7 Day Tanzania Calving Season Safari in Ndutu
Follow the wildebeest herds into Tanzania's southern plains, where newborn calves take their first steps and predators patrol the grasslands. Explore Tarangire, Serengeti, Ndutu and Ngorongoro Crater in seven memorable days.
Plan This Safari ↗7 days · 6 nights · January to March · Private guided safari
Ndutu Plains / Southern Serengeti Ecosystem
From baobab country to the calving plains.
Begin and end in Arusha, following Tanzania's northern safari circuit through four rewarding wildlife landscapes.
Tarangire
Elephants, ancient baobabs and wildlife along the Tarangire River.
Serengeti
Open plains, granite kopjes, lions, cheetahs and other resident wildlife.
Ndutu
Two nights exploring the wildebeest calving grounds and predator-rich plains.
Ngorongoro
Highland overnight in Karatu and a final crater-floor wildlife safari.
Witness the beginning of the migration's next generation.
This 7 Day Tanzania Calving Season Safari follows one of the most remarkable periods in the annual Great Wildebeest Migration . Between January and March, wildebeest herds gather across the southern Serengeti and Ndutu short-grass plains, where females give birth to thousands of calves. February is often the busiest month for newborn activity. These open plains also attract lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and other predators, making the calving season an exceptional time to observe wildlife behaviour.
Your safari begins in Arusha before heading to Tarangire National Park , where elephant herds, enormous baobab trees and wildlife around the Tarangire River provide a beautiful introduction to northern Tanzania. Continue through the Ngorongoro highlands towards Central Serengeti , an area known for resident lions, leopards, cheetahs and large herds of grazing animals.
The heart of the journey is the Ndutu calving area . Spend two nights near the short-grass plains, with one full day dedicated to searching for wildebeest mothers and calves, following predator activity and exploring Lake Ndutu, surrounding woodlands, marshes and seasonal wetlands. The experience is particularly rewarding for travellers interested in wildlife photography and animal behaviour.
Your final wildlife experience takes place in Ngorongoro Crater , where lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, hippos and endangered black rhinos inhabit the volcanic caldera. The journey finishes in Arusha after six nights in selected hotels, lodges and tented camps. The programme is designed around the calving season, but the exact location of the herds and predator sightings depends on rainfall and natural animal movements.
Safari Highlights
Begin with Tarangire's elephants, baobab trees and varied savannah wildlife.
Enjoy game drives in Central Serengeti, looking for lions, cheetahs and leopards.
Spend two nights close to the Ndutu wildebeest calving grounds.
Watch newborn wildebeest calves and the movement of mothers across the plains.
Search for lions, cheetahs, hyenas and leopards following the seasonal herds.
Explore Ndutu's short-grass plains, soda lakes, woodland and seasonal wetlands.
Enjoy a final morning game drive through the Ndutu wildlife areas.
Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and black rhino opportunities.
Travel privately in a 4x4 safari vehicle with an experienced English-speaking guide.
Tanzania, day by day.
From the baobab country of Tarangire to the Serengeti plains and Ndutu calving grounds, finishing with an unforgettable game drive inside Ngorongoro Crater.
Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and Transfer to Arusha
Your Tanzania calving season safari begins at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where a BLS Safaris representative will welcome you after immigration and customs. From the airport, transfer to your selected hotel in Arusha, the main starting point for Tanzania's northern safari circuit.
The journey normally takes approximately 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on traffic and your hotel's location. Once you arrive, check in and enjoy time to rest after your flight. If you land earlier in the day, you may have an opportunity to relax around the hotel or enjoy the atmosphere of Arusha before dinner.
Your driver guide will introduce the safari programme and confirm the departure arrangements for Tarangire National Park the following morning. Enjoy dinner and overnight in Arusha.
Arusha to Tarangire National Park, Full-Day Game Drive
After breakfast, meet your safari driver guide and leave Arusha for Tarangire National Park . Allow approximately 2 to 3 hours to reach the main park area, depending on your hotel, road conditions and stops.
