4-Day Safari · 4 comfort levels
From
$1,820
per person
Indicative prices per person for 2 adults sharing a private vehicle. Your written quote confirms the final price.
A concentrated four-day private safari, from the Ngorongoro Crater across the Serengeti to the far north, where the Great Wildebeest Migration gathers around the Mara River.
Experience Tanzania's extraordinary wildlife in just four days, from the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater to the vast Serengeti plains and the remote Northern Serengeti, where the Great Wildebeest Migration gathers around the Mara River.
The main river crossing season generally runs from July to October, with August and September often especially popular, although the herds respond to rainfall, grazing and river conditions rather than a fixed calendar.
This itinerary is designed for travellers who want a concentrated wildlife adventure without sacrificing comfort. You explore the Ngorongoro Crater, enjoy a game drive through Central Serengeti, continue into the Northern Serengeti and dedicate valuable time to searching for wildebeest and zebra near the Mara River.
We believe a migration safari should be more than a list of parks and hotel nights. You may watch thousands of wildebeest spread across the plains, wait quietly as a herd gathers at the riverbank, or see the African sun disappear over the Serengeti. Some moments cannot be scheduled.
Best months to travel: Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
The route stays the same at every level. What changes is where you sleep, how you travel and how much is arranged for you.
From $1,820per person
$455–$555 per day · $1,820–$2,220 for 4 days
A comfortable, well-organised safari with excellent wildlife viewing and good value, without paying for extensive luxury services.
From $3,020per person
$755–$1,200 per day · $3,020–$4,800 for 4 days
Upgraded lodges and premium tented camps with stylish interiors, excellent dining and attentive hospitality, while the safari stays focused on wildlife.
From $5,200per person
$1,300–$2,200 per day · $5,200–$8,800 for 4 days
Exceptional camps and lodges with premium suites, refined cuisine and personal service, chosen for location and exclusivity.
From $9,200per person
$2,300–$5,000 per day · $9,200–$20,000 for 4 days
Created for special celebrations and discerning travellers. Inclusions are tailored to the property and flights you choose, because not every camp offers every service.
These are indicative private-safari planning ranges per person, based on 2 adults sharing one private safari vehicle and a room. They are not confirmed quotations.
Your final cost depends on your travel dates, the number of guests, camp availability, flight fares and the exact services you choose. Camps near the Mara River can sell out early in the crossing season, so we confirm your price and accommodation in writing before you pay a deposit.
To request a price for one traveller or a group of three to six, select your group size in the booking box and Ombeni will quote you directly.
Your private vehicle and guide are shared only by your own party, so the more of you there are, the less each person pays.
Day 1
Your professional safari guide meets you in Arusha, explains the route and the wildlife you may see, and begins the journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
After reaching the crater area, you descend into the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive across its grasslands, wetlands, woodland and seasonal water sources. You may see lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, hyenas and a wide variety of birds. With good fortune, you may also find black rhinos.
You stop at an authorised picnic site for lunch, then continue exploring according to the day's sightings and park rules. In the afternoon, you climb out of the crater and transfer to your lodge in Karatu or the surrounding highlands for dinner and a restful night.
A game drive on the crater floor to begin your safari.
Day 2
After breakfast, you leave for Serengeti National Park, travelling through changing landscapes to the endless plains. Your journey includes wildlife viewing in Central Serengeti, particularly around the Seronera area, when road conditions, travel time and park rules allow. This region is famous for its resident wildlife, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes and large herds of plains game.
You enjoy a picnic lunch on the way and continue north towards the migration region around Kogatende and the Mara River. On arrival, you check in to your camp or lodge, enjoy dinner and prepare for the next day's migration search.
Across the Serengeti to the Mara River region.
Day 3
Today is dedicated to searching for the Great Wildebeest Migration around the Mara River and the northern plains. After an early breakfast, your guide uses local knowledge and recent wildlife sightings to find promising areas where wildebeest and zebra may be gathering.
You spend time following the herds, watching their behaviour, photographing the dramatic landscape and looking for resident predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas.
If the herds approach a crossing point, you wait patiently at an authorised viewing area and follow your guide's instructions. A crossing may happen suddenly after a long wait, or the animals may decide not to cross at all, so the day is planned around watching wildlife rather than a guaranteed event.
Depending on conditions and your preferred pace, you may enjoy a packed lunch at an authorised spot or return to camp. Your guide can continue searching in the afternoon before you return to camp for dinner.
A whole day with the herds around the Mara River.
Day 4
After breakfast, you enjoy a final wildlife drive in the Northern Serengeti, with time to photograph the plains and look for animals you may not yet have seen. Your departure plans decide how much time is available.
