5 Days/4nights Unforgettable Migration Safari in Tanzania
Tour Highlights
This itinerary includes Ndutu), known for the calving season (last week of December-March) of the Great Migration and high predator activity; Central Serengeti, a haven for big cats and varied wildlife; and Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park.Renowned for its breathtaking views and high wildlife density, before returning to Arusha.
Short Itinerary
Day 1 – Arusha to Trangire National Park
Day 2 – Ndutu – full day game drives
Day 3- Morning game drives in Ndutu
Day 4 – Morning game drives in Central Serengeti
Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) and transfer to Arusha
Option 1=3592 USD Per person
Day 1-Eileens Tree Inn
Day 2-3-Serengeti Katikati
Day 4- Shuhudia Camp
Option 2=3961 USD Per person
Day 1-Farm House valley
Day 2 & 3 and 4-Serengeti Katikati tented camp
Option 3=5189 USD Per person
Day 1-Farm house
Day 2 & 3-Ndutu under canvas
Day 4-Serengeti kubukubu tented camps
Day by day Itinerary
Day 1-Arusha to Tarangire
Pick up at 8:30 AM from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Tarangire National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. Tanzania’s third largest National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.
Day 2 – Tarangire National Park to Ndutu
Your safari will begin by 8AM in the morning with a pick up from your Camp and head towards the Ndutu region. The drive to Ndutu is about 6 hours covering a distance of 260 Kms. About 3.5 hours after leaving Tarangire National Park, you will enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro) where you will notice the landscape changing from hilly forests to plain and green grasslands. Once you reach Ndutu you will begin a half day game drive with a convenient stop for your picnic lunch. Sweeping grasslands cover the region which gradually fade into the Serengeti. Ndutu forms a part of the route for the annual migration of more than 2 million wildebeests and thousands of zebra, antelope and gazelle through the Serengeti eco system. During game drives between December and April, you will be able to see the great migration in this region. Between Mid Jan and Feb, calving happens here and it attracts hordes of predators prying on vulnerable young wildebeest. Crested with Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek, these waterholes offer plenty of wildlife game during the dry season. The Ndutu is also the home ground for 6 species of big cats – leopard, lion, cheetah, caracal, serval and wildcat. The action-packed game drive will end late in the evening by around 6PM. You will now head towards your choice of accommodation, where a freshly prepared dinner awaits you. Ensure you get some good rest and recharge yourself for another eventful day.
Day 3 – Ndutu
Today you get another chance to view the beautiful wildlife spectacle at Ndutu. You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart with packed lunch boxes for a full day game drive around 8:00 AM and return to the lodge late afternoon around 5:30 PM. Or you can depart after breakfast at 6:20 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation around 10:30 AM to relax for a bit and after a hot lunch at the accommodation, depart at 3:00 PM for afternoon game drives and return by 6:00 PM. Ensure you get some good rest and recharge yourself for another eventful day.
Day 4 – Ndutu to Central Serengeti
The excitement for today will be quite high as you make your way into the most celebrated wildlife park in the world – The Serengeti. After finishing up a good breakfast, you will have morning game drives in Ndutu before departing towards the Serengeti National Park by late morning. Serengeti, means endless plains in the local African language and watching the grassland stretch out as far as the eye can see and eventually merging with the sky at the horizon is an absolutely breathtaking view. With an overall land area of 14,763 Square Kilometers. It puts our notion about distance to shame. The Serengeti also houses the glorious “Big 5” (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). Along with the “Big 5”, a very pleasant sighting would be one of Africa’s most beautiful animals –.The Serengeti ecosystem supports the greatest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa. You must also look out for the Serengeti “Kopjes” which are massive boulders of granite standing in a sea of grass. They provide ample shelter to a large variety of flora and fauna. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long game drive itself. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.
Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 Hours) to Arusha
On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast you will make an early descent at around 6:30 AM into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq kms with a depth of over 2000 feet. The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is definitely recommended. The African elephant, buffalo, Black rhino, Hippos, Hyenas, Cheetahs and Lions are found in plenty. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascend to the top exit of the crater. This is the last leg of your safari, with a 4hr drive left to Arusha. You will be dropped off to your preferred location in Arusha by 6:00 PM in the evening. With an incredible experience and loads of memories to cherish, this is the time you bid goodbye to your team.
Inclusions
- Park Fees (for Non-Residents).
- Daily game drives while on Safari.
- Meals as per itinerary.
- Concession/ Camping Fees.
- 4×4 Land Cruiser.
- A professional English speaking driver/ guide.
- All Taxes and VAT.
- Drinking water while on safari
Exclusions
- Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).
- Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.
- International flights.
- Government imposed increase of Taxes and or Park Fees.
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (Unless mentioned otherwise).
- Tips (Tipping guidelines).
