Your migration safari begins with a scenic drive to Tarangire National Park, known for its immense elephant herds and towering baobab trees. Though not part of the migration route, Tarangire in April to June offers excellent dry-season wildlife viewing, especially along the Tarangire River.

After a relaxed afternoon game drive, settle in at your lodge or tented camp near the park boundary and prepare for the days ahead in Serengeti country.

After breakfast, travel through the Ngorongoro highlands and enter the iconic Serengeti National Park. This time of year, the migration herds are on the move, heading west toward the Grumeti River. Central Serengeti (Seronera Valley) is still alive with resident predators — lions, leopards, cheetahs — and the trailing edges of the herds.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive as you explore the migration corridors, with herds of wildebeest and zebra often appearing in the open plains or near seasonal water sources. Overnight at a well-located lodge or mobile camp.

Begin early with a game drive that may stretch westward toward the Grumeti area, depending on herd movement. During May and June, the wildebeest gather in large numbers in the Western Corridor, and with some luck, you may catch a Grumeti River crossing — complete with crocodile ambushes and high drama.

Even if you don’t witness a crossing, the density of animals and predator-prey interaction makes this an incredibly rich safari experience. Later in the afternoon, begin the journey to Karatu, descending from the Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Arrive at your lodge in the crater highlands by evening.

On your final day, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, home to one of Africa’s densest concentrations of wildlife. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers a high chance of spotting rhinos, lions, elephants, and hippos in a single drive.

After lunch near a hippo pool, ascend the crater and return to Arusha in the afternoon — ending a compact but strategic wildebeest migration safari focused on the Central-to-West Serengeti corridor.