7-Day Wildebeest Migration Calving Season

4.83/5
Based on 1 Reviews

About this tour

Witness the raw, powerful drama of new life on the African plains with this meticulously timed seven-day safari, designed exclusively for the Great Migration’s calving season. This mid-range tour, operated by Professional Safaris, places you at the epicenter of nature’s greatest spectacle in the Ndutu region of the Southern Serengeti. Between December and April, the landscape transforms into a vast nursery where thousands of wildebeest calves are born daily, attracting an intense concentration of predators. Your journey begins among the elephant herds of Tarangire before immersing you in this dynamic theater of life and death over two full days, followed by exploration of the Central Serengeti and the legendary Ngorongoro Crater. Designed for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers, this is an unparalleled opportunity to experience the circle of life in its most immediate and thrilling form.

At Glance

Customization

This tour can be customized

Duration

7 Days

Minimum Age

3 years

Countries

Tanzania

Comfort Level

Mid-Range

Maximum Group Size

Any group size

Physical Level

Moderate

Best time

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • December

Best for

  • Adventure Travellers
  • Honeymooners

Getting There

  • This Tour starts in Arusha, Ends in Arusha
  • Your flight should arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)

Trip Itinerary

Day 1:

Arusha

Your Tanzanian adventure begins with a warm welcome at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). A representative from Professional Safaris will greet you and facilitate a smooth transfer to your accommodation in the bustling safari hub of Arusha. This day is intentionally designed for you to arrive, relax, and acclimatize after your long journey, allowing you to shed the fatigue of travel and mentally prepare for the incredible wildlife drama that awaits.

Your home for the night is the Kahawa House, a comfortable mid-range lodge that provides a peaceful setting to unwind. Meals today are at your own expense, giving you the flexibility to dine at the lodge or, if you’re feeling energetic, explore one of Arusha’s local restaurants. Use this evening to settle in, as your expedition into the wild begins in earnest tomorrow.

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Dinner

Drinks

  • Drinking water, Coffee

Accommodation

Day 2: Tarangire

After breakfast, your guide will collect you for the scenic drive to Tarangire National Park, a landscape defined by ancient baobab trees and the life-giving Tarangire River. This vital water source is the region’s only permanent supply during the dry season, drawing spectacular concentrations of wildlife. Your full-day game drive offers some of the best elephant viewing in Tanzania, where you can observe massive herds—from playful calves to imposing bulls—congregating along the riverbanks.

Beyond the giants, Tarangire is a haven for biodiversity. You’ll spot graceful giraffes, various antelope like bushbuck and hartebeest, and an astounding array of birdlife, boasting more breeding species than anywhere else on Earth. After a picnic lunch within the park and an afternoon of continued exploration, you’ll exit as the day cools. You will spend the night at Sangaiwe Tented Camp, a welcoming mid-range retreat located a short drive from the park, where you can enjoy dinner and recount the day’s sightings.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinks

  • Drinking water, Coffee

Accommodation

Day 3: Ndutu

After breakfast, you’ll journey toward the Serengeti ecosystem’s southern reaches: the world-renowned Ndutu region. The drive itself transitions through changing landscapes, building anticipation. Ndutu, lying within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at the border of the Serengeti, is the hallowed ground for the Great Migration’s calving season. From December to April, its short-grass plains are taken over by hundreds of thousands of wildebeest who gather here to give birth.

Your first game drive in Ndutu introduces you to this phenomenal event. The plains are alive with newborns taking their first steps, while predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas patrol the periphery. The alkaline waters of Lake Ndutu add to the rich biodiversity, attracting resident game and prolific birdlife. You will spend the next two nights at Shuhudia Ndutu Camp, a well-positioned mid-range tented camp located right inside this wildlife-rich area, placing you at the heart of the action.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinks

  • Coffee, Drinking water

Accommodation

Day 4: Ndutu

Awake to the sounds of the calving plains for a second full day dedicated to this unique ecosystem. With your private guide, you have the freedom to explore this seamless wilderness where the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area meet without a fence. Today is for patient observation, allowing you to witness the intense predator-prey interactions that define this season, as predators capitalize on the abundance of vulnerable young calves.

The experience is dynamic and unpredictable, offering unparalleled opportunities for wildlife photography and profound moments of connection with nature’s most fundamental processes. You may witness a successful hunt or the tender nurturing of a newborn. The day is flexible, following the movement of the herds and the drama as it unfolds. You return for a second night at Shuhudia Adventure Camp, with the day’s events providing powerful stories to share under the African stars.

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinks

  • Coffee, Drinking water

Accommodation

Day 5: Central Serengeti

After breakfast, you’ll bid farewell to Ndutu and journey north into the Central Serengeti, the iconic heart of this world-famous park. The drive is a game viewing experience in itself, with the landscape of acacia-dotted plains unfolding around you. The Serengeti is celebrated as one of Earth’s last great wilderness areas, home to the planet’s greatest concentration of plains game and the legendary Great Migration, whose precise location varies with the rains.

