How much does an 8 day Tanzania Great Migration safari cost?

This 8-day mid-range Tanzania safari starts from approximately US$2,800 per person, two sharing. Final price depends on season, group size, and lodge choice. Peak migration months (June to October) cost more than the green season.

Is 8 days enough to see the Great Migration?

Yes. Eight days gives you three full days in the Serengeti, including a dedicated push to the Mara River, plus Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. That's enough time to reach the migration and still cover Tanzania's other major parks.

What is the best month for Mara River crossings?

June to September is the core crossing window in the northern Serengeti, though timing shifts with rainfall and can start as early as June or run as late as October. No operator can guarantee a crossing on a specific day — it depends on the herds.

What parks does this itinerary visit?

Lake Manyara National Park, central and northern Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Tarangire National Park. The safari starts and ends in Arusha.

What is included in this Tanzania safari?

Airport transfers, a private 4x4 safari vehicle, an English-speaking driver guide, park entry fees, and full-board accommodation throughout. International flights, tips, and drinks other than water are not included.

Can I combine this with a Kenya Masai Mara safari?

Yes. The Serengeti and the Masai Mara are one ecosystem split by the Kenya-Tanzania border. We route combined itineraries to follow the migration across both countries without backtracking.

8 Day Great Migration Safari Itinerary

From US$2,800 per person

8 Day Great Migration Safari Itinerary: Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Tarangire

This safari has one target: the Mara River crossing. Everything else is a bonus.

Eight days. Five destinations. A private 4x4 vehicle and driver guide the whole way. You'll spend three full days in the Serengeti, tracking the migration from central plains to the river itself. Then Africa's most concentrated wildlife bowl — the Ngorongoro Crater. Then Tanzania's elephant stronghold, Tarangire National Park. Lake Manyara opens the route on day 2.

No fixed departures. No shared vehicle. Every date, lodge tier, and stop on this itinerary is built around you — one of several Great Migration safari trips we run, adjustable by season, budget, and pace.

Planning this trip? Book lodges 6-9 months out for July-October travel — Mara River camps sell out first. Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), not Nairobi. No visa is required in advance for most nationalities; Tanzania issues visas on arrival or via the eVisa portal.

Price FromUS$2,800 per person (2 sharing)

Duration8 Days / 7 Nights

StyleMid-range lodges & tented camps

Group SizePrivate — no shared departures

Parks VisitedLake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire

Best Time for CrossingsJune–October (peak: July–September)

Starts / EndsKilimanjaro Airport / Arusha

Wildlife FocusMara River crossings, Big Five, black rhino

Want the same migration without the Ngorongoro detour? See our 7-Day Tanzania Classic Safari. Prefer to add Kenya's Masai Mara? Ask about our combined Mara & Serengeti safari. Browse all Tanzania safari packages or get a free custom quote.

Itinerary at a Glance:

	DAY & ACTIVITY	LOCATION
1	Arrival	ARUSHA
2	Lake Manyara Nature Walk & Game Drive	LAKE MANYARA
3	Central Serengeti Game Drive	SERONERA, SERENGETI
4	Central to North Serengeti — Mara River	NORTH SERENGETI
5	Mara River Game Drive, then to Ngorongoro	NGORONGORO
6	Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire	TARANGIRE
7	Tarangire Day & Night Game Drive	ARUSHA
8	Departure	ARUSHA

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival — Arusha

Land at Kilimanjaro Airport. Your driver guide meets you and transfers you to Arusha. Dinner and overnight. The safari proper starts tomorrow. A short town tour can be arranged if time allows.
Day 2: Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park

Breakfast, then drive to Lake Manyara National Park. First: a guided nature walk along the lake edge. Learn the medicinal plants, the animal tracks, the birdlife. It's slower than a game drive — that's the point.

Then back in the vehicle for an afternoon game drive. Manyara is small but dense: monkeys, giraffe, elephant, impala, flamingo. Keep an eye on the trees — this is one of the few parks with tree-climbing lions.

