2-Day Fly-in Serengeti, return flight from Seronera
By plane into the central Serengeti and back: two travel days full of game drives without a long drive to get there, from Arusha City or Zanzibar.
2 daysCalculate the price
Serengeti National Park
The Maasai call it “the endless plain”, and anyone driving across the grassland of north-western Tanzania for the first time understands why straight away.
Highlights
- The Great Migration: well over a million wildebeest
- All of the Big Five, lions especially common
- River crossings at the Grumeti and the Mara
- Calving season in the south, peaking in February
- UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981
- Optional hot-air balloon flight at sunrise
Safari: prefer to plan it yourself?
Put your safari together in the trip planner.
Serengeti National Park at a glance
The Maasai call it “the endless plain”, and anyone driving across the grassland of north-western Tanzania for the first time understands why straight away. The national park covers almost 15,000 square kilometres, nearly the size of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.
It was made famous by the Great Migration: well over a million wildebeest, together with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, circle through the ecosystem all year round, always following the rain. Add to that the oldest national park title in the country: since the 1950s, the Serengeti has been protected like no other area in Tanzania.
Impressions
Landscape and regions
The short grasses of the south and south-east gave the park its name, but the Serengeti is more than a plain: towards Lake Victoria it turns bushy, in the north hilly, and narrow strips of forest grow along the rivers. The park extends to the Kenyan border, where the ecosystem continues in the Masai Mara.
A three-way split helps with planning. The central Serengeti around Seronera is rich in wildlife all year round, and this is where our set routes go. The south around Ndutu has its big season from December to March, the north around Kogatende at the time of the Mara crossings; you can reach both with an individually planned route.
The Great Migration
The herds are not heading for a goal but following the weather: where it has rained, fresh grass grows. Between December and March they graze in the south, where most of the calves are born in February, and where there are so many young animals, the predators are never far away.
From April they move north. In May and June the herds cross the Grumeti in the west; from July to September they are on the Mara in the north, in some years into October. Crocodiles lie in wait in both rivers, and the crossings are the drama familiar from documentaries. After that, the circle closes through the middle of the park and back to the south.
Wildlife and activities
Even without the migrating herds, the Serengeti would be full: all of the Big Five live here, and lions are often seen on the kopjes, the grey rocky outcrops on the plain. Leopards like the trees along the rivers, cheetahs the open grassland, and then there are hyenas, giraffes and more bird species than fit into one holiday.
You travel in a safari vehicle, privately with your own guide. As an option, you can plan in a hot-air balloon flight at sunrise: about 45 to 60 minutes over the savannah, followed by breakfast in the bush. It is not included in the tour price; just let us know, and it will appear in your quote with its price.
Best time to travel
You see the most when it is dry: between June and October and from late December to February. If you want to experience the calving season in the south, travel in January or February; for the Mara crossings in the north, July to September is the usual time. Most of the rain falls from March to May, when the park is green and empty and some camps take a break. No season is the wrong one: the central Serengeti always works, and all that changes is where the most is happening.
Getting there
- From Arusha by road
- around seven hours' drive to Seronera, split over two days on our routes
- By domestic flight
- airstrips at Seronera (centre), Kogatende (north) and Ndutu (south), flight time from Arusha about half an hour to just over two hours, depending on destination and stopovers
Our fly-in routes land at Seronera; you can also fly in directly from Zanzibar.
Fees
For international visitors, the park fee is around 60 to 80 USD per person per day, depending on the season. On top of that come fees for the vehicle and for overnight stays in the park (as of August 2026, subject to change by the park authority). If you book with us, there is no need to do the maths: the fees are already included in your quote.
Matching tours
2 days · 1 tour
3 days · 2 tours
3-Day Fly-in Serengeti, return flight from Seronera
Three days in the central Serengeti with arrival and departure by plane, two nights in the park and game drives around Seronera. From Arusha City or Zanzibar.
3 daysCalculate the price
3-Day Fly-in Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Fly into the Serengeti, return via the Ngorongoro Crater: three safari days with two overnight stays, from Arusha City or Zanzibar.
