7-Day Serengeti Migration Safari with Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara

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Day 01

Arusha/Moshi to Lake Manyara and Onward to Serengeti

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• Get picked up from your hotel in Moshi/Arusha at 7:00 AM and drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara National Park is home to tree-climbing lions, hippos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, baboons, blue and green monkeys, warthogs, and more. About 350 bird species have been recorded in Lake Manyara National Park. At 12:00 PM, leave the park for a hot lunch; at 2:30 PM, drive to Serengeti National Park for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 02

Lake Manyara to Central Serengeti via Lobo

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, drive towards Serengeti National Park, with its endless plains rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. Continue to the Lobo area, north of the Seronera area in Central Serengeti National Park. The wildebeest migration normally crosses the Lobo range in July/August each year en route to Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve, and again in late October/November on its way south to Serengeti National Park. Arrive in time for lunch and, in the afternoon, enjoy a game drive in Serengeti National Park.

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Day 03

Full-Day Game Drive in the Seronera Area

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast at your accommodation, enjoy a full-day game drive to the destination of Seronera. The Lobo and Grumeti River area has good game all year round. Non-migratory animals such as elephants, buffalo, gazelle, zebra, lions, leopards, and cheetahs can be seen here throughout the year. Wildlife viewing is excellent, and you can enjoy game drives for long periods without seeing other vehicles, making this truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti plains. Magnificent riparian trees can be found along the river courses, and bird species such as kingfishers and ospreys can also be seen here.

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Day 04

Central Serengeti to Northern Serengeti in the Kogatende Area

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After an early morning breakfast, make your way to the northern edge of Serengeti National Park, also known as Wagakuria. Enjoy a safari drive from the Lobo area to the Wagakuria area. As you drive north, there are often good sightings of giraffes, wildlife, herds of buffalo, and elephants. Arrive at a lodge in time for lunch and, after lunch, enjoy a game drive in the area. Wildebeest migrations are usually observed in the Wagakuria area from August to October, depending on rainfall patterns. A long stretch of the Mara River runs through Northern Serengeti National Park, and the Mara River presents the migration with its most challenging obstacle. Witnessing the frantic herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River is incredible.

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Day 05

Full Game Drive in Northern Serengeti

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After an early morning breakfast, enjoy a full-day game drive in the Wagakuria area. Native wildlife is exceptionally abundant in this part of the park, with prides of up to 30 lions, but from August to October, the area becomes a true wildlife haven. The main feature is the Mara River, and it is common to see herds of wildebeest, zebra, and many others crossing the river north one day and south a few days later. A herd can often be seen at the river and may only decide a few days later whether or not to cross. This is a stunning region of kopjes, forests, riparian vegetation, and open plains, similar to Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve.

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Day 06

Northern Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

• Accommodation: Client's selection of public campsite, tented campsite, or lodges.
• After breakfast, depart from the Northern Serengeti for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Arrive at your accommodation just in time for lunch, and then descend more than 600 m into the Ngorongoro Crater to see the wildlife within. Supported by a year-round water and food supply, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to various animals, including herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another major draw of this scenic national park is its dense population of predators, including lion, hyena, jackal, cheetah, and the ever-elusive leopard. You will also visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwest corner, which is one of the main features of Ngorongoro Crater. Here, you can often see large numbers of flamingos, hippos, and other waterfowl.

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Day 07

Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha

• In the morning after breakfast, you are ready to leave Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most desirable safari destinations in the world. It is a particularly good spot to see the endangered black rhino enjoying a solitary meal on the grassy plains, as well as large numbers of hippos enjoying the cool waters. From the comfort of your convertible, you can observe and photograph some of Africa's most famous animals. The crater is home to a large number of predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, and hyena, as well as a large population of wildebeest, zebra, antelope, Cape buffalo, and more. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the park's famous Hippo Pool. Afterwards, drive back to Moshi/Arusha.