6-Day Calving Season Safari

6 Days / 5 Nights From $2,890 pp Moderate

Quick Facts

Duration	6 days / 5 nights
Price from	$2,890 per person
Difficulty	Moderate
Group size	2–24 guests
Destinations	Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park

Tour Overview

Between January and March, the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ndutu witness one of nature's most breathtaking events — the annual wildebeest calving season. Over 8,000 calves are born every single day at the peak, drawing the full cast of Serengeti predators to the feast. This is not just a wildlife safari. It is an immersion in the raw, unfiltered cycle of life. This six-day circuit is crafted to place you at the heart of the action. You begin with Tarangire's legendary elephant herds, then push south into Ndutu — the epicentre of the calving spectacle — before ascending the Ngorongoro Crater rim for a dawn descent into Africa's most concentrated wildlife arena. Morning after morning, your expert guide reads the landscape to position you exactly where the drama is unfolding. Accommodation ranges from comfortable tented camps to crater-rim lodges, all full-board, so the only thing on your agenda is watching the story unfold.

Highlights

Witness thousands of wildebeest calves in their first hours of life

Track the full predator cast — lions, cheetah, leopard, hyena, wild dog

Tarangire's ancient baobabs and resident elephant herds

Ndutu — the calving season's ground zero, rarely visited outside the season

Full-day crater floor drive in the Ngorongoro — Africa's Big Five arena

Private 4×4 vehicle with an expert, English-speaking naturalist guide

Small group size for an intimate, unrushed experience

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Your 6-day journey through Tanzania, crafted for unforgettable moments at every stop.

Day 1

Arrival in Arusha

Dinner Kibo Palace Hotel, Arusha or similar

Welcome to Tanzania. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), your Explore Jambo Maasai representative will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Arusha. Check in, freshen up, and enjoy a welcome dinner as your guide walks you through the days ahead. Arusha sits at the foot of Mount Meru and serves as the gateway to Tanzania's northern safari circuit — a fitting start to the adventure.

Day 2

Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Lunch · Dinner Tarangire River Camp or similar

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide collects you and you set off towards Tarangire — a park celebrated for the largest elephant population in East Africa. Enter through the main gate and begin an afternoon game drive winding through the ancient baobab forests along the Tarangire River. Elephants congregate here in extraordinary numbers during the dry season, but even now the concentration is remarkable. Watch for tree-climbing lions, large packs of mongoose, and hundreds of bird species. Arrive at camp before sunset, settle in, and let the sounds of the bush lull you to sleep.

Day 3

Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Ndutu Safari Lodge or similar

Depart Tarangire and drive through the lush highlands of Karatu — Tanzania's "Garden Town" — before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The road climbs through montane forest before breaking open onto the crater rim, where sweeping views of the caldera unfold below you. Continue down through the highlands, past Maasai bomas and open savanna, descending towards the short-grass plains of Ndutu on the southern Serengeti boundary. Arrive at the lodge in time for an orientation game drive and your first glimpse of the gathering herds.

Day 4

Full Game Drive in Ndutu Area

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Ndutu Safari Lodge or similar

This is the centrepiece of the safari — a full day on the short-grass plains of Ndutu where the wildebeest calving spectacle reaches its peak between January and March. Over 8,000 calves are born every day at the height of the season, drawing the full cast of Serengeti predators to the feast. Lions work the edges of calving clusters, cheetah sprint through the open grass, and spotted hyena are everywhere. Your guide will read the landscape and animal behaviour to keep you in the heart of the action all day. An optional picnic lunch on the plains means you never have to leave the drama.

Day 5

Ndutu to Central Serengeti National Park

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp or similar

A morning game drive in Ndutu before heading north into the Central Serengeti — the vast open plains around Seronera that form the park's wildlife-rich heartland. The Seronera Valley is home to one of Africa's highest densities of leopard, and lion prides are a constant presence along the river courses. Arrive at your tented camp in time for sunset over the endless Serengeti horizon, with another full evening and morning of game viewing ahead.

Day 6

Serengeti to Arusha

Breakfast & Lunch

Rise early for a final dawn game drive on the Serengeti plains before departing for Arusha. The long drive back takes you through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with its dramatic highland landscapes. Arriving in Arusha in the late afternoon, your driver will transfer you to your hotel or directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward journey. Six unforgettable days in some of Africa's greatest wilderness — and memories that will last a lifetime.