4-Day Safari · 4 comfort levels
From
$1,980
per person
Indicative price per person for 2 adults sharing a private vehicle, at Mid-range level. Your written quote confirms the final price.
Tanzania's wildlife in four days: elephants beneath ancient baobabs in Tarangire, the Great Wildebeest Migration on the Ndutu plains and a game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater.
This carefully planned safari combines Tarangire National Park, the Ndutu plains in the southern Serengeti ecosystem and the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater.
You travel through elephant country beneath ancient baobab trees, explore the open grasslands where thousands of wildebeest gather to give birth, look for lions and cheetahs following the herds, and descend into the crater for an exceptional wildlife-viewing experience.
It is ideal for couples, families, photographers and wildlife enthusiasts who want to see the calving season without committing to a longer itinerary.
Best months to travel: Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar
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 $1,980per person
$495–$595 per day · $1,980–$2,380 for 4 days
A comfortable, well-organised safari with excellent wildlife viewing and good value, without paying for extensive luxury services.
From $3,180per person
$795–$995 per day · $3,180–$3,980 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. Ndutu camps can fill early in the calving 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 safari begins with a pickup from your hotel in Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport, depending on your arrival time. After a briefing on the route, wildlife, safety and photography, you leave for Tarangire National Park.
Tarangire is famous for its large elephant herds, ancient baobab trees, seasonal wetlands and beautiful savannah. The Tarangire River is an important water source, drawing elephants, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other wildlife. Your guide will help you search for lions, leopards, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, baboons and a remarkable variety of birds.
You enjoy a picnic lunch at an authorised site inside the park, then continue through different habitats, looking for elephant families, predators resting in the shade and animals gathering at water.
In the late afternoon, you leave the park and drive to Karatu or the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and the night.
Elephants, baobabs and the Tarangire River.
Day 2
After an early breakfast, you set off through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards the southern plains of the Serengeti ecosystem. This is a day of travel and wildlife viewing, so an early start matters. Your guide plans the route around your camp, road conditions and the latest news of the herds.
Ndutu is famous for its short-grass plains, seasonal lakes and the calving season of the Great Wildebeest Migration. From late December into March, large herds of wildebeest and zebras commonly gather here as the rains bring fresh grass.
On reaching the area, you begin exploring the plains in search of herds, newborn calves, zebras, gazelles and the predators that follow them. You may see lions resting in the grass, cheetahs scanning the plains, hyenas near the herds or jackals looking for food. A newborn calf standing for the first time can be an unforgettable highlight, although no individual sighting can ever be guaranteed.
After a picnic lunch, you continue exploring through the afternoon, then reach your lodge or seasonal tented camp for dinner.
Into the calving plains of the Great Wildebeest Migration.
Day 3
Wake early for a morning game drive across the Ndutu plains. Temperatures are cooler and many animals are moving or feeding, which makes this a rewarding time to look for wildebeest, young calves, zebras and predators.
The route depends on where the animals are gathering that morning. Your guide may explore open grasslands, seasonal wetlands, woodland edges and the areas around Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek, depending on access and the weather.
After a picnic lunch, you travel on to the Ngorongoro Highlands, swapping the broad southern plains for cooler highland scenery. On the way, your guide can explain how the Serengeti ecosystem, the seasonal migration and the volcanic landscapes of northern Tanzania fit together. Dinner is at your lodge, ready for the crater the next day.
A last morning with the herds, then the cool highlands.
Day 4
After an early breakfast, you descend into the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater for an extended game drive. This volcanic caldera holds grasslands, woodland, wetlands and water sources that support a high concentration of wildlife.
Look for lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, hyenas and other resident animals. The crater is also one of the places where you have a chance of seeing the endangered black rhino, although sightings are not guaranteed. You enjoy a picnic lunch at an authorised site, then continue exploring within the permitted visit schedule.
Afterwards, you climb back to the rim and begin the journey to Arusha. We can drop you at your Arusha hotel, Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport, as long as the timing is realistic.
A volcanic caldera full of wildlife to end your safari.
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.
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 suits this route well: you arrive after a day in Tarangire and leave early for the crater the next morning.
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
Night 2
Mid-range seasonal tented camp
Ndutu, Southern Serengeti ecosystem
A mid-range tented camp on the Ndutu plains, open through the calving season from around December to March. Staying here means you wake up close to the herds, instead of spending the best hours of the morning driving in from the highlands.
What you can do here
Long-established lodge
Lake Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
A much-loved lodge of stone-and-thatch cottages overlooking Lake Ndutu, on the edge of the calving plains. Unlike the seasonal camps, it is here all year, with en-suite bathrooms and a private veranda at each cottage.
What you can do here
Seasonal tented bush camp
Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
A seasonal mid-range camp that opens for the calving months, with en-suite tents and solar lighting. It is a straightforward bush camp, right where the herds gather.
What you can do here
Seasonal mobile tented camp
Ndutu, Southern Serengeti ecosystem
A small mobile camp of about ten en-suite safari tents, set up in the south for the migration months and taken down after each season. It keeps the true feel of a bush camp.
What you can do here
Luxury tented lodge
Lake Masek, Ndutu area
Comfortable tented suites overlooking Lake Masek, close to Lake Ndutu and well placed for the calving grounds. It feels more solid than a mobile camp, which is a real comfort in the wet months.
What you can do here
Seasonal luxury tented camp
Ndutu, near the Southern Serengeti border
A seasonal luxury camp, open for the migration months from about December to March. It gives you the feeling of a true bush camp, close to the herds, with the comforts of a well-run tented suite.
What you can do here
Luxury tented lodge
Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
A lodge of about twenty spacious tents, each raised on a wooden platform under a thatched roof, in the Ndutu area on the migration's path. Unlike the mobile camps, it has a swimming pool and permanent lodge facilities.
What you can do here
Permanent luxury tented camp
Kopjes of the southern Serengeti
A camp of 12 en-suite tents with raised wooden decks, set among rocky kopjes on the southern plains near the migration route. It is well placed for cheetahs.
What you can do here
High-end mobile camp by Asilia
Ndutu, from December to March
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
A small mobile camp of just a few canvas tents that moves through the year with the migration, and settles at Ndutu for the calving season.
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 time at Ndutu.
What you can do here
Night 3
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 suits this route well: you arrive after a day in Tarangire and leave early for the crater the next morning.
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
The prices shown are based on two people sharing a room. A solo traveller needs a tailored quotation, because one person carries the full cost of the private vehicle and guide.
We also welcome larger families, friends, private groups and special-interest travellers. Their final price depends on the number of guests, rooms and vehicles needed.
December to March is the overall Ndutu season, with January and February the prime calving window. Here is what normally happens in each month.
| Month | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December | The migration begins gathering. The herds generally start concentrating in the south as the short rains bring fresh grass. |
| January | Calving begins. More wildebeest arrive and the first births take place. |
| February | Peak calving. Normally the core month, with huge concentrations of wildebeest, newborn calves and strong predator activity. |
| March | Late calving and transition. Newborn and predator sightings can still be excellent, especially early in the month, but the herds may begin moving north and west. |
Ndutu camps can fill early in the calving season, so we recommend confirming as early as you can. 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 price per person for 2 adults sharing a private vehicle, at Mid-range level. Your written quote confirms the final price.
From
$1,980
per person
