Culture & calving
Ndutu, Crater & Hadzabe
Big cats on the Ndutu plains, a crater descent, a morning with Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and a village day in Mto wa Mbu - wildlife and people in one trip.
From$1,069
View trip
Length7 days / 6 nights
From$2,849per person sharing, 2 travellers
StartsArusha / JROAny date
StylePrivate 4x4Your own guide
Route
Ngorongoro · Ndutu · Central Serengeti · Karatu
Why this trip works
- Two full days in Ndutu, timed to the calving season (January to March)
- Six cat species possible: lion, leopard, cheetah, caracal, serval and wildcat
- Ngorongoro Crater descent on the way in
- Central Serengeti kopjes for lion and leopard
Day by day
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Day 1 · Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport
Met at JRO with a short briefing and driven to Arusha for the night, with Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru visible on a clear evening.
Arusha Planet Lodge·Half board
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Day 2 · Ngorongoro Crater to Ndutu
An early descent into the crater: rhino, lion, the big herds and flamingo on the soda lake. Lunch at Ngoitoktok, then on to the Ndutu plains for dinner at camp.
Nyikani Migration Camp, Ndutu·Full board
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Day 3 · Full day in Ndutu
Sunrise departure with a packed lunch for a full day in the Ndutu woodlands and around Lake Ndutu. In calving season a million wildebeest drop thousands of calves a day and the predators are never far away.
Nyikani Migration Camp, Ndutu·Full board
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Day 4 · Ndutu to Central Serengeti
A half-day game drive in Ndutu before you cross into the Serengeti proper: endless plains, big skies, and the Seronera valley where game concentrates year-round.
Into Wild Africa, Serengeti·Full board
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Day 5 · Central Serengeti to Karatu
A morning game drive on the Seronera kopjes, lunch on the road, then the drive back through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Karatu.
Pamoja Farm Lodge, Karatu·Full board
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Day 6 · Karatu and Mto wa Mbu
A relaxed morning with a stop at Mto wa Mbu for crafts and a look at village life on the way back towards Arusha.
Pamoja Farm Lodge, Karatu·Full board
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Day 7 · Karatu to Arusha and departure
Breakfast, then the drive back to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight home or on to Zanzibar.
Departure·Breakfast
Included
- Private Land Cruiser with two open roofs, fridge and charging system
- Six nights full board (Arusha Planet Lodge, Nyikani Migration Camp, Into Wild Africa, Pamoja Farm Lodge)
- All park and concession fees plus crater service fee
- Professional driver-guide and all game drives
- Water, soft drinks, tea, hot chocolate and packed lunches
- Airport transfers and government taxes
Not included
- Flights and visa
- Tips and personal expenses
- Balloon safari and other optional activities
Questions about this trip
The herds are on the short-grass plains of Ndutu and the southern Serengeti for the calving season. By June they have moved west through the Grumeti and by August they are crossing the Mara River in the north.
Not reliably - the river is 250 km north of Ndutu. For crossings we run a separate July to October route with two or three nights in the northern Serengeti.
Price
$2,849
per person sharing, 2 travellers
- USD 2,849 per person sharing for two travellers; USD 5,698 total.
- Ndutu camps sell out months ahead in calving season - book early for January and February.
Park, concession and crater fees included. Free quote in 24 hours.
