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Safari plan · 8 days · Northern circuit · Midrange

Mara River Crossings

A light-aircraft flight to the northern Serengeti, three nights beside the Mara River in the crossing season, and a slow drive back south through the central Serengeti and over the Ngorongoro highlands.

ArushaKogatendeSerengetiKaratuArusha
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Length8 days · 7 nights
ParksNorthern & central Serengeti, Ngorongoro
Starts & endsArusha / Kilimanjaro Airport
ComfortMidrange tented camps & lodges
Best monthsJuly–October only
OverviewThe routeDay by dayRatesWhere you sleepIncludedAdd-onsWhen to goFlights & extrasFAQEnquire
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IOverview

Three nights on the river, because the herds keep their own timetable.

The river crossings are the scene most people picture when they think of the migration: wildebeest and zebra bunching on a high bank, then going down into the Mara River in a rush, with crocodiles waiting. They happen in the northern Serengeti, a long way from anywhere, roughly from July to October. This plan flies you straight there and keeps you there for three nights.

Be clear about what that buys. A crossing cannot be scheduled or promised. Herds can gather on the bank for hours or days and then turn away; some days you will see none at all. Three nights on the river raises the odds considerably, and nothing guarantees it. The drive back south, through the central Serengeti and over the crater highlands, is there so the week is worth it whatever the river does.

Major attractions · 3
  1. 01The Mara River, northern Serengeti
  2. 02Central Serengeti (Seronera)
  3. 03Ngorongoro Crater
Trip detailsPrivate, fly-in
Tour length
8 days · 7 nights
Country
Tanzania
Start / end
Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), both ways
Accommodation
Midrange
Tour type
Private safari with one light-aircraft flight
Group size
Maximum per vehicle
Meal plan
Full board on safari
Best period
Jul–Oct
Activity level
Easy — long waits and two long road days
Request a free quote →Questions? WhatsApp +255 762 914 714
IIThe route

Fly north to the river, drive back south through the whole park.

8 days, 7 nights, 4 places to sleep. The solid line is this plan; the dotted lines are the other roads through the region. Point at a day to see its leg.

Route map: Arusha by air to Kogatende on the Mara River, then by road through the central Serengeti and the crater highlands back to Arusha Kilimanjaro NP Kibo Serengeti NP Ngorongoro CA Arusha NP L. Manyara L. Eyasi L. Natron N Arusha Karatu Seronera Lobo Kogatende Kilimanjaro Airport Makuyuni Mto wa Mbu Crater floor Olduvai Naabi Hill
  1. 01Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha~1 h road
  2. 02Arusha → Kogatende airstrip~2 h flight · ~½ h road · ~4 h game
  3. 03Kogatende & the river crossing points~9 h game
  4. 04Kogatende & the river crossing points~9 h game
  5. 05Kogatende → Lobo → Central SerengetiThe long day~6 h road · ~3 h game
  6. 06Seronera & the Seronera valley~9 h game
  7. 07Central Serengeti → KaratuThe long day~5 h road · ~2 h game
  8. 08Karatu → the crater → Arusha → Kilimanjaro AirportThe long day~5½ h road · ~4 h game
Overnight stopPassing throughSchematic, roughly to scale
IIIDay by day

Eight days, one at a time.

Each day lands on top of the last as you scroll: honest road time, game time, meals and where you sleep. Times are door to door in a safari vehicle and move with the season and what you stop for.

Mount Meru above Arusha in the evening — 1600×1200
ArushaADD IMAGE · Mount Meru above Arusha in the evening
01/ 08

About an hour by road. Nothing else asked of you.

03°22′S 36°41′EDay 1 · Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha

Arrive in Arusha

Travel
~1 h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
Dinner
Sleep
Garden lodge
  1. On landing

    Your guide meets you at arrivals with your name. The drive to Arusha is about an hour, on tarmac.

  2. Evening

    Dinner and the briefing: the flight north, the luggage limit on the light aircraft, and how a day waiting at the river actually works.

Pack soft

Light aircraft take soft bags only, with a weight limit per person. Ask us for the current figure before you pack; anything extra can stay in Arusha.

Light aircraft on the Kogatende airstrip, northern Serengeti — 1600×1200
Kogatende airstripADD IMAGE · Light aircraft on the Kogatende airstrip, northern Serengeti
02/ 08

A light-aircraft flight of roughly two hours, often with stops, then straight out to the river.

