Serengeti Safari PackagesMara River Crossing Safari: 6-Day Private Trip from Arusha
This Mara river crossing safari is a private 6-day trip from Arusha run by George Mollel on GetYourGuide. It costs $3,763 per person and covers Tarangire National Park plus 3 nights in mobile tented camps in the Serengeti that move with the migration toward the Mara River. The remaining 2 nights are in a lodge. Park entrance fees, meals per the itinerary and airport transfers are included, and international flights are not. The listing is new with no reviews yet, so this page goes through what it covers, what it leaves out and who should look at a different one of the Serengeti safari packages instead.
About This Tour
George Mollel runs this as a private group safari in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a trained guide. Day one goes to Tarangire National Park, known for large elephant herds, and the trip then moves into Serengeti National Park for 3 nights in mobile tented camps that follow the wildebeest. The listing names the Mara River crossing and gives June to October as the best window for the migration.
Two nights sit in a lodge, and a balloon safari over the Serengeti is listed as optional. Airport transfers before and after the safari are part of the package. Cancel 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.
$3,763 per person, shown as all taxes and fees included. It covers park entrance fees, guided and unlimited game drives, 5 nights of accommodation, meals according to the itinerary, mineral water on game drives, tea and coffee stops and airport transfers.
6 days and 5 nights. Starting times appear when you check availability.
Arusha, with airport transfer before the safari. Pickup details are shown at booking.
3 nights in mobile tented camps that move with the migration in the Serengeti and 2 nights in a lodge.
International flights, airport taxes, travel insurance, tips for the guide and camp staff, personal expenses and any meals or drinks not specified. The balloon safari is optional and costs extra.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Enter your dates to see starting times and confirm pickup details. Cancellation stays free until 24 hours before departure.
Quick answer Price, duration and what to know
This Mara river crossing safari costs $3,763 per person for 6 days from Arusha, with park entrance fees, 3 nights in migration-following mobile camps and 2 lodge nights included.
Key takeaways
- The listing is new with no reviews, so read the inclusions carefully before you book and compare it with the 8-Day Serengeti Migration Safari that has 316 reviews.
- June to October is the window the listing gives for the migration, and the crossing itself depends on the rain. See the Great Migration explained.
- Not suitable for children under 6, pregnant women or wheelchair users. See the full route day by day.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $3,763 is the listing price with all taxes and fees. Here is the line-by-line split from the operator's own inclusions and exclusions.
In and Out of the Price
Park entrance fees are listed as included, which matters because the listing does not show them as a separate line. Accommodation runs 3 nights in mobile tented camps and 2 in a lodge, and meals follow the itinerary with unlimited mineral water on game drives plus tea and coffee stops. Transport is a well-maintained 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with a well-trained safari guide, and airport transfers before and after the safari are in the price.
What sits outside the price: international flights, airport taxes, travel insurance, tips for the guide and camp staff, personal expenses, items of a personal nature, and any meals and drinks not specified. A balloon safari is optional and costs extra. The listing does not state the balloon price, so ask the operator.
One honest note: this listing is new and has no reviews yet, so there are no traveller reports to check the camp quality or the guide against. The GetYourGuide terms still apply, and free cancellation until 24 hours before departure gives you an exit. If a track record matters to you, the 8-day migration safari from Lion King Adventures has 316 reviews and a 5 rating.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance fees | Yes | Listed under includes |
| Accommodation, 5 nights | Yes | 3 mobile tented camp nights, 2 lodge nights |
| Meals and water | Yes | Per the itinerary, unlimited mineral water on game drives, tea and coffee stops |
| 4x4 Land Cruiser and guide | Yes | Private group, unlimited game drives |
| Airport transfers | Yes | Before and after the safari |
| International flights and airport taxes | No | Book your own |
| Travel insurance | No | Arrange separately |
| Balloon safari | Optional | Extra cost, amount not stated |
| Tips for guide and camp staff | No | Budget for them separately |
Wildebeest crossing the Mara River. Photo: Danijel Mihajlovic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route Day by Day
The listing describes a 6-day route from Arusha through Tarangire into the Serengeti and toward the Mara River, with 5 nights split between mobile camps and a lodge.
