6-Day Ndutu Calving Migration Safari

Follow the calving herds around Ndutu, then continue into the central Serengeti for the big cats.

6 days Mid-range Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Ndutu & Serengeti From $2,226 per person

6-Day Ndutu Calving Migration Safari · 6 days

Package Overview

The calving season adds an extra layer to a classic Northern Circuit safari. After Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater you spend a full day following the herds around Ndutu and the southern Serengeti, where predator activity peaks as the calves are born, then move on to the kopjes and plains of the central Serengeti. It can be adjusted for other months to follow the migration wherever it is.

Highlights

The wildebeest calving season around Ndutu
Cheetah, lion and hyena hunting
Ngorongoro Crater game drive
The central Serengeti and its kopjes

Route map

Day 1 Kilimanjaro International Airport → Day 2 Tarangire National Park → Day 3 Ngorongoro Crater → Day 4 Ndutu → Day 5 Central Serengeti (Seronera) → Day 6 Arusha

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 • Arrival in Arusha

Arusha

We meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to your hotel in Arusha to rest and get ready for the safari.

Day 1 Accommodation, Arusha Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast

Where you'll stay:

Arusha Planet Lodge & Spa or similar

Day 2 • Arusha to Tarangire

Tarangire

Pickup at about 8am for the 2.5-hour drive to Tarangire, famous for its elephant herds and baobab trees, some over a thousand years old. Zebra, giraffe, buffalo, lion and cheetah are common too. Picnic lunch by the Tarangire River and a game drive until evening.

Day 2 Accommodation, Karatu Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Farm of Dreams Lodge, Karatu or similar

Day 3 • Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater

Leave early with a picnic lunch and descend into the Ngorongoro Crater. The caldera is about 3 million years old and 20 km across, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world, and all of the Big Five live on its floor. You'll have at least six hours of game drives inside. Then continue west to Ndutu for the night.

Day 3 Accommodation, Ndutu Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Ndutu Safari Lodge or similar

Day 4 • Following the herds at Ndutu

Ndutu

Leave at 6am for an early drive, back for breakfast, then out again with a packed lunch to follow the migration wherever it is grazing. From December to April the plains become a nursery, and the predators gather to hunt the young calves. Back at the lodge around 5pm.

Day 4 Accommodation, Ndutu Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Ndutu Safari Lodge or similar

Day 5 • Ndutu to the central Serengeti

Central Serengeti

Drive north into the Serengeti proper, the "endless plains" in Maasai. Watch for the granite kopjes rising out of the grass, favourite lookouts for lion and leopard. Picnic lunch on the way and a night at a tented camp in the centre of the park.

Activity · HOT-AIR BALLOON SAFARI (Optional)

Lift off at dawn for an hour over the Serengeti, followed by a champagne bush breakfast. From $500 per person.

Day 5 Accommodation, Central Serengeti Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp or similar

Day 6 • Sunrise drive and return to Arusha

Serengeti sunrise

An early wake-up for a sunrise game drive, when the animals are most active and the light is beautiful. Then drive back to Arusha through the Ngorongoro area.