7 Day Unique Wildebeest Migration Mara River Crossing Safari Experience in Tanzania

Day 1: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Pick up from your accommodation in Arusha and head to Tarangire National Park. This park, with its endless grasslands, huge baobab trees, the perennial Tarangire River, and seasonal swamps, is home to the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania. Animals gather at the river, and you should be able to see elephants, giraffes, bushbucks, hartebeests, dik-diks, waterbucks, warthogs, and reedbucks all year round. Furthermore, the park is also home to buffalo, zebras, and wildebeest,s which are always closely followed by a range of predators such as lions. Leopards are seen every once in a while, but cheetahs are rarely spotted. After an extensive game drive, you will be heading to Fanaka lodge for an overnight.

Meal plan: dinner/ breakfast /packed lunch.

• Main destination: Tarangire National Park
• Accommodation: Fanaka Safaris, Campsites and Lodges (Budget lodge located just outside Lake Manyara NP)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 2: Tarangire to Central Serengeti National Park

After breakfast, depart for Serengeti National Park, leaving the highlands behind. Land Savannah descends into the heart of wild Africa - the Serengeti National Park - with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. Then head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti's species. Arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park, and later evening, overnight at Serengeti Kati Kati tented camp.

Meal plan: dinner/breakfast /lunch.

• Main destination: Central Serengeti National park
• Accommodation: Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp (Mid-range tented camp located inside Central Serengeti)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 3: Central Serengeti to North Serengeti

Early morning game drive in Central Serengeti looking for hunting predators, then return to the camp for breakfast. After breakfast, depart with picnic lunch and drive towards the North Serengeti for a game drive. The great migration is supposed to be in this area from late July to mid-October, crossing the famous Mara River to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya and back to the Serengeti. You will have a high opportunity to see them crossing while the crocodiles in the river attack them. The North Serengeti also has lots of big cats, elephants, giraffes, impalas, hippos, and it is another good place to see the endangered black rhino. In the late afternoon, you will continue to Mara Kati Kati tented camp (located in the North Serengeti) for dinner and overnight.

• Main destination: Northern Serengeti National Park
• Accommodation: Mara Kati Kati Tented Lodge (Mid-range tented camp located inside Northern Serengeti)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 4: North Serengeti for wildebeest migration

You will proceed for a full day game drive viewing the great migration in the Mara area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in the Wagakuria area. The key feature is the Mara River and there is a great chance to see the herds cross the Mara River to the north on one day and back south a few days later. Please note that it can be very difficult to witness crossing and is sometimes a matter of luck. A herd can be seen next to the river, and only decides to cross a couple of days later. This area is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation,n and open plains, similar to Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. Later, back to the Mara Kati Kati tented camp for dinner and overnight.

• Main destination: Northern Serengeti National Park
• Accommodation: Mara Kati Kati Tented Lodge (Mid-range tented camp located inside Northern Serengeti)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 5: Northern Serengeti to Ngorongoro area

In the morning, you will continue with the game drive at the northern Serengeti till midday and later slowly game en route to central Serengeti and proceed to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, or (optional activities with extra cost) visit Olduvai Gorge museum, a famous archaeological location in East Africa. At Laetoli, located 45 km south of Olduvai Gorge, you will find hominin footprints preserved in volcanic rock that date back 3.6 million years and represent some of the earliest signs of mankind in the world, and later head to Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge for dinner and overnight.

• Main destination: Ngorongoro Highlands
• Accommodation: Rhino Lodge (Mid-range lodge located on the crater rim of Ngorongoro Crater)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 6: Ngorongoro crater to Mto wa Mbu area

After an early breakfast, you will drive down the steep and narrow road that takes you into the crater. The slopes are forested, but soon the landscape changes to savannah. Here, the wildlife is just breathtaking and with a little luck, you can observe the Big Five - lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard - in just a few hours. You should also see warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, hippos, and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After a morning dedicated to game viewing and a picnic lunch, you will leave the crater in the late afternoon to drive to Mto wa Mbu for dinner and overnight at Fanaka lodge.

• Main destination: Ngorongoro Crater
• Accommodation: Fanaka Safaris, Campsites and Lodges (Budget lodge located just outside Lake Manyara NP)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 7: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and head to Lake Manyara National Park. The small park stretches along the 600 m high Rift Valley Escarpment and is dominated by the alkaline Lake Manyara. Many water birds gather at the lake, and more than 400 bird species are found in the park. The diverse vegetation provides a habitat for many animals such as monkeys in the forest, giraffes and antelopes on the grasslands, and elephants around the acacia trees. If you are very lucky, you might also see the Manyara lions, lounging in the trees. In the late afternoon, you will leave the park and head to Arusha.

• Main destination: Lake Manyara National Park
• Accommodation: No accommodation (end of tour)
• Meals and drinks: all meals included, drinking water (other drinks not included)