7 Days (Ndutu Migration) - Lake Manyara, Ndutu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire

8 Days / 7 Nights

7 Days (Ndutu Migration) - Lake Manyara, Ndutu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire

TRIP OVERVIEW

In this tour we will cover the 5 most popular destinations in Tanzania - Lake Manyara National Park (1 night), Ndutu (2 nights), Central Serengeti (1 night), Ngorongoro Crater (1 night) and Tarangire National Park (1 night). Tour starts and ends at Arusha. With our experienced driver guides, it will be a trip of a lifetime!

According to the last few years pattern, the possibility of sighting the migration is in the Ndutu region from last week of December to March. Hence, this tour is recommended for the tour date between last week of December and March only.

trip overview
trip overview
trip overview

Short Itinerary

  • Day 1 -Arusha to Lake Manyara. Game drives at Lake Manyara
  • Day 2 -Transfer to Ndutu, Ngorongoro
  • Day 3 - Ndutu - full day game drives
  • Day 4 - Morning game drives in Ndutu and transfer to Central Serengeti. Afternoon game drives in Serengeti
  • Day 5 - Morning game drives in Central Serengeti and transfer to Ngorongoro/Karatu
  • Day 6 -Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) and transfer to Karatu/Tarangire
  • Day 7 - Tarangire full day game drives and afternoon transfer to Arusha

Ensuite Accommodation Packages

Below are packages with a few popular ensuite options for your private tour, starting on Nov 13, 2023, in a group of two adults. Ensuite hotels are tented camps/lodges that can be inside/around national parks. You will have a private room with attached bathroom. Meals are provided by hotels.

Option E1 : $2,518 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser

  • Stay at Omega View Hotel, Karatu
  • Stay at Africa Safari South Serengeti - Comfort, Ndutu
  • Stay at Tukaone Camps, Central Serengeti
  • Stay at Omega View Hotel, Karatu

Option E2 : $2,623 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser

  • Stay at Eileen's Trees Inn - Standard, Karatu
  • Stay at Canopy Migration Camp Ndutu
  • Stay at Tanzania Bush Camps, Seronera, Central Serengeti
  • Stay at Eileen's Trees Inn - Standard, Karatu

Option E3 : $3,181 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser

  • Stay at Karatu Simba Lodge, Karatu
  • Stay at Nyikani Migration Camp, Ndutu
  • Stay at Serenity Nyota Camp, Central Serengeti
  • Stay at Karatu Simba Lodge, Karatu

Option E4 : $3,656 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser

  • Stay at Ngorongoro Farm House - Suite, Karatu
  • Stay at Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge, Ndutu
  • Stay at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, Central Serengeti
  • Stay at Acacia Farm Lodge, Karatu

Option E5 : $4,921 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser

  • Stay at Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge, Karatu
  • Say at Lemala Ndutu
  • Stay at Lemala Nanyukie, Central Serengeti
  • Stay at Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge, Karatu
  • Stay at Lemala Mpingo Ridge, Tarangire (Within the Park)

Option E6 : $7,128 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser

  • Stay at The Manor at Ngorongoro, Karatu
  • Stay at Olakira Migration Camp, Ndutu, Ndutu
  • Stay at Four Seasons Safari Lodge - Terrace Suite Water Hole View, Central Serengeti
  • Stay at The Manor at Ngorongoro, Karatu

TRIP ITINERARY

Day

1

Arusha to Lake Manyara

Pick up at 8:30 AM from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. As you enter the national park, lush forests of Acacia and Mahogany trees begin to set the mood for what is waiting ahead. The game drive will go on till evening with a small break for picnic lunch. During the game drive watch out for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, baboons and the blue monkeys. Another spectacle of Lake Manyara National park is the tree climbing lions, however spotting them is a game of luck. In the right season, you can see the shoreline turning pink with millions of flamingos flocking there. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you

Day

2

Transfer to Ndutu (South Serengeti)

You will kickstart your day after a delicious breakfast, by about 8AM. The destination for today is the Ndutu region which is a 3hr drive from your accommodation in Karatu.After about an hour commencing the drive, you will enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro) where you will notice the landscape changing from hilly forests to plain and green grasslands as you drive further.Once you reach Ndutu you will begin your day game drive with a convenient stop for your picnic lunch. Sweeping grasslands of the Ndutu cover the region which gradually fade into the Serengeti.Ndutu forms a part of the route for the annual migration of more than 2 million wildebeests and thousands of zebra, antelope and gazelle. During game drives at the right season between December and April, you will be able to see the fertile plains turn into calving grounds and nursery for the great migration.The calving season attracts hordes of predators preying on vulnerable young wildebeest. Crested with Ndutu lake and Lake Masek, these waterholes offer plenty of wildlife game during the dry season.The Ndutu is also the home ground for 6 species of big cats – leopard, lion, cheetah, caracal, serval and wildcat. The action-packed game drive will end late in the evening by around 5PM.You will now head towards your choice of accommodation, where a freshly prepared dinner awaits you. Ensure you get some good rest and recharge yourself for another eventful day.