01°42′S 35°00′EDay 2 · Arusha → Kogatende airstrip

Fly north to the Mara River

Travel
~2 h flight + ~½ h road
Game viewing
~4 h
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Tented camp near the river
  1. Morning

    A short drive to Arusha airport for the scheduled light aircraft. The flight usually stops at one or more Serengeti airstrips on the way, so allow for about two hours, sometimes more. Ask us for the day’s timings when you book.

  2. Midday

    A guide and vehicle meet you on the Kogatende airstrip. Lunch at camp or packed, depending on the landing time.

  3. Afternoon

    The first drive along the river, learning where the crossing points are and where the herds are sitting.

Your vehicle in the north

Whether your own guide drives north to meet you or a guide based in the north takes over for these days depends on the season and the camp. Ask us which applies to your dates.

Wildebeest crossing the Mara River, northern Serengeti — 1600×1200
Kogatende & the river crossing pointsADD IMAGE · Wildebeest crossing the Mara River, northern Serengeti
03/ 08

No transfer. A full day on the river, much of it waiting.

01°42′S 35°00′EDay 3 · Kogatende & the river crossing points

The Mara River, all day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, second night
  1. First light

    Out early to see where the herds spent the night and which bank they are gathering on.

  2. Midday

    Picnic lunch in the vehicle or under a tree within sight of the water. Most crossing days are hours of waiting for minutes of action.

  3. Afternoon

    Your guide follows the herds and the radio between crossing points. Back at camp before the park’s closing time.

How a crossing works

Herds gather on the bank, sometimes for hours or days, and may turn away at the last moment. Vehicles keep back from the edge so the animals are not pushed off their line. Patience is the whole skill.

Wildebeest gathering on the high bank of the Mara River — 1600×1200
Kogatende & the river crossing pointsADD IMAGE · Wildebeest gathering on the high bank of the Mara River
04/ 08

Another day at the river. This is the day that makes the odds.

01°42′S 35°00′EDay 4 · Kogatende & the river crossing points

The Mara River, a second full day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, third night
  1. First light

    Out as the gates allow. By now you and your guide know the stretch of river and its habits.

  2. Midday

    If the river is quiet, the northern plains have their own resident animals — lion, elephant, and the herds grazing between crossings.

  3. Afternoon

    Back to the river for the last hours of light, then camp.

If you see nothing

It happens. A second and third day on the river is why this plan has them. It still does not guarantee a crossing, and we will not tell you it does.

Lions beside an open safari vehicle in the Serengeti
The drive south
The long day05/ 08

The long one: about six hours of driving on park tracks, a full day with the stops.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 5 · Kogatende → Lobo → Central Serengeti

South through the whole Serengeti

Travel
~6 h road
Game viewing
~3 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Permanent tented camp
  1. Early

    A last look at the river if the herds are close, then south through the northern woodland.

  2. Midday

    Through the Lobo area, with its granite hills and kopjes. Lunch packed, wherever it makes sense to stop.

  3. Afternoon

    Down onto the open country of the central Serengeti, arriving at camp near Seronera before dark.

Why drive, not fly

Flying back would save the day but skip the middle of the park. Driving it is a game drive the length of the Serengeti. If you would rather fly, see ‘Make it yours’.

The Serengeti plains
Central Serengeti
06/ 08

No transfer today. Out at first light, back at dusk.

02°27′S 34°49′EDay 6 · Seronera & the Seronera valley

The central Serengeti, all day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~9 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same camp, second night
  1. First light

    Out with a flask and a packed breakfast. The first two hours are when the cats move.

  2. Midday

    A picnic lunch under a tree. The central Serengeti holds resident lion, leopard and cheetah all year, whatever the herds are doing.

  3. Afternoon

    Where you go depends on what the guides have heard. Back at camp before closing time.

The gravel road across the short-grass plains toward the Ngorongoro highlands — 1600×1200
KaratuADD IMAGE · The gravel road across the short-grass plains toward the Ngorongoro highlands
The long day07/ 08

A morning drive, then about 5 hours back over the crater rim.

03°20′S 35°40′EDay 7 · Central Serengeti → Karatu

Over the highlands to Karatu

Travel
~5 h road
Game viewing
~2 h
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Farm lodge
  1. Morning

    One more early drive, then out through Naabi Hill gate.

  2. Midday

    Across the short-grass plains, past the Olduvai turn and up onto the crater highlands. The last stretch before the tarmac is corrugated gravel.

  3. Evening

    Karatu sits in cool coffee country below the rim. You will want a fleece at dinner.

The Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater
The long day08/ 08

A morning on the crater floor, then about 4½ hours to the airport.

03°26′S 37°05′EDay 8 · Karatu → the crater → Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport

The crater floor, then home

Travel
~5½ h road
Game viewing
~4 h
Meals
B · picnic L
Sleep
Homeward
  1. Dawn

    Down the descent road as it opens, when the floor is quietest.

