7 Days Luxury Migration Safari: Central and Northern Adventure
7 Days / 6 Nights Days
Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania → Kilimanjaro Airport (via Arusha), Tanzania
Migration
Easy
Why Choose This Safari?
Rather than working through the full northern circuit, this itinerary flies you straight from Arusha into the Serengeti and keeps you there for the entire trip, based first in the west and then in the north. It's built specifically around July to September, when the Great Migration is typically concentrated near the Mara River, so your time is spent where the action actually is rather than on the road between parks. Two distinct camps, Cherero Camp in the west and Aurari Camp in the north, give you a real feel for how the Serengeti's character shifts across the park, and the fly-out finish from Kogatende Airstrip means you avoid a long final drive back to Arusha as well.
Safari Highlights
Note: Full Board = Lunch, Dinner & Breakfast the next morning
Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport and Transfer to Arusha
You're welcomed on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Arusha, where you have the rest of the day to rest and settle in ahead of your flight into the Serengeti the following morning.
Day 2 — Arusha to Serengeti National Park by Air
After being picked up from your hotel, you transfer to Arusha Airport (ARK) for your scheduled flight into the Serengeti, landing at Seronera Airstrip, where you're met by your driver from Cherero Camp (Kantabile Afrika). A hamper lunch is served in the Seronera area, followed by a game drive with a good chance of spotting the area's resident big cats, before a slow, scenic transfer onward to Cherero Camp, around two hours from the hub of the Serengeti. You're warmly welcomed on arrival at camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 — Western and Central Serengeti
You spend the day on morning and afternoon game drives across Western and Central Serengeti, an area known for giraffe, wildebeest, eland, zebra, hartebeest, topi and the elusive lesser kudu grazing across its open plains. The region also holds a strong concentration of elephants and carnivores, making it one of the more reliably productive parts of the park for sightings outside the main migration corridor.
Day 4 — Transfer to Northern Serengeti
After breakfast, you check out of Cherero Camp for a slow, six to seven hour transfer north to Aurari Camp, with game viewing built into the drive along the way. If you'd like, you can round off the day with optional sundowners at Simba Kopjes at an extra cost, watching the sun set over the plains from one of the Serengeti's classic viewpoints, weather permitting. Dinner and overnight at Aurari Camp.
Days 5-6 — Northern Serengeti National Park
You spend two full days exploring Northern Serengeti with game drives centered on this part of the park, where the migrating herds are typically concentrated at this time of year. The movement of close to two million wildebeest, zebra and other grazers through this ecosystem is what drives the Serengeti's entire ecology, and with predators following close behind the herds, July to September tends to deliver some of the most dramatic wildlife viewing of the year. On one of the mornings, you have the option to take a hot air balloon ride over the Mara River at an additional cost of US$600 per person, with advance booking required, for an unforgettable aerial view of the migration below. You return to camp after each game drive to relax before dinner.
Day 7 — Northern Serengeti to Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport, Departure
After breakfast, you say goodbye to the team at Aurari Camp and enjoy a final game drive on your way to Kogatende Airstrip for your departure flight. You fly back to Arusha, where lunch is available at your own expense, before a 90-minute road transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward or international flight. If you'd like to extend your trip with alternative arrangements, such as a stay in Zanzibar, this can be arranged as well.
What's Included
Rate Includes
- Accommodation as per itinerary (6 nights)
- Meal plan as per itinerary
- One-way flight from Arusha to Serengeti-Seronera
- One-way flight from Serengeti-Kogatende to Arusha
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide while on Safari
- Transportation in a 4x4 Land Cruiser on exclusive basis
- Complimentary drinking water and standard drinks provided in safari vehicle
- Flying Doctors air ambulance cover for the duration of your Tanzania safari
- Road transfers (one transfer per group)
- Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) to Arusha
- Drop off at Arusha Airport (JRO)
- Pick up at Serengeti-Seronera Airstrip to start your safari in Central Serengeti
- Drop off at Serengeti-Kogatende at the end of your safari
- Pick up at Seronera Airstrip to start safari in Central Serengeti
- Complimentary WiFi at the camps, subject to signal availability in the remote areas
Rate Excludes
- Tourist Visas for Tanzania (Apply online in advance.)
- Personal Travel & Medical Insurance
- Any international flights and applicable departure taxes
- Tanzania tourist visas
- Any domestic flights and airport taxes
- Premium drinks (such as sparkling water, wines, etc.)
- vaccinations to meet entry requirements, where applicable
- Additional meals not included in the meal plans (such as extra lunches)
- Optional activity offered at Aurari Camp i.e. Sundowner at Simba Kopjes
- Optional hot air balloon ride in the Serengeti (US$600 per person)
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Best Time to Go
This itinerary is built specifically around July to September, the Serengeti's peak season for the Great Migration's Mara River crossings. By this point in the year, close to two million wildebeest, zebra and other grazers have moved north out of their southern calving grounds and concentrate in Northern Serengeti, drawing in predators and producing some of the most dramatic wildlife viewing of the year. Rather than following the slower southern and central circuit, this itinerary flies you directly into the Serengeti and bases you close to the action in both the west and the north, timed to put you in the right place for the crossings. Outside this July to September window, the herds are typically found elsewhere in the ecosystem, so travelers interested in a different season should look at a route built around the Serengeti's other regions instead.
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this safari start and end?
The safari starts and ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). After arriving in Arusha on Day 1, you fly directly into the Serengeti on Day 2 rather than driving the full northern circuit, and the trip ends on Day 7 with a flight from Northern Serengeti back to Arusha followed by a 90-minute road transfer to the airport.
Will we see the Mara River crossings?
This itinerary is timed for July to September specifically because that's when the migration is typically concentrated in Northern Serengeti near the Mara River, which is where Days 5 and 6 are based. Wildlife movement is never guaranteed on any specific day, since the herds follow rainfall and natural patterns rather than a schedule, but this is widely considered the best window for crossing sightings.
Is the hot air balloon ride included?
No, the hot air balloon ride over the Mara River on Days 5 or 6 is an optional add-on at US$600 per person, and it needs to be booked in advance. It's a popular way to see the migration from above, but it's a separate cost from the base safari package.
How many people can book this safari?
This itinerary is set up for groups of 1, 2, 4 or 6 travelers. If your group size falls outside these numbers, it's worth checking with us directly, since pricing and vehicle arrangements are typically built around these group sizes.
Is lunch included on the last day?
No, lunch in Arusha on Day 7 is explicitly at your own expense. All other meals throughout the safari are included, either as bed & breakfast on Day 1 or full board from Day 2 through breakfast on Day 7.