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8 days · Tanzania · Mid-range

8 Days Great Migration Midrange Safari

An eight-day mid-range safari built around the Great Migration: four nights on the Serengeti, positioned for the season's herds, framed by Tarangire at the start and the Ngorongoro Crater at the end.

  • 8 days
  • Tanzania
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Arusha
  • Ends Arusha
Zebra wildebeest acacia

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
8 days
Country
Tanzania
Destinations
Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater
Safari style
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Arusha
Ends
Arusha

Best for

  • Migration seekers
  • Photographers
  • Couples

The route

A round trip from Arusha

  1. Stop 1Arusha
  2. Stop 2Tarangire
  3. Stop 3Serengeti
  4. Stop 4Ngorongoro Crater
  5. Stop 5Arusha

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Four nights on the Serengeti following the migration
  • Tarangire's elephants and baobabs
  • Ngorongoro Crater game drive
  • Serengeti camp chosen for the season (to be confirmed)

Day by day

Eight days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Giraffe herd seen during an East African safari

Day 1

Arusha → Tarangire

Starting with elephants

Leave Arusha for Tarangire National Park and spend the afternoon on a game drive. The Tarangire River draws elephant herds, buffalo, zebra and many antelope, and the park's baobabs and acacia woodland make a striking first landscape of the safari. Birdlife is rich, and lions are often found resting near the river. Continue to your lodge for the evening, ready for the long journey to the migration country.

Overnight
Tarangire · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Tarangire → Serengeti

Into the migration country

Travel through the Ngorongoro highlands and onto the Serengeti plains. Your guide will head towards the area where the migration is expected — the southern plains early in the year, the central and western Serengeti mid-year, and the north later on — with game viewing along the way. Exact positions depend on the rains, so the route is planned day by day for the best chance of finding the herds.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Game drive en route
Lion lioness seen during an East African safari

Day 3

Serengeti National Park

Among the herds

Spend a full day with the migration. Around 1.5 million wildebeest, with zebra and gazelle, move across the ecosystem following the rains, and the predators follow them. Watch for lion prides and hyena clans stalking the edges of the herds, and cheetah hunting on the open plains. The sheer numbers, sounds and movement of the herds make this one of the great wildlife spectacles, though nothing is ever guaranteed.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 4

Serengeti National Park

Rivers and crossings

If the herds are near the Grumeti or Mara rivers, today may be spent at likely crossing points, where wildebeest gather before plunging across — although the timing is never predictable. At other times of year, the calving season on the southern plains or the movement of the columns across the grassland is equally absorbing.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 5

Serengeti National Park

Beyond the herds

A final full day allows time to explore other parts of the Serengeti — kopjes where lions rest in the shade, river valleys favoured by leopard, and quieter plains away from the main herds. Spending three full days in the park gives the best chance of varied sightings and good photography. An early balloon flight can be arranged in advance at extra cost for a view of the plains at sunrise.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive
Lion rock seen during an East African safari

Day 6

Serengeti → Ngorongoro

Leaving the plains

After a last morning on the Serengeti, travel east to the Ngorongoro highlands, stopping at Olduvai Gorge if you wish to learn about the region's early human history. The road climbs from open grassland into the cool, forested hills around the crater, a marked change after several days on the plains. Arrive at your lodge near the crater rim for the evening.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive

Day 7

Ngorongoro Crater

The crater floor

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive of up to six hours. The enclosed caldera supports one of Africa's densest concentrations of large animals, including black rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo and flamingos on the soda lake when conditions allow. The crater's grassland, swamps and forest make every hour different. Return to the rim for a final night overlooking the caldera.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · lodge
Main activities
Crater game drive
Rhino black rhino

Day 8

Ngorongoro → Arusha

The road back to Arusha

After breakfast, leave the crater highlands and drive back to Arusha through farmland, small towns and the Rift Valley escarpment, a last look at northern Tanzania's changing landscapes. You arrive around midday for drop-off at your hotel or a connection to your onward flight, completing an eight-day journey built around the Serengeti migration and the Ngorongoro Crater.

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Tarangire · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Serengeti · 4 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Ngorongoro · 2 nights

What’s included

Inclusions are itemised in your quotation.

Park fees, meals, transport and accommodation depend on the final plan, so your planner lists exactly what is and is not included before you book.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price subject upon request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

Optional experiences

Add a different perspective.

Availability, location, age limits and extra costs are confirmed for your final itinerary.

Hot-air balloon safari over the Serengeti

Optional · extra cost · pre-arrangement required

Olduvai Gorge museum visit

Optional · extra cost

Verified guest voices

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External review source

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External review source

Tripadvisor

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on Tripadvisor, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 8 Days Great Migration Midrange Safari cost?

The 8 Days Great Migration Midrange Safari is quoted individually (price subject upon request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts and finishes in Arusha. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

Nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Is the day-by-day plan fixed?

Not yet. The plan shown is a suggested outline for this route; the final day-by-day itinerary, activities and timings are confirmed with your quotation.

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Start planning with a local expert

Your safari starts with a conversation.

Tell us your dates, travel style and what matters most. A Nairobi-based planner can shape the details with you.

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PricingPrice subject upon request
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