  2. On the floor

    Grassland, soda lake and swamp in one bowl, and the likeliest place in Tanzania for black rhino, though never a certainty. Up again around midday.

  3. Afternoon

    Down the escarpment to Arusha and on to Kilimanjaro Airport for a late-evening flight.

Rather not rush it?

Add a night in Karatu or Arusha and fly the next day. Tell us your flight time and we will say whether the crater fits.

IVRates

Priced by group size, because the vehicle is shared.

Park fees, accommodation, vehicle, guide and meals as listed — per person, no booking fees. Rates move with the month and lodge availability; your quote is fixed once you book.

Midrange · price per person, sharing
Group size1 person2 people3 people4 people5 people6 people
From yearraterateraterateraterate
Single supplementamount
Children

Child policy: ages, sharing discount, lodge minimum ages

What moves the price

What changes itHow much

  • The month you travel

    The dry season and the Christmas weeks are peak rates at almost every camp. The long rains are the lowest.

  • How many share the vehicle

    The vehicle and guide cost the same for two people or six, so the per-person price falls as the group grows.

  • Where you sleep

    The same night can cost several times more at one camp than at another a short drive away.

  • Flying instead of driving

    A light-aircraft seat replaces hours in the vehicle, and costs more than the time it saves.

  • Park fees

    Fixed per person per day by the authorities, and the same whoever you book with. We show them as their own line.

Not sure which level suits you? Tell us your dates, group and budget and we will send an itemised quote with named properties.

Request a free quote →
On request
On request
VWhere you sleep

Four places in seven nights, three of them by the Mara River.

Each night is described by type first, because the right camp depends on your month. The properties we normally use at each level are listed below; your quote confirms them against availability.

Night 11×

Arusha

Garden lodge or small hotel

One night to land and sleep, close to the airport for the morning flight north.

Midrange here means
En-suite room, hot water, mains power, Wi-Fi.
Step up
A coffee-estate lodge on the slopes of Meru.
Nights 2–43×

Northern Serengeti (Kogatende)

Seasonal or permanent tented camp near the river

Close enough to the crossing points to be there when the herds move, and three nights so one quiet day does not cost you the trip.

Midrange here means
En-suite tent, hot shower (often bucket-filled), power in the evenings, no fence.
Step up
A camp closer to the river with more space and fewer tents.
Nights 5–62×

Central Serengeti

Permanent tented camp

Two nights where the resident cats are, and a full day with no transfer.

Midrange here means
En-suite tent, hot shower, power in the evenings, no fence.
Step up
A smaller camp away from the busiest Seronera circuits.
Night 71×

Karatu highlands

Farm or garden lodge

Close to the crater gate for the early descent, and cool after the plains.

Midrange here means
Cottage rooms, mains power, gardens to walk in.
Step up
A lodge on the crater rim itself, at a noticeably higher price.

The properties we use

WhereMidrangeLuxury
Arushapropertyproperty
Northern Serengeti (Kogatende)propertyproperty
Central Serengetipropertyproperty
Karatu highlandspropertyproperty

What ‘midrange’ means on this trip

  • En-suite everywhere. Your own bathroom every night, including by the river.
  • Hot water. Always available; in the north it is usually a bucket shower filled on request.
  • Power. Solar or generator hours in the Serengeti. Bring a power bank and spare camera batteries.
  • Busy months. July to October is peak season in the north. Camps near the river fill early; book as soon as your dates are firm.
VIThe fine print

What is in the price, and what isn’t.

✓Included

  • Private 4×4 safari vehiclePop-up roof, window seat for everyone
  • A professional driver-guideSee day two for how the north is covered
  • Light-aircraft seat, Arusha → KogatendeScheduled flight, soft bags only
  • All park and conservation feesIncluding the crater service fee. Itemised on your quote
  • Seven nights’ accommodationAs described above
  • Meals as listed each dayFull board from day two
  • Drinking water in the vehicle
  • Airport transfersKilimanjaro Airport, both ways

–Not included

  • International flights
  • Tanzanian visaApply online before you travel
  • Travel insuranceRequired. It must cover medical evacuation
  • Tips for guide and camp staffWe send guidance with your booking
  • Drinks at lodges and campsUnless the property includes them
  • Optional activitiesBalloon flight, cultural visits
VIIAdd-ons & changes

The plan is a starting point, not a package.

The changes people ask for most, each with what it costs you in days or hours. Not in the standard price — arranged on request, and most can be combined.

