After breakfast, you will depart Arusha and drive towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will traverse the cool crater highlands before descending onto the vast, short-grass plains of the south. Your destination is the Ndutu region, which straddles the border between the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Southern Serengeti. During the rainy season (typically December to March), this nutrient-rich area attracts the massive herds of the Great Migration. You will enjoy a game drive en route to your camp, likely witnessing herds stretching as far as the eye can see.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Malaika Ndutu Luxury Camp

You have a full day dedicated to exploring Ndutu. This area is unique because off-road driving is permitted in certain sections, allowing you to get closer to the wildlife than in national parks. You will spend the day following the massive herds, watching newborn calves take their first steps and observing the intense predator-prey interactions. The area is famous for its high density of cheetahs, which thrive on the open plains, as well as lions, hyenas, and smaller predators like bat-eared foxes. The sight of thousands of animals covering the plains is a photographer’s dream.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Malaika Ndutu Luxury Camp

After a final morning game drive in the Serengeti to track any wildlife you may have missed, you will bid farewell to the plains and drive back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This return journey offers a second chance to spot wildlife across the plains, such as hyenas and jackals. You will ascend into the crater highlands, arriving at your lodge on the crater rim (or in nearby Karatu) in the late afternoon. The evening is spent relaxing and enjoying the spectacular views, preparing for the descent into the crater the next day.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Lions Paw

You will start this final day very early to maximize your time in the crater. It is a short drive from Karatu to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate, where you will descend 600 meters to the crater floor. This ancient volcanic caldera is a self-contained ecosystem teeming with wildlife, including the Big Five. You will spend the morning exploring the crater floor, with high chances of spotting lions, hyenas, and the critically endangered Black Rhino. After a picnic lunch near the hippo pool, you will ascend the steep walls and begin the drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The drive takes you past Arusha and on to the airport, arriving in the early evening.

Meal: Breakfast & Lunch

Important Flight Note: Please note that your safari ends at around 18:00 hours at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Please plan your outbound flight to depart after 20:00 hours for domestic flight and 21:00 hours for International Flight. If you have an earlier flight please consider adding an extra night in Arusha.