Day

3 - 4

Ndutu (South Serengeti)

Stunned by the previous day's spotting of the migration, today you get another chance to view the beautiful wildlife spectacle. The Ndutu region is a part of the glorious Serengeti National Park as well as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro). You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for full day game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart on an afternoon game drive with packed lunch. Today you will be following the migration depending on its location. During game drives at the right season between December and April, you will be able to see the fertile plains turn into calving grounds and nursery for the great migration. This season attracts hordes of predators preying on vulnerable young wildebeest. Watching the circle of life take its course will be an unforgettable experience etched for life. The action-packed game drive will end late in the evening by around 5PM. You will now head towards your choice of accommodation, where a freshly prepared dinner awaits you. Ensure you get some good rest and recharge yourself for another eventful day.

Day

5

Ndutu (South Serengeti) to Central Serengeti

The excitement for today will be quite high as you make your way into the most celebrated wildlife park in the world – The Serengeti. After finishing up a good breakfast, you will head out towards the Serengeti National Park and travel in the midst of the never ending plain grasslands.Serengeti, means endless plains in the local African language and watching the grassland stretch out as far as the eye can see and eventually merging with the sky at the horizon is an absolutely breathtaking view.With an overall land area of 14,763 Sq Kms, It puts our notion about distance to shame. The Serengeti also houses the glorious “Big 5” (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). Along with the “Big 5”, a very pleasant sighting would be one of Africa’s most beautiful animals – The Impala.The Serengeti ecosystem supports the greatest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa. You must also look out for the Serengeti “Kopjes” which are massive boulders of granite standing in a sea of grass. They provide ample shelter to a large variety of flora and fauna.A picnic lunch will be done during the day long game drive itself. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day

6

Central Serengeti

You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for full day game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart on an afternoon game drive with packed lunch. You will explore the central portion of the Serengeti National Park today. The legendary Serengeti National Park is the most renowned safari destination for its incredible population of lions and leopards. The central portion of the Serengeti - known as Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features 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. During the off season of the migration, one must really look out for the many lion pride that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion pride provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. Along with a picnic lunch during the full day game drive, the day will come to a close by around 5PM. The long day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day

7

Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro

After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park. Later depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area with picnic lunch. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest collapsed volcanic crater in the world and fourteen kilometers of isolated natural beauty. Ngorongoro Crater is surrounded by a ring of extinct volcanoes and the floor, dotted with watering holes, shelters some 30,000 animals. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

Day

8

Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 Hours) to Arusha

After an early breakfast, descend to the crater floor for game drive(5 hours). You can expect to see lions, elephants, Zebras, Hippos, Flamingos, Jackals, Rhinos Antelopes and many birds. The birds seen here include eagle, vulture, and flamingos in the Crater Lake, stork, bats, giant vulture, sacred ibis, kori bustard, blacksmith plover, long necked heron and the cattle eagle. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascend to the top exit of the crater. With a 4 hr drive left to your accommodation in Arusha, the day will come to a close. We can book your stay in Arusha and your tour extension to Zanzibar from this day.

Stay Locations

  • Day 1 - Karatu
  • Day 2 - Ndutu
  • Day 3 - Ndutu
  • Day 4 - Central Serengeti
  • Day 5 - Karatu
  • Day 6 -Karatu

Pre & Post Tour Hotels

Arusha is the base for safari tours in North Tanzania. If you need accommodation in Arusha before/after your safari tour you can check some popular hotel prices on bed and breakfast basis below.

Single Room

  • - Crest Safari Lodge - USD 47
  • - Kutoka Lodge - USD 64
  • - Karama lodge - USD 113
  • - The African Tulip - USD 149
  • - Four Points by Sheraton, Arusha - Traditional queen room - USD 205
  • - Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 375

Double Sharing room

  • - Crest Safari Lodge - USD 29
  • - Kutoka Lodge - USD 49
  • - Karama lodge - USD 76
  • - The African Tulip - USD 112
  • - Four Points by Sheraton, Arusha - Traditional queen room - USD 120
  • - Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 240

Triple Sharing Room

  • - Crest Safari Lodge - USD 29
  • - Kutoka Lodge - USD 40
  • - Karama lodge - USD 73
  • - The African Tulip - USD 93
  • - Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 180

Add-on tours in Serengeti

  • Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
  • Rhino Tracking: USD 110 per person
  • Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
  • Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person

Add-on tours in Ndutu

  • Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
  • Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
  • Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person

Add-on tours in Ngorongoro

  • Masai Village Tour: USD 25 per person
  • Olduvai Gorge museum visit: USD 35 per person
  • Ngorongoro Crater Rim Hike: USD 35 per person

Add-on tours in Tarangire

  • Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
  • Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
  • Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
  • Night Game Drives (for clients staying inside): USD 100-200 per person depending on lodge

Add-on tours in Karatu

  • Coffee Plantation Tour: USD 20 per person
  • Iraq Village Tour: USD 25 per person
  • Endoro Falls & Elephant Caves visit: USD 35 per person

Transfers

This tour starts from Arusha. Kilimanjaro airport is the nearest international airport and Arusha airport is the nearest domestic airport.

