Overview
This unforgettable safari takes you to the scenic shores of Lake Manyara National Park, renowned for its vibrant pink flamingos, hippos, tree-climbing lions, and exceptional birdlife. Continue to the wildlife-rich Ndutu region, where the Great Migration’s calving season brings thousands of wildebeest and zebras to the plains, attracting predators such as lions, hyenas, and vultures. Complete your adventure with a visit to the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its remarkable concentration of wildlife, including the endangered black rhino, flamingos gathered around Lake Magadi, and the famous Ngoitoktok Hippo Pool.
Trip Highlights
- Budget camping: This is a budget camping tour.
- Private tour: This tour will be organized exclusively for you and won't be shared with others.
- Can start any day: If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
- Can be customized: You can request changes to this tour.
- Not for solo travelers: Solo travelers cannot book this private tour.
- Minimum age of 1 year: The minimum age for this tour is 1 year.
Itinerary
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up by your guide at 8:00am and driven to Lake Manyara National Park for a full-day safari. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions and rich birdlife, especially the pink flamingos. Enjoy a packed lunch at the Msasa picnic site before continuing your game viewing. Later, exit the park by 5:30pm and proceed to Twiga Camp for dinner and an overnight stay.
Main Destination:
Lake Manyara National Park
Accommodation:
Budget camping
Just outside Lake Manyara NP
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After breakfast at the lodge, depart at 6:30am with packed lunches and drive to the southern Serengeti — the Ndutu plains. Here you will have the chance to witness the great wildebeest migration during the calving season. Hundreds of wildebeest and zebras give birth to their young calves, attracting scavengers such as hyenas and jackals, along with big cats including lions, cheetahs and leopards.
By 3:00pm, continue to Naabi Gate and head into the central Serengeti for a late afternoon safari around the Seronera area, exploring until sunset. Dinner and overnight stay at Seronera Campsite.
Main Destination:
Ndutu (Southern Serengeti NP)
Accommodation:
Budget camping
Inside Ndutu (Southern Serengeti NP)
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Enjoy a full-day safari in the Seronera region. After an early breakfast, depart at 6:30am with packed lunches for a full day of game viewing. The Seronera area is famous for its resident wildlife around the Seronera River and is renowned as one of the best places to see the big cats near the rocky kopjes. You will also encounter a variety of antelope species, elephants, buffalo, hippos, hyenas and scavenging birds such as vultures and marabou storks.
At midday, your guide will arrange a suitable spot in the bush for lunch, allowing you to soak in views of the endless plains. Later, return to camp by sunset for dinner and an overnight stay at Seronera Campsite.
Main Destination:
Central Serengeti National Park
Accommodation:
Budget camping
Inside Central Serengeti NP
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After an early breakfast, depart from camp at 6:30am for a morning safari in the Seronera area. Visit the famous Masai kopjes, where large prides of lions can often be seen in the early hours as they set out in search of their breakfast. By 11:00am, continue to Naabi Gate for lunch. Around noon, exit the park and proceed with a short safari across the southern Serengeti plains, where you may witness the calving herds in the afternoon.
Continue on to the Ngorongoro Crater rim, arriving at Simba Campsite 2,700m (8,860ft) above sea level at around 5:00pm for dinner and an overnight stay.
Main Destination:
Ngorongoro Highlands
Accommodation:
Budget camping
On the crater rim of Ngorongoro Highlands
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After an early breakfast, depart from the lodge at 6:30am with packed lunches and descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a morning safari. The crater is home to endangered black rhinos, flocks of pink flamingos on Lake Magadi and large prides of lions. Enjoy lunch at the famous Ngoitoktok hippo pool before exiting the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) by 1:00pm. From here, drive back to Arusha, arriving in town or at your hotel around 5:00pm for onward arrangements.
Main Destination:
Ngorongoro Crater
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Includes/Excludes
Cost Includes
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- Camping equipment
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (On all days)
Cost Excludes
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Bath towels
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
FAQs
The 5-Day Great Migration Calving Season from Dec to Mar typically includes visits to Lake Manyara National Park, the Ndutu Conservation Area, and the Ngorongoro Crater. These destinations provide exceptional opportunities to witness the Great Migration during the calving season and enjoy outstanding wildlife viewing.
The 5-Day Great Migration Calving Season from Dec to Mar is designed to coincide with the annual wildebeest calving season, when thousands of calves are born on the Ndutu plains. This incredible event attracts predators such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and leopards, creating some of the most exciting wildlife encounters of the year.
The 5-Day Great Migration Calving Season from Dec to Mar offers the chance to see massive herds of wildebeest and zebras, along with elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, flamingos, numerous antelope species, and a wide variety of birdlife. You may also spot the endangered black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater.
The 5-Day Great Migration Calving Season from Dec to Mar generally includes park entrance fees, accommodation, meals during the safari, transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle, professional English-speaking driver-guide services, and guided game drives. Personal expenses, travel insurance, and optional activities are usually excluded.
Yes, the 5-Day Great Migration Calving Season from Dec to Mar is an excellent choice for wildlife photographers. The calving season provides outstanding opportunities to capture dramatic predator-prey interactions, newborn wildebeest, vast herds, and breathtaking landscapes.
For the 5-Day Great Migration Calving Season from Dec to Mar, pack lightweight neutral-colored clothing, comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket for cool mornings, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, a camera with extra memory cards and batteries, and any personal medications to ensure a comfortable and rewarding safari experience.
