This image above was created using a Canon camera and long lens. Wesley has been using Canon cameras since 1983 and is a devoted Canon user. He considers it the best camera system ever created. To transport and protect the equipment, he uses only Think Tank bags.
Great Migration Photo Safari with Wesley Bernard
August 1 - August 9, 2025
Venture to Tanzania with Thomson Safaris and, Wesley Bernard. Set to coincide with the annual wildebeest and zebra migration, this world-class photo adventure visits northern Tanzania's most iconic parks and reserves.
Beginning in Arusha, traverse the Great Rift Valley to Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largestintact volcanic caldera and home to 30,000 large mammals. Next, delve deep into the heart of the Central Serengeti, home to hundreds of lions as well as cheetahs, leopards and hyena.
Finish with a three-day exploration of the Northern Serengeti, which is the dry-season location of over 1.5 million migratory wildebeest, zebra and gazelle. While nature can beunpredictable, this is the best time of the year for witnessing spectacular crossings of thefamed Mara River.
*Upgrades include vehicle teams of maximum of 3 guests, increased luggage weight allowance, private camera tech tents at each camp, and hands on photo instruction by Wesley Bernard.
Advantages of a Photo Safari.
Click here to book the Safari.
Please click on video below to see some of our past Safaris, and to see more photographs, please scroll to bottom of page.
8/1/2025
Wednesday
Arrival into Arusha
Thomson will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your comfortable lodge.
Complimentary with Delta/KLM departures.
Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport With Your Group
Accommodations: Tumbili Lodge
8/2/2025
Thursday
Arusha to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Drive from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, first crossing the Maasai Steppe and the Great Rift Valley Escarpment, and then winding up into the fertile Ngorongoro Highlands. The Conservation Area is a wildlife and cultural preserve that covers 3,200 square miles, of which a mere102 square miles represent Ngorongoro Crater. Only Maasai are permitted to live within the area’s boundaries; they are seen throughout the highlands and conservation area wearing bright red and royal blue cloths and tending their herds of goats and cattle. The crater floor, however, is reserved only for wildlife. At some ten miles in diameter, the crater is the world’s largest intact caldera, and it abounds with one of the highest concentrations of diverse animals imaginable.
Your head guide will brief you on your itinerary and review the expectations for your safari,giving you a taste of what’s to come. Please ask the guide questions at this time and as they come up during the safari.
Lunch at Gibb's Farm
Savor lunch at Gibb's Farm, where nearly every ingredient comes fresh from the estate's organic farm. With delicacies to suit every palate, this is sure to be a memorable meal.
Walking at Gibb's Farm
Take a leisurely stroll on your own through the gardens at Gibb's Farm to stretch your legs. Enjoy the quiet atmosphere, the abundance of beautiful plantings and the views out into the surrounding highlands.
Maasai Boma Visit
Immerse yourself in the semi-nomadic culture of the Maasai by visiting a boma, which is a settlement of circular mud-and-dung Maasai homes. Many Maasai still roam the plains of northern Tanzania with their herds of cattle, maintaining their traditions while adapting to new ways of life. Learn more about their extraordinary culture as you tour the boma and take in the scenes of village life.
Evening at Your Camp
Enjoy the eco-friendly comforts at your camp this evening. Set on the crater rim, the campsite offers stunning views of Ngorongoro and the surrounding highlands. After dinner, enjoy a warm fire as well as the company of your guide and fellow travelers as you gaze up at the stars.
Our group will have exclusive access to a photo tent while staying at Thomson Camps.Chairs, tables, lighting and a generator are provided in this tent so you can clean and recharge equipment and download photos. Please note that the generator will be turned off promptly at 9pm each night in order to preserve the pristine ambiance of the wilderness at night.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Ngorongoro Nyumba
8/3/2025
Friday
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Spend a day in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a habitat rich in culture and teeming with wildlife.
Sometimes there are more than 30,000 animals in and around the crater, including black rhino, cheetah, lion, hyena, eland, and numerous antelope. On the floor of the crater, the alkaline Lake Magadi serves as an important water source, also attracting flamingo flocks during the dry season.
Nearby, the small Lerai Forest, with its yellow fever acacia trees, provides shade and shelter for wildlife. You will often see baboons, vervet monkeys, and even elephants in its thicket. Thorny bush, grasslands, hippo pools and a second small lake are also found on the floor. You’ll soon see why!
Ngorongoro is considered to be among the world’s great wonders.
Full Day of Wildlife Viewing in Ngorongoro Crater
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, where you are likely to find an abundance of wildlife.