Airport Pickup/Drop

Pickup or drop off at Arusha airport on the day of safari: No extra charge Pickup or drop off at Kilimanjaro airport on the day of safari: USD 30 per vehicle

Airport to Hotel transfers

Transfer from Arusha airport to Arusha hotel or vice versa: USD 25 per vehicle Transfer from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha hotel or vice versa: USD 50 per vehicle

InterCity transfers

Transfer from Moshi to Arusha or vice versa: USD 100 per vehicle Transfer from Nairobi to Arusha or vice versa: USD 275 per vehicle

Flights

We do not book International Flights.

We can book local flights based on availability. Below are indicative additional costs for local flights.

Intercity Flights

  • From Zanzibar to Arusha: From USD 100 per person (Morning flight)
  • From Dar es salaam to Arusha: From USD 90 per person (Morning flight)
  • From Arusha to Zanzibar: From USD 170 per person (Late Afternoon flight)
  • From Arusha to Dar es salaam: From USD 110 per person (Late Afternoon flight)

This tour starts & ends at Arusha with road transfers between all locations. Central Serengeti is the farthest location you will be visiting in this tour and it is 7 hours from Arusha, each way. You can check about driving and flying to Serengeti here. To save drive time, you can directly fly into Central Serengeti where your safari vehicle with guide will be waiting to directly start the safari and cover other parks over the next few days making your way to Arusha by road on the last day. We will reroute the itinerary such that you cover all the parks included in the original itinerary with the same choice of accommodations & same number of nights as included in the original itinerary. This is called a Fly-in Safari

We can also reroute the itinerary such that you start with driving from Arusha on day 1 and cover other parks before you drive to Serengeti. We end the safari tour at Central Serengeti on the last day from where you can fly out to Ausha (or other cities). We will reroute the itinerary such that you cover all the parks included in the original itinerary with the same choice of accommodations & same number of nights as included in the original itinerary. This is called a Fly-out Safari.

Fly into Serengeti

  • From Arusha to Central Serengeti: From USD 310 per person
  • From Zanzibar to Central Serengeti: From USD 370 per person
  • From Dar es Salaam to Central Serengeti: From USD 370 per person

Fly out of Serengeti

  • From Central Serengeti to Arusha: From USD 200 per person
  • From Central Serengeti to Zanzibar: From USD 420 per person
  • From Central Serengeti to Dar es salaam: From USD 420 per person

Note 1: Rates mentioned above are indicative and subject to change based on airlines and party(group) size

Note 2: In the Fly into Serengeti rates mentioned above, in addition to airfare, above rates also include cost to send the safari landcruiser with guide a day in advance to Serengeti, in time for your arrival & additional park fees that results due to rerouting of itinerary.

Note 3: Flights into Serengeti land at around 10:30 AM and game drives can start soon after landing while flights out of Serengeti depart around 11:00 AM and game drives can be done till about 45 min before flight departure.

Meals

  • Day 1 - Lunch & Dinner
  • Day 2 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Day 3 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Day 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Day 5 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Day 6 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Day 7 - Breakfast & Lunch

Drive Times

  • Day 1 - Arusha to Lake Manyara takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (114 km)
  • Day 2 - Lake Manyara to Ndutu takes about 3 to 4 hours (155 km)
  • Day 4 - Ndutu to Central Serengeti takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (91 km)
  • Day 5 - Central Serengeti to NCA takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (151 km)
  • Day 6 - NCA to Tarangire takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (108 km)
  • Day 7 - Tarangire to Arusha takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (106 km)

Note: These are estimated drive times. Because of the traffic, location of the accommodations, and several other factors, actual drive times may vary. Driving distances are approximate and do not account for exact places.

Inclusions

  • Park Fees (for Non-Residents).
  • Concession/ Camping Fees.
  • Daily game drives while on Safari.
  • A professional driver/guide.
  • 4x4 Land Cruiser or Safari Van.
  • All Taxes and VAT.
  • Meals as per itinerary.
  • Drinking water while on safari (2 litres per person per day).

Exclusions

  • International flights.
  • Optional activites in Lake Natron.
  • Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (Unless mentioned otherwise).
  • Personal Items (Souvenirs, Travel Insurance, Visa Fees, etc.).
  • Tips
  • Government imposed increase of Taxes and or Park Fees.
  • Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.

Tour Booking

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