Our 10-day Kenya and Tanzania safari takes you from the open plains of the Maasai Mara to the vast wilderness of the Serengeti. We created this journey for travelers who want to see East Africa’s wildlife at its best, while also having the freedom to enjoy the places, people and landscapes along the way.
Expect days filled with game drives, big skies and unforgettable wildlife encounters — from elephants and lions to cheetahs and, depending on the season, the movement of the Great Migration.
We take care of the details behind the journey, from your private safari vehicle and local guide to the places where you stay. You simply have the time to enjoy Africa.
- Highlights
What makes this journey unforgettable
- Family-friendly lodges with pools
- Maasai cultural visit for kids
- Three nights on Zanzibar's family beaches
- Wildebeest migration in the Serengeti (seasonal)
- Tree-climbing lions at Lake Manyara
- Senior naturalist guide throughout
- Day-by-Day Itinerary
Your journey, day by day
- Day 1
Nairobi Arrival
Met at Jomo Kenyatta International and transferred to your Nairobi hotel. The afternoon is free to sleep or to fit in the Sheldrick elephant orphanage “On request”. Over dinner your guide explains the plan — ten days, two countries and a genuine shot at all of the Big Five, plus what each park realistically offers.
- Meals: Dinner
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Eka Hotel.
- Day 2
Drive to Maasai Mara
An early start to clear the city and a drive south-west into the Maasai Mara, dropping off the Rift Valley escarpment into open grassland (roughly five hours with stops). We game-drive from the gate to camp and head out again in the late afternoon. Lion here are almost a given on the first evening; buffalo and elephant follow quickly.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Mara Sopa.
- Day 3
Mara Full Day Safari Experience
A full Mara day, out before sunrise with a packed breakfast. We work the resident prides in the early hours, look for cheetah on the open plains and leopard in the riverine bush, then rest at camp through the middle of the day. The afternoon drive runs into the golden hours, and in migration season we position at the river crossings.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Mara Sopa.
- Day 4
Drive to Serengeti From Maasai Mara
We cross into Tanzania at Isebania or by air, with the paperwork handled by our teams on both sides, and enter the northern Serengeti in the afternoon. The Mara and the Serengeti are one ecosystem divided by a line on a map — the animals cross it freely and so, today, do you. An afternoon drive along the Mara River finishes the day.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Mara River Camp
- Day 5
Northern Serengeti - Central Serengeti
A full day in the north, the quietest corner of the Serengeti. Between July and October this is crossing country and we will sit at a crossing point for as long as it takes. In other months the Kogatende area is excellent for big elephant bulls, buffalo herds and the resident leopards along the river.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Olkarien Eco Safari Lodge
- Day 6
Central Serengeti Full Day Safari Experience
A long, rewarding transfer south with game-viewing the entire way — the landscape shifting from wooded hills into the open plains and granite kopjes of the Seronera Valley. Lunch is a picnic under a tree. The afternoon drive puts you in the middle of the Serengeti’s best year-round big-cat country.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Olkarien Eco Safari Lodge
- Day 7
Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
A pre-dawn start and the 600-metre descent into the Ngorongoro Crater. This is where the Big Five list is usually completed: black rhino out on the grass, lion prides in the open, elephant in the Lerai forest and buffalo everywhere. Picnic beside the hippo pool at Ngoitokitok, then up the rim road in the mid-afternoon to rest.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in The Retreat Ngorongoro lodge.
- Day 8
Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tours
Enjoy a relaxed morning at the lodge before heading to Mto wa Mbu for an authentic local experience. Explore the village by bicycle, paddle along the waterways by canoe, and visit banana and rice plantations. Meet local people, learn about their daily life, and enjoy a fresh local lunch.
Around midday, return to the lodge for a peaceful afternoon at leisure.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Ang’ata Tarangire Camp
- Day 9
Tarangire National Park
The final park. Tarangire’s river valley and giant baobabs hold the biggest elephant concentrations in northern Tanzania during the dry season, and the park is quieter than the Serengeti in every month. We drive the river circuit in the morning, take a slow lunch and finish with a last golden-hour game drive.
- Meals: All meals
Click to see the lodge description and photos in Serian Tarangire Lodge.
- Day 10
Return Arusha
A relaxed breakfast, following morning game drive and the three-hour drive back to Arusha through Maasai country and roadside. Lunch, a last chance for curios with your guide, and the transfer to Kilimanjaro International — or on to the airstrip if you are adding a Zanzibar extension.
- Meals: Halfboard
Accommodation on request
- What's Included
- All Kenyan and Tanzanian park and reserve fees, plus Ngorongoro Crater descent fee
- Cross-border transfer between Kenya and Tanzania with all formalities handled by our teams
- Private 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof for unobstructed game viewing
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide with deep regional knowledge
- Accommodation as listed, on the comfort tier you select
- All meals as shown in the day-by-day itinerary, including packed bush breakfasts and picnic lunches on full game-drive days
- Unlimited drinking water, soft drinks and snacks in the vehicle
- Airport meet-and-greet, transfers and complimentary pre-trip briefing
- Personalised welcome pack and 24/7 on-trip support
- What's Excluded
- Kenya and Tanzania visas or the East Africa Tourist Visa (currently $100)
- Hot-air balloon safari in the Mara or the Serengeti (from $550 per person)
- Maasai village visits ($50 per person, paid locally)
- International flights, airport departure taxes and visa fees
- Alcoholic drinks, premium wines and spirits unless specified
- Laundry, telephone, Wi-Fi surcharges and other personal expenses
- Tips for your guide, camp and lodge staff (we provide guidance amounts in your pre-departure pack)
- Optional extras such as hot-air ballooning, spa treatments, scenic flights and private bush dinners
- Anything not expressly listed under what's included
- Tour Price