5-Day Ndutu Calving Season Safari

Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and two days on the Ndutu plains while the wildebeest give birth.

5 days Mid-range Tarangire, Ngorongoro & Ndutu From $1,762 per person

5-Day Ndutu Calving Season Safari · 5 days

Package Overview

Between January and March the migrating herds settle on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, in the southern Serengeti, to give birth. Thousands of calves are born every day, and the predators follow close behind, which makes this some of the most dramatic game viewing of the year. This private safari starts with Tarangire's elephants and a full day in the Ngorongoro Crater before two days among the calving herds.

Highlights

Thousands of wildebeest calves born each day
Lion, cheetah and hyena on the hunt
A full morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
Tarangire's elephant herds and baobabs

Route map

Day 1 Kilimanjaro International Airport → Day 2 Tarangire National Park → Day 3 Ngorongoro Crater → Day 4 Ndutu → Day 5 Arusha

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 • Arrival in Arusha

Arusha

We meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to your hotel in Arusha to rest and get ready for the safari.

Day 1 Accommodation, Arusha Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast

Where you'll stay:

Arusha Planet Lodge & Spa or similar

Day 2 • Arusha to Tarangire

Tarangire

Pickup at about 8am for the 2.5-hour drive to Tarangire, famous for its elephant herds and baobab trees, some over a thousand years old. Zebra, giraffe, buffalo, lion and cheetah are common too. Picnic lunch by the Tarangire River and a game drive until evening.

Day 2 Accommodation, Karatu Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Farm of Dreams Lodge, Karatu or similar

Day 3 • Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater

Leave early with a picnic lunch and descend into the Ngorongoro Crater. The caldera is about 3 million years old and 20 km across, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world, and all of the Big Five live on its floor. You'll have at least six hours of game drives inside. Then drive west across the highlands to the Ndutu plains for the night.

Day 3 Accommodation, Ndutu Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Ndutu Safari Lodge or similar

Day 4 • Ndutu: the calving plains

Ndutu

Head out at about 6:30am with a cup of coffee to catch sunrise over the plains as the herds wake up. This is the nursery of the migration: newborn calves find their feet within minutes, and lion, cheetah and hyena are never far away. Picnic lunch in the field and a sunset drive back to the lodge.

Activity · WALKING SAFARI (Optional)

A guided walk with an armed ranger. From $30 per person.

Day 4 Accommodation, Ndutu Meal Plan: Full board

Where you'll stay:

Ndutu Safari Lodge or similar

Day 5 • Ndutu to Arusha

Ndutu

A final morning game drive around Ndutu, where elephant, giraffe, hyena and big cats are all common, then lunch and the drive back over the Ngorongoro highlands. We drop you at your Arusha hotel or the airport.