9-Day Serengeti and Grumeti Fly-in Safari
A luxury fly-in safari with four nights in the central Serengeti and four in the private Grumeti reserve on the western corridor, split between two camps.
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Comfort
- Luxury
- Price
- Price on request
You fly into Seronera and spend four nights in the central Serengeti, where lion, leopard and cheetah live all year. Then you move west to the Grumeti reserve, a private concession with only a few camps, for four nights in two different camps.
The herds usually pass through the western corridor from around May to July, but the route works in any month. You fly out from Sasakwa airstrip in Grumeti.
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: Fly to the Serengeti. Land at Seronera airstrip. The camp team meets you there. Flying in lets you skip the long road over the highlands, and you are in the middle of the Serengeti from the first day. Settle in, then go out on an afternoon game drive. The late light is good for photographs, and it is a relaxed way to start, with no need to rush. Overnight at One Nature Nyaruswiga or similar.
- Day 2: Central Serengeti. A full day around Seronera. The rivers and kopjes here hold resident lion and leopard. You go out morning and afternoon, when the animals are most active, and spend the middle of the day out of the heat. The Seronera River is the place to look for leopard resting in the trees, while lions favour the kopjes. Giraffe, elephant, topi and hartebeest are common on the open ground and in the woodland. Overnight at One Nature Nyaruswiga or similar.
- Day 3: Central Serengeti. Head further out today, to the open plains or the hippo pools, depending on recent sightings. The pools are a noisy, crowded sight, with dozens of hippos packed together in the water. The open plains suit cheetah, which need space to run, and give you long views over grazing herds if the migration is nearby. Your guide will choose the direction based on what other guides have reported. Overnight at One Nature Nyaruswiga or similar.
- Day 4: Central Serengeti. A last day in the central Serengeti, at whatever pace suits you. With three full days here you have probably covered the main areas, so this is a good day to go back to the sightings you liked best. Stay out longer in the morning, or spend time with one pride or one family of elephants and watch how they behave. It is also a good time to ask your guide about tracks, birds and the smaller animals you may have passed. Overnight at One Nature Nyaruswiga or similar.
- Day 5: Central Serengeti to Grumeti. Game-drive west to the Grumeti reserve on the Serengeti's western corridor. The corridor is a long arm of the park reaching towards Lake Victoria, with the Grumeti River running through it. The reserve borders the national park, and it is a private concession, so the feel changes as you arrive: fewer vehicles and a lot of quiet space. The migrating herds usually pass through this part of the Serengeti around May to July, though the timing varies each year. Overnight at Singita Faru Faru Lodge or similar.
- Day 6: Grumeti. A full day in the reserve. With few vehicles around, sightings are quiet and unhurried, so you can stay with an animal without a queue forming behind you. The country is a mix of open plains, woodland and rocky hills, with the Grumeti River and its big crocodiles running through. Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and many kinds of antelope live here. Morning and afternoon drives keep you out at the best times of day. Overnight at Singita Faru Faru Lodge or similar.
- Day 7: Grumeti, change of camp. Move to a second camp in another part of the reserve, with a game drive on the way. A move like this means you see more of the country instead of driving back over the same ground each day. The drive is a chance to cross parts of the reserve that you would not reach from your first camp, and the views and wildlife shift as you go. Overnight at Singita Sabora Tented Camp or similar.
- Day 8: Grumeti. A last full day in Grumeti. Activities depend on the camp and the season, so ask what is on offer when you arrive. Game drives run morning and afternoon, and your guide will know which areas have been best in recent days. This is a good last chance to look for anything you have been hoping to see, and to spend time just enjoying the quiet of the plains. Overnight at Singita Sabora Tented Camp or similar.
- Day 9: Fly out. After breakfast, transfer to Sasakwa airstrip for your onward flight. Keep your camera close on the drive, since animals can turn up on the way. From here small planes connect back to Arusha and Kilimanjaro, or on to Zanzibar and other parks. Your onward plans decide which flight you take and what time you leave.
Who checked this route
- Checked by Bariki, Senior safari guide, 10 November 2026.
- Four nights in the central Serengeti, then Grumeti, a private reserve where we can walk and drive at night, which the national park doesn't allow.