6 Day Wanderlust Calving Season Safari

DAY 1:  Arrival in Arusha
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport, a representative from Maramatta Safaris will meet you and transfer you to your accommodation in Arusha for an overnight stay, where you will rest in preparation for the next day’s adventures.

Accommodation: Summit Lodge
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After an early breakfast at 8:00 AM, you’ll receive a short briefing before departing for Tarangire National Park. Known for its baobab trees and seasonal marshes, the park is home to the largest elephant population in northern Tanzania, as well as giraffes, buffaloes, lions, zebras, and various antelope.

A hot lunch will be served in the afternoon at a picnic site, after which you’ll continue exploring the park. In the evening, you’ll head to your accommodation in Karatu for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Eileen’s Tree Inn
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 3: Karatu to Ndutu Region
Your safari will start at 8 AM with a pickup from your hotel in Karatu, heading to the Ndutu region. Shortly into the drive, you’ll enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the landscape transitions from hilly forests to open grasslands. Upon reaching Ndutu, you’ll embark on a half-day game drive with a picnic lunch stop. The area is part of the annual migration route for over 2 million wildebeests, zebras, antelopes, and gazelles. From December to April, the plains become calving grounds, attracting predators. After game viewing, you’ll head to your accommodation for dinner.

Accommodation: Serengeti View Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 4: Full Day Game Drive in Ndutu
After witnessing the migration, on the previous day, you’ll have another opportunity to view this incredible wildlife spectacle in the Ndutu region, part of both Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You can have a relaxed breakfast and begin a full-day game drive, following the migration with a packed lunch.

From December to April, the plains become calving grounds, attracting predators. The game drive will end around 5:00 PM, after which you’ll return to your accommodation for dinner and rest, preparing for the next day’s adventure.

Accommodation: Serengeti View Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 5: Ngorongoro Crater to Karatu
After an early breakfast, you’ll drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater before descending into it. The crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, spans 265 square kilometers with 600-meter-deep sides and is home to around 30,000 mammals.

It offers stunning scenery and is one of the best places in East Africa to see the “Big Five” (elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, and sometimes leopard). After a picnic lunch, you’ll continue the game drive until late afternoon, then ascend the crater and head to your lodgings in Karatu for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Eileen’s Tree Inn
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 6: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha
After an early breakfast, you’ll drive to Lake Manyara National Park, known for its tree-climbing lions and abundant birdlife, with over 500 species present. First-time visitors can expect to spot around 100 species in a day. The acacia woodlands within the park are home to tree-climbing lions and large elephants, along with giraffes, zebras, hyenas, buffalo, hippos, and wildebeests.

Lunch will be served inside the park, and after further exploration, you’ll return to Arusha. Those continuing their journey to Zanzibar can catch a flight from Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Accommodation: No accommodation
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch