Instinct Tours Tanzania Safaris
The Great
Migration
Twelve days across northern Tanzania — Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti — following the wildebeest north toward the Mara River during one of Africa's great natural events.
The Route
Saturday, August 21
Arrival Day
Welcome to Tanzania! Guests are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Arusha to settle in before the safari begins. Dinner and overnight at River Trees Lodge.
Fully included in your core safari package. Guests wishing to shake off jet lag early can arrange optional pre-nights at the hotel on request.
Meals: Dinner · Stay: River Trees Lodge
Arrival Flight
Kilimanjaro Airport
River Trees Lodge
River Trees Lodge
Days 1 – 2
Tarangire National Park
August 22–23 · Elephants Springs by Karibu
From Arusha, the safari continues to Tarangire National Park, known for its towering baobabs and one of Tanzania's largest elephant populations. Two nights at Elephants Springs give time for both a settling-in game drive and a full day in the park.
Sunday, August 22 · Day 1
Into Tarangire
Drive to Tarangire National Park and check in at Elephants Springs for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive.
Monday, August 23 · Day 2
A Full Day in the Park
An early game drive, rest at the lodge, then an afternoon back out among the elephant herds and the park's namesake baobabs.
Accommodation
Elephants Springs by Karibu
Elephants Springs sits inside Tarangire, close to the elephant herds and open plains the park is known for — a comfortable base for both the arrival game drive and the full day that follows.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Days 3 – 4
Karatu & Ngorongoro
August 24–25 · Acacia Farm Lodge
The safari continues toward Karatu and the Ngorongoro highlands, with a stop for a Maasai cultural excursion along the way. Two nights at Acacia Farm Lodge include a full day exploring the Ngorongoro Crater.
Tuesday, August 24 · Day 3
To Karatu
A final game drive in Tarangire, then a Maasai cultural excursion en route to Acacia Farm Lodge for the afternoon.
Wednesday, August 25 · Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater
A full day inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a picnic lunch on the crater floor among some of Africa's densest wildlife concentrations.
Accommodation
Acacia Farm Lodge
Set among the Karatu farmlands with views toward the Ngorongoro forest, Acacia Farm Lodge is a quiet stop between the open plains of Tarangire and the Serengeti ahead.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Maasai Village
Maasai Village
Days 5 – 6
Central Serengeti
August 26–27 · Embalakai Camp
From Karatu, the route passes Olduvai Gorge — where Louis and Mary Leakey's discoveries reshaped our understanding of human origins — before entering the Serengeti itself. Two nights at Embalakai Camp put the safari directly on the migration route in the Seronera region.
Thursday, August 26 · Day 5
Into the Serengeti
A stop at a family coffee farm and the Olduvai Gorge museum en route, then on to the Serengeti, watching for wildlife along the way.
Friday, August 27 · Day 6
Seronera Game Drives
A full day exploring a lesser-visited stretch of the park, including the kopje rock formations made famous by The Lion King, with a sunset game drive back to camp.
Accommodation
Embalakai Camp
Embalakai puts the safari in the heart of the Seronera region, one of the most reliably wildlife-rich parts of the Serengeti year-round.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Family Coffee Farm
Olduvai Gorge
Days 7 – 9
Northern Serengeti
August 28–30 · Mara Pure Migration Camp
The safari builds toward its finale in the north, where the Mara River crossings that define this season are already underway by late August. Three nights at Mara Pure Migration Camp place the group close to the river itself, with an optional hot air balloon safari over the plains.
Saturday, August 28 · Day 7
Arrival in the Mara
A morning game drive north into the Mara region, arriving at Mara Pure Migration Camp for lunch, with an afternoon game drive to follow.
Sunday, August 29 · Day 8
The River Crossing
A morning drive toward the Mara River in hopes of a wildebeest crossing, then a full afternoon back in the field before sunset.
Monday, August 30 · Day 9
A Final Day in the Mara
A full day of game drives, with an optional sunrise hot air balloon safari over the plains for those who'd like to see the migration from above.
Accommodation
Mara Pure Migration Camp
Tented and en-suite, just steps from the river action — private viewing decks, outdoor hot-water showers, and a front-row seat to the migration's most dramatic days.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Tuesday, August 31
Return to Arusha
After breakfast, the group says goodbye to camp and drives to the Kogatende airstrip for a scheduled flight back to Arusha — a quicker, more comfortable return than the long overland drive. On arrival, there's time for shopping and lunch at the Cultural Heritage Centre before settling in for the night at Kahawa House.
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Stay: Kahawa House
Cultural Heritage Center
Cultural Heritage Center
Kahawa House
Kahawa House
Wednesday, September 1
Departure Day
A closing day with a human dimension: a visit to Unity School to meet students and staff, followed by a stop at Shanga, a community workshop for physically disabled adults. From there, it's back to Kahawa House to rest before the transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for onward flights home.
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Onward: Kilimanjaro International Airport
Unity School
Unity School
Shanga
Shanga
