10-Day Mara River Crossing Safari - Serengeti Migration

10-Day Mara River Crossing Serengeti Migration Safari to Join With Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara Game Drives Included

This lodge safari is available @ US$6,060/Person Sharing

Safari Duration: 10 Days / 9 Nights
Price: US$6,060/Person sharing


Day 0: Arrive in Tanzania
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Venice Hotel in Arusha town. There, you will meet your guide, who will brief you on your upcoming safari and give you all the basic information about it.

  • Overnight at Venice Hotel in Arusha town

  • Note: No meals included

The Beginning of Official Safari Itinerary:

Day 1: Tarangire National Park – Full-Day Game Drive – Karatu

After breakfast, depart for Tarangire National Park, one of Tanzania's most spectacular wildlife destinations, famous for its enormous elephant populations, ancient baobab trees, and diverse wildlife.

Enjoy an extensive game drive across the park's beautiful landscapes, exploring its open savannah plains, seasonal swamps, and woodland vegetation. The Tarangire River, which flows through the park, serves as an important source of water, attracting large concentrations of wildlife, particularly during the dry season.

Throughout the day, look forward to encountering large herds of elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes, impalas, and other fascinating wildlife species. Tarangire is also home to predators, including lions, leopards, and cheetahs, offering exciting opportunities for wildlife photography.

Bird enthusiasts will also appreciate the park's remarkable birdlife, with numerous resident and migratory species inhabiting its diverse ecosystems.

After an exciting day of wildlife exploration, leave the park in the late afternoon and drive towards Karatu town for dinner and overnight accommodation.



Day 2: Ngorongoro Crater – Half-Day Game Drive – Central Serengeti

After an early breakfast, depart Karatu and drive towards the magnificent Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Descend approximately 600 metres into the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater for an unforgettable half-day wildlife safari.

The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's most extraordinary natural wildlife sanctuaries, renowned for its remarkable concentration of animals within a relatively small geographical area.

Enjoy an extensive game drive across the crater floor, exploring its beautiful grasslands, freshwater pools, swamps, and open savannah landscapes. The crater offers excellent opportunities to encounter elephants, lions, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, hyenas, hippos, and various antelope species.

One of the major highlights is the opportunity to search for the endangered black rhinoceros, making Ngorongoro one of the most important destinations in Tanzania for observing this rare species.

After your crater exploration and picnic lunch, ascend the crater walls and continue towards Central Serengeti National Park.

Arrive in the Central Serengeti in the late afternoon, where you will check in at your wilderness camp, enjoy dinner, and relax in preparation for the following day's wildlife adventure.

Day 3: Central Serengeti National Park – Full-Day Wildlife Safari

Today is dedicated to exploring the remarkable wildlife-rich landscapes of Central Serengeti, particularly the famous Seronera region, one of the best areas in Tanzania for year-round wildlife viewing.

After breakfast, depart for an extensive game drive across the endless Serengeti plains, exploring different wildlife territories, seasonal water sources, rocky kopjes, and riverine vegetation.

Central Serengeti is particularly renowned for its impressive population of large predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas. The Seronera River Valley is especially famous for leopard sightings, as these elusive cats are frequently spotted resting in the branches of acacia trees.

Throughout the day, your experienced safari guide will help you locate wildlife, follow predator movements, and explore areas where large concentrations of animals are likely to be found.

You may encounter elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, and numerous other species. Depending on the season, you may also encounter migrating wildebeest herds moving across the Central Serengeti plains.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated picnic site before continuing with afternoon game viewing.

Return to your camp in the evening for dinner and overnight accommodation.

Day 4: Central Serengeti – Northern Serengeti – Kogatende Migration Area

After breakfast, depart Central Serengeti and begin your journey towards Northern Serengeti, heading to the famous Kogatende region, one of the most important destinations for witnessing the spectacular Great Wildebeest Migration.

Today's journey offers much more than a simple transfer. As you travel northwards through the Serengeti ecosystem, enjoy scenic landscapes and opportunities for wildlife viewing along the way.

The scenery gradually changes from the extensive open plains of Central Serengeti to the rolling hills, wooded landscapes, and grasslands of the northern migration corridor.

Depending on the seasonal movement of the migrating herds, you may encounter large concentrations of wildebeests and zebras moving towards the Mara River in search of fresh grazing grounds and water.

Upon arrival in Northern Serengeti, continue with an afternoon game drive around Kogatende and its surrounding wildlife-rich areas. Your guide will begin monitoring the migration movements and identifying suitable locations for the following days' Mara River exploration.

In the late afternoon, proceed to your wilderness camp for dinner and overnight accommodation.

Days 5, 6, 7 & 8: Northern Serengeti – Four Days Dedicated to the Mara River Crossing & Great Wildebeest Migration

These four days represent the major highlight of your safari, providing an extended opportunity to experience one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles on Earth: the Great Wildebeest Migration and the famous Mara River crossings.

You will spend four dedicated days exploring the Kogatende region and surrounding Northern Serengeti migration corridors, following the movements of enormous wildebeest and zebra herds as they gather along the Mara River.


>>Day 5: Exploring the Wildebeest Migration Routes and Mara River

After breakfast, depart for a full-day game drive around Kogatende, focusing on the migration routes and areas surrounding the Mara River.

Your safari guide will search for large concentrations of wildebeests and zebras, particularly around the riverbanks, where migrating herds frequently gather before attempting to cross.

Spend time observing their movements and behaviour as thousands of animals assemble, move along the riverbanks, and sometimes approach the water before retreating.

