6 Day Serengeti Calving Season Fly-in Safari

Your Tanzanian adventure begins upon landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where your Safari Under the Sky driver-guide will provide a warm welcome. You will then embark on the approximately one-hour transfer to your hotel in Arusha. Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to receive a brief tour overview either today or tomorrow morning. The remainder of the day is entirely at your leisure to relax, recover from your journey, and soak in the first impressions of Tanzania. You can enjoy the hotel's amenities and rest, preparing for your early flight into the heart of the wilderness the following day.

After breakfast, you will transfer to Arusha Airport for your scheduled domestic flight to the Serengeti region. This scenic journey offers a unique aerial perspective of the landscape. Upon landing, you will be met by your safari guide and begin a game drive en route to your specialized camp in the Ndutu area, located within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After checking in and enjoying lunch, you will head out for an afternoon game drive, getting your first introduction to the vast plains and the early signs of the migratory herds, returning to camp as the sun sets.

Today is dedicated to exploring the Ndutu region, the stage for the calving season. After breakfast, you will set out on a full-day game drive across the short-grass plains. Your guide will track the massive herds of wildebeest and zebra, where you may witness the breathtaking sight of newborn calves. This abundance of vulnerable prey attracts lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, creating exceptional opportunities to observe predator-prey dynamics. You will enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush, immersed in this remarkable natural phenomenon, and continue your exploration throughout the afternoon.

Your second full day in Ndutu allows for deeper exploration of this dynamic ecosystem. You may focus on the shores of Lake Ndutu, an alkaline lake that attracts a wide variety of wildlife, especially from December to April, for drinking and cooling off. Your guide will navigate the plains, following the movements of the herds and searching for hunting predators. The flexibility of a full day with a packed lunch means you can remain in prime viewing locations, patiently waiting for wildlife action and capturing the essence of the calving season on the expansive grasslands.

After breakfast, you bid farewell to Ndutu and travel to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will descend 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest intact volcanic caldera. This natural amphitheater is renowned for its astonishing concentration of wildlife, including the rare black rhino, and boasts Africa's highest density of predators. You will enjoy a full morning of game driving on the crater floor, followed by a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, you ascend the crater rim and drive to your comfortable lodge in the Karatu highlands.

After a leisurely final breakfast, you will begin your journey back to Arusha. This scenic drive through the Tanzanian highlands is your last opportunity to reflect on the incredible wildlife spectacles you have witnessed. Upon arrival in Arusha, you will stop for lunch at a local restaurant and have some time to relax. Afterwards, you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward departure flight, marking the end of your immersive 6-day calving season safari.