8-Day Serengeti Safari from Arusha: Wildebeest Migration

The Mara River crossing happens in front of you, not on a screen.

An 8-day safari from Arusha through Tanzania's Northern Circuit, traveling by vehicle with a professional guide through Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park to track the annual wildebeest migration. Park fees, accommodation at mid-range lodges, and all transport are included. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language of your choice. Minimum age is 18. International flights are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

• Picked up from airport
• Transfer to accommodation
• Overnight and relax

Day 2: Tarangire National Park

• Collected from accommodation after breakfast
• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Game drive in Tarangire
• Lunch at picnic site
• Drive to accommodation in Karatu

Day 3: Serengeti National Park

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Stop at Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint
• Drive to Serengeti National Park south
• Game drive in Serengeti
• Drive to accommodation

Day 4: Northern Serengeti National Park

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Drive through Serengeti to northern region
• Game viewing of migration

Day 5: Northern Serengeti National Park

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Explore hills, forests, and plains
• Observe Mara River crossing
• Wildlife viewing of predators and prey

Day 6: Northern to Central Serengeti

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Game drive returning to Central Serengeti
• Search for migrating animals

Day 7: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

• Drive through Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Arrive at Ngorongoro Crater by lunchtime
• Drive down into crater
• Afternoon game drive in crater
• Drive to accommodation in Karatu

Day 8: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha

• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Game drive in Lake Manyara
• Picnic lunch inside park
• Drop off at chosen location

The experience

The safari starts with airport pickup and a night in Arusha to settle in. The next morning the guide collects you after breakfast and drives two and a half hours on tarmac to Tarangire National Park, where the Tarangire River is the only water source for wildlife in the dry season. Elephant families gather at the river. You'll also see giraffes, bushbuck, hartebeest, and predators including lions and leopards. The park holds more breeding bird species than anywhere else on the planet, and ancient baobab trees, some over a thousand years old, stand across the landscape. Lunch is a picnic inside the park before the afternoon game drive, then you drive to accommodation in Karatu.

Day three takes you through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area toward the Serengeti, with a stop at Ngorongoro Crater itself. The crater floor sits 2,000 feet below the rim and holds its own ecosystem: wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, over 500 bird species, and a genuine chance to see the endangered black rhino in the open grasslands. You reach the Serengeti by evening. The next two days are spent in the northern Serengeti, where the wildebeest migration usually congregates at this time of year. Over two million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra and antelope move in search of fresh grazing and water. The Mara River cuts through this region, and during the crossing, Nile crocodiles wait in the water while lions, hyenas, leopards, and cheetahs wait on the far bank. The landscape here is different from the south: hills, riverine forests, rocky outcrops, and plains replace the open grasslands.

The return journey moves you slowly back through Central Serengeti with an en route game drive, then through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area again (giraffes are common on the lush slopes) to reach the crater by lunchtime for an afternoon game drive. The final day takes you to Lake Manyara National Park, 120 kilometers west of Arusha. It's one of Africa's narrowest parks but dense with wildlife: the Great Rift Escarpment towers over its western edge, the shallow salt lake hosts thousands of wading birds including flamingos, and the park is famous for tree-climbing lions. You'll see baboons and elephants in the thick evergreen forest. Lunch is a picnic inside the park, and afterward you're dropped at your choice of destination: Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport, or Arusha Airport.

What’s included

• All park entry fees.
• accommodation at mid-range lodges (Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha, Eileen's Trees Inn in Karatu, Land of Nature Camp in Central Serengeti, and Heritage Mara Camp in the north).
• all transport by vehicle with a professional driver/guide.
• picnic lunches inside the parks on days two, three, four, five, six, and eight.
• airport pickup and final drop-off at your choice of location.
• all taxes and VAT.

Information

Lasts 8d, runs every day at 08:30, from US$ 4,257 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30Another time? ›

GroupPrivate4 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

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

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Lion King Adventures

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to track the wildebeest migration across multiple Serengeti zones and prefer watching wildlife from your vehicle rather than hiking.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What is the wildebeest migration and when does it happen during this safari?

The wildebeest migration is the annual movement of vast numbers of Serengeti wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra and other animals, in search of fresh grazing and water. The migration follows a fairly predictable annual pattern, and during this 8-day tour it is usually found in the Northern Serengeti at this time of year. The exact location shifts month to month, but your guide knows where to find it.

Will I see the Mara River crossing during this safari?

The Mara River crossing is a possibility during your time in the Northern Serengeti, where over two million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra and antelope attempt to cross in search of fresh grazing. Nile crocodiles wait in the water and predators wait on the far bank, making it one of the most dramatic moments in the migration, but the crossing is not guaranteed on any given day, as the animals move according to grazing conditions.

How many parks do we visit and what animals can I expect to see?

You visit four main areas: Tarangire National Park (elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, and over 500 bird species); Ngorongoro Crater (wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, over 500 bird species, and endangered black rhinos); Serengeti National Park (impalas, buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, and the migrating herds); and Lake Manyara National Park (tree-climbing lions, baboons, elephants, flamingos, and over 500 wading bird species).

What is included in the 8-day safari price?

All park fees, accommodation at mid-range lodges, all transport by vehicle with a professional driver/guide, and all taxes and VAT are included. Lunch is provided on the days inside the parks as picnics. International flights and tips are not included. Additional accommodation before or after the tour can be added at checkout.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to and from the airport?

No, pickup from the airport is included, and on the final day you're dropped at your choice of destination: Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport, or Arusha Airport. A Lion King representative meets you on arrival and handles the transport to your first night's accommodation in Arusha.