6-Day Migration Safari from Arusha: Ngorongoro, Ndutu & Serengeti

Track the wildebeest migration across three ecosystems in six days

A 6-day wildlife safari from Arusha that follows the wildebeest migration through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Ndutu, and central Serengeti National Park, with game drives, lodge accommodation, and a return flight to Arusha. The itinerary is timed to coincide with the migration's southern movement from December through April, when herds gather on the short-grass plains to calve and feed. Pickup from Arusha is included; a live guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater

• Pick up from Arusha
• Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Lunch at the lodge
• Descend into Ngorongoro Crater
• Afternoon wildlife safari

Day 2 — Ngorongoro to Ndutu

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Lake Ndutu area
• Lunch at lodge or camp
• Afternoon game drive in Ndutu

Day 3 — Full day game drive in Ndutu

• Breakfast at lodge
• Full day game drive in Ndutu area
• Lunch during game drive
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Day 4 — Ndutu to Serengeti Plains

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to central Serengeti (Seronera)
• Lunch at Serengeti lodge
• Afternoon game drive in Serengeti
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Day 5 — Serengeti Plains game drive

• Optional hot air balloon ride
• Breakfast at lodge
• Full day game drive in Serengeti
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Day 6 — Serengeti to Arusha

• Breakfast at lodge
• Game drive to Seronera airstrip
• Flight from Seronera to Arusha
• Transfer to Arusha town
• Lunch in Arusha
• End of safari services

The Experience

The safari begins with a pickup from Arusha and a transfer to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you descend over 600 meters into the crater for an afternoon game drive. The crater's year-round water supply and grass support herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and African elephants. You stay two nights in Arusha at the start and finish of the tour, with five nights split between the safari lodges.

Days two and three take you to Lake Ndutu, an alkaline lake in the southern Serengeti ecosystem where the migration concentrates from December through April. A full day game drive on day three lets you explore swamps, woodland, soda lakes, and the short-grass plains where wildebeest herds feed. Around February, calving peaks for about three weeks—newborns can run within minutes and keep pace with the herd within days, though predators are abundant on open ground with little cover.

Days four and five move you into central Serengeti National Park, the Seronera area, where the Seronera River draws wildlife year-round. The landscape opens into endless rolling plains. A hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti is available for an additional cost and must be arranged in advance. On the final morning, you enjoy a game drive en route to the Seronera airstrip, then fly back to Arusha for lunch before returning to your hotel. The extended 4x4 safari jeep with a pop-up roof is used throughout for game viewing.

What’s included

• The safari includes pickup from Arusha.
• six nights accommodation in lodges and two nights in Arusha.
• all taxes and fees.
• bottled water throughout.
• and an extended 4x4 luxury safari jeep with pop-up roof for game viewing. A live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language leads the game drives.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by MERU SLOPES TOURS AND SAFARIS

Is this one for you?Book this itinerary if you want to follow the migration's southern movement and catch the calving season—the timing and route are built around where the herds gather from December through April, so you spend less time traveling and more time watching the migration itself. The return flight on day six cuts travel time and keeps the focus on game viewing rather than long road transfers.

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Top questions

When does the wildebeest migration reach the Ndutu and Serengeti areas on this safari?

The migration normally arrives in the short-grass plains around Ndutu and the southern Serengeti in November and December, peaks during calving in February, and stays through April before moving west. This 6-day itinerary is designed to place you in these areas during that December-to-April window when herds are most concentrated.

What animals will I see on the game drives?

The Ngorongoro Crater supports herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and African elephants year-round. In the Ndutu and Serengeti areas, you'll see the same species, plus the full migration herds during the season, and predators that follow the calving.

How much time do I spend on game drives each day?

You have an afternoon game drive on day one in Ngorongoro, full-day game drives on days three, four, and five in Ndutu and Serengeti, and a morning drive to the airstrip on day six. Days two and four include both morning and afternoon drives.

Is the hot air balloon ride included in the safari?

The hot air balloon over the Serengeti Plains is available at supplementary cost—USD 550 per person—and must be booked in advance. It is not part of the standard package.

How do I get back to Arusha on the last day?

After a morning game drive to the Seronera airstrip, you board a scheduled flight to Arusha airport around midmorning. A driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to Arusha town for lunch, then to your hotel.

What is included in the accommodation?

The package includes six nights in safari lodges (Rhino Lodge in Ngorongoro, Chakachaka Tented Lodge in Ndutu, and Serengeti Heritage Tented Lodge in Serengeti), plus two nights in a hotel in Arusha town. All taxes, fees, bottled water, and the 4x4 jeep with pop-up roof are included.