Your afternoon game drive in the Central Serengeti (Seronera region) focuses on the park’s famous year-round residents. This area, sustained by river systems, is a premier location for spotting big cats. Your guide will help you search for lion prides, elusive leopards in the trees, and swift cheetahs on the open plains. You’ll spend the night at Serengeti Kati Kati Camp, a comfortable mid-range tented camp nestled in the Central Serengeti, offering a different perspective of this vast ecosystem.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinks

  • Drinking water, Coffee

Accommodation

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater

Depart early after breakfast for a scenic drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Here, you will descend the steep, forested walls into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Often called “Africa’s Garden of Eden,” this natural amphitheater creates a self-contained world with an astonishing density of wildlife, offering breathtaking scenery at every turn.

Your full-day game drive on the crater floor is a grand finale, a quest for the Big Five with one of Africa’s best chances to see the endangered black rhino. You’ll explore grasslands, swamps, and acacia woodlands, spotting large prides of lion, herds of elephant and buffalo, and thousands of flamingos on the soda lake. After a picnic lunch at a scenic spot, you’ll ascend the crater in the late afternoon and travel to the nearby highlands. You will spend the night at Farm of Dreams Lodge, a charming mid-range lodge where you can enjoy a final dinner in the bush.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinks

  • Drinking water, Coffee

Accommodation

Day 7: Arusha

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and a leisurely morning at the lodge, reflecting on the incredible week of wildlife spectacles you’ve witnessed—from the intimate drama of birth in Ndutu to the timeless wonder of the crater. When you’re ready, you’ll check out and begin your journey back to Arusha. The drive offers a final chance to soak in the Tanzanian landscape.

Upon arrival in Arusha, you will be dropped off at your preferred location—either a hotel in the city or at Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport for your onward departure. This marks the end of your unforgettable 7-day calving season safari, leaving you with memories of one of nature’s most powerful and poignant events.

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunch

Drinks

  • Drinking water, Coffee

Pricing

2026 Rates & Prices

Valid from January to December

PAX

Price per person sharing

2 People

US $3,505

4 People

US $3,205

6 People

US $2,905

Please note:

  • Prices are per person sharing (Ask a tour organizer for more price information)
  • Accommodations listed on this tours are subjected to availability, it may change depending on the time of booking
  • The price for this tour may also depends on government imposed charges. Please be in touch with the organizer of this tour at the moment of enquiring this tour.

Inclusions

Price Includes

  • A professional guide
  • All Accommodations
  • All activities
  • All meals
  • All taxes
  • All transport
  • Drinking water
  • Park Fees
  • Roundtrip airport transfer

Price Excludes

  • Additional Accommodation after Safari
  • Additional excursions
  • Alcoholic Drinks
  • Domestic Flights
  • International Flight
  • Medical & Travel Insurance
  • Personal Item expense
  • Pre-arrival accommodation
  • Souvenirs
  • Tips
  • Visa Fees

Payment Terms

THE BOOKING

  • Bookings and subsequent contracts are deemed to have been concluded by the Company’s physical address in Arusha, Tanzania, and shall be interpreted according to the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania.
  • The place of jurisdiction is Arusha, Tanzania.

DEPOSIT & PAYMENT

  • A 20% deposit is required to secure a booking. This deposit forms part of the payment for the trip and shall be offset to the total amount charged to the client.
  • After the initial 20% deposit is received, the balance payment should be made four (4) weeks prior to the arrival date.
  • Clients booking within four (4) weeks of tour departure are required to pay the full amount immediately to secure the reservation.
  •  All bank charges are to be settled by the client.

Cancellation Policy

Any trip cancellations must be sent in writing to the office that confirmed the reservation. Cancellations shall only be effective from the date of receipt of cancellation by the booking office. In case of a booking cancellation, the Company shall retain the full deposit.

If a booking is canceled, the penalties are as follows:

  • 30 days prior to arrival – 20% of the total invoice will be charged
  • 29 to 15 days prior to arrival – 50% of the total invoice will be charged
  • 14 to 7 days prior to arrival – 75% of the total invoice will be charged
  • Less than 7 days prior to arrival – 100% of the invoice will be levied

Additional Information

  • A vegetarian option is available; please let us know at the time of booking if you require it.
  • Children must be accompanied by their parents
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Customer Reviews

4.83/5
  • Excellent
1 Reviews

Value for money5.0 / 5

Guide5.0 / 5

Lodging5.0 / 5

Meals4.0 / 5

Transport5.0 / 5

Activities5.0 / 5

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4.83/5 Based on 1 Reviews

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