How the Days Fit Together
Day 1 starts in Arusha with the included airport transfer and heads for Tarangire National Park, where the listing highlights large elephant herds. Days in the Serengeti bring 3 nights in mobile tented camps that move with the migration, with unlimited game drives from the Land Cruiser. The listing names the Mara River crossing as the goal of the migration phase.
Two nights sit in a lodge. The exact order of camp and lodge nights is not stated beyond the itinerary on the booking page, and no day-by-day drive times or distances are given. Day 6 ends with the included airport transfer after the safari. A balloon safari can be added in the Serengeti if you want it.
| Day | Route | Night at |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arusha to Tarangire National Park | As per the itinerary |
| Days 2 to 5 | Into Serengeti National Park, game drives, mobile camp moves with the migration toward the Mara River | 3 nights mobile tented camps, 2 nights lodge |
| Day 6 | Return and airport transfer after the safari | Not applicable |
Wildebeest Crossing the Mara River - Northern Serengeti
Wildebeest crossing the Mara River in the northern Serengeti. Third-party video by Debra Alexander. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Trip Rules Out
The listing sets clear limits on who can book. Check them before you pay, because some have no workaround.
Stated Limits
Children under 6 are not allowed, and neither are pregnant women, people with back problems, people with respiratory issues or pre-existing medical conditions, people with recent surgeries, wheelchair users, and anyone over 95. The trip is a private group, so the size is set by your party.
The 5 nights are split between mobile tented camps and a lodge, and the listing gives no drive times, so ask the operator how long the days on the road run. The listing does not state a party size or a minimum, so confirm both before you book.
If these limits or the price do not fit, there are other routes in. The 8-day migration safari spends 2 nights at a camp in the northern Serengeti and has 316 reviews at $4,257. The 10-day migration safari in luxury camps reaches Kogatende over a longer arc for $7,112.83. For a shorter and cheaper trip, the 3-day camping safari is the lowest price in the catalog at $770, and the Serengeti balloon safari is sold as its own activity.
| Limit | Detail | Look at instead |
|---|---|---|
| Children under 6 | Not allowed | Not stated |
| Pregnant women, back or respiratory issues | Not allowed | Ask a doctor first |
| Wheelchair users | Not allowed | Not stated |
| Over 95 | Not allowed | Not stated |
| Drive times | The listing gives no drive times or internal flights | A fly-in option such as the Serengeti fly-in safari |
| No reviews yet | New listing, 0 reviews | The 8-day migration safari with 316 reviews |
Wildebeest at the Mara River near Kogatende. Photo: Reginald Victor Runyoro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Season, Fees and Paperwork
When to go, what the park fees look like and what documents you need, drawn from published research on the Serengeti and Tanzania entry rules.
Timing the Migration
The listing gives June to October as the best time for the migration. Published guides put the Mara River crossing roughly between July and September, with some sources extending it to October. The herds move with the rain, so no crossing can be promised on any given date.
Sources disagree on the herd size: Wikipedia gives more than 1.5 million wildebeest, its Serengeti article gives 1.7 million with 260,000 zebras, and SafariBookings counts more than 2 million animals in total on a loop of about 800 km through the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Read how the loop works in the Great Migration guide.
Park Fees Behind the Price
The listing includes park entrance fees. For context, the 2023 to 2024 TANAPA tariff sets the Serengeti conservation fee for non-East African adults at US $70 per day in peak season and $60 in low season, exclusive of VAT. Another source quotes $82.60 high season and $70.80 low season including 18% VAT.
Peak season for the fee runs 16 May to 14 March and low season 15 March to 15 May.
Visa, Health and Packing
Check the visa rules for Tanzania before you fly, as the listing advises. Published guides list a single-entry tourist visa at $50 valid up to 90 days, while US passport holders are described as paying $100 for a mandatory multiple-entry visa with no cheaper single-entry option. The listing recommends malaria prophylaxis, and a passport is required for park entry.
