7 Days Ndutu Migration Safari Calving Season (December – April)

Overview

Duration: 7 Days

The Great Wildebeest Calving Migration Safari has been designed specifically to focus on following the Great Serengeti Wildebeest migration during calving from December to April. The areas to be covered are the Lake Ndutu area, as well as the Southern and Central areas of Serengeti National park where the majority of the wildebeest are usually found. A visit to the world-famous Ngorongoro crater is part of this safari as well.

The Southern Serengeti and Ndutu areas in Tanzania are the best locations for January, February, and March to witness thousands of wildebeest spread across the plains grazing on the rich short grass plains. Predator action is at its peak with great sightings of cheetah, lion, hyena, and leopard and a very good chance to see adrenalin packed kills.

At a Glance

This tour starts and ends in Arusha at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport.
This tour offers Mid-Range Lodge accommodation with upgrades available
This tour is a private safari and runs exclusively for you and can depart any day.
However, the package can still be customized to meet your budget and ideas.
This tour accepts children of all ages and discounts apply for children 0-15 years old with further discounts available for families sharing triple and quad rooms.

Highlights

Tarangire National park – Game drive
Travel the endless plains of the world-famous Serengeti –Game Drive
Ngorongoro crater – Game Drive
Ndutu plain –Game drive
1—night in Arusha, 1-night Tarangire, 2 nights Ndutu, 1-night Ngorongoro & 1-night Serengeti
Enjoy the comforts of a lodge and the romance of a tented camp in the heart of the Tanzanian bush
Enjoy an off-road driving experience in the Ndutu plains as you witness the birthing of wildebeests. Nothing is as exciting for a keen photographer as a Ndutu experience where you get close to animal sightings to take the best shots

Optional Safari Activities

Night Game Drive Tarangire or Lake Manyara
Tree top walk away Manyara
Empakai crater hike
Maasai Village Visit
Hadzabe &Datoga Tribe Visit
Mto wa Ambu Village tour
Ngorongoro crater Rim Walking safari
Visit to the Olduvai Gorge
Balloon Safari Tarangire or Serengeti

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Kilimanjaro – Arusha

Arrive at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be picked up from the airport by a Kilele Climb representative and conveyed to your accommodation in Moshi/Arusha where you will overnight, relax, and prepare in anticipation of the adventures to come, restore and enjoy your first taste of Africa.

Meals Plan: Bed & Breakfast

Accommodation

Location: Arusha City
Budget Hotel: Arusha Green Mountain| Venus Premier Hotel| Outpost Lodge| Mc-Elly’s Hotel
Mid-range: Ilboru Safari Lodge| Arusha Planet Lodge| Pazuri Inn| Masailand Safari Lodge
Luxury: River Tree Lodge | Mount Meru Hotel| Four Point by Sheraton Arusha| The African Tulip Luxury Boutique Hotel
Luxury Plus: Grand Melia Lodge| Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa| Arusha Coffee Lodge| Kili Villa

Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National park.

Distance & Drive time: Arusha to Tarangire takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (106 km/65mi)- Tarangire to Karatu takes about 1.5hour (79km/49mi)

Pick up at 7:00 AM from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Tarangire National park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. Tanzania’s third largest National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, oryx, eland, giraffe, and zebra. After a full day in the park, we will drive to the camp/Lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you, and spend the night.

Meals plan: Lunch & Dinner included

Accommodation

Location: Karatu
Budget Camping outside the Park: Haven nature Safari Camp and Lodge| Fanaka Safaris Campsite & Lodges| Migombani Camp
Mid-range: Marera Valley Lodge| Eileen’s Tree Lodge| Ngorongoro Marera Mountain View Lodge| Karatu Simba Lodge| Ngorongoro Farm House |
Luxury: Ngorongoro Coffee lodge | Kitela Lodge| The Retreat At Ngorongoro| Gibbs Farm| Rhotia Valley
Luxury Plus: The Manor at Ngorongoro| Oldeani Mountain Lodge| Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge

Day 3: Karatu to south Serengeti (Ndutu Area)

Distance & Drive time: Karatu to Ndutu Area takes about 3 to 3.5 hrs. (145km/90mi)

After breakfast, you will head to the Lake Ndutu region in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a sublime landscape of the southern Serengeti ecosystem. The drive takes approximately 3 hrs. taking you across the beautiful landscape of the Rift Valley lake Ndutu, alkaline like most of the other Rift Valley is frequently inhabited by a wide array of wildlife. With appetites sated, undertake our game drive in the Ndutu region, where the great migration is supposed to be between December and April.