Add-on tours in Serengeti
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 550 per person
Short Walking Tour (4 hours): USD 45 per person
Long Walking Tour ( 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Add-on tours in Nqutu
Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 550 per person
Short Walking Tour ( 4 hours): USD 45 per person
Long Walking Tour (6 hours): USD 60 per person
Add-on tours in Ngoro Ngoro
Masai Village Tour: USD 50 per person
Olduvai Gorge museum visit: USD 35 per person
Ngorongoro Crater Rim Hike: USD 35 per person
Our Reviews
EXCELLENT Based on 31 reviews Posted on Keira BVerified Trip of a lifetime! My mom and I had the joy of going on a 5-day safari with Malaki last fall through Tarangire, Ngorongoro crater, and the Serengeti. He was a perfect match for us - responsive to our needs and interests, incredibly knowledgeable about the animals and parks, very professional, warm and friendly. He helped us spot all the animals on our wishlist, with lots of up close encounters. It was very magical, and the trip of a lifetime!Posted on Patrick MVerified Tanzanian safari Malaki was AMAZING!!! He is one of the most knowledgeable, humble, and kind people I have been around. He was a wonderful guide for our family's week long safari!Posted on Andrea SVerified Absolutely unforgettable experience An absolutely beautiful experience, worth every moment! Our guide Malaki was phenomenal – very dedicated, patient, full of energy and truly committed to making everything unforgettable. This was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and Malaki made it even more special. A heartfelt recommendation and warm greetings from Serbia! ❤️Posted on Ana PVerified The incredible journey We have spent a few days with amazing Malaki as our guide and felt privileged to be part of a life-changing safari experience. The dance of an ostrich to his female, the lion and lioness' romantic walk, serval's tiny face appearing in the grass, lionesses with 5 cubs and the rhino charge to the ranger's jeep are a few highlights in a million moments which made this journey incredible. All was possible, I believe, only with Malaki's experience, knowledge and great patience. On the scale 1-5, Malaki is straight 10! Thank you!Ana and BorisPosted on Karen WVerified Memorable and magical experience!! Tananzia was amazing and Malaki as a guide created magic, providing us the best experience. He had deep knowledge of the areas we visited, each unique in its own way, which helped immerse us in the landscape while watching the animals in their natural habitat. He knew where to go to help us have a rich and authentic experience. He was warm, patient and attentive, meeting and exceeding the needs of our 10 person group. Highly recommend!!Posted on bklyntraveller9Verified Malaki gave us a once in a lifetime experience, everything we had hoped for and more! We truly could not have been in better hands than with Malaki as our guide through Tanzania. Traveling from Serengeti, Ngorogoro crater and Tarangire national park, Malaki ensured we had the fullest experience. We were 10 people across 2 jeeps ages 80 down to 12. Malaki didn't just drive us from place to place, he brought Tanzania alive for us. He was incredibly knowledgeable, gracious, warm-- and not to mention, full of humor, effortlessly managing logistics while enriching every game drive and cultural experience with context and insight. If you are looking for an expert and a person you can relax and put your trust in, Malaki is your guide!Posted on Lidiya KVerified Superb experience! We had a superb experience. Though we booked our adventure on a very short notice - the trip went far beyond our expectations. Amazing trip to Tarangire and then yet even more breathtaking visit to Ngorongoro. We had a wonderful thoughtful and professional guide Jeremia with us who didn't leave a single question of ours unanswered. And there were plenty. Organization is on a very high level. We enjoyed every moment!Posted on Ivan_BalakhonovVerified Unforgettable experience Me and my friends had two free days to spend in Arusha region and were looking for a short safari to Tarangire and Ngorongoro. We were recommended Malaki Safaris and this turned out to be good advice.Malaki immediately got involved in arranging everything for us and despite of short notice organized our safari to perfection. During the trip all went smoothly and without even a tiny glitch. Our guide, Jeremiah, was amazing. He is a careful driver, has answers to any questions and reads ever-changing situation in parks very well so we were able to catch some really special moments. Accomodation for overnight stay at Marera Valley Lodge was also wonderful and we didn't have to worry about anything while on the road or in the lodge. This was definitely an experience of the lifetime and whenever I plan to come back I know with whom to explore Serengeti, which is now on the top of my things-to-do list.Posted on finnkaiVerified Malaki is an above and beyond safari guide and person Our 4-person Tanzania adventure with Malaki of Malaki Safaris was beyond expectations. Malaki’s combination of professionalism, warmth, knowledge, passion, and cultural connection made the trip phenomenal. Our itinerary took us to Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Empakai, Lake Natron, and Central and Southern Serengeti. Every place awed us with the wildlife and scenery, and we enjoyed staying at a variety of lodges and tented camps, all in beautiful settings. We also spent 2 days hiking with local Maasai guides who taught us about some of their traditions and current realities facing pastoral people in Tanzania. Malaki is a skillful, responsive communicator, so trip planning was enjoyable rather than stressful. He provided suggestions, and he customized our safari according to preferences we expressed. A review below from September 2023 by tomtom771 highlights outstanding aspects of Malaki Safaris, all important to consider when splurging on a trip of a lifetime. Many Tanzania safari itineraries are similar, but it’s the guide who makes the biggest difference. Malaki is from a rural Maasai village, and he pursued his formal education in cities. He knows Tanzania’s landscapes, wildlife, and cultures from lived experience, and he truly loves sharing all of it. Our group had a particular interest in birds, and Malaki eagerly brushed up on his already impressive birding repertoire. When we had questions, Malaki usually had answers, and he often came back later with more information. He has stellar abilities maneuvering the jeep to maximize views and photo opportunities, and he manages to do so without ticking off other drivers. When one of our group members stayed on in Tanzania to do solo travel, Malaki continued to check in on him, occasionally arranging lodging or transfers as a courtesy. It’s not essential that one has a guide who you befriend and hope to see again, but with Malaki we got the best of both worlds, an A+ safari and a talented guide who brightened every day.Posted on sandrabVerified A good, honest and knowledgeable guide! Malaki was highly recommended to us by a friend, and we had a great time with him on the 14-day tour he designed. He guided us at Tarangire National Park, Ngorogoro Crater and Serengeti NP. He worked with us on our budget and is a good communicator. He was very patient, knowledgeable with animals and birds and his pleasant personality made our adventure lots of fun! You could tell that he’s been guiding tours for many years. Other guides respected him and he has good contacts in the area. We stayed in a variety of lodges/tented camps, all pleasant and at times luxurious. If you want an honest guide with good morals and great experience, you can’t go wrong with Malaki.