunch inside Serengeti and arrive at your tented camp by evening. The next three days are built around game drives: day two runs 6–7 hours through the central and northern sections, where the migrating herds move according to rainfall patterns that shift year to year. You'll see the resident predators (lions, leopards, cheetahs) working the same plains, alongside buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes and impala. Day three is a full day in the north. Day four moves back to central Serengeti, where in January the wildebeest calves are born by the hundreds of thousands in a synchronized event that lasts roughly three weeks.

On day five you wake early for a sunrise game drive, return for brunch, then travel to Ngorongoro Crater in time for a sundowner. The crater spreads 102 square miles with walls 2,000 feet high and holds roughly 25,000 animals year-round: wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, elephant, and some of the continent's largest elephants with the biggest tusks. The crater also has a river, swamps, a soda lake where flamingos concentrate, forest and open grassland. Black rhinos, rare across East Africa, live here. Day six begins with an early game drive inside the crater, followed by a picnic lunch and the drive back to Arusha, where you'll be dropped at your accommodation or airport in the afternoon.

All park entry fees, activities, unlimited drinking water, and a professional guide who speaks English, Spanish, French or German are included. Accommodation is in hotels or tented camps inside the parks. Pickup from your Arusha hotel or airport is included. The minimum age is 15.

What’s included

• All national park entry fees and activities.
• accommodation in hotels or tented camps inside the parks.
• all meals.
• unlimited drinking water.
• a professional guide who drives and narrates in English, Spanish, French or German.
• pickup from your Arusha hotel or airport.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Under 15: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Kanje grand tours

Is this one for you?Small groups work best for this safari. You'll share the vehicle with other travelers and your guide, which keeps costs down and lets you compare what each person spots. If you're visiting Tanzania for the first time and want to see the full range of parks and the Great Migration without arranging transport or logistics yourself, this 6-day route covers all four major stops in a single trip.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and German.

What animals will I actually see on a Serengeti safari in different seasons?

The Great Migration moves according to rainfall: from November to December the herds move south from the northern woodlands to the grassy plains. From April to June they return north. Resident predators (lions, leopards, cheetahs) hunt year-round. Buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes and impala are present throughout. In January, roughly half a million wildebeest calves are born over about three weeks, an event that concentrates predators and scavengers across the central plains.

How much time do I spend actually driving and watching wildlife each day?

Days two through four are dedicated to game drives: day two runs 6–7 hours. Days three and four are full-day drives. Day five includes an early morning game drive before you leave for Ngorongoro. Day six starts with a game drive inside Ngorongoro Crater before the return journey to Arusha begins in the afternoon.

What makes Ngorongoro Crater different from the Serengeti?

Ngorongoro Crater is a caldera 610 meters deep covering 260 square kilometers, with 2,000-foot walls that create a self-contained ecosystem. It holds roughly 25,000 animals concentrated on the crater floor (wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, elephant, and black rhinos), so you see a high density of wildlife in a single location. The crater also contains a river, swamps, a soda lake with flamingos, forest and open plains, making it one of the best game-viewing sites in Tanzania.

Do I need to be fit or experienced to do this safari?

The safari is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You spend most days in a vehicle with your guide. The main activity is sitting, watching and photographing. Early starts (around 6:30 am) are common because animals are more active in the morning, but there is no hiking or strenuous walking required.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay separately?

All park entry fees, activities, accommodation inside the parks, meals, unlimited drinking water and your professional guide are included. Tips, visa fees and international flights are not included. You have the option to upgrade or downgrade your accommodation level on day five.