8-Day River Crossing Safari
Eight days by road in river crossing season: Arusha National Park and Tarangire, two nights in the northern Serengeti by the Mara River, two in the central Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Comfort
- Premium
- Price
- Price on request
From around July to October the herds are usually in the northern Serengeti, moving back and forth across the Mara River. Crossings depend on the herds and the rain, so nobody can promise one on a given day. Time near the river is what gives you a fair chance.
The route starts close to Arusha, with an afternoon in Arusha National Park and a day in Tarangire. A long drive then takes you to the northern Serengeti for two nights. You work your way back through the central Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.
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: Arusha National Park. From Kilimanjaro International Airport, drive about an hour to Arusha, then on to Arusha National Park for an afternoon game drive. It is a small park, and an easy first outing after a long flight, with Mount Meru rising behind it. Look for colobus monkeys in the forest and giraffe and buffalo in the open glades. The Momella Lakes often hold water birds, and at times flamingos. Lions are absent from this park, so come for the scenery, the birds and the monkeys rather than big cats. Overnight at Arusha Farm House or similar.
- Day 2: Tarangire National Park. Drive to Tarangire, about two hours. In the dry season elephants gather along the Tarangire River in large numbers, because it is the main source of water for the wildlife in the area at that time. Old baobabs stand all along the valley, and they make this park easy to recognise. After a picnic lunch, continue to Karatu, about an hour and a half, climbing the Rift Valley wall to reach cooler farming country. Overnight at Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge or similar.
- Day 3: Karatu to the northern Serengeti. A long day north, about five hours of driving plus game viewing, through the Ngorongoro highlands and the length of the Serengeti. You see the park change as you go. From the forest on the crater rim you drop to the short-grass plains, pass the Seronera valley and enter the hillier north. Herds could appear at any point at this time of year. It is a tiring day, but you arrive right where you want to be. Overnight at Enkutoto Migration Camp or similar.
- Day 4: Northern Serengeti. A full day by the Mara River. Your guide reads where the herds are building up and finds a spot to wait. Nobody can promise a crossing on a given day, since the herds move on their own schedule and depend on rain, but time near the river is what gives you a fair chance. When the animals do go, the crossing can be chaotic, with wildebeest and zebra plunging down steep banks past crocodiles. Between crossings the river is still rewarding, with hippos, elephants and big cats nearby. Overnight at Enkutoto Migration Camp or similar.
- Day 5: North to the central Serengeti. Game-drive south to the central Serengeti, with stops for whatever you find on the way. It is a full day, and there is no need to hurry. The drive shows you a good length of the park, from the hills and woodland of the north to the wide Seronera valley. Scattered herds, elephant and giraffe are all possible along the way. Overnight at Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti or similar.
- Day 6: Central Serengeti. A full day around Seronera, where big cats are resident all year. With the migration usually up north at this time of year, the lion prides and leopards of the central valley stay put. The Seronera River is the best place to search for leopard, and the kopjes are favourite lookouts for lion. Hippo pools and open plains round out the day, and your guide will shape the route around what other guides have reported. Overnight at Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti or similar.
- Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater. An early start for the Ngorongoro Crater, about three and a half hours away. Spend time on the crater floor, where black rhino, lion, elephant and buffalo live all year within the walls of the old volcano. In the dry months the green swamps and the Lerai forest stand out against the dry grassland. Then drive up and out to Karatu, a farming town of coffee and wheat just below the rim. Overnight at Marera Valley Lodge or similar.
- Day 8: Departure. Drive from Karatu to Kilimanjaro International Airport, about four hours, with a packed lunch. The road drops over the Rift Valley wall with views across Lake Manyara, passes the busy roadside market town of Mto wa Mbu and runs on through Maasai country and Arusha to the airport, in time for your flight home.
Who checked this route
- Checked by Bariki, Senior safari guide, 10 November 2026.
- Two nights in the north for the crossings, then two in the central Serengeti for the big cats. It's a full week, but the road days are spaced out.