7-Day Serengeti Migration River Crossing Safari: Mara River & Ngorongoro

Summary

• Destination
  Arusha, Lake Manyara or Tarangire, Karatu, Central Serengeti, Northern Serengeti (Kogatende), Ngorongoro, Arusha
• Duration
  7 days / 6 nights

Built around the dramatic Mara River crossings, this safari takes you to the far north of the Serengeti, where the migrating herds brave crocodiles and currents. It begins in Lake Manyara or Tarangire and ends in Ngorongoro Crater.

Best time: River crossing season, August to October

Travel: By road in a 4×4 safari vehicle

Highlights

• Two nights in the northern Serengeti near the Mara River
• Chance to witness wildebeest and zebra crossing the river
• Hippos and Nile crocodiles along the Mara
• Central Serengeti game drives
• Ngorongoro Crater game drive

Day by day

Day 1: Arusha to Lake Manyara or Tarangire

Your driver-guide collects you in Arusha for a full day in either Lake Manyara National Park, with its tree-climbing lions and flamingos, or Tarangire National Park, with its baobabs and elephant herds. A picnic lunch is taken in the park, and the night is spent in Karatu.

Day 2: Karatu to the central Serengeti

After breakfast, climb through the misty highland forest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where buffalo, baboons and sometimes elephants or leopards are spotted, then continue to the Serengeti (around four hours to the gate). A Maasai boma visit or a stop at Olduvai Gorge can be added along the way at extra cost. Your first Serengeti game drive brings huge herds of wildebeest and zebra, giraffes and elephants, plus the chance of lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena.

Day 3: Central to northern Serengeti

Drive north across the Togoro plains and past the Mbuzi Mawe kopjes towards the northern Serengeti, searching for the migration and big cats on the way. The landscape shifts between wooded hills, rocky outcrops and open savannah, with everything from tiny dik-dik to elephants and giraffes.

Day 4: Full day in the northern Serengeti

Explore the acacia-covered Lobo Hills, rich in elephant, giraffe, buffalo and the predators that follow them, before heading through the Bologonja and Kogatende areas to the Mara River. The river, full of hippos and crocodiles, is the herds’ last obstacle before the Masai Mara, and with patience you may see a crossing.

Day 5: Northern to central Serengeti

Spend another day on safari as you drive from Kogatende back to the Seronera area, taking a different route from Day 3 to see new landscapes and wildlife.

Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro

Enjoy a final game drive in the Serengeti, returning by a different route to look for anything you missed earlier. Then make your way up to the Ngorongoro highlands for dinner and the night.

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha

Descend from the crater rim into Ngorongoro Crater, a vast green caldera that is home to more than 120 mammal species, including all of the Big Five. It is one of Tanzania’s best places to see the endangered black rhino, with hippo pools, buffalo, big herds of wildebeest and zebra, and predators such as lion, cheetah, jackal and hyena. In the afternoon, drive back to Arusha for your onward journey.

Where you stay

Mid-range:

• Marera Valley Lodge
• Serengeti Sound of Silence
• Nyikani Kogatende Camp

Luxury option:

• Acacia Farm Lodge Karatu
• Sametu Camp
• Serengeti River Camp
• Ngorongoro Serena

Included

• Safari and accommodation as set out in the itinerary
• 4×4 safari vehicle (6/7-seat extended vehicle)
• Professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Full-board meals as per the itinerary
• Drinking water during the safari
• All activities mentioned in the programme
• All national park and conservation entry fees
• Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover during the safari

Not included

• Domestic and international flights
• Optional activities
• Alcoholic and soft drinks
• Visa fees
• Tips for your driver-guide
• Personal spending (souvenirs and similar)
• Travel insurance
• Serengeti hot-air balloon safari

Senior-friendly and wheelchair accessible

Accessible Travel Kenya caters to everyone. As specialists in inclusive tourism, the company can adapt this trip as a senior-friendly holiday or a wheelchair accessible safari. Tell Accessible Travel Kenya your access needs before you book. The company confirms lodge rooms and bathrooms, arrange a suitable safari vehicle and set a comfortable daily pace, and suggest alternatives where a stop would be difficult.

Prices on request: contact Accessible Travel Kenya for a quote for your dates and group.