Programme · calving season
Calving season safari: 9 days, private group, next departure February 2027
Nine days, eight nights, a private vehicle for a group of two to six. Three nights inside the calving zone itself rather than passing through. The next departure is February 2027, the one after that February 2028. Below is the full day-by-day programme with camp names, the complete price, and what can go wrong.
The route, day by day
We work with vetted partners on the ground. Accommodation is selected and confirmed at booking — by class, location and availability on your dates. Days 4 and 5 come in two versions: choose the rhythm you prefer.
| Days | Where | Accommodation | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha | Town hotel | Met at Kilimanjaro airport, a night before departure |
| 2-3 | Tarangire | Tented camp | Two days among elephants and baobabs |
| 4 | Ngorongoro or Karatu | Camp by the crater · or lodge by the gate | Option A: the descent into the crater that day. Option B: a night lower down and warmer, at the foot |
| 5 | Central Serengeti | Tented camp | Option A: transit with a game drive along the way. Option B: the descent into the crater on the way to the Serengeti |
| 6-8 | Ndutu | Mobile camp in the calving zone | Three full days among the herds, off-road driving permitted |
| 9 | Departure | — | Light aircraft from the Ndutu strip to Kilimanjaro |
Price by group size
The same product throughout. The per-person figure falls as the fixed cost of the vehicle and the guide is divided among more guests.
| Guests | Vehicles | Group price | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | USD 16,500 | USD 8,250 |
| 4 | 1 | USD 27,500 | USD 6,875 |
| 6 | 1 | USD 38,500 | USD 6,417 |
| 6 | 2 | on request | — |
| 7-12 | 2+ | on request | — |
What is included and what is not
The split is given in full so that a comparison with other proposals is an honest one.
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Eight nights of accommodation with meals | International tickets before and after the trip |
| Private four-wheel-drive vehicle with a pop-up roof | Visa or ETA |
| Professional driver-guide | Personal medical insurance, which is mandatory |
| All park fees, Ngorongoro conservation and crater fees | Personal spending outside the programme |
| The Ndutu to Kilimanjaro internal flight | Balloon flight, optional |
| Water, coffee and soft drinks in the vehicle and at the camps | Tips are at your discretion |
| 18 per cent VAT and other taxes; the mandatory NIC policy on entry to mainland Tanzania (USD 44 per person, arranged by us); adjustments to the programme at your request without additional fees (cancellation and rescheduling follow the terms in the “Legal information” section) | — |
Quick demand check
Three answers tell us what to verify with operators.
Choose the journey, group and timing. WhatsApp opens with a prepared message; you decide whether to send it.
Why these particular two weeks
In February the wildebeest calve on the southern plains and in the Ndutu area. Over a few weeks, by commonly cited estimates, around half a million calves are born, and the predators stand in the same place. It is the only time of year when the herds are not moving but staying: there is nowhere to hurry until the calves are steady.
The second thing that makes February in Ndutu different: the area falls under the Ngorongoro Conservation Area rather than Serengeti National Park, and off-road driving is permitted there. The vehicle can stop where the scene is, rather than where the track happens to run. Inside the national park it cannot.
Three nights in the zone, not one in passing
The difference between a good February trip and a disappointing one usually sits here. Proposals that give Ndutu a single night, or replace it with the phrase southern Serengeti, mean a drive of two and a half hours each way to reach the herds, and the road will eat game time twice a day.
Three nights inside the zone is the point at which calving stops being an episode and becomes the substance of the trip. The herds stay for weeks, but the scenes do not run to a timetable, and they need time.
Who you are dealing with, and how the money works
We design and hold the route. The ground services are delivered by a licensed Tanzanian company: their vehicles, their driver-guide, their insurance, their tour operator licence. You will see the operator’s brand on the vehicle and on the guide’s uniform, and we name the operator before the trip rather than after it.
This website takes no payment and is not a public offer. The contracting party, the payment order and the recipient are stated in a personal proposal before any money moves. How to verify an operator yourself is set out separately, and it is equally useful whether you travel with us or with someone else.
What can go wrong
The herds follow the rains. We promise a zone, not a point on the map: where they stand inside that zone changes year to year, which is precisely why the camps there are mobile. Nobody, ourselves included, can name coordinates for a particular day next February.
Camps in the zone are small, ten to fifteen tents, and beds are few. A provisional hold lasts around two weeks with a camp before it is released without a deposit. The named camps are therefore a working plan rather than a guarantee: if one is full, an equivalent is proposed and agreed with you first. And the weather: February brings rain, roads can be heavy, and departure from a dirt strip depends on the conditions of the day.
Upcoming departures
February 2027 is the nearest season. February 2028 is the one after, and enquiries are accepted for it now, with more camp choice for the simple reason that it is further away.
Dates within February do not change the price. What does change things is how early the booking is confirmed: the good camps in the calving zone go first, and holding them far ahead is not possible for anyone.
Common questions
- What does the whole trip cost?
- USD 27,500 for a group of up to four, which is USD 6,875 per person. That covers accommodation with meals, the private vehicle with a driver-guide, all park and conservation fees, the internal flight, drinks, additional activities in the programme, the mandatory NIC policy on entry to mainland Tanzania (USD 44 per person; we arrange it), adjustments to the programme at your request without additional fees (cancellation and rescheduling follow the terms in the “Legal information” section), and taxes including VAT. Tips are at your discretion and are not included in the price. Before and after the trip, not included: international tickets, visa, personal insurance.
- Can two people travel?
- Yes. For two the group price is USD 16,500, so USD 8,250 each: the fixed cost of the vehicle and guide is divided among fewer people. For six in one vehicle it works out at USD 6,417 each.
- Do you guarantee we will see the calving?
- No, and a promise to the contrary should be treated as a warning sign. What is guaranteed is the zone and the time spent in it. With three nights inside the zone the odds are high, because the herds stay for weeks.
- Why can the camps not be booked far in advance?
- Camps in the calving zone hold a provisional booking for about two weeks before releasing it without a deposit. That is the camps' rule rather than ours. The earlier the confirmation, the better the chance of these particular camps.
- Who is responsible on the ground?
- The licensed Tanzanian operator: their vehicle, their guide, their insurance. We are responsible for the route, for verifying the operator, and for the proposal matching what actually happens.
- Do you take payment on the website?
- No. The website accepts no payments and is not a public offer. The contracting party and the payment order are stated in a personal proposal before any transfer.
Personal estimate
Build the journey around your group and dates.
We first confirm the configuration, availability and operators. This website takes no payment and the figures are not a public offer.