Great Migration Safari in Tanzania

A Great Migration safari in Tanzania is best planned around where the wildebeest herds are expected to be during your travel dates. The migration moves through the greater Serengeti ecosystem throughout the year as vast herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles follow fresh grazing and water, so there is no single Serengeti location that works equally well in every season.

This 10-day safari combines several days in the Serengeti with wildlife viewing in Tarangire and Ngorongoro, while the Serengeti portion is adjusted to suit the migration phase. Early in the year, this may mean concentrating on the southern plains around the calving grounds. During the northern migration period, more time can be positioned around the Mara River region where crossings may occur.   AA Safaris & Tours can adjust the route, accommodation, and Serengeti region around the season you want to experience.

10-Day Great Migration Safari Highlights

Where Is the Great Migration During the Year?

The Great Migration moves through different parts of the Serengeti ecosystem throughout the year. Early in the year, large herds gather on the southern plains around Ndutu for the calving season. As conditions change, they move through central and western Serengeti before many herds reach the north and the Mara River area. Later in the year, the movement gradually turns south again. The exact timing can shift because the migration follows rainfall and grazing conditions rather than a fixed timetable.

Mara River Crossings or Calving Season?

The Mara River crossings and the wildebeest calving season give you two very different ways to experience the Great Migration. If you want the drama of huge herds gathering at the river and making the dangerous crossing, the northern Serengeti is the place to focus on from around July to October. If you would rather see the herds spread across the open plains with newborn calves and plenty of predator action, head south to the Serengeti and Ndutu between January and March.

Mara River Crossings

From around July to October, large wildebeest herds move into the northern Serengeti, where the Mara River becomes one of the biggest highlights of the migration. When the herds finally decide to cross, hundreds or even thousands of animals can pour into the water at once, creating one of the most dramatic scenes you can witness on safari. The difficult part is the waiting. A herd can gather along the river for hours or even days before making a move, and sometimes they turn around and disappear without crossing at all. This unpredictability is part of what makes the experience so exciting. Around the river, there are designated viewing areas to manage the large number of safari vehicles that gather during the crossing season.

Mara River Crossings in northern serengeti

Calving Season

Between roughly January and March, the migration takes on a completely different character in the southern Serengeti and around Ndutu. The short-grass plains become filled with wildebeest, and the arrival of thousands of newborn calves brings a different kind of excitement to the safari. The main calving period falls around mid-February, when large numbers of calves are born within a short time. With so many young animals on the plains, predators such as lions, cheetahs and hyenas have plenty of opportunities to hunt, making this an excellent time for travellers who enjoy predator action as much as the migration itself.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose the Mara River crossings if you want dramatic river scenes, huge herds and the thrill of watching the animals make their move. Choose calving season if you want to see newborn wildebeest, large concentrations of animals on the open plains and some of the best predator action of the migration. Neither experience is better than the other. It simply comes down to whether you want the drama of the river or the energy of the calving plains.

How This Great Migration Safari Changes by Season

The 10-day route should not use the same Serengeti camp area throughout the year. The parks outside the Serengeti can remain broadly similar, but the Serengeti nights should move with the migration phase. Early in the year, more time should be positioned in the south around Ndutu. During the middle of the year, the focus moves through central and western areas, while the main river-crossing period requires more time in northern Serengeti.

10-DAY GREAT MIGRATION SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1, Arrive in Arusha

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your driver-guide will meet you and transfer you to your accommodation in or around Arusha. The rest of the day is left free for you to recover from the flight, settle in and prepare for the safari ahead. Your guide can also use this time to confirm the route, expected migration conditions and the next day’s departure. Arusha is the main gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit, making it a convenient starting point before travelling to Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.

 Day 2, Arusha to Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, leave Arusha and drive to Tarangire National Park for your first full safari day. Tarangire is known for its large elephant herds, baobab-dotted landscapes and the Tarangire River, which supports wildlife throughout much of the year. Spend the day on game drives looking for elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes and predators, with birdlife adding further interest along the river and woodland areas. The park gives the itinerary a strong wildlife opening before the route moves towards Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.

Day 3, Tarangire Wildlife Safari and Continue To Ngorongoro

Begin with a final morning game drive in Tarangire National Park, when cooler conditions can bring good wildlife activity along the river, woodland and open plains. Look for elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes and predators before leaving the park. After the game drive, continue to the Ngorongoro Highlands, passing through the changing landscapes of northern Tanzania. This move places you closer to Ngorongoro Crater and shortens the following day’s journey, while keeping the itinerary moving steadily towards the Serengeti and the migration areas. Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon or early evening, with time to relax before dinner.

