9 days / 8 nights
Tanzania Great Migration Safari: May to July
Arusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Western/Central Serengeti
Experience one of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles during the May-July Great Migration season. This 9-day safari combines Tarangire and Ngorongoro with extended time in the Serengeti, where large herds of wildebeest and zebra move through the ecosystem in search of fresh grazing and water.
May to July is a particularly rewarding period for following the migration in the Western and Central Serengeti, although exact wildlife locations vary with rainfall, grazing conditions and herd movements.
Safari highlights
- Follow the Great Migration herds of wildebeest and zebra
- Excellent opportunities to see lions, cheetahs and other predators
- Seasonal opportunities to witness river crossings in the Western Serengeti
- Explore elephant-rich Tarangire National Park
- Search for black rhino in Ngorongoro Crater
- Spend several nights in the Serengeti to increase wildlife-viewing opportunities
- Exceptional opportunities for wildlife photography
- Experience Tanzania during one of its most spectacular wildlife seasons
Out on safari
Day by day
9 days, 8 nights
The route below is the standard version. Game drives follow the wildlife rather than a timetable, and your guide adjusts as the animals move.
- 1
Arrival in Arusha
Arrive in Arusha and meet your safari representative. Transfer to your hotel, relax and receive a briefing about the safari.
- 2
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire for your first game drive. Explore the park's iconic baobab landscapes and seasonal wildlife areas, with excellent opportunities to see elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras and buffalo.
- 3
Tarangire to Ngorongoro Highlands
Enjoy a morning game drive before continuing toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Travel through scenic highland landscapes and settle into your accommodation overlooking or near the crater.
- 4
Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater early for a game drive. Explore the crater floor, home to an exceptional concentration of wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest and, with luck, black rhino.
After the crater experience, continue toward the Serengeti with an en-route game drive.
- 5
Serengeti: Following the Migration
Spend a full day tracking the migration. During May and June, large herds can often be found in the Western or Central Serengeti, depending on seasonal conditions.
Your guide will monitor recent wildlife movements and select the most promising areas for game viewing.
- 6
Western Serengeti: Migration & Predator Action
Continue exploring the Serengeti, focusing on areas where the herds are currently concentrated. The presence of large herbivore herds attracts predators, creating excellent opportunities to observe lions, cheetahs and other carnivores.
- 7
Western Serengeti: Great Migration Experience
Enjoy another full day dedicated to the migration. In favourable conditions, you may witness large herds moving through the plains or gathering around water sources.
River-crossing sightings are seasonal and never guaranteed; your guide will position you according to current herd movements and local conditions.
- 8
Serengeti to Central Serengeti
Continue your safari through the Serengeti ecosystem, enjoying game drives along the way. This provides another opportunity to encounter migrating herds and resident wildlife before your final night in the park.
- 9
Serengeti to Arusha
Enjoy an early morning game drive before beginning your journey back to Arusha. Depending on your departure arrangements, a domestic flight from the Serengeti may be arranged at an additional cost.
Included
What the price covers
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Private game drives throughout the safari
- 8 nights of safari accommodation
- Meals
- Tara- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- ngire National Park fees
- Serengeti National Park fees
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area and crater fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Arusha transfers as specified
- All applicable government taxes and tourism fees
Accommodation options: Your accommodation will be selected according to your preferred comfort level, travel dates, availability and safari route. Exact properties will be confirmed in your personalised quotation
Not included
What you arrange yourself
- International and domestic flights
- Serengeti/Arusha domestic flights unless specifically added
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for safari guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Laundry and personal expenses
- Hot-air balloon safari
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
- Any service not specifically mentioned under "Included"
Best for
This safari is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, couples and travellers specifically interested in the Great Migration. The itinerary provides extended time in the Serengeti, giving you greater flexibility to follow the herds rather than relying on a single migration viewing day. Important: The Great Migration is a natural phenomenon, so the exact location of the herds cannot be guaranteed. May-July conditions vary each year, and the itinerary may be adjusted by your safari team to follow the most current wildlife movements.
Accommodation levels
Choose the level, and we build the trip around it
The same route can be run four ways. The level you pick decides where you sleep, how far you drive to the wildlife each morning, and most of what the safari costs.
Budget
Clean, simple camps and small lodges. Everything you need after a day in the park, and nothing you do not.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodges and permanent tented camps with en-suite bathrooms, pools and full service. Where most safaris sit.
Luxury
High-end lodges and luxury tented camps in prime locations, with the shorter drives to the wildlife that come with them.
Premium
The best addresses in each park. Exclusive-use camps, private guiding and the quietest corners of the reserves.
Why there is no price on the page
A safari price that fits everyone fits nobody. Two people in a premium camp in August and a family of four in a mid-range lodge in April are different trips at different costs, on the same itinerary. Rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most people reading it, we price each trip properly.
Tell us your dates, your group and the level you want, and you get an accurate quote back with the accommodation named.
What the quote is built from
- Accommodation level and the type of camp or lodge
- Where you sleep: park rates differ, and so do the drives
- Travel dates, since low, high and peak seasons are priced apart
- Group size, and the ages of any children
- Safari style: private, shared, or tailor-made
- Length of the trip, the parks you enter and the activities you add
- Vehicle and transport arrangements
- Anything special: flights, transfers, honeymoon touches, dietary needs
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