--- title: 11-Day Great Migration Safari & Mara River Crossing date: 2025-12-24T13:07:07Z modified: 2026-05-31T16:16:53Z permalink: "https://jafricasafari.com/safaris/11-day-great-migration-safari/" type: product status: publish excerpt: "11-Day Great Migration Safari & Mara River Crossing is a masterfully crafted expedition designed for one unparalleled purpose: to place you at the most dramatic chapter of the Great Migration" wpid: 515625 product_brand: - JAfrica product_type: - variable product_visibility: - featured product_cat: - Safari Tours to Tanzania - Rainy Season Safari - Safari Tours to Africa product_tag: - 11 day safari - Rainy Season - rts - Safari Tours to Africa - Safari Tours to Tanzania featured_image: "https://jafricasafari.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/the-great-migration-1.jpg" featured_image_alt: Green Season Safari in Southern Serengeti author: kaburu --- There are moments on the Mara River that stay with people for the rest of their lives. The herd has been gathering on the far bank for hours — tens of thousands of wildebeest pressing forward, retreating, pressing forward again. The crocodiles are still. Then something shifts, and the first animal goes in, and within seconds the river is a wall of sound and bodies and spray. Nothing prepares you for it. No film, no photograph, no description comes close. This eleven-day safari is built around that moment — and everything that surrounds it. Beginning in Tarangire, moving through the Ngorongoro Crater and the central Serengeti, and arriving in the northern Serengeti with two full days at the Mara River during peak crossing season, this is the most complete Great Migration itinerary JAfrica runs. It ends with a scenic flight from Kogatende back to Arusha — a final view of the plains from above before the wilderness recedes. For serious wildlife photographers and anyone who has been planning a migration safari for years, this is the one. [https://jafricasafari.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/great-migration-river-crossing-1.mp4](https://jafricasafari.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/great-migration-river-crossing-1.mp4) ## The Route The safari opens in Tarangire — two full days among the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania, in a landscape of ancient baobabs and dry riverbeds that rewards slow, patient game drives. With over 500 recorded bird species, Tarangire is also one of the finest birding destinations in East Africa. Day 4 includes a visit to a local primary school and a walking tour through Mto wa Mbu village — a moment of cultural grounding before the wilderness takes over completely. This is something Joshua builds into longer itineraries deliberately. Understanding the people who live alongside this ecosystem changes how you see everything that follows. Two days at the Ngorongoro Crater follow — arriving in the late afternoon of Day 4, with a full crater day on Day 5. The Ngorongoro caldera was formed over 2.5 million years ago when a vast volcano collapsed inward. What remains is a self-contained world of extraordinary wildlife density — lions, elephants, hippos, flamingos, and the critically endangered black rhinoceros. A full day on the crater floor, breakfast taken among the animals, lunch when the appetite calls. Days 6 and 7 move into the central Serengeti — the Seronera region, known for the highest concentration of big cats in the park. Kopje country, where lions and leopards use the ancient rock formations for shade and for watching. Two days here rarely feel like enough. Day 8 is the drive north — through the most remote stretches of the Serengeti, a game drive in itself as the landscape shifts and the anticipation builds. By the time you reach Mara Mara Tented Lodge, the migration herds are close. Days 9 and 10 are the Mara River. Two full days, packed lunches, no time pressure. Joshua will position you at the crossings and read the herd movements to give you the best possible chance of being there when it happens. Beyond the migration, the northern ecosystem holds lions, leopards, cheetahs, caracal, serval, and an extraordinary abundance of raptors — Martial eagles, Verraux eagles, dark and pale chanting goshawks. Day 11 ends with a scenic flight from Kogatende airstrip back to Arusha. The plains look different from the air. Bigger. Quieter. Worth the window seat. ## What Makes This Different The Mara crossing is on every operator’s itinerary. What varies is how much time you spend at the river, how well your guide reads the herds, and whether you are positioned correctly when it happens. Joshua Monah has guided the northern Serengeti for decades. His knowledge of the migration’s rhythms — when herds are building, which crossing points are active, when to stay and when to move — is the product of a lifetime spent in this ecosystem, not a season’s training. For photographers especially, that knowledge is the difference between a crossing shot and a missed one. Two full days at the Mara, rather than the single day many operators offer, gives that patience its best chance of paying off. The crossing waits for no one. Having time on your side is everything. ## What’s Included - Ten nights accommodation — Kahawa House Arusha (Day 1), Tarangire Safari Lodge (Days 2–3), Ang’ata Tented Camp (Days 4–5, Ngorongoro), Awali Tented Camp (Days 6–7, Central Serengeti), Mara Mara Tented Lodge (Days 9–10, Northern Serengeti) - Dinner and breakfast on Day 1, all meals included from Day 2 through to departure on Day 11 - Unlimited drinking water, soft drinks, and local beer in the safari vehicle - Domestic flight from Kogatende Airstrip to Arusha on Day 11 - Private 4×4 Land Cruiser with roof hatch throughout - All national park entry fees and Ngorongoro Crater service fee - Field guidebooks, maps, and binoculars - AMREF Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover - Airport and lodge transfers throughout - Expert Maasai guiding throughout ## Not Included - International flights and Tanzania visa fees - Personal travel and baggage insurance - Tips for your guide and lodge staff - Personal purchases and premium beverages outside the vehicle - Bank transfer fees ## This Safari Is Right For You If You want the Mara River crossing and you want to do it properly — with enough time at the river to wait for it rather than hoping it happens on the one afternoon you are there. You are travelling as a wildlife photographer or a serious safari enthusiast who understands that the northern Serengeti in crossing season requires patience and positioning. You want eleven days that cover the full northern circuit without rushing any of it. And you want a guide who has spent a lifetime in this ecosystem rather than one who learned it last season. The Mara River crossing is the most dramatic wildlife event on earth. This itinerary gives you the best possible chance of being there when it happens. _Ready to start planning? Contact Joshua directly — he will build your dates around the crossing season and your travel window._ ## Package Cost Per Person (USD) - 2 people travelling — $9,100 per person - 4 people travelling — $7,320 per person - 6 people travelling — $6,900 per person _Not sure which group size applies to you? [Get in touch](https://jafricasafari.com/contact/) — Joshua will work out the best option for your group._