About
Where the Great Migration Begins Again
Every year, the Great Migration enters one of its most remarkable chapters on the short-grass plains of Ndutu and the Southern Serengeti. Vast herds of wildebeest gather across the region, and during the heart of the season thousands of calves are born.
New life also brings drama. Lions, cheetahs, hyenas and other predators follow the herds, creating an extraordinary period for wildlife viewing and photography.
This 6-Day Great Migration Calving Safari is designed around that seasonal movement, giving you multiple days in the Ndutu and Southern Serengeti ecosystem rather than simply passing through.
Safari at a Glance
Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights
Destinations: Tarangire · Ndutu · Southern Serengeti · Ngorongoro
Safari Style: Private Seasonal Safari
Starting / Ending: Arusha
Best For: Migration seekers, photographers, couples and wildlife enthusiasts
Recommended Season: December–March
Calving Focus: Typically strongest around January–March, depending on rainfall and herd movement
Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha → Tarangire National Park
Your journey begins in Arusha, where your private safari guide meets you for the drive to Tarangire National Park.
Tarangire introduces you to Tanzania with enormous baobabs, sweeping savannah and a wildlife population particularly famous for elephants. Herds may gather around the Tarangire River while giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas and buffaloes move through the surrounding woodland.
Predators are never far from the story. Lions, leopards and other hunters inhabit the park, while an impressive variety of birds adds colour overhead and along the wetlands.
After a full game drive and picnic lunch, you continue to your accommodation for dinner and your first safari night.
Destination: Tarangire National Park
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge / Tented Camp
Day 2: Tarangire → Ndutu
After breakfast, you travel toward the Ndutu region, where the landscapes begin opening into the vast southern reaches of the Serengeti ecosystem.
During the migration season, these nutrient-rich short-grass plains become enormously important to wildebeest and zebra herds. Rather than following a fixed park boundary, the animals move according to rainfall and fresh grazing.
Your guide uses current conditions and wildlife information to explore the areas offering the best opportunities that day.
As you move deeper into Ndutu, scattered woodland, open plains and seasonal water sources create excellent habitats for both herbivores and predators.
Your first migration-focused game drive continues into the afternoon before you settle into your camp or lodge surrounded by the wild landscapes of southern Serengeti.
Destination: Ndutu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge / Tented Camp
Day 3: Full-Day Ndutu Great Migration Safari
Today belongs entirely to the migration.
With no long transfer ahead, you have the freedom to spend the day exploring Ndutu and the surrounding southern plains, following wildlife activity rather than the clock.
During the calving period, large concentrations of wildebeest may spread across the grasslands, often accompanied by zebras and gazelles. Newborn calves can begin standing and moving remarkably soon after birth, an essential ability in a landscape where predators are constantly watching.
Cheetahs use the open terrain to hunt, lions patrol the plains and hyenas follow opportunities created by the enormous gathering of animals.
Your guide can adjust the day’s route according to herd movements and recent sightings, giving you time to stop when something interesting unfolds rather than simply ticking locations from a list.
Enjoy a picnic lunch in the wilderness before continuing your afternoon game drive.
As the light softens across the plains, return to your accommodation for another night in the heart of migration country.
Destination: Ndutu / Southern Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge / Tented Camp
Day 4: Ndutu & Southern Serengeti
One day around the migration can be extraordinary. Two gives nature more time to surprise you.
After breakfast, you return to the plains for another full day of wildlife exploration. The herds may have shifted overnight, predator activity may have moved elsewhere, or entirely different behaviour may be unfolding only kilometres from yesterday’s sightings.
That unpredictability is precisely why this itinerary dedicates another day to the region.
Depending on current conditions, your guide may explore deeper into the Southern Serengeti or remain around productive areas of Ndutu. The focus is not simply finding wildebeest but experiencing the ecosystem surrounding the migration: predators, scavengers, birds and resident wildlife all responding to this enormous seasonal gathering.
For photographers, the open plains and changing light can produce exceptional opportunities, particularly during the early morning and late afternoon.
Destination: Ndutu / Southern Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge / Tented Camp
Day 5: Southern Serengeti → Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Enjoy another morning game drive as you gradually leave the southern Serengeti and begin travelling toward the Ngorongoro highlands.
The journey allows one final opportunity to search for migration herds and predators before the open plains begin giving way to rising terrain.
As you approach Ngorongoro, the landscape changes dramatically. Grasslands meet highland forest, temperatures become cooler and the immense volcanic geography of the conservation area begins to reveal itself.
You arrive at your accommodation in the afternoon or evening with time to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s final safari chapter.
Destination: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge / Tented Camp
Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
After an early breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife environments.
The enormous crater floor supports an impressive concentration of animals within a relatively compact landscape. Zebras and wildebeest graze across the grasslands, buffaloes gather in herds, hippos occupy the wetlands and lions patrol their territories.
The crater is also one of Tanzania’s important areas for the endangered black rhino, although sightings remain a matter of luck.
Spend the morning exploring its grasslands, woodland and wetlands before stopping for a picnic lunch.
Later, climb back toward the crater rim and begin your journey to Arusha, bringing six days of migration country and northern Tanzania wildlife to a close.
Destination: Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Inclusives
- All Park fees
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional safari guide
- Game drives as outlined in the itinerary
- Accommodation during the safari
- Meals as stated in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water during safari
- Roundtrip Airport transfers
- Government taxes and levies
- International flights
- Visa fees and travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Alcoholic and soft drinks unless stated
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities not included in the itinerary
- Balloon safari, cultural visits, or other add-ons unless specified
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info@baloafricansafaris.com
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