5-Day Ndutu Calving Safari
A 5-day Great Migration calving safari from Arusha to the Ndutu plains in the southern Serengeti ecosystem, timed for late January to March, with a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater.
Every year, from late January to March, the Great Migration gathers on the green short-grass plains around Ndutu to give birth. At the peak, usually around mid-February, thousands of calves are born each day, and within minutes they are on their feet and running with the herd. Lions, cheetahs and hyenas follow close behind, which makes this one of the most dramatic times to be on safari. This five-day journey starts with a day in the Ngorongoro Crater, then gives you three nights among the herds in Ndutu. Choose Mid-Range, with comfortable camps and a scenic drive back to Arusha, or Luxury, with premium camps and a short flight back.
Highlights
- Wildebeest calving on the Ndutu plains
- Lions, cheetahs and hyenas hunting around the herds
- Three nights in a tented camp close to the migration
- A game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Flamingos and woodland wildlife at Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek
- Luxury option: a scenic flight back to Arusha instead of the long drive
Your driver-guide collects you from your hotel in Arusha at around 08:00 and drives west through the Rift Valley and the Karatu highlands to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, about three hours on paved road. After a picnic lunch you descend to the crater floor for an afternoon game drive among black rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo and flamingos, then climb back to the rim and continue to your camp.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: safari camp in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
After breakfast you cross the Ngorongoro highlands, past Maasai villages and grazing cattle, and drop down onto the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti ecosystem. The grass here grows on rich volcanic soil, which is why the herds come here to give birth. You game-drive the rest of the way to Ndutu and spend the afternoon among the first herds, arriving at your tented camp in time for sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: tented camp in Ndutu.
A full day following the herds. At the peak, usually around February, thousands of calves are born every day, and a newborn can stand and run within minutes. All this new life draws the predators: lion prides, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and jackals hunt the edges of the herds, so your guide will keep you where the action is. Lunch is a picnic out on the plains.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: tented camp in Ndutu.
Today you explore the acacia woodland and the shores of Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek, where wildebeest come to drink, flamingos wade in the shallows and giraffe browse among the trees. The woodland edges are good places to look for leopard and for the cheetahs that hunt the open plains. For an unforgettable start to the day, you can add an early-morning hot-air balloon flight at extra cost, depending on availability.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight: tented camp in Ndutu.
A last early game drive with the herds, when the light is softest and predators are most active. On the Luxury option, your guide then takes you to the Ndutu airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Arusha, which saves the long drive and leaves you the morning on the plains. On the Mid-Range option, you drive back to Arusha across the Ngorongoro highlands, roughly 5–6 hours with a lunch stop, arriving in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast (plus a packed lunch on the Mid-Range drive).
Price Per Person, By Option
| Option | 1 Guest | 2 Guests | 4 Guests | 6 Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-RangeComfort camps · drive back | On request | $2,750 | $2,400 | $2,250 |
| LuxuryPremium camps · fly back | On request | $4,344 | $3,870 | $3,710 |
Price per person in US dollars for the calving season (late January – March). The Luxury price includes the flight from Ndutu to Arusha. Solo travellers and groups of 3, 5 or 7+ receive a personal quote on request.
Includes
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Park and conservation fees
- 4 nights' accommodation at your chosen level
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Drinking water, tea and coffee throughout
- Unlimited game drives
- Luxury option: scheduled flight from Ndutu to Arusha
- Hotel pickup in Arusha and arrival airport transfer
Excludes
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips for the guide
- Hot-air balloon safari (optional)
- Drinks, laundry and personal expenses
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