If you have chosen to fly, you transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Arusha, subject to the airline's schedule, baggage limits and the weather. Flying saves many hours on the road and is especially useful if you have onward plans. If you are returning by road, you begin the long journey back by safari vehicle.
Your safari ends in Arusha, unless you have requested a transfer to your hotel or airport.
One last game drive before heading home.
Pick your comfort level, then choose a stay for each part of the route. Your choices go with your booking request. Ombeni confirms availability and your final price, and suggests a similar stay if one is full.
Your nights on this trip
Night 1
Garden lodge
Karatu, Ngorongoro Highlands
A relaxed lodge set in about eleven acres of gardens in Karatu, the highland farming town between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. It is a short drive from the Ngorongoro gate, so it works well before or after a day in the crater.
What you can do here
Lodge on a working coffee farm
Karatu, Ngorongoro Highlands
A lodge on a coffee farm in the Karatu highlands, close to the Ngorongoro Crater. The farm also grows vegetables and keeps livestock, which gives the place a warm, rural feel after a day in the park.
What you can do here
Lodge on the crater rim
Ngorongoro Crater rim
Built into the rim of the crater, with traditional decor and sweeping views over the crater floor. Sleeping on the rim puts you close to the descent road for your morning game drive.
What you can do here
Large lodge on the crater rim
Eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater
A large lodge on the quieter eastern rim of the crater, with its rooms set around a central swimming pool. Your Ngorongoro stay here comes with views over the crater floor.
What you can do here
Simple lodge near the crater rim
Ngorongoro Crater rim
A simple, good-value lodge in the forest close to the crater rim, with 24 en-suite rooms. It puts you close to the crater for much less than the bigger rim lodges.
What you can do here
Mid-range tented camp
Ngorongoro Highlands
A mid-range tented camp in the highlands, close to the descent road into the crater, which suits an early start.
What you can do here
Lodge on a coffee farm
About 20 minutes from Karatu
A lodge on a large coffee farm, about 15 minutes from the Lodoare gate of the conservation area, with a pool and evening campfires.
What you can do here
Lodge on a working coffee farm
Edge of Karatu town
A lodge on an active coffee farm at the edge of Karatu, with rooms in private cabins, a pool and a spa.
What you can do here
Mid-range lodge
Karatu
A mid-range lodge of cottages and spacious tents in landscaped gardens, with a pool, a bar and a restaurant.
What you can do here
Mid-range hilltop lodge
Hilltop near Karatu
A comfortable mid-range lodge on a scenic hilltop near Karatu, with a pool, a lounge and a restaurant.
What you can do here
Good-value cottage lodge
Eastern edge of Karatu town
Affordable cottage-style rooms at the edge of Karatu, about 30 minutes from both the crater and Lake Manyara.
What you can do here
Good-value lodge
Karatu
A comfortable and affordable lodge in Karatu, offering a good base for exploring the crater.
What you can do here
Cottage lodge
Karatu, near the Ngorongoro Crater
A lodge of private cottages at the edge of Karatu, close to the village of Rhotia and about 30 minutes from the Ngorongoro gate. Each cottage has its own veranda, making it a restful stop between Tarangire and the crater.
What you can do here
Colonial-style manor on a coffee estate
Karatu Highlands
An elegant manor house on a large Arabica coffee estate in the Karatu highlands, just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Guests stay in private suites set in cottages around the grounds.
What you can do here
All-inclusive luxury lodge
Ngorongoro Highlands
An all-inclusive lodge of spacious cottages set in lush gardens, a calm base in the highlands for your crater day.
What you can do here
Historic working coffee farm
Near Karatu, on the slopes of the Ngorongoro highlands
A working farm with roots going back to 1929, set among gardens and coffee on the forested slopes below the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Guests stay in private cottages, and much of the food comes from the farm.
What you can do here
Luxury forest lodge
About 15 minutes from Karatu town
A luxury lodge on forested land near Karatu, with secluded cottages that have fireplaces and private decks overlooking the trees.
What you can do here
Lodge on a working coffee plantation
Karatu
A stylish lodge on a working farm and coffee plantation, with rooms and suites spread through park-like gardens around a large pool.
What you can do here
Farmhouse-style lodge
Karatu, about 15 minutes from the Lodoare gate
A farmhouse-style lodge of suites on about 40 acres, with views of the Oldeani Mountains and a pool.
What you can do here
Cottage lodge among coffee plantations
Between Rhotia and Karatu
A lodge of cottages surrounded by coffee plantations and forest, each with a private veranda and a fireplace.
