9 Days Great Migration Camping Safari

You touch down in Arusha, where crisp mountain air greets you and Mount Meru looms in the distance like a silent guardian. Your safari guide — warm smile, khaki shirt, and decades of stories — meets you and drives you to your overnight lodge or base camp.

That evening, you sit by the fire with a cup of chai or a cold drink, while your guide shares what lies ahead. You feel it already: life’s about to change.

Accommodation: Outpost Lodge or Green Mountain Hotel (budget-mid-range lodge in Arusha)

After breakfast, you hit the road toward Tarangire, one of Tanzania’s most underrated gems. The landscape changes — flat plains give way to ancient baobab trees, twisted and towering like something out of folklore.

This park is known for its massive elephant herds, some over 100 strong. You'll also see giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeest, and, if you're lucky, lions lounging in dry riverbeds.

Tonight, you camp near the park's edge. Your tent is simple but cozy, and the stars above are overwhelming in their brightness. A hyena whoops somewhere in the distance — wild and alive.

Accommodation: Tarangire Public Campsite (e.g., Zion Campsite or Tarangire River Camp area)

Meal Plan: Full board (breakfast, packed lunch, hot dinner by the campfire)

Today offers a gentle pace. You head toward the Great Rift Valley, where you can explore Lake Manyara National Park or take a cultural walk in Mto wa Mbu.

In the park, keep your eyes peeled for tree-climbing lions, flocks of flamingos, and troops of baboons playing in the fig trees. Or, stroll through Mto wa Mbu’s vibrant village: taste banana beer, meet local artists, and visit a bustling local market. It’s a welcome contrast to the raw wild.

Camp tonight is nestled between banana groves and valley views. The food is fresh, local, and shared around the fire.

Accommodation: Migombani Campsite or Panorama Campsite (overlooking Lake Manyara)

Meal Plan: Full board (camp breakfast, local-style lunch, dinner)

You rise with the sun and climb into the highlands of Ngorongoro. Mist clings to the crater rim as you descend 600 meters into what feels like a prehistoric world.

This is your best chance to spot the elusive black rhino, along with lions, elephants, buffalo, and a shimmering lake filled with flamingos. The crater is packed with wildlife, and every turn of the trail feels like stepping into a documentary.

After your game drive and a quiet lunch by a hippo pool, you make your way toward the Serengeti, camping overnight just before the park gates or near Naabi Hill.

Accommodation: Simba A Campsite (Ngorongoro Crater Rim)

Meal Plan: Full board (camp breakfast, packed lunch for crater, hot dinner)

The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word “Siringet,” meaning “endless plains.” You’ll understand why as the land opens wide — golden grass stretching all the way to the horizon.

Today, you head northward, slowly traversing Central Serengeti. You stop along the way for incredible sightings — perhaps a cheetah stalking its prey on a kopje, or a herd of elephants moving like shadows through the tall grass.

By late afternoon, you reach your wilderness camp in the Northern Serengeti, near the Mara River. This is where the drama begins.

Accommodation: Lobo Public Campsite or Kogatende Area Campsite (Northern Serengeti)

Meal Plan: Full board (breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner at camp)

You wake early. The air is crisp, and silence hangs over the plains — until a distant grunt breaks it. The migration herds are near.

Today is about patience and presence. You position yourself near the Mara River, binoculars ready. Tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebras gather along the banks, hesitant, sensing danger. Crocodiles lurk in the muddy water. The moment they cross, it’s chaos: dust flying, hooves splashing, and the thundering sound of survival.

But it’s not all adrenaline. In between crossings, you’ll find quiet magic — a lioness cuddling her cubs, giraffes feeding at eye level, or hippos sunbathing like boulders.

Your camp tonight is deep in the northern bush. Fire crackles, stories are shared, and the wild sings through the night.

Accommodation: Kogatende Public Campsite or similar near the Mara River

Meal Plan: Full board (early breakfast, packed lunch near river, hot dinner)

With an entire second day in the north, you’re free to explore even deeper.

You might track a cheetah family hunting, find a leopard draped over an acacia branch, or witness a hyena clan clashing with lions over a kill. The beauty of this part of Serengeti is its remoteness — far fewer vehicles, and nature unfolding with no script.

Your guide, sharp-eyed and seasoned, reads the land like a storybook: fresh paw prints in the sand, circling vultures, nervous gazelle. This is raw safari, where moments aren’t guaranteed, but when they happen — they’re unforgettable.

Accommodation: Same as Day 6 – Kogatende area

Meals: Full board (campfire breakfast, bush lunch, relaxed dinner)

You begin your journey southward into Central Serengeti, known as the predator capital of Tanzania. This is where the migration passes through in the shoulder seasons, and where lion prides, leopards, and cheetahs reign.

This region is rich with kopjes (rocky outcrops), great vantage points for wildlife photography. You may spot elephants bathing, martial eagles soaring, or a pride of lions waking from their midday nap.

You’ll camp in Seronera, the beating heart of the Serengeti, where each sunset turns the plains into fire and gold.

Accommodation: Seronera Public Campsite

Meal Plan: Full board (breakfast, picnic lunch, farewell dinner)

You wake early for one last game drive as the Serengeti stirs to life. It’s your final chance to feel the wild in your bones — and you do.

After breakfast, you begin the journey back to Arusha, either by road (with scenic picnic stops) or by bush flight from Seronera airstrip (optional). As the plains fall away beneath the wings or wheels, you're quiet — not from exhaustion, but awe.

You return to Arusha with a camera full of memories, a mind full of stories, and something deeper that can’t be named — only felt.