Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Tarangire · 7 days

the great migrationClassic

Two full days in the central Serengeti with the herds and the cats that follow them, a morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, and a slow last day among Tarangire’s elephants and baobabs. One guide, one private vehicle, no backtracking.

7days
6nights
3parks
Private4×4 & guide

01 · Overview

The route, and why it runs this way

Most seven-day safaris spend their best hours on the road. This one puts the long drive on day two, gives the Serengeti two full nights, and finishes in Tarangire so the last morning is a game drive, not a transfer.

From Arusha the route climbs west through the Rift Valley and the Ngorongoro Highlands, drops onto the Serengeti plains and runs north to Seronera, the wildlife-rich heart of the park. The herds are rarely in exactly the same place two years running, so your guide spends day three following the latest sightings rather than a fixed loop. On the way back you sleep on the crater rim, go down to the floor at first light, and end among Tarangire’s elephant herds before the drive to Arusha or the airport.

Starts

Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport

We meet you at Kilimanjaro International (JRO) or your Arusha hotel.

Ends

Arusha or JRO, day 7

Back by mid-afternoon, in time for most evening flights home.

Style

Private, mid-range

Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof, your own guide, lodges and tented camps with en-suite rooms.

Pace

Two long drives, then slower

Days 2 and 4 are full road days with game drives on the way. Everything else is time in the parks.

Arrival · Dinner

Karibu to Arusha

Your guide meets you in arrivals at Kilimanjaro International with a name board and drives you the hour west to Arusha, past coffee farms on the lower slopes of Mount Meru. Land early and there is time for lunch in town; land late, and it is dinner and bed.

This evening your guide runs through the week ahead and answers the questions that always come up on the first night: what to wear, how the game drives work, and how early is early.

Meals: Dinner
Highlight: Meeting your guide
Sleep: Garden lodge, Arusha named when you book

Road day · game drive · B L D

Over the highlands to the Serengeti

The longest day of the trip, and the most scenic. You drop into the Rift Valley at Mto wa Mbu, climb the escarpment to Karatu and cross the forested Ngorongoro Highlands, stopping at the crater viewpoint. Beyond the highlands the land flattens into the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti.

Lunch is a picnic at Naabi Hill gate, and the afternoon is a game drive north to Seronera: gazelle and zebra on the plains, lions on the granite kopjes and, in the right months, the first columns of wildebeest.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Highlight: First view of the plains
Sleep: Tented camp, central Serengeti named when you book

Full game drive day · B L D

A whole day with the herds

No destination today, only game driving. You leave camp at first light, when the cats are active and the light is best, and your guide follows the day’s sightings along the Seronera River, where leopards rest in the sausage trees.

Where the herds are depends on the month: from December to March they calve on the southern plains around Ndutu, and we can spend this day there instead. A packed lunch means you never have to turn back at noon.

Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Highlight: Leopards on the Seronera River
Add-on: Balloon flight at sunrise

Game drive · road day · B L D

Out through the plains to the crater rim

A last early drive around Seronera, then south across the plains you crossed on day two, now with a better eye for what you are looking at. Cheetah favour these open grasslands.

You leave the Serengeti at Naabi Hill and climb back into the highlands. Tonight is on or near the crater rim at over 2,200 metres, cold enough in the evening for a fire and a jumper.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Highlight: Cheetah on the southern plains
Sleep: Crater rim or Karatu named when you book

Crater descent · road day · B L D

Down to the crater floor, then east

You are at the gate when it opens and on the crater floor before most vehicles arrive. Six hundred metres below the rim lies a closed world of grassland, swamp and soda lake: lion and hyena, buffalo, flamingos and, with patience, one of the few black rhino left in northern Tanzania.

Time on the floor is limited by park rules, so after a picnic by the hippo pool you climb out and drive east to Tarangire, arriving in time for a short evening drive.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Highlight: Black rhino at first light
Sleep: Tented lodge, Tarangire named when you book

Full game drive day · B L D

Elephants, baobabs and the river

Tarangire is the quiet park of the northern circuit and a good place to slow down. From roughly June to October the Tarangire River is the only reliable water for miles, and elephant herds of a hundred or more come down to it through the baobabs.

Mornings along the river, the heat of the day at the lodge, and the late afternoon in the southern swamps, where lion, python and some of the park’s 550 bird species keep the evening busy.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Highlight: Elephant herds at the river
Add-on: Walking safari

Game drive · departure · B L

A last morning drive, then home

One more early drive while the park is cool, then brunch and the two-hour road back to Arusha. Your guide drops you at your hotel or carries on to Kilimanjaro International for an evening flight.

Carrying on to Zanzibar or Kilimanjaro? This is where we hand you on: flights to the coast leave Arusha most afternoons.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Ends: Arusha hotel or JRO
Next: Zanzibar is a short flight away

When to go

Where are the herds?

Two million wildebeest and zebra walk a year-long loop through the Serengeti, following the rain. Choose a season to see where they will be, and what that means for your week.

