Best 5 Days Great Serengeti Migration Safari in Tanzania
This 5 Days Great Serengeti Migration Tanzania Safari covers 2 nights within Serengeti National Park, 1 night near/within the Ngorongoro Highlands, and 1 night near the migration route depending on the season, with an additional 1 night stay in Arusha City before the safari begins. The safari starts and ends in Arusha and is designed specifically for travelers who want to witness the world-famous Great Wildebeest Migration while exploring some of Tanzania's most spectacular wildlife destinations. Accompanied by our professional, certified, experienced and passionate safari guides, this journey offers unforgettable wildlife encounters and memories that will last a lifetime.
Starting from Arusha City, this safari is one of the best options for travelers who dream of witnessing the Great Migration in Serengeti National Park. The itinerary is carefully planned to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities while allowing visitors to experience the breathtaking landscapes, predator action, and incredible wildlife diversity that make Tanzania one of Africa's leading safari destinations.
Your safari journey begins in Arusha. You will spend the first night in Arusha City before entering the parks. This overnight stay allows you to recover from your flight, organize your safari equipment, meet your guide, and prepare for the adventure ahead.
On the first day of Safari, your guide will pick you up after breakfast and begin the journey towards Serengeti National Park. The drive passes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, offering spectacular views of the highlands, Maasai villages, and beautiful landscapes before reaching the famous Serengeti ecosystem.
Upon arrival in Serengeti National Park, you will begin your first game drive while searching for wildlife along the migration routes. Depending on the season, you may encounter large herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, and predators following the migration.
On the second day of Safari, you will spend a full day exploring Serengeti National Park and searching for the Great Wildebeest Migration. This natural phenomenon involves more than a million wildebeest accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles moving across the Serengeti ecosystem in search of fresh grazing land.
The exact migration location changes throughout the year, and your guide will follow current wildlife movements to increase your chances of witnessing migration activity. Along the way, you may also see lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, and many other animals.
After an exciting day of wildlife viewing, you will return to your accommodation for dinner and your second overnight stay inside Serengeti National Park.
On the third day of Safari, you will continue with another game drive in Serengeti National Park, focusing on migration areas and predator-rich regions. Early morning hours often provide excellent opportunities to observe hunting behavior and active wildlife.
As the day progresses, you will begin your journey towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area while continuing wildlife viewing along the way. Later, you will arrive near/within the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight accommodation.
On the fourth day of Safari, you will descend into the famous Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Africa's most remarkable wildlife destinations and supports a large concentration of animals throughout the year.
During your game drive, you may see lions, elephants, buffaloes, wildebeest, zebras, hippos, hyenas, gazelles, and if fortunate, the endangered black rhino. The crater floor features grasslands, forests, swamps, and a soda lake that provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
After the game drive, you will return to your accommodation near/within the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight stay.
On the fifth day of Safari, after breakfast, you will enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Ngorongoro Highlands as you begin your journey back to Arusha. Along the route, you may stop at scenic viewpoints and local attractions before arriving in Arusha.
Depending on your travel arrangements, you can be dropped at your hotel, Arusha Airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport, or another designated location.
Throughout this safari, you will travel in a comfortable 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof. This provides excellent visibility for wildlife viewing, photography, and enjoying the spectacular landscapes of northern Tanzania.
This 5 Days Great Serengeti Migration Tanzania Safari is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, couples, families, solo travelers, and anyone seeking to witness one of the greatest natural spectacles on Earth while exploring Tanzania's most iconic safari destinations.
5 Days Tanzania Safari at a Glance
- Safari Name: 5 Days Great Serengeti Migration Tanzania Safari
- Starting Point: Arusha City
- Ending Point: Arusha City
- Accommodation Before Safari: Optional overnight stay in Arusha
- Night 1: Lodge / Tented Camp within Serengeti National Park
- Night 2: Lodge / Tented Camp within Serengeti National Park
- Night 3: Lodge / Tented Camp near/within Ngorongoro Highlands
- Night 4: Lodge / Tented Camp near/within Ngorongoro Highlands
- Main Attractions: Great Wildebeest Migration, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater
- Wildlife: Wildebeest, zebras, lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, rhinos if lucky, and more
- Best For: Wildlife lovers, photographers, migration enthusiasts, couples, families, solo travelers, and safari adventurers
Important Travel Information
| Location | Distance & Travel Time |
|---|---|
| Arusha to Serengeti National Park | Approximately 335 km | About 7 to 8 hours drive including scenic stops and park entry procedures |
| Serengeti Migration Game Drives | Full-day wildlife exploration following seasonal migration routes |
| Serengeti to Ngorongoro Highlands | Approximately 145 km | About 3 to 4 hours drive with wildlife viewing along the route |
| Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive | Half-day wildlife exploration inside the crater floor |
| Ngorongoro Highlands to Arusha | Approximately 190 km | About 4 to 5 hours drive |
| Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha | Approximately 50 km | About 1 hour drive |
| Arusha Airport to Arusha City | Approximately 8 km | About 15 minutes drive |
Places You Will Visit on This 5 Days Tanzania Safari
Arusha City – Gateway to Northern Tanzania Safari
Arusha City is the main starting point for northern Tanzania safaris and serves as the tourism capital of Tanzania. It offers easy access to Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, and many other safari destinations.