Pack a sun hat, camera, sunscreen, comfortable clothes, insect repellent and binoculars, and bring warm layers for cool mornings, especially from June to the end of August. More in the safari packing list, the Tanzania visa guide and what to wear on safari.
Sources: SafariBookings, Wikipedia
Day by Day on the Ground
The phases of the 6 days, based on what the listing states.
-
Pickup
Arusha and airport transfer
Your safari starts in Arusha with an included airport transfer before the trip. Pickup details appear when you check availability.
-
Into the park
Tarangire National Park
The route runs to Tarangire National Park, where the listing points to large elephant herds and the chance of the big five.
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Into the Serengeti
To the mobile camp
The drive moves on to Serengeti National Park for the first of 3 nights in mobile tented camps that shift position with the migration.
-
Game drives
Unlimited drives toward the Mara River
Game drives run from the private Land Cruiser with a trained guide, unlimited mineral water and tea and coffee stops. The listing names the Mara River crossing as the aim of this phase. Whether the herds cross while you are there is decided by the rain and the animals, not the schedule.
-
Optional
Balloon safari
A balloon safari over the Serengeti is listed as an optional extra. Its price is not stated on the listing.
-
Return
Airport transfer
Day 6 closes the trip with the included airport transfer after the safari.
What Works and What Does Not
An honest read of the listing against the rest of the catalog.
What we genuinely like
- Park entrance fees are included, so no surprise gate payments
- Private group in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a guide in five languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
- 3 nights in mobile camps that follow the migration, which the listing ties to the Mara River crossing
- Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
The honest downsides
- New listing with no reviews, so there are no traveller reports to read before you commit
- International flights, airport taxes, insurance, tips and the optional balloon all come out of your own pocket
- The listing gives no drive times and lists no internal flight
- Wide exclusion list: children under 6, pregnant women, wheelchair users and several medical conditions are ruled out
Who it's NOT for: Travellers who want a listing with a review history, a shorter trip, or a price under $2,000 per person.
Mara River Crossing Safari Questions
How much does this Mara river crossing safari cost?
It costs $3,763 per person for 6 days, shown as all taxes and fees included. Park entrance fees, 5 nights of accommodation, meals per the itinerary and airport transfers are in the price, while flights, tips, insurance and the optional balloon are not. Compare it with other Serengeti safari packages before you book.
When is the best time to see a Mara River crossing?
The listing gives June to October as the best window for the migration, and published guides put the crossings mainly between July and September or July and October. The herds move with the rain, so no operator can promise a crossing on your dates. The month-by-month detail is in the Great Migration guide.
Is this tour suitable for children?
No. The listing says children under 6 cannot book, and it also excludes pregnant women, people with back problems, respiratory issues or recent surgeries, and wheelchair users. For family-friendly options with no minimum age, see the 3-day camping safari.
Does the price include park fees and flights?
Park entrance fees are included. International flights and airport taxes are not, and neither are travel insurance, tips for the guide and camp staff, or personal expenses. The background numbers are in the park and crater fees section.
Can I add a balloon flight to this safari?
Yes, the listing offers a balloon safari as an optional extra in the Serengeti, and its price is not stated. If you want the flight as its own activity, the Serengeti balloon safari runs about 5 hours from a dawn pickup and has 3,650 reviews.
Is a new listing with no reviews a problem?
It means fewer traveller reports to read before you commit, so check the inclusions line by line and confirm pickup details with the operator. The GetYourGuide booking terms and the 24-hour free cancellation still apply. If you prefer a proven itinerary, the 8-day migration safari has 316 reviews.
What should I bring on this trip?
The listing asks for a sun hat, camera, sunscreen, comfortable clothes, insect repellent and binoculars, plus your passport for park entry. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended and warm layers help on cool June-to-August mornings. The full checklist is in the safari packing list.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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