CalvingDec – Mar

Good

calving season

December to March

The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu in the south, and around half a million calves are born in a few weeks. The predators are never far away.

On this tripWe swap the Seronera day for the Ndutu plains, so day 3 is spent with the calving herds.

Green seasonApr – May

Green season

the long rains

April and May

Afternoon rain, emerald plains and very few vehicles. The herds start drifting north-west through the centre of the park.

On this tripQuiet parks and lower lodge rates; the herds often pass close to Seronera on days 2 to 4.

The great trekJun – Jul

Best for this trip

the great trek

June and July

Columns of wildebeest move through the central Serengeti and the Western corridor on their way north. The dry season begins.

On this tripThe herds are around Seronera: day 3 is spent with them, and Tarangire starts filling with elephants.

River crossingsAug – Oct

Good

the far north

August to October

The herds are on the Mara River in the far north, crossing back and forth. The rest of the country is dry, golden and full of game.

On this tripSeronera’s resident lions and leopards stay put, and Tarangire is at its very best along the river.

Short rainsNov

Green season

the return

November

The short rains bring the plains back to life, and the herds stream south again through the east of the park.

On this tripThe herds often pass near Seronera on their way south: a good month for fewer vehicles.

Best for this trip
Good
Green season, fewer vehicles

Herd positions follow the rains and shift a little from year to year. We tell you where they are likely to be before you book.

What it costs

Fill the vehicle, pay less each

Game drives, park fees, accommodation, transport and your private guide, priced per person. The more of you share the vehicle, the less each of you pays. No booking fees.

Mid-range fromUS$1,890per person sharing

Important information

All prices are per person and exclude international flights. Final rates depend on your travel dates, seasonal park fees and availability; we confirm them in writing with your quote.

Mid-range

Luxury

Mid-range

Lodges and tented camps, en-suite

Mid-range prices, The Great Migration Classic

Single supplement to confirm

Group size	1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 personsbest value
Per person, 2026	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm
Rooms	1 single	1 double	1 double, 1 single	2 doubles	2 doubles, 1 single	3 doubles

Luxury

Premium camps and lodges

Luxury prices, The Great Migration Classic

Single supplement to confirm

Group size	1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 personsbest value
Per person, 2026	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm
Rooms	1 single	1 double	1 double, 1 single	2 doubles	2 doubles, 1 single	3 doubles

Your selection · click a group size2 guests · Mid-range1 double

Travelling with children

Children are welcome on this trip, and a private vehicle makes it easy to travel at their pace. Ask us for child rates and family rooms for your dates; they depend on each lodge’s own policy.

in the price

Private 4×4 with pop-up roof, your group only
Professional English-speaking guide, all 7 days
Six nights as described, full board on safari
Park, conservation and crater service fees
Bottled water in the vehicle
Kilimanjaro airport transfers

not in the price

International flights and visa
Travel and medical insurance
Tips for your guide and lodge staff
Drinks at the lodges
Optional activities

Join a group departure

Travelling solo or as two? Share the vehicle

Fixed dates, a shared 4×4 and a maximum of 6 guests. Travelling solo or as a couple? A joining safari gives you the full itinerary at a lower price, with good company along the way.

Mid-range lodges
From Arusha
English-speaking guide
Fixed dates, a shared 4×4

Next departure12–18 Oct 2026

Seats: 3 of 6 seats left
Group: Maximum 6 guests
Joining price: From US$1,790 per person

Seat numbers change as people book; we confirm yours when you enquire. All group departures

Make it yours

Add to the week

Tick anything you like the sound of. It goes straight into your enquiry, and we will price it with the trip.

Day 3 · SerengetiBalloon flight at sunriseAn hour over the plains, then breakfast in the bush.Add

Day 4 · HighlandsAn evening in a Maasai bomaHosted by the families of our own guides.Add

Day 6 · TarangireWalking safariTwo hours on foot with an armed ranger.Add

After day 7Zanzibar beach daysA short flight from Arusha to the coast.Add

Send my enquiry →

Before you go

The practical part

Flights

Other costs

Why Simba Pride

Flights

Other costs

Why Simba Pride

Questions

Will we see the Great Migration?

In most months, yes, though not always in the central Serengeti. We plan day 3 around where the herds are in your week and tell you honestly at booking what to expect.

Is this a private safari?

Yes. The vehicle and guide are yours alone for all seven days, on any dates you choose. There are also fixed group departures if you would rather share.

How much time is spent driving?

Days 2 and 4 are long road days with game viewing on the way. Days 3, 5 and 6 are almost all game driving.

Can we fly instead of driving to the Serengeti?

Yes. A light-aircraft flight from Arusha to Seronera saves most of day 2 on the road. We price it as an option.

Can we bring children?

Yes. The private vehicle makes breaks easy and we can choose family rooms. Some lodges set minimum ages for walks.

ready when you are

Seven days, one guide, your dates

Tell us when you would like to travel and who is coming. We reply with a day-by-day plan and an exact price, usually adjusted to the lodges you prefer.

Admit

guests

SPS · 07

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