7-Day Mara River Crossing Serengeti Migration Safari

Upon arrival, our representative will be on hand to welcome you and transfer you to your accommodation in Arusha. You'll spend the night at a lodge located at the base of Mount Meru, in the heart of Arusha city, with the rest of the day free to rest and settle in.

After an early breakfast, you'll depart for Tarangire National Park. Named after the Tarangire River, the park's main dry-season water source, it's known as the "river of warthogs" and draws large numbers of wildlife throughout the year across dense elephant grass, acacia woodland and open savannah.

Tarangire is especially famous for its large elephant herds gathering along the river, alongside giraffes, bushbucks and hartebeests, with lions and leopards following close behind. It's also home to one of the highest numbers of breeding bird species anywhere in the world. After lunch and an extensive game drive, you'll continue to the Ngorongoro Highlands, arriving in the late afternoon for dinner.

After an early breakfast, you'll depart for Serengeti National Park, driving through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with scenic game viewing along the way. The Serengeti is home to the legendary Great Wildebeest Migration, where over a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras move across the plains in search of fresh grazing, guided by seasonal rains throughout the year.

Expect a true African safari experience here, with lions, elephants, giraffes and many other species in their natural habitat — it's also a popular filming location for wildlife documentaries. You'll arrive at camp in the evening for dinner.

After breakfast, you'll continue with a full-day game drive in the northern Serengeti. The Mara River crossing is one of the most dramatic highlights of the Great Migration: as the herds move forward, predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas follow closely, while large Nile crocodiles wait in the river below.

Many wildebeest attempt the crossing in search of the greener, mineral-rich grasslands of the Maasai Mara, where they remain briefly before continuing their migration back toward the southern plains. After a full day of game viewing — and hopefully witnessing a river crossing — you'll return to camp for dinner.

A second full day tracking the movement of wildebeest and zebras as they gather near the Mara River, one of the best locations anywhere to witness the crossings. Large herds bravely cross the crocodile-filled waters in what's widely regarded as one of the most thrilling wildlife spectacles on earth, typically occurring between June and July and again from September to November.

After your game drives, you'll return to camp for meals and relaxation, with dinner and a second night in the heart of the Serengeti.

After breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive in the Serengeti before driving toward the Ngorongoro Highlands, passing through beautiful landscapes and traditional Maasai areas on the way to Karatu. You'll arrive in the afternoon with time to relax at the lodge.

After an early breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a half-day game drive. The crater holds a large concentration of wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and many bird species. After lunch, you'll drive back to Arusha, where your safari ends.