Upscale Migration Safari Meeting Local Tribes, 8 Days
Overview
Ceraa Eyes Safari, a Tanzanian operator based locally, runs this 8-day great migration luxury safari. An experienced local guide travels with you, and together we plan each detail.
Reasons to book this 8 Days wildebeest migration premium safari with us
Each 8-day great migration luxury safari we organise is tailor-made, which means the dates, accommodation and pace can all be changed to suit you. Our local team also looks after you from the moment you arrive until you leave. Ahead of your trip, you can read about the area on the official Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) website, and for further inspiration take a look at our other Tarangire National Park tours.
Experience Overview
- Starting Point: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
- Ending Point: Northern Serengeti (Kogatende Airstrip)
- Duration: 8 Days
- Accommodation Options: Luxury Safari Lodges and Camps
Highlights:
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Tarangire Park Guide: Elephants, Baobabs and Game Drives
- Serengeti National Park
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Visits to Maasai, Datoga and Hadzabe communities to learn about their cultures
Packing Essentials: Bring a camera with a zoom lens, spare memory cards and batteries, and binoculars. Light clothing, safari boots, mosquito repellent, a sunhat and UV-protected sunglasses are also needed.
Experience Description
This 8-day African wildlife safari pairs exciting game drives with meaningful cultural encounters across northern Tanzania, and it is best for travellers who want to feel close to nature and indigenous communities. The route follows the classic Northern Circuit through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the famous Serengeti, timed for the Great Migration.
On the way you meet tree-climbing lions and enormous elephant herds, and later the dramatic wildebeest river crossings in the Northern Serengeti. You also leave the usual routes to spend time with the Hadzabe and Datoga people near Lake Eyasi. A visit with the Maasai adds a rare look at traditional African ways of life.
Itinerary
Travel Time: About 2½ hours
Distance: 120 kilometers
Activities: Non-game viewing
After breakfast you leave for Tarangire National Park, a scenic drive of around 2½ hours. The park follows the Tarangire River across the floor of the Great Rift Valley, among gently rolling hills. Broad acacia woodland and stately African baobab trees dominate the scenery, and extensive swamps spread across the south.
In the dry season the river and swamps are a crucial water supply, drawing big crowds of animals, so Tarangire has some of Africa’s biggest elephant herds. Three rare species live here too: the greater kudu, the fringe-eared oryx and the ashy starling.
Dinner and Overnight: Stay in a mid-range or luxury safari lodge, depending on the package you choose.
Travel Time: 0.5 hrs | Distance: 30 km
A full day of game driving in Lake Manyara comes next. The park is famous for tree-climbing lions and flamingos, and for fine scenery at the foot of the Rift Valley escarpment.
Dinner & Overnight: Safari lodge, mid-range or luxury
Travel Time: 1.5 hrs | Distance: 68 km
You begin by joining the Hadzabe Bushmen on a morning hunt, picking up their age-old survival skills, and then visit a Datoga blacksmith village. Together these give you first-hand insight into two indigenous Tanzanian tribes.
Dinner & Overnight: Safari lodge, mid-range or luxury
Travel Time: 6 hrs | Distance: 205 km
Today you cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the way to the central Serengeti, the heart of Tanzania's wildlife country. You start an afternoon game drive as soon as you arrive.
Dinner & Overnight: Safari lodge, mid-range or luxury
After that, you have a choice between two plans for the day:
- Option 1: To start, an optional hot air balloon safari (booked in advance for an extra charge)
- Option 2: A full-day game drive en route to the Northern Serengeti, arriving in the Mara River region by evening
Dinner & Overnight: Safari lodge, mid-range or luxury
Dawn sees you setting off on game drives beside the Mara River to witness the awe-inspiring Great Migration. Zebras and wildebeest confront the river, crocodiles lurking in its waters, as they attempt their dramatic crossing across to the Masai Mara.
Dinner & Overnight: Mid-range or luxury safari lodge.
You devote another full day to the northern Serengeti, following the moving herds. With patience and a little luck, you could see yet another striking river crossing, and perhaps predators hunting out on the open plains.
Dinner & Overnight: Mid-range or luxury safari lodge.
A final morning game drive comes before your transfer to Kogatende Airstrip, where you catch your scheduled flight to Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport or Zanzibar. As the adventure ends, you can look back on your amazing safari.
Included & Excluded
- 8-day guided safari around Tanzania’s Northern Circuit
- All park entry fees & permits
- Airport transfers at the start and end of the safari
- Stays in mid-range or luxury lodges
- All meals on safari
- Customised 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof, fridge, power sockets (230V) and optional Wi-Fi
- Professional, English-speaking, multilingual safari guide
- Unlimited game drives and cultural visits
- Bottled water of 1.5 litres for each person every day
- Drinks at lodges and camps
- Laundry services
- Souvenirs and personal spending
- International and domestic flights (unless requested)
- Entry visa fees and travel insurance
- Gratuities for guides and the camp crew
Map
Frequent Asked Question
June to October is usually the ideal window, and July–September in particular is the prime time for Great Migration river crossings in the Northern Serengeti.
Yes, most visitors need a visa. You can apply online for an eVisa, or alternatively obtain one on arrival at the airport.
Tanzanian Shillings (TZS) are the local currency, though parks and staff also commonly accept USD for park fees and tips.
Yes, the tour is full board as standard, with breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
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