9-Day Serengeti and Ngorongoro Safari with Mara River Crossing

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Day 01

Arusha to Tarangire National Park and Karatu

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• This takes place in the morning after breakfast. We will provide you with all the essential information before heading west to our first safari destination, Tarangire National Park. Tarangire National Park is best known for its large herds of elephants, savannah, baobab trees, seasonal swamps, and the life-giving Tarangire River. Animals such as giraffes, bushbuck, and red hartebeest congregate near the river. The park is also home to buffalo, zebra, and wildebeest, which are always closely watched by predators like lions. Leopards are seen from time to time, but cheetahs are rarely spotted. From the open roof of the vehicle, you can overlook the landscape and observe the variety of animals. In the late afternoon, drive to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 02

Morning Game Drive in Tarangire and Transfer to Karatu

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, embark on another game drive in Tarangire National Park. During the dry season between June and October, the Tarangire River is the only permanent water source, and wildlife tends to be concentrated in its immediate vicinity. Stop for lunch at one of the picnic spots. In the afternoon, leave this beautiful park behind. Driving through the multicultural town of Mto wa Mbu, you will soon reach a point where beautiful views of the Maasai Plains and Lake Manyara open before you. After the obligatory photo stop, continue to the town of Karatu in the crater highlands, rich in vegetation, accommodation, and little movement.

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Day 03

Ngorongoro Crater Safari and Drive to Serengeti

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, drive toward Serengeti National Park through the beautiful highland farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, continuing to Ngorongoro Crater. The grassy steppes and acacia forests are home to almost all East African savannah animal species. You can see the BIG FIVE (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard) in just a few hours. After extensive game viewing and a picnic in the crater, leave the Ngorongoro highlands in the afternoon and continue towards the Serengeti. You will soon see the seemingly endless plains of the southern Serengeti and eventually reach the Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti. Then head straight to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 04

Central to Northern Serengeti Game Drive

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, embark on a game drive en route to the Northern Serengeti region. From Seronera, it is about 100 km into the northern Serengeti, a gently rolling landscape punctuated by small rivers, occasional hills, and kopjes. A vast permanent population of wild animals lives here, along with striking geological features such as the beautiful Kopjes. The Northern Serengeti is an exciting and varied destination far from the park's main access point in the south and therefore sees fewer visitors. The migration occurs in this area in August and offers the most spectacular river crossings, when the herds try to cross the Mara River while avoiding the strong currents and hungry crocodiles. After a full day, drive to your accommodation to enjoy dinner and spend the night under the glorious African sky on the Endless Plain.

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Day 05

Northern Serengeti and Mara River Crossing Opportunities

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After an early breakfast, make the most of the day in the Northern Serengeti. There are many opportunities to see the animals crossing the Mara River. Hundreds of wildebeest gather on the banks of the river and gaze longingly across the turbulent water to the green grass on the other side, but no animal moves. It only takes one brave wildebeest to take the literal step, and the rest will follow. Those animals that dodge the jaws of the waiting crocodiles and make it across the river are rewarded with the lush green grass of the Masai Mara. Return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 06

Northern Serengeti to Seronera Wildlife Drive

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, return to Seronera with more opportunities to experience the incredible wildlife and natural beauty of Serengeti National Park. In addition to the migrating herds, you may have the opportunity to see resident predators such as leopard, cheetah, and lion fulfilling their role in the life cycle. After an extensive game drive, head to your lodge for a hearty dinner and another fireside night of relaxation and entertainment under the star-glittering African night on the Endless Plain.

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Day 07

Central Serengeti Safari and Transfer to Ngorongoro Rim

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, embark on another amazing safari in Serengeti National Park before travelling to Ngorongoro Crater. Arriving at the crater rim in the afternoon gives you a first glimpse of what awaits the next day: sparkling streams, open grasslands, and various wildlife. Spend the night in accommodation near the crater rim.

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Day 08

Full Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• Very early in the morning, after breakfast, descend to the crater floor to spend the day spotting wildlife in one of the most incredible places on earth. The caldera was formed about three million years ago by a massive volcanic explosion that rivalled Mount Kilimanjaro in height. It is 610 m deep and covers about 260 square kilometres. It is one of the best places in Africa to see the BIG FIVE, wildebeest, gazelle, reedbuck, and many others, along with around 500 bird species. Stop for a picnic near Hippo Lake and hike up the steep road out of the crater in the afternoon. You will spend the night and have dinner in the nearby town of Karatu.

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Day 09

Lake Manyara National Park and Return to Arusha

• After breakfast, drive to the final destination on this private safari. Lake Manyara National Park is a relatively small but diverse park 120 km west of Arusha. Named for the shallow salt lake that covers about seventy percent of its surface, it floods and dries up with the seasons and is home to thousands of flamingos and around 500 other bird species in the region. As you explore the park, you may see monkeys, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, elephants, and, with a bit of luck, lions climbing trees. The park is known for its diverse landscapes, including grassy plains, primate-filled forests, and baobab-studded cliffs. After lunch, return to Arusha/Moshi, arriving in the late afternoon.