Day 4, Ngorongoro Crater Safari

After an early breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater and descend to the crater floor for a full game-viewing experience. The enclosed landscape supports a high concentration of wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and numerous antelope species, with good chances of seeing predators during the day. Spend several hours exploring the crater floor, stopping for a picnic lunch before continuing the game drive through grasslands, woodland and wetland areas. Later in the afternoon, leave the crater and return to your lodge in the Ngorongoro Highlands. This day adds a strong classic wildlife experience before the safari moves into the Serengeti, where the Great Migration becomes the main focus. Accommodation: Ngorongoro Highlands or Karatu area

Day 5, Ngorongoro to the Serengeti

After breakfast, leave the Ngorongoro Highlands and continue towards the Serengeti ecosystem, entering the region that is the main focus of the safari from this point onward. The exact destination within the Serengeti should depend on the migration season. From January to March, the route may concentrate on the southern plains and Ndutu area. From April to June, central or western Serengeti can become more important, while July to October usually requires positioning farther north towards the Mara River region. Enjoy game viewing along the way as the landscape opens into wider plains, with chances to see wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, predators and other wildlife before reaching the camp or lodge selected for the current migration phase. Accommodation: Serengeti region matched to the season

Day 6, Great Migration Safari in the Serengeti

Spend the day on game drives in the Serengeti region where the migration is expected to be most active during your travel period. Your guide will use current wildlife movement and local conditions to decide where to concentrate the day’s search rather than following a fixed circuit. Depending on the season, this could mean watching large herds spread across the southern plains, following northbound movement through central or western Serengeti, or spending more time near the Mara River area during the northern migration period. Alongside the wildebeest, look for zebras, gazelles, lions, cheetahs, hyenas and other predators that move through the same ecosystem. The day may involve long periods of patient game viewing, especially when the herds are gathering or changing direction. Return to your camp or lodge in the evening.

Calving Season in southern Serengeti

Day 7, Follow the Great Migration Across the Serengeti

Spend the day in the part of the Serengeti that best matches the migration during your travel dates. From January to March, this normally means the Ndutu area and southern Serengeti, where large wildebeest herds gather across the short-grass plains during the calving period. From April into June, the focus shifts through Central Serengeti around Seronera and towards the Western Corridor and Grumeti region as the herds continue north. During July to October, more time should be spent in Northern Serengeti around Kogatende, Lamai and the Mara River, where large concentrations of wildebeest may gather near crossing points. By November and December, many herds begin moving south again through the northern, eastern and central Serengeti towards the southern plains. Your guide will concentrate the day’s game drives around the most productive part of that seasonal route

Day 8, Predators and Wildlife Around the Migration Herds

The Great Migration is not only about wildebeest movement. Spend Day 8 looking more closely at the wildlife that follows and lives around the herds. In Ndutu and Southern Serengeti, the calving period attracts lions, cheetahs, hyenas and other predators taking advantage of vulnerable young animals. Around Seronera and Central Serengeti, resident big cats remain a major part of the game-viewing experience even when the main herds are moving through. The Western Corridor and Grumeti region, the landscape changes to woodland, riverine habitat and open plains, while Northern Serengeti combines migration herds with resident wildlife around Kogatende and Lamai. This day gives you time to look beyond herd numbers and understand the wider predator-prey relationships that make the Serengeti ecosystem so rewarding.

Day 9, Final Great Migration Game Drive in the Serengeti

Spend your final full day in the Serengeti returning to the most productive area based on the herd movements and wildlife activity seen during the previous days. If you are staying around Ndutu or the Southern Serengeti, this may mean returning to large calving herds or an area where predators have been particularly active. In Central Serengeti or the Western Corridor, your guide can follow fresh movement towards Seronera, Grumeti or nearby plains. During the northern season, the day can be used around Kogatende, Lamai and the Mara River, allowing more time at promising crossing points if herds are gathering nearby. Keeping this final day flexible is more useful than following a fixed route because conditions in the Serengeti can change quickly.

Day 10, Fly from the Serengeti to Arusha or Kilimanjaro

After breakfast, enjoy a final short game drive if flight timing allows, then transfer to the airstrip for the scheduled flight back to Arusha. The departure airstrip should match the seasonal route. Northern Serengeti itineraries may finish near Kogatende, while central or southern migration routes use the most practical airstrip for that region. On arrival in Arusha, continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight or transfer to a hotel if you are staying another night in Tanzania. This flight saves a long return journey by road and provides a practical finish to the 10-day Great Migration safari.

Where to Stay During the Great Migration

Where you stay in the Serengeti should depend on the migration phase during your travel dates. Using the same camp location throughout the year can leave you several hours from the main concentrations of wildebeest, particularly when the herds have moved between the southern and northern ends of the ecosystem.