Best of Tanzania
The Serengeti holds about 1.35 million wildebeest, by Tanzania National Parks' count, and Ngorongoro Crater, in its authority's words, is home to over 25,000 animals, including the big five. This route gives you both, with Tarangire's elephants first.
A starting point, not a packagewhere the herds are in your month decides the route
fromUSD 3,250per personfrom, per person, two sharing, full board
The wildebeest move around the Serengeti.
Your month decides which part you stay in.
The herds move through the year, so where you sleep in the Serengeti depends on your month.
In February the wildebeest calve on the short grass plains between Naabi gate and the Ngorongoro highlands. Tanzania National Parks says more than 250,000 calves are born each year, four-fifths of them within a few weeks around mid-February, 8,000 to 12,000 a day. Later in the year the herds move north, and from late July to early November they are on the Mara River.
Ngorongoro is the opposite. Its conservation authority says the crater is home to over 25,000 animals, including the big five, black rhino among them. One full day in the crater is enough and two is too many.
Highlights
The itinerary
Kilimanjaro, Arusha and into Tarangire
We meet you at Kilimanjaro International. If you land late the first night is Arusha, which is a working town rather than a sight, and a sensible place to sleep off a flight.
Tarangire is about three and a half hours by road from Arusha. Tanzania National Parks calls it the elephant paradise, drawing large herds of elephants, giraffes, zebras and buffaloes.
About 3 hours 30 from Arusha
LuxuryLodge on the Tarangire escarpment
PremiumTented camp near the park gate
Three nights in the Serengeti
North west over the Ngorongoro highlands and down onto the plains. The drive is long, about seven and a half hours, and the moment the grassland opens out is worth it.
Where you stay depends on your month. In February we put you on the short grass plains for the calving. Later in the year we move you north, toward the Mara River from late July.
The balloon is here if you want it: Serengeti Balloon Safaris flies at sunrise for about an hour, with a champagne toast and breakfast after landing.
About 7 hours 30 from Tarangire
LuxuryMobile camp that follows the herds
PremiumTented camp in the relevant sector
One full day in Ngorongoro Crater
East to the crater rim, and down when the gates open at 6:00. Ngorongoro's conservation authority says the crater is home to over 25,000 animals, including the big five. Only four-wheel-drive vehicles go down, with a licensed guide, and no more than five may gather at a sighting.
Up by mid afternoon, because the light on the rim at the end of the day is the better photograph.
About 3 hours 45 from the Serengeti
LuxuryLodge on the crater rim
PremiumLodge in the Karatu highlands
The road back to Kilimanjaro, or on to Zanzibar
About five hours east through Karatu and Mto wa Mbu, back to Kilimanjaro for an evening flight.
If you are going on to Zanzibar, we book the flight, and the National Insurance Corporation says one inbound travel insurance policy covers both the mainland and Zanzibar. If you are going on to Kenya, the Mara is the same ecosystem over the northern border.
About 5 hours by road
Departure, or onward to Zanzibar or Kenya
The lodges worth staying in hold few rooms, and dry season dates go first.
Give us an approximate date and we check availability against it. No payment, no obligation.
What your trip includes
Full board throughout
Private 4x4 with a pop-top roof and driver-guide
All park fees, including the Ngorongoro crater descent
Airport collection and return
Bottled water in the vehicle
What it does not cover
International flights
Tanzania visa, USD 50, or USD 100 for US citizens
Tanzania inbound travel insurance, USD 44 each, compulsory since 1 October 2026
Balloon over the Serengeti, USD 599 in 2026, USD 660 from 1 January 2027
Tips, alcohol and personal items
Single room supplement
Not quite the trip you had in mind? Every departure is private, so the length and the lodges are yours to change. Tell us what you want.
Your month, crater fees and the roads: what to know before you book
What to bring
- Binoculars, one pair per person
- A long lens and a genuinely dust-proof bag
- A warm layer for the crater rim at dawn
- Neutral colours
- Sun hat and high factor sunscreen
- Insect repellent
Before you ask
When should I come for the migration?
February for the calving on the southern short grass plains: four-fifths of the calves are born within a few weeks around the middle of the month, and Tanzania National Parks puts the peak at 8,000 to 12,000 births a day. Late July to early November for the Mara River in the north. Your month decides which part of the park you sleep in, and that matters more than the lodge.
Is one day in the crater enough?
Yes. A second day costs the fees again and shows you the same animals in a different order. We would rather put that night in the Serengeti.
What park fees does this route include?
All of them. Ngorongoro charges USD 70.80 per adult for entry and USD 295 per vehicle for the crater descent, under its 2023 tariff for visitors from outside East Africa, and the Serengeti charges entry for every day you are in the park. Our price includes them.
Will I see black rhino?
Possibly. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority lists black rhino among the big five in the crater, and Tanzania National Parks is reintroducing them in the north and south of the Serengeti. Neither publishes a count, and nobody can promise a sighting.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Nothing is paid when you enquire. Camps in the migration sectors hold their own deposit terms in high season and we pass those on to you exactly as they are charged to us. Your deposit amount and balance date are put in writing before you pay anything.
How soon will you reply?
Within one working day, with a route, a price with nothing hidden in it and a straight answer about where the herds will be in your month.
Tell us roughly when
hello@wildroutetours.com
A trip designer replies within one working day.