Follow the wildebeest across the Maasai Mara and the northern Serengeti at the height of the drama, with a private vehicle throughout and a balloon flight at dawn.
The Great Migration is not a single moment. It is a year long circuit of more than two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle moving in a great loop between Kenya's Maasai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti, followed by predators at every step. The skill of a Migration safari lies in being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, and this journey is built around that principle.
Begin with a soft landing at Hemingways Nairobi, then fly to the Mara for three nights at Paradise Plains, a tented camp set in the heart of the herds' Mara grazing grounds with direct access to the river crossing points. From there, fly across the border for three nights at Nimali Mara in the northern Serengeti, on the opposite bank of the very same river.
A private vehicle and guide run throughout, in both countries, which on a Migration safari is the difference between seeing a crossing and hearing about one. A crossing is a waiting game and may take four hours to build. With your own Land Cruiser you stay as long as you like and leave when you choose.
A hot air balloon flight is included as well, lifting off before sunrise over the herds and landing to a bush breakfast. It is the one perspective a vehicle cannot give you, and the only way to grasp how many animals there truly are.
Why we love this journey — this is the Migration done with intent rather than chance. Two countries, both banks of the Mara River, a private vehicle for every day of it, and the freedom to wait for the moment everybody else drives away from.
Met on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International and transferred to Hemingways Nairobi. An early night is recommended, because the first morning in the Mara begins before dawn.
Fly from Wilson Airport to the Mara, where Paradise Plains sits within reach of the Mara River crossing points. Three days of full day game drives with your own guide and vehicle, which is what allows a crossing to be waited for rather than chased. One morning begins in the dark for your included balloon flight, drifting low over the herds as the light arrives and landing to a bush breakfast on the plains.
A light aircraft flight from the Mara into the northern Serengeti, with border formalities handled for you. Arrive at the airstrip nearest camp, where your Tanzanian guide is waiting with your private vehicle. Settle in over a late lunch, then an afternoon drive on a bank the herds cross going the other way.
Two further full days on the Tanzanian bank of the Mara River. The northern Serengeti holds the herds through exactly the same months as the Maasai Mara, with a fraction of the vehicles, which is the quiet advantage of crossing the border. Predator densities are exceptional, and lion, cheetah and leopard sightings are close to daily.
A final morning game drive on the way to the airstrip, then a light aircraft flight to Arusha or a direct connection to Kilimanjaro International for your onward flight. Alternative routing through Nairobi can be arranged on request.
Colonial elegance in leafy Karen, with a celebrated dining room and a tranquil garden setting.
A classic tented camp positioned for direct access to the Migration's Mara River crossing points.
An intimate tented camp on the Tanzanian bank of the Mara River, where the herds cross going the other way.
July to September, two small camps, and the best weeks held a year ahead. Share a few details and your Safari Advisor will reply within 24 hours with what is genuinely still open.
Set between Nairobi National Park and the foot of the Ngong Hills, Hemingways is an exclusive 45 suite boutique hotel with full butler service, a brasserie and beautiful grounds. Each suite has a walk in dressing room, an Italian marble bathroom and a terrace facing the Ngong Hills.
The Dining Room serves contemporary European cuisine with international accents. The brasserie offers lighter lunches overlooking the gardens.
A small luxury tented camp set in the Mara ecosystem, with the kind of positioning that makes a meaningful difference during the crossing season. Spacious safari tents with en suite bathrooms, a comfortable mess tent for shared meals, a fire pit for sundowners, and a camp manager personally involved in each day's game viewing strategy.
The northern Serengeti holds the herds through exactly the same months as the Maasai Mara, on the other side of the same river, and it is considerably quieter. Nimali Mara is a small camp built for this season, close to the crossing points and far from the vehicle numbers further south.
Spacious canvas suites with wide private decks, king beds, en suite bathrooms and outdoor showers, angled so the view is yours alone. Meals are served in the mess, on the deck, or as a bush breakfast or sundowner at a chosen vantage point. Full board with house wines, beers and soft drinks throughout.
Curated, tested and refined over years. Our most loved itineraries across East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.
