The Heart of the Migration
Tanzania
July 23 to August 6, 2027
Private Trip Available Cost: $15,900
Leader: Scott Davis assisted by local guides
Group Size: 12
Days: 15
Safari Overview
Experience the wild heart of Tanzania on an unforgettable safari adventure through some of East Africa’s most iconic landscapes. From the vast, elephant-studded plains of Tarangire to the lush, wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater, and across the endless savannas of the Serengeti, you’ll witness the incredible diversity of Africa’s wildlife up close. Encounter lions, elephants, hippos, and rare antelope, marvel at more than 300 bird species, and watch the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Great Migration as millions of wildebeest and zebra navigate the Mara River. This journey combines breathtaking scenery, extraordinary wildlife encounters, and the thrill of exploring one of the world’s most legendary safari destinations.
WHY CHOOSE THIS TRIP?
- Epic Migration Moments: Witness the awe-inspiring wildebeest and zebra crossings of the Mara River, one of nature’s most iconic wildlife spectacles.
- Prime Predator Viewing: See lions, leopards, and cheetahs in action as they hunt across the Serengeti’s vast plains.
- Ngorongoro Crater Wonders: Explore this UNESCO World Heritage site, home to elephants, rhinos, hippos, and a remarkable diversity of wildlife.
- Tarangire’s Majestic Elephants: Experience massive elephant herds roaming beneath ancient baobab trees in one of Tanzania’s most scenic parks.
- Guided by Experts: Benefit from the knowledge and insights of seasoned safari guides with decades of experience in East Africa.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The trip was well organized, hitting the important spots in Tanzania, but I wish was had an extra day in both Northern Serengeti and Central Serengeti.” – Shun Cheung |
TRIP MAP
NOTABLE EXPERIENCES
Itinerary Updated: September 2025
Print Trip
| Date | Description | Lodge | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23–24 | Travel to Tanzania. Depart for Arusha, Tanzania. | ||
| Jul 25 | Arrival in Arusha. Transfer to a scenic lodge for relaxation. | Katambuga House, Arusha | |
| Jul 26-27 | Tarangire National Park Safari. Explore the park’s vast elephant herds and diverse predators. Go on an optional night safari and bush walk. | Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge, Tarangire National Park | B, L, D |
| Jul 28-29 | Ngorongoro Crater. Discover an ecosystem teeming with wildlife, including rhinos and hippos. | Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater Highlands | B, L, D |
| Jul 30-Aug 1 | Serengeti Exploration. Discover the Serengeti’s sweeping plains, home to elusive leopards, bustling hippo pools, and the iconic Maasai Kopjes. | Serengeti Sametu Camp, Eastern Serengeti National Park | B, L, D |
| Aug 2-4 | Great Migration & Mara River Crossings. Witness the awe-inspiring sight of wildebeest navigating crocodile-filled rivers during their legendary migration. | Serengeti River Camp, Northern Serengeti National Park | B, L, D |
| Aug 5 | Return to Kilimanjaro. Fly Back to Kilimanjaro International Airport to connect with your flight home. | B | |
| Aug 6 | Arrive Home. |
Our Trip Leaders
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Scott Davis
Scott DavisScott, co-owner and co-CEO of Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, is an expert wildlife, nature, and travel photographer. Trained as a wildlife and marine biologist, he's explored all seven continents for research and photography. National Geographic, BBC, Animal Planet, NY Times, and other prestigious publications have featured his inspiring work. Scott's passion for teaching and talent for capturing the essence of his subjects make him a highly sought-after tour leader.
Detailed Itinerary
A glimpse into our journey
Arrive in Arusha
Jul 25
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to Katambuga House.
Tarangire National Park
Jul 26-27
In the morning, your private guides will greet you before you set off on a game drive through Tarangire National Park, enjoying a picnic lunch en route. By afternoon, you’ll arrive at Ndovu Tented Camp, your home for the next two nights. Nestled in Tanzania’s spectacular Manyara Region, Tarangire is a land of granite ridges, sweeping river valleys, and iconic baobab trees. During the dry season, the Tarangire River becomes a vital water source, drawing great herds of elephants as well as migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, gazelle, and eland, with predators—especially lions—never far behind. It is also one of the few places in Tanzania where dry-country antelope like oryx and gerenuk are often seen. Panoramic views of the Masai Steppe and distant southern mountains complete the park’s unforgettable scenery. You’ll have the option to join a guided night game drive, and a ranger-led bush walk for a different perspective of the wildlife.
