How many days do you need on safari in Serengeti? – How many days are ideal for Serengeti?
How many days do you need on safari in Serengeti? – Serengeti National Reserve is an amazing Safari destination. If you are planning to visit this tourist destination, the first question you will ask is how many days you need in the Serengeti National Reserve. You need at least four days in the Serengeti National Reserve to sufficiently enjoy what it has to offer. Four days will give you eight-game drives which will allow you to cover a large portion of the reserve and view a large variety of wildlife.
Visiting Serengeti National Reserve for less than 3 days will reduce your chances of seeing some rare species like Rhinos and leopards. In this travel blog, Great Adventure Safaris lists down things you need to put into consideration when choosing the number of days you need in the Serengeti National Reserve.
How many days are ideal for Serengeti National Reserve?
The ideal number of days that you should spend in the Serengeti National Reserve will depend on several factors. One of the main factors will be your budget and how much money you intend to spend on this particular trip.
With a large budget and the flexibility to do several activities in the Serengeti National Reserve, you can spend for4-6 days there and engage in extra activities like going on a hot air balloon safari or extensive cultural tour with the Masai people.
However, considering that you would have an average budget, the most ideal number of days to spend in the Serengeti National Reserve is 3 nights. This will give you a full two days of game safaris and this would be sufficient to see most of the important attractions in Serengeti National Reserve.
How many days if you are on a tight budget?
If you are on a very tight budget you can spend two nights at the Serengeti National Reserve which will give you a full day of game drives. You would arrive on the first day have a full day of game safaris on the next day and then depart on the third day.
If your travel schedule is flexible Great Adventure Safaris would advise traveling to the Serengeti National Reserve in the off-season instead of reducing the number of days you spend there. During the rainy seasons of March, April, and May, the parks in East Africa usually have the lowest tourist numbers and this creates a perfect opportunity for you to get a great deal.
How many days during the Wildebeest Migration?
The Wildebeest Migration season of July to September is the busiest in the Serengeti National Reserve. Many tourists from around the world come to witness the amazing spectacle wildlife experience where hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and antelopes migrate north towards the Masai Mara in Kenya and make a crossing at the Mara River.
The fact that this is the busiest season within the Serengeti National Reserve means that the prices will be higher than usual and you are likely to encounter crowds. Great Adventure Safaris would advise that you spend at least three or four nights during this migration season. Just in case you miss any great sights on any of the days you have a few more to compensate thereby increasing your chances of making the most out of your safari experience.
If you are flying or driving
If you are driving to Serengeti national Reserve, you will need to factor in the travel time that you will spend on the road getting there and out after your trip is done. The drive from Arusha to Serengeti National Reserve is about 8 hours and it has extremely bumpy roads. Factor in the fatigue you have at the end of this journey into your planning.
The most popular way of getting to the Serengeti National Reserve is flying there then going back to Arusha by car. This allows you to enjoy the best of getting to the Serengeti National Reserve quickly and enjoying the wonderful scenery between the Serengeti and Arusha.
If you are visiting other national parks near Serengeti National Reserve like the Tarangire National Park, you should reduce the number of days that you will be spending at the Serengeti since you will be viewing similar types of animals. However, if you are exclusively visiting the Serengeti National Reserve on its own, the best option would be to spend as many days as you can and optimize your experience there.
What is the maximum time?
If there can be a maximum amount of time that you can spend in the Serengeti National Reserve, Great Adventure Safaris believe the answer is YES. Though there are no limits to how long you can stay in the National Park, each night at the park can cost you thousands of dollars per night in some hotels. This means that unless you have unlimited resources, the cost of staying at the Serengeti National Reserve every night will put a cap on the number of days that you can spend there.