11-Day Safari · mid-range / comfort
11-Day Bird Photography & Great Migration Safari
From
$4,314
per person
Per person, sharing. From $4,314 mid-range / $5,939 luxury, all-inclusive.
Eleven days for birders and photographers: the full Northern Circuit — Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and five days in the Serengeti — timed to the Great Migration and built around the region's spectacular birdlife, from lovebirds and bustards to crowned cranes, fish eagles and Goliath herons. Mid-range lodges and tented camps throughout.
Highlights
- Five days in the Serengeti tracking the migration and birdlife
- Lake Manyara — flamingos, pelicans and the African Fish Eagle
- Ngorongoro's Secretary Bird and Grey Crowned Crane
- Tarangire's Yellow-collared Lovebird and Kori Bustard
- Big Five game viewing alongside dedicated birding stops
Best months to travel: Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
Day-by-Day Itinerary
- 1
Day 1
Arrival in Arusha
Met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Arusha. An evening safari briefing and equipment check (cameras, binoculars), with optional birding around the lodge gardens — superb starling, hadada ibis and tropical boubou.
- Overnight:
- Hotel, Arusha
- Meals:
- Lunch, dinner
- 2
Day 2
Tarangire National Park
A full day in Tarangire with birding along the river — Yellow-collared Lovebird, Ashy Starling and Kori Bustard — plus elephants and baobabs for wide-angle shots. Afternoon searches for endemics like Von der Decken's Hornbill and the Red-and-Yellow Barbet, then sunset photography over the savanna.
- Overnight:
- Tented lodge near Tarangire
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 3
Day 3
Lake Manyara — Birdwatching Paradise
Early entry to Lake Manyara for waterbirds along the shore — Pink-backed Pelican, flamingos and the African Fish Eagle — and a picnic by the hippo pool. An optional forest walk for Silvery-cheeked Hornbill and Narina Trogon, then owls and nightjars in the evening.
- Overnight:
- Lodge near Lake Manyara
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 4
Day 4
To the Ngorongoro Highlands & Maasai Village
A scenic drive into the Ngorongoro Highlands with photo stops, then an afternoon Maasai village visit and birding around the lodge for Scarlet-tufted Sunbird and Augur Buzzard. An early dinner ahead of the crater descent.
- Overnight:
- Lodge, Ngorongoro Highlands
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 5
Day 5
Ngorongoro Crater — Full Day
A sunrise descent into the crater for the best light: wetland birding for Greater Flamingo and Black-winged Stilt, the Big Five including black rhino, and a picnic at Ngoitokitok. A walk through the Lerai Forest for Secretary Bird and Grey Crowned Crane, then sunset on the rim.
- Overnight:
- Lodge on the Ngorongoro crater rim
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 6
Day 6
Central Serengeti — Seronera Valley
Drive to the Serengeti with a birding stop at Naabi Hill (larks and bustards). An afternoon game drive in the Seronera Valley for leopard, cheetah and raptors among the big-cat country.
- Overnight:
- Lodge or tented camp, central Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 7
Day 7
Central & Western Serengeti
Mornings tracking predators near the river crossings and birding the kopjes for Rock-loving Cisticola and Pygmy Falcon, with full-day game drives following the wildebeest herds and golden-hour photography over the plains.
- Overnight:
- Lodge or tented camp, Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 8
Day 8
Western Serengeti — Migration Focus
More time with the migration herds and the western corridor's birdlife and predators, with timed drives for the best photographic light morning and evening.
- Overnight:
- Lodge or tented camp, Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 9
Day 9
Northern Serengeti — Mara River
Head to the northern Serengeti and Kogatende for the Mara River crossings (July–October), a front-row seat to one of nature's greatest spectacles as the herds brave the crocodile-filled waters.
- Overnight:
- Lodge or tented camp, northern Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 10
Day 10
Northern Serengeti — River Birding
Birding along the Mara River for Goliath Heron and Saddle-billed Stork between game drives, with more chances at the crossings and the predators that gather. Evening relaxation at the lodge.
- Overnight:
- Lodge or tented camp, northern Serengeti
- Meals:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 11
Day 11
Return to Arusha & Departure
An early breakfast, then a scenic flight or drive back to Arusha with a market stop for souvenirs, and a transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure.
- Meals:
- Breakfast
What's included in the price
- Mid-range or luxury lodges and tented camps throughout
- All meals including picnic lunches on game-drive days
- Daily game drives in a private 4x4 with pop-up roof and a professional guide
- All park, crater and conservation fees
- Maasai village cultural visit and guided nature walks
- All airport transfers and transport between parks
What's not included
- International flights and Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance (recommended for all travellers)
- Optional hot air balloon safari ($500 per person)
- Tips, souvenirs and items of a personal nature
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Ask Ombeni directly on WhatsApp.
Read before you go
Free, no-fluff guides from the people who run the trips.
Tanzania Safari: The Complete Guide
Where to go, when to travel, what a day looks like and what it costs — everything you need to plan a northern Tanzania safari.
Read guide →Safari · 8 min readWhere Is the Great Migration Each Month?
A month-by-month guide to the wildebeest migration — calving in the south, the Mara River crossings in the north, and everything in between.
Read guide →Safari · 8 min readSerengeti National Park: A Visitor's Guide
Tanzania's flagship park — endless plains, the Great Migration and the finest big-cat viewing in Africa.
Read guide →Ready to go?
Plan your 11-Day Bird Photography with Ombeni
Per person, sharing. From $4,314 mid-range / $5,939 luxury, all-inclusive.
From
$4,314
per person