Why this day trip
The Serengeti looks one way from a Land Cruiser and another way from a helicopter. From the ground you see what the camera sees — the predator in front of the vehicle. From a thousand feet you see the patterns: the dust trail of a herd two valleys over, the river meanders, the granite kopjes scattered like punctuation across the plain.
This is a premium add-on, not a standalone day trip. Most guests book it as a half-day excursion in the middle of a Serengeti stay — usually day three or four when the standard game-drive routine has settled and the perspective is welcome.
The morning
Early pickup from your camp by ground vehicle (helicopter cannot land at the camp itself). Drive 20 minutes to the airstrip. Pre-flight briefing. Two hours in the air with two landings — typically Lobo for the northern Serengeti view and a remote site on the Mara River for champagne breakfast. Return to the airstrip and back to camp by 11 a.m.
On the cost
Helicopter time in the Serengeti is around USD 3,500 per flight hour all-in. This trip is two flight hours plus ground time. The price is what it is — there is no economy version. If the budget does not stretch, the bush-flight transfer between camps (much cheaper, a few hundred dollars) gives you some of the same aerial view.
- Two-hour Serengeti helicopter flight
- Two landings — typically Lobo and Mara River
- Champagne breakfast at a remote site
- Private charter — up to 4 passengers
