9 days Ngorongoro Highlands Trek — Nine Days
Three days of game drives, then five on foot across the volcanic highlands to Empakai and down the Rift wall to Lake Natron. Donkeys carry the loads.
Hiking & Wildlife
Ten Days with the Migration
Ten days shaped around where the herds actually are, ending in the northern Serengeti for the river crossings, with a balloon flight over the plains.
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At a glance
- Destinations
- Tarangire · Lake Natron · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Eyasi
- Best for
- Great Migration, Wildlife safari, Culture & history
- Travel style
- Luxury · Drive
- Activity level
- Easy — most of the day is spent in a vehicle or on a boat
- Best time to travel
- This route is planned for June to September. July to September usually gives the best chance of finding the herds near the northern Serengeti and Mara River; in June their position may call for different camps. Crossings are never guaranteed.
- Start and end
- Starts and ends at Kilimanjaro Airport
Why this journey
- Camps in the northern Serengeti, where the river crossings happen
- A hot air balloon flight at dawn over the plains
- Lake Natron and the flamingo colonies on the way north
- Olduvai Gorge, on the road between the Serengeti and the crater
- A day with the Hadzabe community at Lake Eyasi
Day by day
The migration is not an event with a date; it is a continuous movement, and this route follows the northern half of it. Tarangire and Lake Natron open the journey, then five days in the Serengeti positioned for the Mara River, and the crater on the way back.
Day 1 — Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport
Welcome and transfer to a hotel in Arusha or nearby; rest and prepare for the safari.
Stay Grand Melia Arusha Hotel Meals Dinner
Day 2 — Tarangire National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives exploring Tarangire's iconic baobab trees and diverse wildlife.
Stay Elephant Springs Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 — Tarangire to Lake Natron
Drive to Lake Natron, known for flamingos and striking scenery. Evening visit to the Ngare Sero Waterfalls.
Stay Lake Natron Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 — Lake Natron to Serengeti (Kogatende)
Early morning at Lake Natron for flamingo viewing and sunrise photos, then drive to the Kogatende region of the Serengeti, famous for river crossings.
Stay River Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5 — Northern Serengeti game drive
Full-day game drive searching for wildebeest crossings and predator sightings along the Mara River.
Stay River Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 — North Mara & hot air balloon safari
Early morning balloon safari over the Serengeti plains, with a post-flight sparkling wine celebration, then a full day of game drives in the North Serengeti.
Stay River Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 — Serengeti to Ngorongoro via Seronera & Olduvai Gorge
Morning game drive in the Seronera region, then drive toward Ngorongoro with a stop at Olduvai Gorge, the famous palaeoanthropological site.
Stay Lion's Paw Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8 — Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Eyasi
Full day game drive inside the crater, home to the Big Five, then an evening drive to Lake Eyasi for sunset.
Stay Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 — Cultural experience and traditional hunting practices with the Hadzabe community
Morning hunting-and-gathering experience with the Hadzabe community; sunset visit to Lake Eyasi and local communities.
Stay Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10 — Return to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport
Transfer back for departure.
Meals Breakfast & Lunch
Stay and travel
Premium camps and lodges, chosen for where they sit rather than how many rooms they have.
A 4×4 with a roof hatch and a window seat for everyone, driven by your guide throughout.
Camps fill, and roads change with the rains. Where something has to change we substitute at the same level and tell you before you travel, not after.
Included and excluded
What is included
- Every activity named in the day-by-day
- Accommodation as listed, or a similar alternative if a camp is full
- Meals as noted against each day
- Transfers between the agreed pick-up and drop-off points
- Park, reserve and conservation area fees
- An English-speaking Tanzanian driver-guide
- A 4×4 with a roof hatch, or the vehicle the route calls for
- Drinking water through the day
- Government taxes
- Boat safari and transfers
- Hot air balloon flight
- TANAPA armed ranger where the park requires one
- Ngorongoro crater service fee
Not included
- International flights, airport taxes and visa fees
- Travel, medical and baggage insurance
- Personal spending — drinks, laundry, telephone
- Tips for your guide and crew
- Anything not listed as included
Practical information
- When this runs
- Planned for June to September. For northern Serengeti river-crossing opportunities, July to September is usually the better window; herd movements determine the camps, and crossings are never guaranteed.
- Visas, insurance and tipping
- A visa is arranged before travel or on arrival. Travel and medical insurance is a condition of booking. Tipping is customary and we will suggest a range rather than set one.
Related journeys
Every route here can be changed
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