5-Day Ngorongoro and Serengeti Safari with Mara River Crossing

• Pick up from your hotel in Arusha.
• Have lunch en route to Ngorongoro Crater.
• Descend 2,000 ft into the crater by 4-wheel-drive vehicle.
• Explore the Ngorongoro Crater, also called Africa's Eden and a natural wonder of the world. A visit to the crater is the main drawcard for tourists coming to Tanzania and a definite world-class attraction of remarkable beauty.
  • Home to the Ngorongoro Crater, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) was formed some 2.5 million years ago when a volcanic mountain sank due to inactivity and was initially thought to have been higher than Tanzania's famous Kilimanjaro. It evolved into a unique and integral part of Tanzania's ecosystem. The crater is actually a caldera, measuring 22.5 km across, with rim walls standing 600 m high.
• Ascend the crater for the drive to the lodge set on the crater rim. Views from within the crater and from the rim are breathtaking.
  • The crater is home to 30,000 animals and many amazing birds, which rarely move from the area because of the year-round 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 the lodge or camp after breakfast.
• Transfer to Serengeti National Park.
• Enjoy a full-day game drive to view the great migration in the park. It is well known for its healthy stock of resident wildlife, particularly the 'Big Five', named for the five most prized trophies taken by hunters.
  • The ecosystem is believed to hold the largest population of lions in Africa, due in part to the abundance of prey species, with more than 3,000 lions living here.
• Spot the African Leopard, commonly seen in the Seronera region but present throughout the national park, with a population of around 1,000.
• Enjoy the amazing sights and natural scenery of Serengeti National Park.

Meal: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or camp

• After breakfast, depart with your picnic lunch for a game drive and to view the great migration.
• Observe exceptionally high resident wildlife numbers in the Wagakuria area of Serengeti National Park.
• Look out for up to 30 lion prides. From August to October, the area turns into a wildlife paradise.
• Witness the Mara River, a key feature of the area, and watch for herds crossing north and then back south a few days later. Please remember that finding a river crossing can be tricky and is sometimes a matter of luck.

Meal: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or camp

• Depart from your camp after breakfast.
• Embark on a game drive at the Mara River.
• Witness the incredible spectacle of the great migration river crossing throughout the day.
• Drive back to the camp for the evening bonfire, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or camp

• Depart after breakfast for a rewarding morning game drive.
• Transfer to Kogatende Airstrip for your afternoon flight to Arusha.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: No accommodation