Over a full day of wildlife viewing, you might even see rhinoceros. The diversity of species often inspires awe.To maximize your wildlife viewing time on the crater floor, enjoy your picnic lunch near a hippo pool. Picnic Lunch on the Crater Floor
Special Tanzanian Dinner
Enjoy a traditional Tanzanian dinner this evening. Rich with spices and fresh local vegetables, this is a chance to sample the best of local cuisine. (Please note that this does not include game meat.)
Your group will have exclusive access to a photo tent while staying at Thomson Camps. Chairs, tables, lighting and a generator are provided in this tent so you can clean and recharge equipment and download photos. Please note that the generator will be turned off promptly at 9pm each night in order to preserve the pristine ambiance of the wilderness at night.
Photo Tech Tent Available Until 9pm
Accommodations: Ngorongoro Nyumba
Meals Included: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner
8/4/2025
Saturday
Depart the cool, grassy Ngorongoro Conservation Area and later arrive on the great Serengeti plains for a different but just as spectacular wildlife viewing experience. You will pass one of the world's greatest prehistoric archeological sites, called Olduvai Gorge, and then continue your way over the scrublands. The wooded knolls around Naabi Hill Gate mark the Serengeti’s official entrance, which then drops into the park’s signature wide-open plains. Like no other, this stretch embodies the meaning of the word “Serengeti,” which derives from the Maasai “Siringet” and has been artistically translated as “the land that flows on forever”. Serengeti National Park covers 6,000 square miles of pristine land and offers not only expansive vistas but the largest migration of mammals on earth,including 1.5 million wildebeest.
Travel from Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Serengeti National Park
Visit Olduvai Gorge. Make a short stop at Olduvai Gorge, a deep ravine and site of fossilized remains of animals and hominids that date as far back as two million years. A brief lecture and small museum tour are included.
Boxed Lunch en Route
Spend an afternoon wildlife viewing in the Serengeti. The big cats often spend these hours lying drowsily about the plains and up in the trees while many antelope and other animals continue to graze.
Afternoon Wildlife Viewing in the Serengeti
Your group will have exclusive access to a photo tent while staying at Thomson Camps. Chairs, tables, lighting and a generator are provided in this tent so you can clean and recharge equipment and download photos. Please note that the generator will be turned off promptly at 9pm each night in order to preserve the pristine ambiance of the wilderness at night.
Photo Tech Tent Available Until 9pm
Meals Included: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner
8/5/2025
Sunday
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti, Tanzania's second largest national park, covers nearly 6,000 square miles of grassland plains, savannah, kopjes, hills, woodlands, and riverine forests. The Grumeti, Mbalageti, and Mara river systems serve as critical water sources and are often excellent sites for wildlife viewing. Beyond the heralded migration of wildebeest and zebra, the Serengeti is best known for its big predators, including cheetah and leopard, as well as large prides of lions and clans of hyenas. Other commonly seen animals include gazelle, buffalo, giraffe, topi, hartebeest, ostrich, and jackal, but it is the full diversity of wildlife and habitats that you will truly find amazing. The greater Serengeti ecosystemactually covers the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and numerous surrounding wildlife-protected lands that combine for a total of almost 17,000 square miles, which islarger than the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island all together.
Serengeti National Park
Go on a wildlife viewing drive in the Serengeti for a full day. Your expert guide will point out wildlife that few others could hope to spot, whether a leopard well-concealed in the trees or a lion deep in the savanna grasses.
Full Day of Wildlife Viewing in the Serengeti
Enjoy a bush lunch in the Serengeti.
As the sun sinks below the horizon, soak in the colorful sky as you reflect on the day's adventures. Watch the Sun Set Over the Serengeti Plains
Accommodations: Southern Serengeti Nyumba
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8/6/2025
Monday
Serengeti National Park
The most social of the big cats, lions live in groups called prides, comprised mostly of females and cubs and only 1-2 adult males. Typically prides have 6-12 lions, but can sometimes have more than 30members. Superior hunters, lionesses inherit the same territories as their mothers while young males roam until they drive out old males from other prides to take over leadership. As lionesses hunt in groups and often at night, you are more likely to see prides as they languidly stretch out in the brush, underneath an acacia tree, or in the shade of a large rock formation. Particularly in the Serengeti, males who reside around savanhas and plains develop large dark manes as they grow older. The Lion’s roar, a familiar sound in the Serengeti at night, can be heard from over five miles away.
Wildlife Viewing En Route to Your Nyumba
Enjoy the journey to your next Nyumba camp, as there will be plenty to see along the way.
Perhaps you will come across a chase between predator and prey; maybe you will spot a wake of vultures; or maybe you will be lucky enough to find a leopard relaxing high in the limbs of an acacia tree.
boxed Lunch en Route
More Wildlife Viewing in the Serengeti
More wildlife viewing awaits out on the plains, so enjoy the journey. You're sure to seesomething wonderful.
Photo Tech Tent Available Until 9pm
Your group will have exclusive access to a photo tent while staying at Thomson Camps. Chairs, tables, lighting and a generator are provided in this tent so you can clean and recharge equipment and download photos. Please note that the generator will be turned off promptly at 9pm each night in order to preserve the pristine ambiance of the wilderness at night.
Accommodations: Northern Serengeti Nyumba
Meals Included: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner
8/7/2025
Tuesday
Serengeti National Park
Most of us know about the “Great Migration” from nature programs that capture some of the most thrilling moments on film. Often misunderstood, the migration is a perpetual, year-round process involving over one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra who roam the plains quietly, in search of food and water. While some antelope and hyena may follow the herds, other animals remain in their territories or have separate migratory patterns. The migration’s most dramatic moments often occur when large numbers of wildebeest and zebra make river crossings, during which they must elude predators in a desperate fight for survival. There is no telling exactly when these highly dramatic movements will occur, but all safari-goers are sure to see plenty of wildebeest and zebra while in Tanzania.
Spend the Day Seeking Out the Great Migration
Embark on a full-day excursion into the Serengeti plains. Your expert guide will seek out the unique and diverse flora and fauna of the Serengeti, including the iconic herds of wildebeest and zebra as they migrate across Tanzania.
Lunch at Your Camp
What better way to enjoy a view of the Serengeti plains than over a satisfying, relaxing lunch at camp.
Continue Your Exploration of the Serengeti
Explore the pristine landscapes of the Serengeti with your guide's uncanny wildlife spotting instincts leading the way. Expansive plains, rolling hills, dramatic granite outcrops and riverine valleys are home to an endless variety of fascinating creatures, from the lowly dung beetle to the impressive elephant.
Accommodations: Northern Serengeti Nyumba
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8/8/2025
Wednesday
Serengeti National Park
What is the story behind the Big Five? It actually has nothing to do with the size of the animals. In the 1800s, colonial trophy hunters named buffalo, rhino, elephant, lion, and leopard as the most difficult animals to hunt on foot. Thus, they were named the Big Five. Years later, tourism companies adopted the term and the list became the so-called five must-see animals while on safari. While it is possible to spot all the listed animals on your trip, leopard and rhino sometimes prove difficult to track down as they are both solitary, reclusive species. Ultimately, however, wildlife viewing in the Serengeti will be nothing short of amazing.
Morning Wildlife Viewing in the Serengeti
There is nothing as marvelous as traversing the plains of the Serengeti just after dawn and through the morning hours. Look for herds of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, impala, eland, topi, and more out on the savanna.
Continue Wildlife Viewing in the Serengeti
Spend more time seeking out wildlife and exploring the Serengeti's rich landscapes. The so called Big Five and the Great Migration are the most well-known of the Serengeti's offerings, but there is much more to see. Thousands of equally fascinating dramas of a smaller scale play themselves out on these endless plains.
Relax at Your Nyumba
Once you return from wildlife viewing, take time to sit by the fire and relax. Exchange stories of the day, write in your journals or simply enjoy the fresh evening breeze.
Accommodations: Northern Serengeti Nyumba
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8/9/2025
Thursday
Depart
Enjoy your last views of the Serengeti before flying to Arusha, where you will catch your departing
flight.
Another Morning of Wildlife Viewing in the Serengeti
Spend another morning exploring the rich ecosystem of the Serengeti.
Flight from the Northern Serengeti to Arusha
Extra Baggage Allowance on Internal Flight(s)
You will have an additional baggage allowance on your internal flight.
Stop at Cultural Heritage Center
A shopping mainstay in Arusha, the Cultural Heritage Center attracts many travelers each year with its abundance of wooden carvings, artifacts, apparel, and crafts. The center also has Tanzanite and other gemstones for sale. While the center caters mostly to tourists, they also have wonderful cultural displays and a separate wing that displays some of the finest African art in Tanzania.
Farewell Lunch at Arusha Coffee Lodge
Enjoy a special farewell lunch in Arusha as you prepare for your departure. Visit the adjoining Shanga workshop where physically challenged artisans create remarkable jewelry, learn glassblowing, and sell their work. This extraordinary project was created in order to mentor and empower those who are often marginalized in Tanzanian society. You will be surprised and inspired by the quality and beauty of their creations.
Day Room in Arusha
Enjoy a day room in Arusha, resting up and readying yourself for your departure.
Farewell Snack
Enjoy a nutritious snack, including a variety of nuts, fruit, vegetables and other treats to enjoy now or on your flight home.
Transfer as a Group to Kilimanjaro Airport
Complimentary with Delta/KLM departures.
