This seven-day route is built around the migration, as far as any itinerary can be. It opens with a full day inside the Ngorongoro Crater, then pushes into the Serengeti, first the central Seronera Valley and then north toward the Mara River, where the wildebeest and zebra herds gather ahead of their river crossings. That crossing window generally runs July to October, but the herds don't work to a fixed timetable, so our guides track recent movements and place you as close to the action as conditions allow. You're in quality tented camps near the northern river system, with full board and a guide who does this route often enough to read where the animals are headed next.
Safari HighlightsYour driver-guide picks you up from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives you to the Ngorongoro Highlands. You'll arrive with time to settle in before sunset over the crater rim.
🏨 Overnight: Karatu Simba LodgeYou descend into the Ngorongoro Crater at dawn for a full day among lion, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest and, with some luck, the crater's resident black rhino, with a picnic lunch beside the Lerai Forest.
🏨 Overnight: Karatu Simba LodgeAfter breakfast, you head for the Serengeti, stopping at the Oldupai Gorge viewpoint along the way. You'll reach the Seronera Valley with time for an afternoon game drive in an area known for its resident lion and leopard.
🏨 Overnight: Serengeti Acacia Tented CampA full day working the Seronera Valley's granite kopjes and riverine woodland, tracking predators with a picnic lunch out on the plains.
🏨 Overnight: Serengeti Acacia Tented CampYou head north toward the Mara River region today, following wherever the herds have moved with the season, with a game drive along the way before reaching your tented camp in the remote Kogatende area.
🏨 Overnight: Kogatende Tented CampA full day along the Mara River, following the herds and watching for a crossing if the timing lines up. Crossings are seasonal and depend on where the wildebeest columns are on a given day, but the river itself is worth the time, with crocodiles in the shallows and big cats that tend to follow the herds.
🏨 Overnight: Kogatende Tented CampOne last morning game drive before you transfer to the local airstrip for a scheduled flight back to Arusha, connecting with your onward flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport.
✈ Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport| Season | Per Person (sharing) | Group of 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Peak Season (Jul–Sep, late Dec) | $6,070 | $30,960 |
| High Season (Jun, Oct) | $5,310 | $27,080 |
| Low Season (Mar–May) | $4,429 | $22,590 |
July to October is when Mara River crossings are most likely, as the herds gather along the northern Serengeti's riverbanks before pushing into Kenya. Even within that window there's no guaranteed day for a crossing, since it depends on rain, grass, and what the wildebeest decide to do. The crater and Seronera Valley deliver strong game viewing year-round regardless, and we check herd positions closer to your dates to place you in the camp with the best current access.
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