5-Day Safari · 4 comfort levels
From
$2,275
per person
Indicative prices per person for 2 adults sharing a private vehicle. Your written quote confirms the final price.
A five-day private safari through Tanzania's Northern Circuit, from the elephants of Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater to two nights near the Mara River.
If you have limited time but want to experience one of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles, this five-day private safari takes you deep into Tanzania's Northern Circuit. You combine the elephants and baobabs of Tarangire and the wildlife of the Ngorongoro Crater with the plains of the Serengeti.
It is especially well suited to the Northern Serengeti season, when enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra move towards the Mara River. With careful planning, an experienced guide and a camp close to the migration, you have a real opportunity to see the dramatic scenes the Great Migration is famous for.
You travel in a private 4×4 safari vehicle with a professional guide, so the daily schedule can stay flexible. Rather than rushing from one place to another, your guide adjusts each game drive around wildlife activity, the weather and, above all, the location of the herds.
The migration isn't a single event on a fixed date. It is a continuous movement of wildebeest, zebra and other grazers across the Serengeti ecosystem, and if the herds move away from one crossing point, we follow the wildlife.
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 $2,275per person
$455–$555 per day · $2,275–$2,775 for 5 days
A comfortable, well-organised safari with excellent wildlife viewing and good value, without paying for extensive luxury services.
From $3,775per person
$755–$1,200 per day · $3,775–$6,000 for 5 days
Upgraded lodges and premium tented camps with stylish interiors, excellent dining and attentive hospitality, while the safari stays focused on wildlife.
From $6,500per person
$1,300–$2,200 per day · $6,500–$11,000 for 5 days
Exceptional camps and lodges with premium suites, refined cuisine and personal service, chosen for location and exclusivity.
From $11,500per person
$2,300–$5,000 per day · $11,500–$25,000 for 5 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 adventure begins with a warm welcome at Kilimanjaro International Airport or your hotel in Arusha. Your guide helps with your luggage, introduces your private safari vehicle and briefs you on the route, the wildlife, photography and why flexibility matters when following the Great Migration.
You then drive to Tarangire National Park, and your safari begins as soon as you enter. The park is famous for its huge ancient baobabs, seasonal wetlands and large elephant population. In the dry season, wildlife gathers around the Tarangire River and other permanent water sources.
Your guide takes you through different habitats in search of elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, antelope and many bird species. Lions are often seen, while leopards and cheetahs are possible with patience. As the sun sets, you leave the park for your lodge, dinner and a briefing on the next day's journey.
Baobabs, elephants and a first game drive in soft afternoon light.
Day 2
After an early breakfast, you leave for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The scenery changes as you climb from the Tarangire ecosystem towards the crater rim, where the air turns cooler.
You descend about 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic caldera of grasslands, wetlands and woodland with a permanent water supply. Your guide searches the crater floor for the Big Five. You may find large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, elephants in the forested areas, hippos in the wetlands and lions on the plains. Cheetahs may also be seen, and the endangered black rhino can sometimes be found in the open grasslands.
You enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated site, then explore more of the crater, spending longer wherever the sightings are best. Later you climb out to your lodge in the highlands, where your guide explains the plan for entering the Serengeti.
A full crater safari surrounded by the caldera walls.
Day 3
After breakfast, you set off for Serengeti National Park. The drive becomes part of the safari as you cross the conservation area and the land opens into endless plains. This is the landscape where the wildebeest, zebra and other grazers of the Great Migration make their journey.
Your guide keeps track of the herds and chooses the best route towards the migration zone. In the crossing season, your game drive focuses on the areas around the Mara River and the northern migration corridors. Predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas are drawn to the herds, so this can be a very rewarding time for sightings.
You reach your camp or lodge in the late afternoon or early evening. In a seasonal tented camp, the sounds of the Serengeti are all around you after dinner.
Across the great plains and into the migration country.
Day 4
Today is the highlight of your safari. You wake before sunrise and leave with your guide while the air is cool, the light is excellent and many predators are still active. Your guide watches how the wildebeest and zebra are moving and chooses the most promising place to explore. If large herds are gathering near the Mara River, the day may centre on the crossing zones.
The tensest moments often come before a crossing. Thousands of wildebeest can gather on the bank, seem ready to go, then suddenly turn away. Your guide positions the vehicle responsibly and within park rules, so you can watch without disturbing them.
After a picnic or camp lunch, you carry on through the migration zone. If the herds cross, you may see thousands of animals pour down the bank and fight the current to the far side, with Nile crocodiles in the water and lions and hyenas nearby. If they don't, your guide turns to the wider Northern Serengeti and its other wildlife. You return to camp around sunset.
A whole day with the herds, from sunrise to sunset.
Day 5
Your last morning starts with an early breakfast, or a breakfast packed for the road, and a final sunrise game drive through the Northern Serengeti. If the herds are still nearby, your guide tries to give you more time with them.
After the drive, you begin your journey out of the Serengeti. The route depends on your onward plans. If you are flying back, you transfer to the airstrip. If you are returning by road, you begin the long drive towards Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport. With a later flight, it may be possible to have lunch in Arusha or arrange a day room before your airport transfer.
One last sunrise in the Serengeti.
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
Tented lodge
Just outside Tarangire's western boundary, near Sangaiwe Gate
A tented lodge in a wildlife management area on Tarangire's western edge, about ten minutes from Sangaiwe Gate. A waterhole near the lodge draws passing animals, and there are views towards Lake Burunge.
What you can do here
Tented lodge
Between Tarangire and Lake Manyara
A tented lodge on open grassland between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, around 20 minutes from the Tarangire gate. Raised tents look out towards the lake and the Rift Valley escarpment.
What you can do here
Treehouse lodge
Randilen Wildlife Management Area, next to Tarangire
Twenty treehouse rooms set among marula and baobab trees, in a wildlife management area outside the national park. That location allows night drives and bush walks, which aren't possible inside Tarangire.
What you can do here
Luxury tented camp
South-western Tarangire National Park
A small camp of canvas tents inside the national park, in Tarangire's south-west at the edge of the Gurusi wetlands. The tents overlook a waterhole, so wildlife can come to you between game drives.
What you can do here
Luxury tented lodge
Burunge Wildlife Management Area, between Tarangire and Lake Manyara
An intimate lodge of eight tented suites on a private concession between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, including a two-bedroom family suite. Being outside the national parks means you can walk and drive at night as well as take game drives.
What you can do here
Night 2
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 3 and 4
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
With a migration safari, your guide and your location matter as much as your accommodation. A private vehicle means your guide can stay longer at a great sighting, change the route as the animals move and position you well for photography.
We may need to change the exact camp or route within the Serengeti, depending on the herds, availability and seasonal movements. We would discuss any change with you first and, wherever possible, keep to the same or a higher standard.
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
$2,275
per person
