7-Day Calving Season Safari
Seven days by road in calving season: a night in Arusha, two nights in Ndutu, two in the central Serengeti and a last night on the Ngorongoro Crater rim.
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Comfort
- Premium
- Price
- Price on request
Between about December and March, the wildebeest herds spread over the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the Ndutu area. Most calves are born within a few weeks, usually around February, and lion, cheetah and hyena stay close to the herds.
This route goes by road the whole way. You drive from Arusha over the Ngorongoro highlands and down to Ndutu, spend two nights with the herds, then move north into the central Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Crater comes last, on the way back.
The lodges named on each day are options, not fixed choices. Similar camps can be used to suit your dates and budget.
Day by day
- Day 1: Arrive in Arusha. You are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and driven to Arusha, about an hour away. On a clear day you may see Kilimanjaro behind you and Mount Meru rising ahead as you drive west. Arusha is the starting point for safaris in northern Tanzania, a busy market town at the foot of Meru. The rest of the day is free, which is a welcome thing after a long flight, and tomorrow is a long day on the road. Overnight at Gran Melia Arusha or similar.
- Day 2: Arusha to Ndutu. A long drive west, past Karatu and over the Ngorongoro highlands, then down onto the open plains at Ndutu. Allow about five hours. It is a varied road: Maasai country and the Great Rift Valley first, then farmland, then cool green highland forest before the land drops away to the grass. You game-drive the last stretch into camp, so the safari starts before you arrive. In calving season the herds may already be in sight. Overnight at Nyikani Migration Camp Ndutu or similar.
- Day 3: A full day in Ndutu. A day with the calving herds. Out on the short grass you look for wildebeest with young calves and for cheetah and lion nearby. The grass here grows on volcanic soil rich in minerals, which is the reason the herds come to these plains to give birth. Calving usually peaks around February, but it follows the rain, so the herds' position changes from year to year. The acacia woodland around Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek is worth time too, for giraffe, elephant and resting cats. A picnic lunch keeps you out all day, so you can stay as long as a sighting holds. Overnight at Nyikani Migration Camp Ndutu or similar.
- Day 4: Ndutu to the central Serengeti. Drive north into Serengeti National Park, game viewing on the way. The plains are at their widest here, and after a good rain they can be green from one horizon to the other. You stop for a picnic lunch along the route. The central Serengeti around Seronera has resident wildlife all year, with lion and leopard often seen near the rivers and kopjes, the granite outcrops that rise from the grass. Lions use them as lookouts. Overnight at Melia Serengeti Lodge or similar.
- Day 5: Central Serengeti. A full day in the central Serengeti. Your guide chooses the area based on recent sightings and where the herds have moved, and guides share news with each other through the day. There is plenty to look for besides the big cats. Hippos crowd the river pools, elephants move through the woodland, and giraffe, topi and hartebeest are common on the open ground. Birdlife is rich too, from ostrich and secretary birds to bright lilac-breasted rollers. Overnight at Melia Serengeti Lodge or similar.
- Day 6: Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater. Leave the Serengeti early for the Ngorongoro Crater, about three and a half hours away. The road leaves the park at Naabi Hill, crosses the short-grass plains and climbs into the highlands. Then spend time on the crater floor. Black rhino, lion and large buffalo herds live in the crater all year, sharing about 260 square kilometres with elephant, hyena and flamingos on the soda lake. The rim stands at over 2,000 metres, so evenings up here are cool and a warm layer is useful. Overnight on the crater rim at Melia Ngorongoro Lodge or similar.
- Day 7: Departure. After breakfast on the rim, take a last look across the crater, then drive back to Kilimanjaro International Airport, about four hours, with a packed lunch on the way. The road runs down past Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley escarpment, then through Maasai country and Arusha, so there is plenty to watch through the window before your flight.
Who checked this route
- Checked by Bariki, Senior safari guide, 10 November 2026.
- The drive from Arusha to Ndutu is a long day, but it gives you two full days with the herds before we move to the central Serengeti.