01
Day 01
Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
Airport pickup and the short drive to Arusha. Kit check and an early night.
- StayHotel in Arusha or Moshi
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this safari
Between roughly late July and October the herds are in the northern Serengeti, and the Mara River lies across their path. When a column decides to cross, it is the most violent, crowded, extraordinary thing in African wildlife. It may also not happen while you are watching.
Crossings are unpredictable by nature. Herds gather on a bank for hours and then turn away. They cross at dawn, or at three in the afternoon, or not at all that day, or twice. The only way to improve your odds is time: three nights in the north rather than one, and a guide willing to sit at a crossing point for four hours.
This route is built around exactly that. It is not the trip to take if you cannot bear a long wait, and it is emphatically not a trip to take in March.
Tour length7 days / 6 nights
Start / endArusha → Arusha
PlacesNorthern Serengeti, Serengeti, Karatu, Ngorongoro Crater
AccommodationHotel, mobile tented camp, lodge or permanent tented camp, lodge
Meal planFull board; Bed and breakfast
Best monthsJul–Oct
Vehicle4×4 with pop-up roof
Tour typePrivate, on your dates
Group sizeTo confirm
02 · The price
What the price covers — and what it doesn't
Included 7 items
- Park and conservation-area entry fees for every park listed in the route
- Government taxes and concession fees that apply to those parks
- A 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof, fuel and an English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation on the basis shown for each night
- Meals as marked on each day
- Drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- Transfers between Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha town and your first night
Not included 6 items
- International flights, and internal flights unless a day says otherwise
- Tanzania visa, passport costs and travel insurance
- Tips for your guide, cook and camp or lodge staff
- Drinks, laundry and other personal spending
- Optional extras — balloon flights, night drives, spa treatments, private vehicle upgrades
- Anything not listed as included
03 · At a glance
Itinerary highlights
- Day 1Arrive Kilimanjaro, overnight Arusha
- Day 2Fly to the northern Serengeti
- Day 3The river
- Day 4A second full day in the north
- Day 5South through the Serengeti
- Day 6Serengeti to the crater highlands
- Day 7The crater, and departure
04 · Prices
Prices and what moves them
Every quote is written for the dates and the number of people travelling, because park fees, season and vehicle sharing move the figure more than anything else. We itemise it: park fees, accommodation, vehicle, meals.
Mid-range
Luxury
Mid-range
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Luxury
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Children. Child rates depend on age, the camps and how rooms are shared. Child policy to confirm
05 · The route
The route, day by day
02
Day 02
Fly to the northern Serengeti
A morning light-aircraft flight to an airstrip in the Kogatende area, which turns a two-day drive into a couple of hours. Game driving from the airstrip, and an afternoon along the river.
- StayMobile tented camp, northern Serengeti near the Mara River
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
The river
A full day on the crossing points with a packed breakfast and lunch, because leaving to eat is how people miss it. When nothing is happening at the water there is a great deal else in the north — resident elephant, big lion prides, and the Lamai wedge.
- StayMobile tented camp, northern Serengeti near the Mara River
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
A second full day in the north
Another day on the river line, working whichever crossing points the herds are building up at. Two full days roughly doubles your chances of seeing a crossing.
- StayMobile tented camp, northern Serengeti near the Mara River
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
South through the Serengeti
Game driving south through the park towards the central Seronera valley, which is quieter in these months but holds the resident cats.
- StayLodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
Serengeti to the crater highlands
A morning drive, then east out of the park and up to the Ngorongoro rim in the afternoon.
- StayLodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
The crater, and departure
The early descent and six hours on the floor, then the drive back to Arusha or the airport for an evening flight.
- StayNone — the trip ends today
06 · Camps
Where you stay
Each night gives the kind of place and the area. The property itself is chosen for your month and your budget, and named in your quote.
Night 1
Hotel in Arusha or Moshi
Bed and breakfast.
Nights 2–4
Mobile tented camp, northern Serengeti near the Mara River
Full board.
Night 5
Lodge or permanent tented camp, central Serengeti
Full board.
Night 6
Lodge on the Ngorongoro highlands rim or in Karatu
Full board.
07 · Add-ons
Optional add-ons
Not in the standard price. Arranged on request and priced in your quote.
Serengeti · sunrise
Hot-air balloon flight
An hour over the plains at first light, followed by breakfast in the bush.
After the safari
Zanzibar beach extension
A short flight to the coast, for days with nothing to track.
On the route
Cultural visit
Time with a community near the route, arranged with people who welcome visitors.
Before the safari
An extra night in Arusha
Useful after a long-haul flight, so the first day does not start tired.
08 · The ground
Where this safari takes you
The big question
Where are the herds in your month?
The migration is somewhere in the Serengeti ecosystem all year. Pick a month to see where the herds usually are — rainfall moves their timing by weeks. For a route built around them, see the 7-day migration safari.
Calving, southern plainsRiver crossings, northern SerengetiHerds on the move
This monthWhere the herds are
09 · Season
Best time to take this safari
Jun – Oct
The dry season
Short grass and animals close to water. The busiest months, and the clearest game viewing.
Late Jan – Mar
Calving on the southern plains
The herds are on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, with predators to match.
Apr · May · Nov
The green season
Rain, long grass and far fewer vehicles — and some camps close for the long rains.
10 · Flights
Flights
Arrive
Kilimanjaro International Airport
The international airport for Arusha and the northern parks. The transfer to your first night is included.
Depart
Kilimanjaro International Airport
Tell us your flight time and the last day is planned around it.
11 · Extras
Budget for these extras
Not in the package price, and worth planning for before you travel.
Most visitors need a Tanzania visa. What applies to your passport, and how to apply, is on our visas and vaccinations page.
Take a policy that covers medical evacuation from remote areas. More on our travel insurance page.
Tipping is customary but yours to decide. Our tipping guide sets out what is usual for guides, cooks and camp staff.
Water is provided in the vehicle. Other drinks at camps and lodges, laundry and souvenirs are paid locally.
12 · Why us
Why book this with us
01
Every route is a draft
Add a night, cut a day, finish on the coast. Most trips we run started as one of these and then moved.
02
Every quote itemised
Park fees, accommodation, vehicle and meals, line by line, for your dates and group.
03
Private, on your dates
Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide.
04
Planned from Arusha
Ask on WhatsApp and you reach the people who plan the trip.
13 · Reviews
Reviews
Guest reviews for this route will appear here. To confirm
14 · Questions
Asked about this trip
With three nights in the north in the right months, good but not guaranteed. Some groups see three in a week; some see none. Any operator who promises one is guessing.
Broadly late July to early October, with August and September the most reliable. It depends on rainfall, which moves the herds by weeks.
Kogatende is eight to ten hours by road from Arusha. Flying buys you a day and a half of river time, which is exactly what this trip is for.
At a building crossing, yes — vehicles line the bank. Away from the river the north is one of the emptier parts of the Serengeti.