Ngorongoro Crater Highlands
Jul 28-29
After a final exciting morning game drive at Tarangire, you will head west climbing the steep rift valley escarpment into the rich farmlands of the Ngorongoro Highlands. At the entrance gate to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you will pass into lush forests as you ascend to the crater rim for our first view of the incredible landscape below. Brace yourself for a trip back into the Pleistocene. For the next two days, you’ll explore one of the world’s largest calderas, 10 to 11km in diameter and 2,500ft deep. Ngorongoro Crater is a World Heritage Site, truly one of the most-productive wildlife-viewing areas on the planet. This diverse ecosystem of forests, swamps, grasslands, and lakes supports lions, servals, hyenas, three kinds of jackal, baboons, monkeys, zebras, hippos, and thousands of antelopes, including the massive eland. Because poaching is not a problem here, rare black rhinos and elephants with enormous tusks thrive. It’s also a birding hotspot. You’ll have plenty of time to carefully observe animal behavior and get some wonderful photos of the animals that are habituated to vehicles and thus ignore you. You will also experience a cultural visit at a Maasai village.
Eastern Serengeti National Park
Jul 30-Aug 1
In the morning, set out on a game drive through the legendary Serengeti National Park, pausing for a picnic lunch in the wild, before arriving in the afternoon at Sametu Camp, your base for the next three nights. With its endless rolling plains, dramatic granite kopjes, flat-topped acacias, and rivers alive with hippos and crocodiles, the Serengeti is the very definition of “Wild Africa.” Immense herds of wildlife roam these landscapes, while birdlife here is equally remarkable—more than 50 species of raptors, from tiny Pygmy Falcons to the striking Secretary bird, soar above, and colorful species such as sunbirds, bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes, starlings, kingfishers, barbets, bishops, and cordon-bleus are both abundant and dazzling. Here, it’s not just about building long species lists but about slowing down to watch behaviors, savoring the beauty, and, with patience, capturing unforgettable photographs.
Northern Serengeti National Park
Aug 2-4
Your Serengeti adventure continues as you journey north for three nights at Serengeti River Camp, set near the heart of the Great Migration. From this prime location, you’ll venture into breathtaking landscapes where large predators thrive and witness one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles—the annual river crossings. Each year, millions of wildebeest and zebra surge across the Mara River, braving powerful currents and the constant threat of waiting predators, creating a raw and unforgettable display of survival and instinct. Just 300m from the Mara River itself, Serengeti River Camp offers the perfect vantage point to experience this epic drama and connect deeply with the wild heart of Africa.
Flight to Kilimanjaro and onward home
Aug 5
In the morning, you will be transferred to the airstrip where you board a scheduled light aircraft flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. On arrival, you will continue onward with your international flight connections. If your flight is later in the evening, we can add on a day room at a local hotel until your flight departure.
Arrive Home
Aug 6
- Cost & Payments
- Included
- Not Included
- Climate
- Fitness Level
- Accommodations
- Transportation
- Motion Sickness
- Flights
Conservation- Conditions
Cost & Payments
Costs (in US$)
| Type | Cost Per Person |
|---|---|
| Trip Cost, double occupancy | $15,900 |
| Single Supplement | $1,300 |
Costs are per person, double occupancy, not including airfare (except for one-way flight from Kogatende to Kilimanjaro), singles extra. See Included and Not Included sections for more details.
If you are a single traveler, we will try to find a roommate for you, but if we cannot pair you with a roommate, we may charge you a single supplement.
Payment Schedule
| Payment | Due Date | Amount Per Person |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | Due now to reserve your space | $3,000 |
| Final | February 13, 2027 | Remaining Balance |
Payments are due based on the schedule above. All reservations require a deposit to confirm reservation of your space.
Cancellations
Until the Final Payment due date, deposits are refundable except for a cancellation fee of $150 per person, which can be applied toward another trip if reserved within six months of the cancelled trip’s departure date. Cancellations are non-transferrable. No refunds are given after the Final Payment due date.
Included
- Carbon offsets for the duration of this trip.
- All leaders, transport, park entry fees, landing fees, and permits for all activities unless described as optional.
- Accommodations for the nights of July 25 through August 4.
- One-way flight from Kogatende to Kilimanjaro on August 5.
- Meals from breakfast on July 26 through breakfast on August 5.
- House wines, local beer and spirits, soft drinks, juices and water.
- Transfers from the Kilimanjaro International Airport to Katambuga House, regardless of arrival day, and from Serengeti River Camp to the Kogatende on August 5.
- Optional night game drive and guided bush walk.
- Trip Planning Materials – information about entry requirements, flights, packing, gratuities, etc.
