Your Ndutu Calving Season Safari begins with a morning pickup from your hotel, lodge or accommodation in Arusha. Meet your professional safari guide and enjoy a short safari briefing before beginning your journey through the beautiful landscapes of northern Tanzania. Drive toward Lake Manyara National Park, a compact but remarkably diverse wildlife destination located beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment. Upon entering the park, begin your game drive through a landscape of groundwater forests, open grasslands, acacia woodland and the seasonal shores of Lake Manyara. During your Lake Manyara safari, you may encounter large herds of elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest and giraffes. The Park is also home to baboons, warthogs, hippos and numerous bird species. Lake Manyara is particularly famous for its tree-climbing lions, although sightings are never guaranteed because wildlife is completely wild and free-ranging. After your game drive, continue toward the Karatu area, located near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Check into your lodge, relax, and enjoy dinner while preparing for the exciting days ahead in the Ndutu migration area.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After an early breakfast, depart Karatu and drive toward the Ndutu area, entering the Southern Serengeti ecosystem. Today is the beginning of your main Ndutu Great Migration Safari experience. As you approach Ndutu, the scenery changes into vast open plains dotted with acacia trees and seasonal lakes. During the calving season, these nutrient-rich plains attract enormous numbers of wildebeest and other herbivores. Your experienced safari guide will monitor wildlife activity and select routes according to current conditions.

Throughout the day, look for:

• Wildebeest gathering in enormous herds
• Newborn wildebeest calves
• Zebras moving alongside the migration
• Thomson's gazelles and Grant's gazelles
• Lions hunting or resting near the herds
• Cheetahs scanning the plains for prey
• Spotted hyenas
• Jackals
• Elephants and giraffes
• Raptors and other bird species

One of the most memorable experiences during Ndutu calving season is seeing newborn wildebeest taking their first steps. The abundance of young animals also creates intense predator activity, making this one of the most exciting periods for wildlife viewing in Tanzania. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the wilderness before continuing your afternoon game drive. As the sun begins to set, drive toward your camp for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Safari Haven
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today is dedicated entirely to exploring Ndutu during the Great Migration calving season.

Wake early and enjoy breakfast before setting out for a morning game drive. Early morning is an excellent time to explore the plains because temperatures are cooler and many predators are more active. Your guide will search for areas where the migration is concentrated. The exact location of the herds changes naturally according to rainfall, fresh grass, and water availability. This makes every Ndutu safari different. You may witness scenes of wildebeest mothers protecting their newborn calves, large herds moving across the plains, zebras grazing among the wildebeest, and predators carefully watching the herds.

The Predator Experience

Ndutu is particularly exciting during the calving period because newborn animals provide opportunities for predators.

Your safari guide may help you locate:

Lions: Often seen resting near the herds or actively hunting.

Cheetahs: Frequently use open plains to hunt vulnerable young animals.

Spotted hyenas: Highly adaptable predators that are often active around the migration.

Jackals: Commonly seen moving through areas where young animals are concentrated.

While wildlife encounters can never be guaranteed, spending a full day in Ndutu significantly increases your opportunity to experience these natural interactions.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated location before continuing your afternoon game drive.

Later, return to camp for dinner and an evening under the African sky.

Accommodation: Safari Haven
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wake early for your final game drive in the Ndutu migration area. This morning provides another opportunity to photograph the Great Migration and observe the wildlife before leaving the Southern Serengeti. After your game drive, begin your journey toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The drive is part of the experience, with changing landscapes taking you from the open plains toward the highlands. Depending on your itinerary and wildlife conditions, your guide may make stops along the way for photography and wildlife viewing. Arrive in the Karatu area in the afternoon and check into your lodge. The remainder of the afternoon is available to relax, enjoy the lodge surroundings, and prepare for tomorrow's Ngorongoro Crater safari.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wake early and prepare for one of the highlights of your Tanzania safari: a Ngorongoro Crater game drive. After breakfast, drive toward the crater and descend approximately 600 metres into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is a spectacular natural amphitheatre surrounded by steep walls and contains a remarkable concentration of wildlife.

During your crater safari, search for:

• Lions
• African elephants
• Cape buffaloes
• Zebras
• Wildebeest
• Hippos
• Hyenas
• Thomson's gazelles
• Grant's gazelles
• Flamingos and other water birds
• Black rhinoceros, with luck

Your professional guide will choose the best routes based on wildlife sightings and current conditions. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater before beginning your ascent. After leaving the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, drive back toward Arusha, arriving in the late afternoon or early evening. Your guide will drop you off at your hotel, the airport, or another agreed-upon location in Arusha. This marks the end of your unforgettable Ndutu Calving Season Safari – Great Migration & Wildlife.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch