7 Days Serengeti Safari: Follow the Great Migration

7 Days Serengeti Safari: Follow the Great Migration

Overview

For come this Serengeti safari, you will follow the Great Migration of 2 million wildebeest galloping north, deeper into the cradle of civilization. You’ll also explore the massive African savanna “Big Five” wild animals of Laka Manyara NP (2 Nights), Serengeti National Park (3 nights), and Ngorongoro crater the last day. This trip offers luxury, adventure and authenticity on a safari to see rare wildlife in a place untouched by man.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Day 1: Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park
• Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park
• Day 3: Lake Manyara Area – Serengeti National Park
• Day 4: Serengeti Widebeest Migration
• Day 5: Serengeti National Park
• Day 6: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater
• Day 7: Ngorongoro – Arusha

Gallery

Arrival

Arrival and transfer to hotel in Arusha. You’ll be met by your private Serengeti Safari guide and driver, who will transfer you to your booked hotel in Arusha. Accommodation before your trip starts can be arranged at a cost.

Day 2-3: Lake Manyara National Park

In the morning after your Serengeti Safari breakfast and small safari briefing you will start your Serengeti safari with a drive to the Lake Manyara National Park approximate 2 hour drive. You will visit the small but beautiful Lake Manyara National Park. A large area of the park is covered by the alkaline Lake Manyara, which is home to colonies of flamingos and other water birds.

Apart from giraffes, hippos, wildebeests and impalas on the grassy plains, you might see lions lounging in the trees and elephants feeding on the acacias in the woodlands. While the forest near the lake is filled with noisy troops of blue monkeys, extended baboon families hang around the roads. In the afternoon, you will make your way to the Lodge for lunch and relaxation with fantastic views of the Great Rift Valley.

Accommodation

• Lake manyara serena lodge-luxury
• Flamingo safari lodge-midrange

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4-5: Serengeti National Park

Serengeti means “endless plains” in the language of the Masai and you will see the grassland savannah stretching to the horizon. Bizarre rock formations dot the grassy landscape where predators stray like the Blue wildebeests, Thomson’s gazelles, zebras and buffaloes. Through the high and open roof of the safari vehicle you will be able to enjoy the diversified habitats and landscapes of the park.

Although there is no bad time to schedule a Serengeti safari, the best time to go to the Serengeti is between June and October, which is after the rainy season and offers the clearest views of the Great Migration of millions of animals heading north to graze.

The term “Great Migration” is a bit of a misnomer, conjuring up images of gigantic herds stampeding in unison, a sight that is often captured by helicopter cameras and featured in nature shows. In truth, wildebeest are always moving in a cycle from Tanzania and up through Kenya: the ‘short dry season’ is typically December to February/March (in January, the wildebeest birth their young); the ‘long rains’ fall over a six-week period from March through April and into May; and the ‘long dry season’ is from June to September, with the two-week ‘short rains’ falling any time from October into November.

You will also enjoy a picnic lunch on Naabai kopje (a small, rocky hill in a generally flat area), where you will have the opportunity to view the Serengeti’s famous pink-headed lizards. After lunch, we will proceed further into the plains for a leisurely game drive and have a glance at animals like baboons, hippos, and many others.

Accommodation

• Serengeti sopa lodge-luxury
• Mbugani tented lodge-midrange

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After breakfast you will join another game drive in the Serengeti National Park and you might spot animals you haven’t seen during the last game drives. The Serengeti is also home to the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – and today you might be able to see all the members of this group. After lunch at a picnic site, you will drive in direction of the Ngorongoro Crater and as soon as you have reached the edge of the crater, the caldera opens up before you.

This approximate 20 km wide crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to over 25,000 animals like playful zebras, cracking hyenas and so many others. You will drive to the booked lodge for checking in, overnight stay and dinner where you can witness the sunset over the crater.

Accommodation

• Ngorongoro sopa lodge-luxury
• Ngorongoro rhino lodge-midrange

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha

After an early morning breakfast, we will hurry the Serengeti Safari party to Ngorongoro Crater, as it is the best time to spot animals. On this day, we will enjoy a game drive around the crater and stop for a picnic lunch at a small lake within the park. The lake is home to many hippos and migratory birds, so guests will be sure to enjoy the visit. Inside the world’s biggest caldera you will see a diversity of wildlife ranging from black rhinos, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, lions and leopards, to elephants and mountain reedbucks in the forests on the slopes.

You might also see buffaloes, spotted hyenas, rare wild dogs and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After an extensive game drive and a picnic lunch you will leave the crater and drive back to Arusha where you will arrive in the early evening to your hotel or airport drop off for your home bound flight.

END of the Serengeti Safari Tour