6-Day Migration Calving Safari (December to March)

Upon arrival at either Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport, our team will be there to warmly welcome you and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha. If time permits, based on your arrival schedule, you’ll have the option to enjoy an Arusha city tour, which may include visits to the renowned Cultural Heritage art gallery, bustling local markets, and the vibrant Maasai Market—perfect for picking up unique souvenirs. Overnight at Forest Hill Hotel • Mid-range hotel located near Arusha (City).

Your safari begins the moment you walk out of Kilimanjaro International Airport. A Serengeti Wakanda guide is waiting with your name on a board and the words every traveller wants to hear: karibu Tanzania, welcome to Tanzania.

We transfer you to your lodge in the Arusha foothills, where you can shower, change into safari clothes and settle in. Your driver-guide joins you for a relaxed welcome dinner, walks through tomorrow's plan in detail and answers every last question. An early night sets you up for the days ahead.

Where you sleep tonight

Forest Hill Hotel

Boutique hotel in Arusha

Boutique hotel on the leafy outskirts of Arusha, with great food and a calm pre-safari atmosphere.

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel at 8:00 a.m. for a 2-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, renowned for its massive elephant herds and iconic baobab trees, some of the largest on the continent. From the open roof of your safari vehicle, you’ll explore the park’s rich landscapes, including seasonal swamps, savanna plains, and the Tarangire River, which attracts an abundance of wildlife. Expect to encounter a wide variety of species such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, impalas, elands, warthogs, lions, leopards, and over 500 species of birds. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Matete picnic site, offering beautiful views over the river, before continuing with your afternoon game drive. Later, you’ll head to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay, surrounded by the peaceful sounds of the wilderness. Overnight at Moonbow Lodge • Mid-range lodge located 1-2hr drive from Tarangire NP.

Tarangire is the elephant capital of northern Tanzania. In the dry season the Tarangire River is the only permanent water for miles, and herds of up to 250 elephants come down to drink, calves tumbling between their mothers' legs.

You spend the day on a private game drive through baobab-studded floodplains: lions resting in the shade, giraffe browsing acacia tops, fringe-eared oryx and the strange dwarf mongoose colonies. We pack a hot picnic lunch so you can stay in the park while the light is good.

Where you sleep tonight

Moonbow Lodge

Boutique lodge in Karatu

Quiet boutique lodge in the Karatu highlands — wood-and-canvas cottages with views over the coffee fields.

After an early breakfast at your accommodation near Lake Manyara, depart for Ngorongoro Crater, arriving at the gate by mid-morning. Descend into the crater for a half-day game drive in one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations. Explore the crater floor, home to elephants, lions, buffaloes, hippos, and with some luck, the endangered black rhino. Enjoy a picnic lunch at a scenic spot within the crater. After your game drive, ascend and continue your journey with a scenic afternoon drive to Ndutu, arriving at your lodge in time for dinner and overnight. Overnight at Lala Salama Serengeti Camp • Mid-range tented camp located inside Serengeti NP.

From December to March the migration spreads across the short-grass plains of Ndutu and southern Serengeti to calve. Half a million wildebeest are born in a six-week window, which in turn brings every predator within walking distance.

Our camp moves with the herds. Mornings are a slow circuit of the calving fields with cheetah hunting on open ground and lions on the woodland edge. Afternoons return to the lakes for sunset and a hot bucket shower back at camp.

Where you sleep tonight

Lala Salama Serengeti Camp

Tented camp, Serengeti

Classic tented camp pitched in the heart of the Serengeti — warm hosting, hearty bush meals and easy access to the plains right from your tent flap.

You will embark on an early morning game drive to kickstart your day, followed by a full day of thrilling game viewing. The Ndutu Region, situated in the northern part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, extends to the unfenced southern area of the Serengeti National Park. This unique location creates a captivating convergence of these two remarkable wilderness areas. One of the prime game viewing spots in Ndutu is Lake Ndutu, where vast herds of animals gather. The lake serves as a crucial water source for wildlife and shares its basin with nearby Lake Masek, located just east of Ndutu within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. For an extraordinary perspective, consider adding a hot air balloon safari to your experience (available at an additional cost), allowing you to witness the breathtaking scenery from the sky during the morning hours. Overnight at Lala Salama Serengeti Camp • Mid-range tented camp located inside Serengeti NP.

From December to March the migration spreads across the short-grass plains of Ndutu and southern Serengeti to calve. Half a million wildebeest are born in a six-week window, which in turn brings every predator within walking distance.

Our camp moves with the herds. Mornings are a slow circuit of the calving fields with cheetah hunting on open ground and lions on the woodland edge. Afternoons return to the lakes for sunset and a hot bucket shower back at camp.

Where you sleep tonight

Lala Salama Serengeti Camp

Tented camp, Serengeti

Classic tented camp pitched in the heart of the Serengeti — warm hosting, hearty bush meals and easy access to the plains right from your tent flap.

After an early breakfast, you’ll spend the morning exploring the Ndutu region, an area within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area known for its rich wildlife and seasonal wildebeest migration (depending on the time of year). The region offers excellent opportunities to spot predators, as well as large herds of zebras, wildebeest, and antelope across the open plains and woodlands. After your game drive and lunch, you’ll begin the scenic drive to Karatu, located on the edge of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Arrive at your lodge in time for dinner and overnight relaxation. Overnight at Acacia Farm Lodge • Luxury lodge located 2-3hr drive from Ndutu.

From December to March the migration spreads across the short-grass plains of Ndutu and southern Serengeti to calve. Half a million wildebeest are born in a six-week window, which in turn brings every predator within walking distance.

Our camp moves with the herds. Mornings are a slow circuit of the calving fields with cheetah hunting on open ground and lions on the woodland edge. Afternoons return to the lakes for sunset and a hot bucket shower back at camp.

Where you sleep tonight

Acacia Farm Lodge

Farm-stay lodge in Karatu

Stone cottages on a working farm in Karatu, with vegetable-garden dining and views to the crater highlands.

After an early breakfast, depart for Lake Eyasi, a scenic drive of about 1.5 hours. Upon arrival, begin your cultural experience with a visit to the Hadzabe, one of Tanzania’s last remaining hunter-gatherer community. You’ll join them on a short traditional hunting walk and learn about their unique way of life. Next, visit the Datoga tribe, known for their blacksmithing skills and distinctive cultural identity. You’ll observe their traditional methods of metalwork and gain insight into their daily routines. After this enriching morning, enjoy lunch in the area before beginning your journey back to Arusha in the early afternoon, arriving by evening.

Lake Eyasi is a soda lake in the floor of the Rift Valley and home to the Hadzabe, one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in Africa, and the Datoga, master blacksmiths whose copper rings the Hadzabe trade for honey.

You leave before sunrise with a Hadzabe interpreter to join the men on a real hunt with hand-made bows and poisoned arrows. Later you visit a Datoga compound to see arrows being forged from melted padlocks. It is the most honest cultural visit on the circuit.