Most travelers spend a night in Arusha before the safari begins, allowing time to rest and prepare before entering the wilderness.
Serengeti National Park – Home of the Great Wildebeest Migration
Serengeti National Park is one of Africa's most famous wildlife destinations and hosts the world's largest terrestrial animal migration. Every year, millions of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles move across the ecosystem in search of fresh grazing and water.
The park is also home to large populations of lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, and many other species. Its endless plains create one of the most spectacular safari landscapes on Earth.
Spending two nights inside Serengeti allows travelers to explore different wildlife regions and maximize opportunities to witness migration activity.
Ngorongoro Highlands – Scenic Views and Cultural Landscapes
The Ngorongoro Highlands are known for their cool temperatures, green hills, forests, farms, and Maasai communities. The region offers some of the most beautiful scenery in northern Tanzania.
The highlands provide an excellent base for visiting Ngorongoro Crater and offer a relaxing contrast to the open plains of Serengeti.
Ngorongoro Crater – Africa’s Wildlife Eden
Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact volcanic caldera and one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife destinations. The crater floor supports a remarkable concentration of wildlife throughout the year.
Visitors may encounter lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, hyenas, gazelles, and the endangered black rhino within a relatively small area.
Its unique ecosystem and spectacular scenery make Ngorongoro Crater one of the highlights of any Tanzania safari.
Why Choose This 5 Days Great Serengeti Migration Tanzania Safari?
- Excellent opportunity to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration.
- Spend two nights inside Serengeti National Park.
- Visit the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater.
- Search for lions, cheetahs, leopards, and other predators.
- Experience one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth.
- Professional English-speaking safari guide.
- Comfortable 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof.
- Outstanding photography opportunities.
- Suitable for couples, families, solo travelers, and groups.
- Explore Tanzania's most iconic wildlife destinations.
Best Time for This 5 Days Tanzania Safari
This 5 Days Great Serengeti Migration Tanzania Safari can be enjoyed throughout the year, although migration locations vary depending on the season. Different months offer different migration experiences, including calving season, river crossings, and large herd movements across the Serengeti ecosystem.
The dry season from June to October is especially popular for wildlife viewing, while the green season from November to May offers lush landscapes, fewer crowds, and excellent opportunities to witness calving and predator activity.
TRIP ITINERARY
Day
1
Arusha/Moshi to Central Serengeti National Park
We will leave Arusha/Moshi early morning and take a long drive to Central Serengeti National Park. We will drive to Serengeti on a road near the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, allowing for animal sightings along the way. The golden savannah and endless plains, teeming with zebras, wildebeest and giraffes make it easy to understand why the Serengeti is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. On this day, we will enjoy a picnic lunch on Naabai kopje (a small, rocky hill in a generally flat area), where you will have the opportunity to view the Serengeti’s famous pink-headed lizards. After lunch, we will proceed further into the plains for a leisurely game drive. You will spend the night at the Serengeti, and fall asleep to the playful calls of the zebra and hyenas.
Day
2
Central Serengeti National Park to North Serengeti National Park
Pick up from your accommodation after breakfast in the morning and then drive to Serengeti Northern circuit. Upon arrival, meet your driver guide for a full day game drive in this part of the park to view the great migration. The park is well known for its healthy stock of other resident wildlife, particularly the "BIG FIVE", named for the five most prized trophies taken by hunters: Lion, African Leopard, African Elephant, rhinos and leopards
Day
3
Full day game drive in Serengeti National Park (Northern Circuit)
After breakfast, enjoy a full day of game drive at the Mara River viewing the great migration river crossing and game driving. In the evening, back to the accommodation point for the dinner and overnight. River crossings at Kogatende start to occur every day in August as the mega herd settles into the area. From August to October, game viewing up here is superb with river crossings pretty much guaranteed every day. There is no distinct movement as the herds tend to cross back and forth over the river, following the rains and subsequent fresh grasses. It is not uncommon to see different herds crossing in different directions on the same day.
Day
4
North Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater
In the afternoon, after an exciting game drive full of animal sightings and a picnic lunch, we will drive to the Ngorongoro Crater. This night we will stay here, overlooking the unbroken caldera of Ngorongoro Crater. The views of the sunset over the savannah are absolutely breathtaking. After a long day of adventuring, guests will enjoy a tasty dinner prepared by our friendly cook at your accommodation.
Day
5
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha/Moshi
After an early morning breakfast, you will decent 600 meters down to the Ngorongoro crater floor for a wonderful game drive. Ngorongoro Crater referred by many as the 8th wonder of the world and the Eden of Africa is home to a larger number of animal species. Supported by yearly around water supply from the crater rim thus allows the vegetation to flourish and attracts big and small animals which includes buffalo, zebra hippos, rhino, elephant and cats like lion, leopard, cheetah, jackals and hyenas. There is a possibility of seen the BIG FIVE in this one day of game drive near/within the Ngorongoro crater, packed lunch will be served at the crater floor. Later afternoon you will drive back to Arusha/Moshi.
Safari Tour Inclusions & Exclusions
Below is a clear breakdown of what is included and excluded in your Tanzania safari package. This helps you understand exactly what to expect before your journey to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and other parks.