It is where these animals (now estimated to be 2.5 million) will drop their young ones because the area is open and has highly nutritious grass. This will most likely be the highlight of your entire trip and you will expect to see lots of excitement like hunting, chasing, young ones being borne, etc. You will have 2 nights to explore this special area where off-road driving is permitted to allow you to observe these adventures up close. After the late afternoon game drive, you will drive to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Meals plan: Lunch & Dinner included

Accommodation

Location: South Serengeti (Ndutu Area)
Mid-range: Ndutu Heritage luxury Tented Camps | Kenzan Ndutu Tented Camps| Nyikani Migration Camp-Ndutu| GNU Migration Camp
Luxury: Lake Masek Tented Lodge | Ndutu under canvas Tented Lodge| Ndutu Safari Lodge| Lemala Ndutu tented Lodge| Serengeti Woodlands Camp
Luxury Plus: Lake Ndutu Luxury Lodge

Day 4: South Serengeti (Ndutu area)

Distance: Fully Day Ndutu Region

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 (NCA). You can either have a relaxed breakfast or depart for full-day game drives around 9:00 am with packed lunch and return to the lodge late evening around 6:00 pm. Or you can depart at 6:00 am on an early morning game drive for sunrise. Later return to the 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 nurseries 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 6:00 pm. You will now head back to your lodge, where a freshly prepared dinner awaits you.

Meals plan: Lunch & Dinner included

Accommodation

Location: South Serengeti (Ndutu Area)
Mid-range: Ndutu Heritage luxury Tented Camps | Kenzan Ndutu Tented Camps| Nyikani Migration Camp-Ndutu| GNU Migration Camp
Luxury: Lake Masek Tented Lodge | Ndutu under canvas Tented Lodge| Ndutu Safari Lodge| Lemala Ndutu tented Lodge| Serengeti Woodlands Camp
Luxury Plus: Lake Ndutu Luxury Lodge

Day 5: Ndutu Area- Central Serengeti national park.

Distance: Ndutu to central Serengeti takes about 2.5-3 hours (90km/56mi)

After breakfast, you will drive to central Serengeti for a game drive with a picnic lunch. In this area of the park, you will have the opportunity to see big pride of lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, different antelopes, and other wildlife.

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.

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Accommodation

Location: Central Serengeti (Seronera Area)
Budget Camping: Seronera Public Campsites
Mid-range: Serengeti Heritage luxury Tented Camps | Embalakai Camp Serengeti | Serengeti Kuhama tented Lodge| Mbugani Migration Camp| Acacia Central Camp
Luxury: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge| Serengeti Serena lodge| Lemala Ewanjani Tented Camps| Lemala Nanyukie| Serengeti Sametu Camp| Acacia Seronera Luxury Camp
Luxury Plus: Four Season Lodge| Ole Serai Luxury Camp| Serengeti Lake Magadi Lodge

Day 6: Serengeti National park to Ngorongoro Crater.

Distance & Drive time: Central Serengeti to NCA takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (153km/95mi)

After breakfast, morning game drives at Serengeti National Park. On your outward journey to the park gate, you will enjoy some more game viewing before you leave the Serengeti National park in the early afternoon to continue your journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for dinner and overnight. You will overnight at the lodge located on the ridge of the Ngorongoro rim.

Meals plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Accommodation

Location: Ngorongoro NCAA
Budget Camping: Simba A Public Campsite
Mid-range: Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge| Angata tented Lodge|
Luxury: Sopa Ngorongoro| Serena Ngorongoro| Ngorongoro Lions Paw Camp
Luxury Plus: Ngorongoro Lodge Meliá Collection

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha.

Distance & Drive Time: NCA To Arusha takes about 3.5 to 4hours (158km/98mi)

On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast you will make an early descent at around 6:30 am into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260sq km/161sq mi) with a depth of over 2000 feet. The 6-hours game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is recommended. The African elephant, buffalo, black rhino, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, and lions are found in plenty. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Ngoito Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascent to the top exit of the crater. This is the last leg of your safari, with a 4hrs drive left to where your safari will end. With an incredible experience and loads of memories to cherish, this is the time you say goodbye to your safari crew.

Meals plan Breakfast and lunch. As today is the end of the safari, please note that Accommodation and dinner tonight is not included in the tour.

Departure Instructions

Please note that the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Mara River Crossing Tour – 7 Days ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 17.00 hours. Your departure can only take place today if you have pre-booked a domestic flight which leaves from Kilimanjaro International Airport at 19.00 hours or after, or an international flight which leaves at 21.00 hours or after. Otherwise, you will need to book an extra night’s accommodation (not included in the tour price) and take a flight the following day

END OF OUR SERVICE

Included

1 night of hotel Accommodation before safari
Professional and experienced English-speaking safari driver/guide.
Park entrance fees.
Concession/ Camping Fees.
4×4 Toyota land cruiser with a pop-up roof.
All sightseeing and excursions as mentioned in the itinerary (unless labeled as optional).
All accommodation as stated in the itinerary.
Food/Meals as outlined in the itinerary.
Drinking water while on safari (1.5 litres per person per day).
Government Taxes & VAT.
Roundtrip Airport Transfer (Unless mentioned otherwise).