5-Day Serengeti Great Migration Safari with Mara River Crossing

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in Arusha, with lunch en route to a full-day Ngorongoro Crater tour. You will descend 2,000 ft into the crater by 4-wheel-drive vehicle, explore the crater floor, then ascend and drive to your lodge set on the crater rim. The Ngorongoro Crater is often called Africa's Eden and the 7th Natural Wonder of the World, and a visit to the crater is a main draw for tourists coming to Tanzania as well as a definite world-class attraction of outstanding beauty.
• The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is home to the Ngorongoro Crater. It was formed some 2.5 million years ago when a volcanic mountain sank due to inactivity, and it was initially thought to have been higher than Tanzania's famous Kilimanjaro. The crater has evolved into a unique and integral part of Tanzania's ecosystem. It is actually a caldera, measuring 22.5 km across, with rim walls standing 600 m high. Views from within the crater and from the rim are breathtaking. The crater is home to 30,000 animals and many unique birds, which rarely move from the area due to the availability of water through both wet and dry seasons. In the evening, return to the lodge or camp for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Lodge or Camp.

• Pick up from your lodge or camp after breakfast and then transfer to Serengeti. We will have a full-day game drive to view the Great Migration in this part of the park. The park is well known for its healthy population of resident wildlife, particularly the Big Five, named for the five most prized trophies once taken by hunters. The Serengeti is believed to hold the largest population of lions in Africa, due in part to the abundance of prey species. More than 3,000 lions live in this ecosystem. African leopards are commonly seen in the Seronera region but are present throughout the national park, with a population of around 1,000. Get ready for some fantastic sightings and natural scenery.

Meal: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or Camp.

• After breakfast at the camp, depart with your picnic lunch for a game drive to view the Great Migration. Serengeti National Park has exceptionally high resident wildlife numbers in the Wagakuria area, with lion prides up to 30 strong. However, from August to October, the area turns into a wildlife paradise. The key feature is the Mara River, and it is not uncommon to see herds cross the river north on one day and then back south a few days later. Please note that finding a crossing is challenging and sometimes a matter of luck.

Meal: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or Camp.

• After breakfast, enjoy a fantastic full-day game drive at the Mara River, viewing the Great Migration river crossing. In the evening, return to the camp for the evening bonfire, dinner, and overnight stay. River crossings at Kogatende occur daily in August as the mega-herd settles into the area. From August to October, game viewing here is superb, with river crossings pretty much guaranteed every day. There is no distinct movement, as the herds tend to cross back and forth over the river, following the rains and the fresh grasses that follow. It is common to see different herds crossing in different directions on the same day.

Meal: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or Camp.

• Depart after breakfast for a morning game drive. In the afternoon, transfer to Kogatende Airstrip for your flight to Arusha.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: No Accommodation