−2 days roadprice

Fly both ways

Fly out of the north to Seronera or Arusha instead of driving the length of the park. You lose the drive south, the Karatu night and the crater; you gain back two long road days. Costs more.

Makes senseWhen time matters more than the drive
Private flying →
+1 nightprice

A fourth night on the river

One more full day at the crossing points. The single best way to raise the odds further, though still not a promise.

Makes senseIf a crossing is the reason for the trip
The migration month by month →
Same lengthprice

Balloon over the Serengeti

Swap the dawn drive on day six for a balloon flight over the central Serengeti, landing to breakfast in the bush.

Makes senseAny season it operates
The balloon, honestly →
+1 nightprice

Tarangire on the way out

Add a night in Tarangire before the flight north. In the dry months its river draws large elephant herds.

Makes senseJuly to October
Tarangire →
+3–5 nightsprice

Finish on Zanzibar

Fly to the island at the end instead of home. An hour in the air.

Makes senseEveryone, most of the year
Zanzibar →
VIIIWhen to go

Rated for this route, not for the country.

This plan only makes sense from July to October, when the herds are usually in the northern Serengeti and crossing the Mara River back and forth. Even then the timing moves from year to year with the rain: some years the first herds reach the river in late June, some years not until well into July. Outside those months the north is quiet and this is the wrong plan — see the calving plan or the central Serengeti instead.

Jan
Herds far south
Feb
Herds far south
Mar
Herds far south
Apr
Long rains
May
Herds moving west
Jun
Herds on the move
Jul
Herds reach the Mara
Aug
River crossings
Sep
River crossings
Oct
Herds turning south
Nov
Herds leaving
Dec
Herds far south
Three bars — the route at its bestTwo — good, with trade-offsOne — possible, and quiet
IXFlights & extras

Getting there.

Arrive

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

About an hour by road from Arusha, and the airport most long-haul connections use. Land any time on day one — the first night exists to absorb late arrivals.

Depart

Kilimanjaro International (JRO)

Day eight starts on the crater floor and ends at the airport in the evening. Only book a late-evening departure, and ask us before booking anything earlier.

Via Nairobi

Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO)

Workable: a short regional flight or a road transfer across the Namanga border to Arusha. It adds most of a day, so allow an extra night.

What else to budget.

Not part of the safari price, in order of how much they matter.

  • Tanzanian visaApply online before travel
    Current fee
  • Travel insuranceMust cover medical evacuation
    Typical cost
  • TipsGuide and camp staff, per day
    Guideline
  • DrinksAt lodges and camps
    Typical range
  • Personal spendingLaundry, crafts, extras
    Varies
XWhy book with us

Only what we can prove.

01

Arusha, since 2010

A Tanzanian company, locally owned, running safaris and climbs from Arusha for more than fifteen years.

02

Licensed and registered

TALA-licensed through the Tanzania Tourist Board and registered with BRELA. Ask us for the numbers; we will send them.

03

One guide, one vehicle

The same guide drives you from the first day to the last. Nobody else joins your vehicle.

04

Every fee on its own line

Park, conservation and concession fees are shown separately on your quote, so you can see exactly what goes to the authorities.

XIQuestions

The ones we are asked most.

We cannot promise it, and nobody honestly can. Crossings happen when the herds decide, sometimes several a day, sometimes none for days. Three nights on the river gives you good odds in the season; it is still a matter of luck and patience.

July to October. August and September are the months most often associated with crossings, but the herds move with the rain and the timing shifts every year. Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly how they look.

At the popular crossing points, in peak weeks, yes — many vehicles can gather for a crossing. Your guide will look for quieter stretches where the river allows, but there is no hiding it in August.

Flying north saves the longest drive in the country. Driving back turns the return into a game drive through the Lobo area and the central Serengeti, which have their own animals whatever the herds are doing.

Days five and seven are long, mostly on gravel and park tracks, and can be dusty and corrugated. Tiring, not dangerous.

Yes, with thought about the two long road days. Some camps set a minimum age; ask us and we will choose properties that welcome the ages in your group.

Begin here

Send us your dates. We will send you the real version.

Named camps, the right direction of travel for your month, every fee on its own line — and a straight answer if another plan would suit you better.

Rather talk it through?WhatsApp us+255 762 914 714
Safari request Mara River Crossings 8 days · 7 nights · private, fly-in
01When, and what for?
How fixed are the dates?
What do you want from it? Pick any
02Who’s coming?
Travelling as
03How you like it
Style of camp

Not a commitment. It lets us send something realistic instead of something you have to reject.

04Where to reach you
We need a name to write back to.
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