3 daysCalculate the price
4 days · 2 tours
4-Day Fly-in Serengeti, return flight from Seronera
Four travel days and three nights in the heart of Serengeti National Park, flying in and out by light aircraft, with game drives from Seronera to the kopjes.
4 daysCalculate the price
4-Day Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Four days from Arusha City: elephants in Tarangire, two days in the central Serengeti and finally the Ngorongoro Crater. Three nights, privately guided.
4 daysCalculate the price
5 days · 2 tours
5-Day Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
The great northern circuit in five days: from Tarangire via Lake Manyara into the Serengeti and finally down into the crater. Four nights, privately guided.
5 daysCalculate the price
5-Day Tarangire, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Five travel days, three of them in the Serengeti: a start in Tarangire, a finish in the Ngorongoro Crater, four nights from Arusha City.
5 daysCalculate the price
6 days · 2 tours
6-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
Six days right across the north, from the Momella Lakes to the crater floor, with two full days in the Serengeti and five nights.
6 daysCalculate the price
6-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Six days with the focus on the Serengeti: three days in a row in the park, framed by Arusha National Park, Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater.
6 daysCalculate the price
7 days · 2 tours
7-Day Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti (3 days) & Ngorongoro Crater
Seven days, the whole of the north: first Arusha National Park, Tarangire and Manyara, then three Serengeti days, and finally the crater.
7 daysCalculate the price
7-Day Fly-in Serengeti (3 days), Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire & Arusha National Park
Seven days, Serengeti first: fly in, stay three days, then back via the crater, Manyara and Tarangire all the way to Arusha National Park.
7 daysCalculate the price
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit the Serengeti?
That depends on what you want to see. For busy waterholes and short grass: the dry seasons from June to October and from late December to February. For the calving season around Ndutu: January and February. For the river crossings at the Mara: July to September, sometimes into October. Only from March to May does it rain a lot, but in return the park is green and pleasantly empty.
How many days should you allow for the Serengeti?
Two full days are a good start; three give you breathing space for different corners of the park and for the early mornings, when most happens. Bear the journey in mind: by road it is around seven hours' drive from Arusha, which is why our overland routes only take in the Serengeti from four days. By air, it works from two days.
How does the Serengeti differ from the Masai Mara?
Both belong to the same ecosystem, and the border between Tanzania and Kenya runs right through the middle. The Serengeti is many times larger and sees less traffic, while the Masai Mara is more compact, with many lodges and camps in a small area. The migrating herds are at the border from July to October and switch sides; for the rest of the year they are in the Serengeti.
How much does a safari in the Serengeti cost?
Three items determine the price: the park fees, the vehicle with guide, and the accommodation. The fees are set by the state, so they cost the same with every operator; you can save on the accommodation category and the group size, because the price per head falls the more people travel with you. Our guide prices are shown on every route, and we confirm the fixed price in writing. More on this on our cost page.
Can you explore the Serengeti on your own?
It is possible, but not usual. The tracks are unsignposted, the distances huge, and suitable hire cars are scarce and expensive. Above all, though, a guide who is out here every week will find animals you would drive straight past on your own. With us, a vehicle and guide are always included, privately for your travel group.
Send us a message
We put your route together — free of obligation and in person. We reply the same day, usually faster on WhatsApp.
Prefer to talk? Dominic Dreiner is happy to help.
Alle Preise sind unverbindliche Richtpreise pro Person bei zwei gemeinsam reisenden Personen, einschließlich der in der Leistungsübersicht genannten Leistungen und ohne Flüge nach Tansania. Bei größeren Gruppen sinkt der Preis pro Person. Der endgültige Preis richtet sich nach Reisezeitraum, Gruppengröße, gewählten Unterkünften und Verfügbarkeit; er wird Ihnen im individuellen Angebot verbindlich genannt. Angebote sind bis zur abschließenden Verfügbarkeitsprüfung freibleibend. Es gelten unsere AGB.