The Mara River is famous for its strong currents, steep banks, and resident Nile crocodiles, making every crossing a remarkable natural event.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in the wilderness before continuing with afternoon wildlife exploration.


>>Day 6: Full-Day Mara River Crossing Experience

Today is dedicated to further exploring the famous Mara River crossing locations.

After an early breakfast, head out with your experienced guide to search for active migration concentrations and potential river crossing opportunities.

The day will be spent monitoring the movement of wildebeest and zebra herds, observing their interactions, and searching for locations where the animals may be preparing to cross.

If conditions are favourable and a crossing takes place, you may witness thousands of wildebeests plunging into the river, battling strong currents and navigating the dangers of crocodile-infested waters.

Beyond the migration, Northern Serengeti offers excellent opportunities to encounter lions, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hyenas, and other wildlife.


>>Day 7: Extended Great Migration Exploration – Kogatende

Enjoy another full day exploring the spectacular Northern Serengeti ecosystem.

With additional time in Kogatende, your guide can explore different migration corridors and river crossing locations, depending on the latest movements of the migrating herds.

Observe the enormous wildebeest concentrations as they move across the plains, gather along the riverbanks, and search for suitable crossing points.

The additional exploration also provides opportunities to discover the region's resident wildlife and predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and other fascinating species.

Enjoy a picnic lunch during your full-day game drive before continuing with afternoon wildlife viewing.


>>Day 8: Final Full-Day Mara River Crossing Safari

Your fourth and final dedicated day in Northern Serengeti provides another opportunity to follow the Great Migration and explore the Mara River ecosystem.

After breakfast, depart for another extensive game drive around Kogatende and the surrounding migration areas.

Continue searching for large herds of wildebeests and zebras, following their movements along the riverbanks and exploring different crossing locations.

Your guide will determine the most promising areas based on recent wildlife sightings and the behaviour of the migrating herds.

This final day also offers excellent opportunities for photography, predator tracking, and observing the fascinating interactions between the migrating animals and Northern Serengeti's resident wildlife.

After a memorable day in the wilderness, return to your camp for dinner and your final overnight stay in Northern Serengeti.

Accommodation for Days 5, 6, 7 & 8:


Day 9: Northern Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Karatu

After breakfast, depart Northern Serengeti and begin your journey towards Karatu town, travelling through the scenic landscapes of Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Today's journey offers another opportunity to enjoy wildlife viewing along the way, particularly as you travel through the Serengeti's diverse ecosystems.

Depending on the route and wildlife movements, you may encounter resident animals and migrating herds across the plains, providing additional opportunities for photography and wildlife observation.

As you leave the Serengeti behind, enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Ngorongoro highlands before continuing towards Karatu.

Arrive in the late afternoon and check in at Rim View Inn Karatu, where you will enjoy a delicious hot dinner and a relaxing overnight stay.

Day 10: Lake Manyara National Park – Half-Day Game Drive – Transfer to Arusha

After breakfast, depart Karatu at approximately 7:00 a.m. and drive to Lake Manyara National Park, carrying your packed lunch for a memorable final wildlife adventure.

Lake Manyara is a beautiful and ecologically diverse national park, situated beneath the dramatic Great Rift Valley escarpment. Despite its relatively compact size, the park offers a remarkable variety of habitats, including groundwater forests, open grasslands, acacia woodlands, wetlands, and the alkaline lake itself.

Enjoy a half-day game drive exploring the park's different ecosystems and searching for its famous wildlife attractions.

Lake Manyara is particularly renowned for its tree-climbing lions, which are occasionally spotted resting on the branches of acacia and other trees. The park also supports impressive elephant populations, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, baboons, blue monkeys, hippos, and numerous other wildlife species.

Explore the Famous Lake Manyara Hippo Pool

One of the interesting highlights of the park is the famous Lake Manyara Hippo Pool, where visitors can observe large pods of hippos gathering in the water. The designated viewing platform provides an opportunity to watch these fascinating animals wallowing, interacting, and cooling themselves in their natural habitat.

Discover Lake Manyara's Remarkable Birdlife

Lake Manyara is also an outstanding bird-watching destination, particularly around its alkaline lake and wetlands. Depending on seasonal water conditions, you may encounter flamingos, pelicans, storks, and numerous other waterbirds.

Other attractions in the park include the famous Maji Moto Hot Springs and the spectacular scenery of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. The Lake Manyara Treetop Walkway is another attraction in the area, subject to separate access arrangements and availability.

After enjoying your picnic lunch at a designated site, depart the park and drive to Arusha town.

Upon arrival, you will be dropped off at Venice Hotel, marking the conclusion of your 10-day Tanzania wildlife adventure.

  • Overnight at: Venice Hotel, Arusha town.

  • Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Included.


The End of Official Safari Itinerary:


Day 0: Transfer to JRO Kilimanjaro International Airport
You will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) any time you want before or after the breakfast, depending on your flight schedule for your onward journey home or to your next destination.

  • Note: On this day, only breakfast is Included


What’s included in the price:

  • Pick up and drop off from Kilimanjaro International airport.

  • 2 nights Accommodation at Venice Hotel in Arusha town

  • Transportation in a 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser with pop-up roof

  • Professional and experienced English-speaking safari guide

  • All national park fees

  • Full board accommodation in lodges/tented lodge safaris.

  • All meals as indicated on the safari itinerary

  • Bottled drinking water throughout the tour

  • Medical kit

  • Binocular

  • All the activities as per the itinerary.



What’s excluded from the price:

  • International Flights

  • Personal spending money for souvenirs, etc

  • Alcoholic and soft drinks

  • Travel insurance

  • Visa fees

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