# 7-Day Great Migration Safari Four Serengeti nights in camps chosen for where the herds are expected in your month, after the crater, with a flight back to Arusha instead of a long drive. Two nights on the Ngorongoro crater rim for Lake Manyara and the crater, then four nights in seasonal or mobile tented camps placed for the migration's expected area in your month, from Ndutu to the Mara River. A private, luxury-level safari that ends with a flight. - **Length:** 7 days, 6 nights - **Route:** Lake Manyara National Park → Ngorongoro Crater → Serengeti National Park - **Style:** Private - **Comfort:** Luxury - **Pace:** Balanced - **Best months:** January, February, March, June, July, August, September, October ## About this journey ## The shape of the trip Seven days built around one question: where are the herds this month? Two nights on the Ngorongoro crater rim give you Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater first. The next four nights are in the Serengeti, in camps positioned to the migration's expected area for your month. On the last morning you fly back to Arusha. ## Where the herds usually are The wildebeest and zebra follow the rain and the fresh grass, so their position varies with the rains every year. As a broad pattern: - **December to March:** the southern short-grass plains around Ndutu, where calving usually peaks in February. - **April and May:** moving north-west through the central and western Serengeti. These are the long rains, and many seasonal camps close. - **May to July:** the western corridor and the Grumeti River area. - **July to October:** the northern Serengeti and the Mara River, where crossings happen on some days and not on others. - **November:** heading south again, often through the east and centre of the park. Camps are chosen from this pattern when you book, and your guide adjusts to reports on the ground. Herds can arrive early or late, and nobody can promise you a river crossing. ## Comfort and luxury versions As written, this is a luxury safari. In the Serengeti you stay in seasonal or mobile tented camps. These move between areas through the year and set up where the herds usually are, so you sleep close to the action rather than driving to it each morning. Expect proper beds, private bathrooms and meals served in camp. On the highlands you stay on the crater rim. A comfort version is possible, using mid-range seasonal camps and a lodge near Karatu. Camps near the herds fill early in the calving and crossing months, so plan well ahead either way. ## Why the flight out By the last day you may be in the far north of the Serengeti, a full day's drive from Arusha. A light-aircraft flight from the nearest airstrip turns that day into a morning. It also means you don't have to double back past the crater. Light aircraft carry strict luggage limits, so pack in soft bags. For the months in more detail, read [the Great Migration month by month](/travel-guide/great-migration-month-by-month). ## Day by day ### Day 1: Arusha to Lake Manyara and the crater rim Your guide collects you from your Arusha hotel in the morning for the drive west, about 2 hours to Lake Manyara National Park. A game drive here makes a gentle start: forest at the entrance, then the lakeshore, where elephants feed in the shade and the hippo pool rarely sits empty. After lunch in the park, the road climbs the Rift Valley escarpment onto the Ngorongoro highlands. Tonight you stay on the crater rim, high enough that you'll want a jacket for dinner. - Meals: Lunch, Dinner - Driving: about 3 h 30 min ### Day 2: Ngorongoro Crater A full morning, or more, on the crater floor. Leaving from the rim means a short drive to the descent road and an early start. The floor holds resident herds of wildebeest and zebra, plus buffalo, spotted hyenas and several lion prides. A small number of black rhino live here too, often seen at a distance if at all. Lunch is a picnic by the water. You return to the rim in the afternoon, with time to rest and pack before the Serengeti. - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Driving: about 1 h 30 min ### Day 3: Into the Serengeti, towards the herds Today you drive towards the part of the Serengeti where the migration is expected for your month. From December to March that usually means the Ndutu area and the southern short-grass plains, about 2 to 3 hours from the rim. In other months you cross to the central Serengeti, about 5 to 6 hours with game viewing from Naabi Hill, as the first stage towards the west or north. Either way, the last hours are a game drive. Tonight's camp is positioned to the migration's expected area for your month, and that position varies with the rains. - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Driving: about 5 h 30 min ### Day 4: Following the migration Where you go today depends on the herds. In the calving months you stay around Ndutu, watching newborn wildebeest find their feet and the cheetahs, lions and hyenas that follow them. From May to July you may continue west towards the Grumeti River. From July to October the day is a long game drive north, about 4 to 5 hours, to a camp near the Mara River. The herds move with the rains, so your guide follows the latest reports rather than a fixed plan. - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Driving: about 5 h ### Day 5: A full day with the herds No transfer today, so the whole day goes on the migration. Herds this size are restless. Columns of wildebeest string out across the plains, zebra mixed in, gazelles at the edges. Your guide reads the movement and positions the vehicle where the animals are likely to pass, and then you wait. Some of the best hours on a migration safari are spent with the engine off. In the north, part of the day may be at the Mara River, watching for herds gathering on the bank. - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ### Day 6: Another day in the migration area A second full day lets you follow up on yesterday: a pride that made a kill, herds massing near the river, a cheetah with cubs. River crossings in the north are unpredictable. Herds can gather on the bank for hours and turn away, or cross within minutes, and no guide can promise you'll see one. Patience helps. In the south, a full day on the plains often brings the predator activity the calving season is known for. In the evening you have a last dinner under canvas. - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ### Day 7: Fly back to Arusha An early game drive if your flight time allows, then your guide takes you to the nearest airstrip for a scheduled light-aircraft flight to Arusha. From the air you see the shape of the country you've spent four days in: rivers lined with trees, kopjes, plains running to the horizon. Flights often stop at other airstrips on the way. In Arusha you're met and taken to your hotel, or onward to Kilimanjaro International Airport for an evening flight. - Meals: Breakfast - Driving: about 1 h ## Included - Private safari vehicle with pop-up roof and driver-guide - Park and conservation fees for the itinerary - Accommodation as listed in the itinerary - Meals as listed in the itinerary - Drinking water in the vehicle - Light-aircraft flight from the Serengeti to Arusha on day 7 - Airport transfers at the start and end of the safari ## Not included - International flights - Visas - Travel insurance - Tips for your guide and camp or lodge staff - Drinks unless stated - Optional activities such as hot-air balloon flights - Excess luggage charges on the light-aircraft flight - Your hotel night in Arusha before day 1 ## Questions ### Will we see a river crossing? Maybe. Crossings on the Mara River usually happen between July and October, but herds can wait on the bank for hours and turn back, or cross somewhere you're not. Four nights in the Serengeti, with two full days near the river, give you a fair number of chances. Nobody can promise one, and any operator who does isn't being straight with you. ### Which month is best for the Great Migration? It depends on what you want to see. December to March, the herds are usually on the southern plains around Ndutu, with calving peaking in February and plenty of predator activity. July to October is the river-crossing season in the north. May to July often finds them in the western corridor. Timing shifts every year with the rains. ### What are mobile or seasonal camps like? They're tented camps that move between areas through the year to stay near the herds. On this luxury safari, expect proper beds, private bathrooms and meals in camp, with canvas walls between you and the night sounds. They're quieter and smaller than most lodges. Facilities vary from camp to camp, so we'll describe each one before you book. ### Why do we fly back instead of driving? Because the herds may take you a long way from Arusha. From the northern Serengeti, the road back is a full day or more, much of it unsealed. A light-aircraft flight from the nearest airstrip gets you to Arusha in a morning and saves you doubling back past the crater. Luggage limits apply, so pack soft bags. --- Source: https://untamedsafariexperience.com/safaris/7-day-great-migration-safari Last updated: 2026-10-25 Plan a journey: https://untamedsafariexperience.com/plan-your-safari