6-Day Serengeti Migration Safari with Mara River Fly-In Adventure

• Early in the morning, after breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Arusha Airport for your flight to North Serengeti. Upon arrival, continue with a game drive in the wilderness, tracking the Great Migration trails. You will arrive in time for lunch at the lodge, and after lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive in the area. The wildebeest migration can normally be found in the Wagakuria area from mid-July 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 difficult obstacle. Witnessing the frantic herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River is an amazing experience. In the evening, drive to the lodge for leisure and an overnight stay.

• After breakfast, enjoy a full-day game drive in the Kogatende/Wagakuria area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in this part of the park, with prides of lions up to 30 strong. From mid-July 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 difficult and sometimes a matter of luck. A herd may be seen next to the river and only decide to cross, or not cross, a couple of days later. This is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation, and open plains, similar to Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve.
• An option for a hot air balloon safari is also available in this area.
• Serengeti Balloon Safaris: No words can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice. Get a bird's-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun and witness the millions of wildebeest crossing the Mara River. The balloon tour lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather around a table, surrounded by the park's lush plains, for an "Out of Africa" English-style breakfast.

• After breakfast, enjoy a full-day game drive in the Kogatende area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in this part of the park, with prides of lions up to 30 strong. From mid-July 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 difficult and sometimes a matter of luck. A herd may be seen next to the river and only decide to cross, or not cross, a couple of days later. This is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation, and open plains, similar to Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve.

• After breakfast, enjoy a full-day game drive in the park. The area around Lobo and the Grumeti River has good resident game throughout the year. Non-migrating animals such as elephants, buffalo, gazelle, zebra, lions, leopards, and cheetahs can be seen here all year round. The game viewing is very good, and you can follow the wildlife for long periods without seeing other vehicles - truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti Plains. Magnificent riverine trees can be found along the river lines, and bird species such as kingfishers and fish eagles can also be seen here.

Proceed with morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti, with a lunch and leisure break at the lodge in the mid-afternoon. The term Serengeti means endless plains in the Masai language. The central plains are home to carnivores such as leopards, lions, hyenas, and cheetahs. This park is normally the scene of the annual wildebeest and zebra migration between the Kenyan Mara and the Serengeti. Varied bird species include eagles, ducks, geese, egrets, vultures, secretary birds, ibis, storks, herons, kites, pelicans, cranes, and guinea fowl.

Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, with over 3 million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen here, including the "Big 5" - elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and buffalo. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys, and a profusion of over 500 species of birds. In May or early June, huge herds of wildebeest, gazelle, and zebra begin their annual spectacular migration northwards. In their wake follow predators such as lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs, with vultures circling overhead. After lunch, continue with game viewing in the Serengeti, heading to the gate to check out of Serengeti National Park. Afterwards, proceed with game viewing en route to Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and overnight will be at a camp or lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.

An option for a hot air balloon safari is also available in this area.

• Serengeti Balloon Safaris: No words can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice. Get a bird's-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun and witness the millions of wildebeest crossing the Mara River. The flight lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather around a table, surrounded by the park's lush plains, for an "Out of Africa" English-style breakfast.

Note that:

You can break up the drive with some or both of the below activities:

Olduvai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Olduvai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here, you will see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.

Maasai boma visit: You will visit one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you will have the opportunity to witness, and even participate in, traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.

Both activities above are excluded from your tour and require an additional cost.

• Millions of years ago, a volcano the size of Mount Kilimanjaro rose from the highlands of northern Tanzania. Its eruption formed the largest unflooded caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Crater. Now inactive and filled with wildlife, the crater is a playground where you can enjoy game drives in search of the Big Five. The natural protection of the crater's 600 m (1,968 ft) high walls helps many species to thrive, making Ngorongoro Crater one of the most densely populated African wildlife areas in the world. It is home to an estimated 30,000 animals, and this is the best place in Tanzania to see the critically endangered black rhino.
• The park is supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, and the crater supports a wide variety of animals, including herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another major draw of this picturesque national park is its huge predator population, including lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard on the crater floor. After a picnic lunch, you will continue with a game drive. After the game drive, we drive back to Arusha/Moshi for an overnight stay.