The Great Migration in Ndutu with Ngorongoro & Tarangire

Detailed itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival in Arusha – briefing and visit to the art gallery

  Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport. You will be met and driven by private vehicle to your booked hotel in Arusha. Your guide will come to give you an introduction to the entire safari. Depending on your arrival time, you will be picked up around midday and driven to the unique cultural centre, the Cultural Heritage Gallery on the outskirts of Arusha. The diversity of sculptures, masks, furniture, drawings and photos from all parts of Africa on display here is extremely impressive and well worth a visit. Overnight at the Hotel Mtoni River Lodge or an accommodation of equal category.

• Day 2: Drive to Tarangire – wildlife viewing – the paradise of elephants

  In the early morning we drive to Tarangire. In this national park you have an outstanding opportunity for wildlife viewing. With a game-viewing area roughly ten times the size of nearby Lake Manyara National Park and an exceptionally high concentration of wildlife from July to October, this seasonal safari park in Tanzania is a small gem on the northern safari circuit. Elephants are the main attraction, with up to 3,000 living in the park during peak months. In high season there are also many wildebeest and zebras, as well as giraffes, buffalo, Thomson’s gazelles, warthogs, greater and lesser kudu, eland, leopards and cheetahs. Tarangire is also one of the best birdwatching destinations in Tanzania. Overnight at Eileen’s Trees Inn (B|L|D).

  

• Day 3: Drive to the southern Serengeti region – into the endless Ndutu plain

  Early in the morning we drive to the region around Lake Ndutu, which lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a magnificent landscape of the southern Serengeti ecosystem. The Ndutu plain is famous for its short grasses and the excellent visibility they provide for spotting predators. Lake Ndutu, like most other Rift Valley lakes, is alkaline. It is a vital water source visited by a wide variety of the wildlife living here. During the migration season, the herds come here to calve, which attracts a large number of predators such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, caracals, jackals and bat-eared foxes, to name just a few. The migration moves on, but these predators stay and continue to breed. More and more young predators are being spotted, showing how valuable this protected area is for the survival of the species. After an unforgettable day we head to our accommodation to dine and relax by the fire on the plain under the endless African night sky lit by countless stars. Overnight at the Ndutu Lodge or an accommodation of equal category (B|L|D).

• Day 4: Wildlife viewing in the Ndutu region

  On this day we will get up very early to experience a magical sunrise in the early morning that we will never forget, and to set off on a game drive when the animals are especially active. This is truly one of the most beautiful experiences. After the game drive we return to camp for an extensive brunch. Afterwards we set off for a full-day wildlife viewing in the Ndutu region. The majority of the wildebeest migration usually stays on the short-grass plains from December to April. The area is rich in elephants, giraffes, over four hundred bird species and a great variety of other resident wildlife. We will explore the various landscapes of the region, including marshes, woodlands, alkaline lakes and the world-famous short-grass plains of the Serengeti. Herds of wildebeest and zebras will set our hearts racing during the drive. In February, several thousand calves are born here each day within three weeks. A unique spectacle of a magnificent act of synchronised birth. The grass offers little cover, so the young are easy prey for a variety of predators such as lions, hyenas, cheetahs and leopards. Wildebeest calves can already walk just a few minutes after birth and are usually strong enough within three days to keep up with the herd. This unique natural spectacle will stay with you for a long time and may well bring you back to this wonderful country at least one more time. Overnight at the Ndutu Lodge or an accommodation of equal category (B|L|D).

  

• Day 5: Wildlife viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater and drive to Arusha

  Today we dedicate ourselves to the Ngorongoro Crater, which offers a breathtakingly beautiful setting and is the best place in East Africa to see the Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). Every safari in northern Tanzania should ideally include a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater. It is one of the most beautiful nature-safari spots in the world and an exceptional place to meet members of the Maasai tribe. The Ngorongoro Crater and the surrounding highlands together form one of the most beautiful regions of Africa. Volcanic craters provide a magnificent backdrop for some of the most fertile and richest grazing lands in Africa. The most famous crater of this kind is, without question, Ngorongoro, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa. Ngorongoro is rightly one of the continent’s best-known safari destinations. From the afternoon we drive to Serengeti National Park and spend the night there. Overnight at the Hotel Mtoni River Lodge or an accommodation of equal category (B|L).

  

• Day 6: Departure: drive to Arusha–Kilimanjaro International Airport or onward extension module Kilimanjaro/Mt. Meru/Zanzibar

  Free time until departure. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel according to your flight details and take you to the airport, or you continue with your onward programme (B).

  We reserve the right to make changes to the programme due to special events, force majeure or weather conditions.

  Legend: B = Breakfast | L = Lunch | D = Dinner