- Short-term AMREF Flying Doctor emergency evacuation insurance. This does not include hospital or treatment costs.
Not Included
- Carbon offsets for your flights to/from this trip.
- All airfare (except flights listed as included), airport and departure taxes, and excess baggage fees.
- Day room on August 5, but we can book this for you and add the cost to your final payment.
- Gratuities – tipping is always discretionary. However, we suggest budgeting $500 per participant. You can give your gratuities to Scott upon arrival to distribute throughout the trip.
- Optional trip cancellation insurance.
- Mandatory emergency evacuation insurance.
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, medical costs or hospitalization, room service, premium drinks, items not on the regular menu, etc. If you have special dietary needs, please indicate them on your Traveler Form.
Climate
In July, Tanzania enjoys one of its best seasons for travel with cool, dry, and comfortable conditions across much of the country. Days are generally sunny with clear skies, and temperatures range from the mid 60s to low 80s Fahrenheit (18 to 28 degrees Celsius) depending on the region and elevation. The humidity is low, and rainfall is minimal, making it an ideal time for wildlife viewing as animals gather around water sources in the parks. Evenings and early mornings can be quite crisp, especially in the highlands of the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, so light layers or a jacket are recommended for early game drives.
Fitness Level
You must be able to get in and out of a Land Cruiser. Most days consist of early mornings, game drives on bumpy roads, and long hours in nature that require good energy levels. Most walking is optional and around lodge grounds between game drives. Please contact us if you have any health concerns that may make this trip challenging.
Flights
Detailed logistical information is included in the Trip Planning Materials we will send you.
Please wait to book your flights until you receive confirmation from your Coordinator that the minimum number of participants has been met to operate the trip. If you choose to book flights before receiving this confirmation, we strongly recommend purchasing flight cancellation insurance to protect your investment.
Flights you book
- Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) near Arusha, Tanzania, by 11:59pm July 25.
- Depart from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) after 4:00pm August 5.
Flights we book
- The one-way flight from Kogatende to Kilimanjaro is included in the trip cost. Important: the flight within Tanzania has a very strict luggage weight allowance per passenger of 20kgs (44lbs) total. This means that you will need to pack light for this trip.
FAQ
Accommodations
You stay in comfortable lodges and camps with private baths near the parks and reserves and wildlife.
Motion Sickness
Don’t let a fear of motion sickness keep you away! Even those who have experienced motion sickness reported that the incredible wildlife and overall experience were well worth the temporary discomfort. If you are susceptible to motion sickness from winding roads and/or small planes or are concerned that you might be, please come prepared! The key to avoiding motion sickness is to act before you experience nausea. Do your own research and consult your doctor before taking any medications. A good night of sleep, eating well, limiting alcohol, and using your favorite seasickness remedy is sufficient for most travelers. Find more information on our Coping with Seasickness webpage (this information is applicable to any form of motion sickness) and contact us if you have any questions.
Transportation
Our fleet of luxury safari vehicles is designed to provide the ultimate East Africa experience, combining comfort, convenience, and outstanding wildlife viewing. Each vehicle accommodates a maximum of six guests; however, we will have 4 guests to a vehicle, and features shaded roof covers for 360° viewing and excellent photography opportunities. To make your journey even more enjoyable, vehicles are equipped with unlimited Wi-Fi, a dedicated Apple iPad with bird and animal apps, charging points for devices, and air conditioning with plenty of legroom. An onboard fridge is stocked with your choice of alcoholic beverages (excluding premium brands), mineral water, soft drinks, and snacks. Fold-up tables and chairs are also available, ensuring everything you need for a memorable picnic breakfast or lunch while on safari.
Conservation
Our company ethos has always regarded conservation as inseparable from responsible tourism. We struggle with the dilemma that traveling worldwide expends climate-changing carbon. However, we wholeheartedly believe that traveling with us will cultivate your passion for conserving our beautiful world while stimulating each destination’s local economy. We encourage you to explore the various ways in which Cheesemans’ operates within this context:
- Ecotourism and Conservation for Tanzania
- Cheesemans’ Trips are Carbon Neutral.
- Offsetting your Travel to/from our Trip: We ask you to pledge to offset the carbon emissions for your travel to and from our trips. You can purchase offsets with most airlines (Delta includes them automatically), use our handy carbon calculator and donate to Sustainable Travel International, or contribute to your favorite offsetting organization.
Together, we can continue exploring and cherishing this planet while working toward its long-term protection. Thank you for being part of this important journey with us.
Conditions
Read our current Terms and Conditions.