Tarangire introduces you to a different side of Tanzania, with giant baobab trees rising above the savannah, woodland stretching towards the horizon and the Tarangire River drawing wildlife through the park. During your game drive, look for elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, wildebeest and different antelope species.
The river is particularly important during the dry months, but the park remains rewarding in the greener calving-season period. Elephants and resident wildlife continue to move through the woodland and plains, while the changing vegetation brings beautiful scenery and good birdwatching opportunities.
Stop for a picnic lunch at an appropriate location and continue exploring the park during the afternoon. Your guide will follow productive game-viewing tracks, allowing time for wildlife sightings and photographs rather than rushing through the landscape.
Later, transfer to your selected camp or lodge for check-in, dinner and overnight. The exact property location must be matched with tomorrow's early morning game-drive arrangements.
Early Tarangire Game Drive and Transfer to Central Serengeti
Wake early for your final wildlife experience in Tarangire before beginning the journey west. If your selected accommodation is within suitable reach of the park's game-viewing tracks, enjoy an early morning drive through the woodland and plains while animals are active in the cooler hours.
Watch for elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes and the smaller animals moving through the vegetation. Afterwards, return for breakfast, collect your luggage and set off towards Serengeti National Park .
The journey takes you through northern Tanzania's changing landscapes, travelling towards the Ngorongoro highlands before continuing into the Serengeti ecosystem. Enjoy lunch en route and watch the scenery gradually open into broad grasslands as you approach Central Serengeti.
This is a long transfer, so the amount of wildlife viewing available after entering Serengeti will depend on the morning game drive, road conditions and your camp's location. Look for grazing wildebeest, zebras, giraffes and other animals as you continue towards your accommodation.
Arrive at your camp or lodge for dinner and overnight, ready to explore the Serengeti and continue south to Ndutu the following day.
Central Serengeti Game Drive and Transfer to the Ndutu Calving Grounds
After breakfast, leave your accommodation for a morning game drive in Central Serengeti. The Seronera region and surrounding plains support resident lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras and many other animals throughout the year.
Your guide will explore suitable game-viewing tracks before continuing south towards the Ndutu calving grounds . As you travel, the landscape changes from Central Serengeti's broader savannah and woodland into the short-grass plains of the southern migration area.
During the calving season, this region becomes an important gathering place for wildebeest and zebra herds. Fresh grass attracts the migrating animals, and thousands of wildebeest calves may be born during the peak period. Predators remain close to the herds, creating opportunities to observe both newborn animals and the behaviour of lions, cheetahs, leopards and spotted hyenas.
Arrive in the Ndutu region for lunch, depending on your travel progress, and spend the afternoon exploring areas where wildlife is concentrated. Your guide will choose the most productive routes based on recent herd movement, the condition of the tracks and the time available.
As the afternoon draws to a close, return to your selected Ndutu lodge or migration camp. Enjoy dinner and overnight, with a full day in the calving area ahead.
Full-Day Ndutu Wildebeest Calving and Predator Safari
Today is the main highlight of your Tanzania calving safari. After an early breakfast, set out with your guide for a full day exploring Ndutu's short-grass plains, where the Great Migration calving season brings large concentrations of wildebeest and zebras into the southern Serengeti ecosystem.
During the peak period, you may see newborn wildebeest calves standing beside their mothers, moving through the grass or joining larger groups. Some calves begin walking very soon after birth, an important survival response on open plains where predators follow the herds.
Your guide will watch for predator activity, particularly lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and leopards. The open grassland is well suited to cheetahs, while woodland edges and scattered trees provide cover for other predators. No particular hunt or sighting can be guaranteed, but the concentration of prey makes this a remarkable season for observing wildlife behaviour.
Continue exploring different parts of Ndutu, including the areas around Lake Ndutu, nearby soda lakes, acacia woodland, marshes and seasonal wetlands. These habitats provide opportunities to see more than wildebeest, including other grazing animals, birds and resident predators.