Dinner and overnight at Eileen's Trees Inn or similar.
Day 3: Karatu to Central Serengeti

Morning game drive into the central Serengeti. This zone holds Tanzania's highest concentration of lion and leopard — sightings here are consistent, not lucky. Cheetah, elephant, giraffe, hippo, ostrich, aardvark, and pangolin round out the plains.

Dinner and overnight in central Serengeti (Seronera).
Day 4: Central Serengeti to North Serengeti — Mara River

Game drive along Seronera, then push north toward the Mara River. This is the crossing zone. Timing depends on rainfall — some years it starts as early as June, other years as late as August.

What's at stake: wildebeest and zebra against crocodile-infested water and a current fast enough to drown the weak. Lions wait on the far bank. It's brutal and it's the reason people fly here.

Dinner and overnight in north Serengeti.
Day 5: North Serengeti to Ngorongoro

Early start. Morning game drive back along the Mara River — herds still moving, still hunted. Hippo, lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, giraffe, warthog. If luck holds: black rhino.

Afternoon: drive back through central Serengeti, then on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Dinner and overnight on the crater rim.
Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a picnic-lunch game drive. Close to 30,000 animals live inside this collapsed volcano, including the Big Five. Zebra, buffalo, lion, wildebeest, warthog, baboon, elephant, flamingo, ostrich, hippo, cheetah, and a small population of black rhino — all inside one bowl. It's one of Africa's Seven Natural Wonders for a reason.

Late afternoon: drive to Tarangire National Park. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Tarangire National Park to Arusha

Picnic-breakfast game drive in Tarangire. This park holds the largest elephant concentration in the world and more breeding bird species than anywhere else in Tanzania. Dry season packs it with wildlife — lion, cheetah, leopard, plus the rarer kudu, oryx, and gerenuk. Watch the trees for a python.

Dinner back at the lodge, then a night game drive. Nocturnal species you won't see by day: porcupine, pangolin, aardvark. Overnight in Arusha.
Day 8: Departure

Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home. Safari ends.

Included:

Airport transfers on arrival and departure
7 nights full-board accommodation in the above-mentioned lodges or camps, or similar
3 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Private transportation in a 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof for game viewing and photography
Services of a professional English-speaking driver guide
All park entry fees and conservation area fees for activities listed in the itinerary
Government taxes and levies where applicable

Excluded:

International air fares, airport taxes, and security-related fees unless mentioned here
Tips and gratuities to driver guide, hotel/camp, and restaurant staff
Personal expenses: laundry, phone/internet, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages other than water
Visa fees and travel insurance
Optional activities not listed in the itinerary, such as a hot air balloon safari over the Serengeti

8 Day Tanzania Great Migration — Common Questions

How much does an 8 day Tanzania Great Migration safari cost?

This 8-day mid-range Tanzania safari starts from approximately US$2,800 per person, two sharing. Final price depends on season, group size, and lodge choice. Peak migration months (June to October) cost more than the green season.
Is 8 days enough to see the Great Migration?

Yes. Eight days gives you three full days in the Serengeti, including a dedicated push to the Mara River, plus Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. That's enough time to reach the migration and still cover Tanzania's other major parks.
What is the best month for Mara River crossings?

June to September is the core crossing window in the northern Serengeti, though timing shifts with rainfall and can start as early as June or run as late as October. No operator can guarantee a crossing on a specific day — it depends on the herds.
What parks does this itinerary visit?

Lake Manyara National Park, central and northern Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Tarangire National Park. The safari starts and ends in Arusha.
What is included in this Tanzania safari?

Airport transfers, a private 4x4 safari vehicle, an English-speaking driver guide, park entry fees, and full-board accommodation throughout. International flights, tips, and drinks other than water are not included.
Can I combine this with a Kenya Masai Mara safari?

Yes. The Serengeti and the Masai Mara are one ecosystem split by the Kenya-Tanzania border. We route combined itineraries to follow the migration across both countries without backtracking.