Accommodations: Day Room at The Arusha Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack
Professor Wesley Bernard on Safari.
Accommodations on Safari
Eastern Serengeti Nyumba
Sitting on a slope of Moruga Hill, your Eastern Serengeti Nyumba overlooks a sweeping valley of wooded savanna, wide-open plains, and a remote wilderness like no other in Tanzania. With its signature style, the campsite provides the perfect place from which you can explore the Eastern Serengeti’s rolling hills and woodlands by foot or by vehicle and engage in authentic Maasai cultural programs.
After your adventures, the Nyumba offers exquisite, environmentally responsible comforts and personalized care. En suite bathrooms have water-saving safari showers and self-contained, pump-flush toilets.
Enjoy a refreshing beverage at your private veranda as you look out to the acacia-covered plains where giraffe, wildebeest, and gazelle sometimes graze. This is Tanzania at its boundless magical best. (~6,500ft elevation)
Kubu Kubu Tented Camp
Kubu Kubu Tented Camp offers a luxurious and modern African experience in the heart of the Central Serengeti. After your game drive, you can relax in the comfortable lounge area, enjoy a fine meal, or unwind in the pool before heading to your spacious ensuite tent.
Ngorongoro Nyumba
This Nyumba is located at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater where it is poised for optimal access not only to the nearby cultural treasures, but also to the crater floor where you will experience exceptional wildlife viewing. The air here has a heavenly fresh scent, though the high elevation (about 7,200 feet) makes for potentially chilly nights; it will be important to bring warm clothes, per your packing list.
The exceptional camp crew will make sure you have everything you need to stay comfortable, for example, making sure hot showers are available in your en suite bathroom, preparing delicious four- course meals and offering you drinks or snacks around the roaring camp fire. (~6,700ft elevation)
The Arusha Hotel
Enjoy a stay at one of the oldest hotels in East Africa – The Arusha Hotel was first established in 1894. Just outside the hotel is the Clock Tower roundabout, famously known as the “Center of East Africa” due to its location halfway between Cairo and Cape Town. Offering modern amenities including free Wi-Fi, 24-hour gym, air conditioning, and outdoor swimming pool, The Arusha Hotel is a stylish and comfortable refuge amongst the bustling streets of Arusha.
Included on Safari
Accommodations (based on double occupancy)
Meals as noted in itinerary, inclusive of restaurant staff tips
All National Park fees, village, school, and cultural visits as noted in itinerary
Access to a personal safari consultant by phone or email who will provide preparation materials including helpful tips, packing list, trip expectations, tipping guidelines, etc.
Daily safari briefings throughout the trip
Services of professional guides, drivers, Nyumba staff including chef and wait staff
Tech tent at Nyumba camps for charging electronics until 9pm each night
Guaranteed window seating in customized, 4-wheel drive vehicles with unlimited mileage
Scenic internal flight as noted in itinerary
Extra weight allowance up to 50lbs on internal flights
Village, school and cultural visits as noted in itinerary
Complimentary bottled drinking water and snacks throughout your safari
Group airport transfers on scheduled arrival and departure days
Not Included on Tanzania Safari
International round-trip flight to Tanzania; Gratuities for guides, drivers, and camp staff (approximately $200-$300US per traveler); Airline-imposed fuel surcharges, upgraded seat assignment and excess checked baggage fees; Meals and expenses en route to Tanzania; Fees for passport, visa, or immunizations; Cost of hospitalization or evacuation; Beer, wine, spirits, and soft drinks, laundry, phone, internet, and items of a personal nature.
Airfare
International airfare is not included. Thomson Safaris is happy to assist guest in arranging flights or provide advice for you to coordinate your own. Guests should plan to fly into and out of Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).
Insurance
It is highly recommended that you consider purchasing trip insurance which offers comprehensive coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation, illness or accident as well as damage or loss of luggage. Information will be promptly sent to you following registration and payment of deposit.
Optional Serengeti Balloon Safari
We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. Any unforeseeable changes in fees, such as fuel surcharges, increased park fees or other fees that are out of our control, will be the responsibility of the guest. Some conditions (political, climatic, environmental, cultural, or wildlife migrations) may also necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participant.
This is a proposed itinerary and does not reflect actual availability of the accommodations. Upon receipt of your non-refundable deposit, TS will proceed to book the above itinerary. In the event that any accommodation is not available we will substitute a comparable property or adjust the itinerary if necessary without compromising the integrity of the overall safari experience. If this affects the price, we will notify you before confirming the arrangements. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express credit cards for the initial deposit, and require the balance to be paid by check, money order or wire transfer. The price quote is good for one month from the date it is quoted.
