5-Day Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Safari

Day 1: Arusha - Lake Manyara National Park or Tarangire National Park

On this day, you can choose to go to Tarangire National Park or Lake Manyara National Park. Depending on the time of year, each park offers different safari experiences. Your guide can advise you which is best to visit during your safari. If you select Tarangire National Park, you'll depart from Arusha after breakfast for the approximately two-hour drive to Tarangire National Park. Along the way, you'll pass bustling Maasai villages and the vast, open plains that have become synonymous with images of Africa. If you select Lake Manyara National Park, you'll depart from Arusha after breakfast for the drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The journey takes approximately two hours, but we'll pass through the market town of Mto wa Mbu along the way. This agricultural and fresh produce market is a melting pot of local cultures and a souvenir hunter's paradise.

Day 2: Tarangire/Lake Manyara National Park - Serengeti National Park

We'll begin the day with the scenic drive towards the Serengeti. Along the way, we'll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you might be lucky enough to glimpse Cape buffalo, baboons, or even elephants and leopards in the dense undergrowth. After a delicious lunch at the Serengeti National Park picnic area, it’s time to explore the Serengeti itself. Witness Africa’s iconic savannah landscape and be amazed by the number of animals roaming these grassy plains. Dinner and your overnight stay are in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, according to our options' standards and the type of accommodation requested.

Day 3: Serengeti National Park

You'll wake before dawn to take part in a sunrise game drive. As the sun sets fire to the savannah, you'll have the best opportunity to see predators in action as they take advantage of the low light and cooler temperatures to look for an early meal. It's an ideal time to see lions, leopards, and cheetahs in action as well as the early morning movements of the wildebeest, zebra, and other herbivores. Alternatively, you may wish to take to the skies with a sunrise hot air balloon safari and champagne breakfast. Speak with your safari expert about adding this once-in-a-lifetime experience to your safari. After your unforgettable morning, you'll return to your lodge for a late breakfast and to freshen up before hitting the road again with a picnic lunch. Your driver will select the best possible route based on the time of year and the kind of animals you'd like to see, catering your day so that your opportunities to see the Serengeti's diverse wildlife are maximized.

Day 4: Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After breakfast, we will get right on the road back toward the Ngorongoro Crater National Park. Our drive takes us back through the Serengeti via a different route, offering plenty of opportunities to spot the animals that eluded you on day two. As far as the eye can see, you’ll spot thousands upon thousands of animals in herds; wildebeests and zebras migrating together, tall and graceful giraffes, jumping antelopes and gazelles, the powerful African elephants and the most respected group of animals: the predators. You will have the chance to spot lean cheetahs and shy leopards, foraging hyenas, and last but not least, the king himself; the lion. Dinner and your overnight stay will be on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater or in the nearby Karatu Town, according to the standard and the type of accommodation requested from our options.

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha

After breakfast, you'll depart for Ngorongoro Crater, considered by some to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. When you get your first glimpse of this vast, verdant caldera from the panoramic viewpoint, you'll soon understand why it has earned such a lofty reputation. Home to over 120 species of mammal, including the fabled Big Five, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most sought-after safari destinations in the world. It's a particularly good place to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a lonely meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see large numbers of hippos enjoying the cool water. The crater is home to many predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas, as well as a large population of wildebeest, zebras, antelope, Cape buffalo, and more. It is truly one of Africa's premier safari destinations. After the thrills and excitement of the day, you will have a picnic lunch by the park's famous hippo pool.

End of safari.