Enjoy a picnic lunch during the game drive so that you can remain close to productive wildlife areas throughout the day. Spend the afternoon following herd movements, watching animal interactions and photographing the landscapes before returning to camp.
Dinner and overnight in Ndutu, after a full day devoted to one of East Africa's most remarkable seasonal wildlife spectacles.
Final Ndutu Game Drive and Transfer to Karatu
After breakfast, enjoy a final morning game drive through the Ndutu wildlife areas before beginning the journey towards Karatu. This is another opportunity to look for wildebeest mothers with calves, zebras and predators moving through the short-grass plains.
Your guide may revisit productive locations from the previous day or explore different areas around the camp, depending on where the animals are gathering. The morning light can be especially rewarding for photography, particularly when herds are moving across the open landscape.
After the game drive, leave Ndutu and travel towards the Ngorongoro highlands. The scenery gradually changes as you climb away from the plains into cooler, greener countryside and the volcanic landscapes surrounding the conservation area.
Continue to Karatu, a convenient base for your final wildlife experience in Ngorongoro Crater. Arrive at Farm of Dreams Lodge, check in and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon relaxing after several days of game drives.
Dinner and overnight in Karatu. Your guide will confirm the early start for the following morning's crater descent.
Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive and Return to Arusha
Wake early for breakfast before leaving Karatu and travelling to Ngorongoro Crater . From the crater rim, descend approximately 600 metres into the volcanic caldera for your final game drive.
The crater floor contains open grasslands, woodland, wetlands and shallow lakes, providing habitat for an exceptional range of wildlife. Your guide will search for lions, Cape buffaloes, elephants, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, spotted hyenas and other animals.
Ngorongoro is also one of Tanzania's important remaining black rhino habitats. Your guide will scan the grasslands carefully for these endangered animals, although sightings depend on their location and the day's conditions.
Enjoy a picnic lunch during the crater visit before ascending to the rim and beginning the return journey towards Arusha. The drive continues through the highland countryside, arriving later in the afternoon or evening depending on your crater departure time and traffic.
Your guide will drop you at your confirmed hotel or another agreed location in Arusha. If you are flying out of Kilimanjaro International Airport, additional transfer and check-in time must be allowed.
This marks the end of your seven-day Tanzania calving season safari, after memorable wildlife experiences in Tarangire, Central Serengeti, Ndutu and Ngorongoro Crater.
Safari Inclusions and Exclusions
What's Included
- Six nights of accommodation in the selected hotels, lodges and tented camps.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner as indicated in the daily itinerary.
- Safari transport in a suitable 4x4 safari vehicle.
- Professional English-speaking safari driver guide.
- National park and conservation area entry fees specified in the itinerary.
- Scheduled game drives in Tarangire National Park.
- Game drives in Central Serengeti National Park.
- Scheduled Ndutu game drives during the calving season.
- Ngorongoro Crater descent and applicable vehicle and conservation fees.
- Kilimanjaro International Airport arrival transfer and airport transfers specified in the confirmed safari.
- Scheduled road transfers between all safari destinations.
- Bottled drinking water during the safari.
- Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover during the safari.
- All other activities expressly included in the confirmed safari programme.
What's Not Included
- International and domestic flights.
- Tanzania visa fees and other entry-related expenses.
- Personal travel and medical insurance.
- Optional activities not listed in the confirmed itinerary.
- Optional Serengeti hot-air balloon safari.
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.
- Tips and gratuities for your safari guide, lodge staff and other service providers.
- Personal expenses such as souvenirs, shopping and telephone calls.
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari.
- Any service or expense not specifically stated as included.
Witness new life on the plains of Ndutu.
Tell BLS Safaris when you would like to travel, how many people are joining and your preferred accommodation standard. We will help arrange your private Tanzania calving season safari around the Ndutu migration herds, the right camps and the best available wildlife-viewing opportunities.