What you can do here
Colonial-style lodge on a coffee plantation
Karatu highlands
An upper mid-range lodge on a working coffee plantation above Karatu, built in the style of old colonial farms, about 30 minutes from the Lodoare gate.
What you can do here
Luxury lodge on the crater rim
Ngorongoro Crater rim
A rebuilt lodge on the rim of the crater, reopened in 2023 on the site of one of the first lodges at Ngorongoro.
What you can do here
Boutique camp of dome tents
Slopes of Olmoti volcano, north of the crater
A small Asilia camp of eight dome-shaped tents, inspired by Maasai homes, on the slopes of Olmoti volcano. Each has a wood-burning stove against the cool highland nights.
What you can do here
Ultra-luxury lodge on the crater rim
Ngorongoro Crater rim
One of Africa's most celebrated lodges, with opulent suites on the crater rim and breathtaking views over the crater floor. It is closed for a major rebuild and due to reopen in 2027, so we confirm availability for your dates.
What you can do here
Nights 2 and 3
Seasonal mobile tented camp
Northern Serengeti, near Kogatende
A simple, wild mobile camp of about 11 tents, around 20 minutes from Kogatende airstrip. It is set up in the north for the migration months, and wildlife can pass through the camp itself.
What you can do here
Seasonal mobile tented camp
Northern Serengeti, about 25 minutes from Kogatende airstrip
A mobile camp of comfortable en-suite safari tents, which spends the crossing months near the Mara River and moves south to Ndutu for the calving season.
What you can do here
Luxury tented suites
Wogakuria Hills, Northern Serengeti
A lodge of 15 glass-fronted tented suites set among boulders in the Wogakuria Hills, each with a plunge pool. It is about 45 minutes from Kogatende airstrip and closes in April and May.
What you can do here
Permanent luxury tented camp
Wogakuria, Northern Serengeti
A permanent camp on a hillside overlooking plains and acacia woodland, not far from the Mara River. Every tent has a deck with sunken seating and its own hot tub.
What you can do here
Ultra-luxury tented camp
Lamai Wedge, on the Mara River
A small camp of six tented suites on the northern bank of the Mara River, in the Lamai Wedge at the northern tip of the Serengeti. It is close to the crossing points and closes for part of the rainy season.
What you can do here
High-end mobile camp by Asilia
Ndutu from December to March, the Mara River from June to November
An intimate camp of nine tents that moves between the far north and Ndutu to follow the herds. Stargazing tents give wide views from your bed, so the plains stay with you through the night.
What you can do here
Small high-end mobile camp
Ndutu from December to March, Kogatende from July to October
A small mobile camp of just a few canvas tents that moves through the year with the migration, settling at Ndutu for the calving season and at Kogatende for the river crossings.
What you can do here
High-end mobile tented camp
Moves with the migration
A high-end mobile camp that moves through the year to follow the Great Migration. We confirm its position for your dates, so that it suits your route.
What you can do here
No responsible safari operator can guarantee that a crossing will happen on a particular day, at a particular time or in front of a particular vehicle. The migration is a natural event, not a scheduled show. Herds may gather for hours, turn back or cross at another point.
The best approach is to stay in the north during the season, travel with an experienced guide and allow time for patient watching. At designated crossing points, vehicles must follow park rules, stay in permitted viewing areas and avoid blocking the animals.
If no crossing happens, the Northern Serengeti still offers huge herds, predators and beautiful scenery.
The main crossing season generally runs from July to October. Here is what normally happens each month, although the herds follow the rain and the grazing rather than a calendar.
| Month | What to expect |
|---|---|
| July | The season begins. The first large herds may reach the north, although crossings can be irregular early in the month. |
| August | A peak month. Large herds may gather around the river, making it a favourite for migration photography. |
| September | Excellent potential. Herds continue moving across the north and into Kenya, so crossing points can change. |
| October | Late-season opportunities. Crossings can continue as some herds move between Tanzania and Kenya, while others begin heading south. |
| November | The end of the season. Most of the migration gradually moves towards the southern Serengeti. |
July to October is a popular season, and well-placed camps and flights in the north can sell out, so we recommend booking 6 to 15 months ahead. To receive an accurate quotation, tell us your travel dates, number of travellers, preferred comfort level, room-sharing arrangements and whether you will arrive at JRO, ARK or an Arusha hotel.
Still have questions? Ask Ombeni directly on WhatsApp.
Free, no-fluff guides from the people who run the trips.
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 readA 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 readTanzania's flagship park — endless plains, the Great Migration and the finest big-cat viewing in Africa.
Read guide →Ready to go?
Indicative prices per person for 2 adults sharing a private vehicle. Your written quote confirms the final price.
From
$1,820
per person
