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Kenya and Tanzania Safari Tours & Packages: Masai Mara + Serengeti (Escorted)

Kenya + Tanzania Safari Tour - Two Countries

13 NIGHTS FROM:

$6,697

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

KYF13N

• Kenya and Tanzania Safari Tours

• Masai Mara Game Reserve

• Lake Nakuru

• Amboseli & Mt Kilimanjaro

• Lake Manyara

• Serengeti Plains

• Ngorongoro Crater

• Tarangire National Park

• Escorted Safari Tours

• Tanzania Safari Tours Package

Our Kenya and Tanzania safari tours & packages start in Nairobi & combine the most famous wildlife reserves of East Africa - including the Masai Mara, renowned for its plains game & predators, the elephants of Amboseli, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire, with its tree-climbing lions & baobabs. This escorted small group tour also visits Lake Nakuru with its rhino. All game drives & park fees included.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

You will be met at Nairobi Airport and transferred to your hotel in this bustling city.

Check in and relax in your warm and friendly African surroundings.

Day 2

This morning we visit the Giraffe Centre. Founded by Betty & Jock Leslie-Melville to save the endangered Rothschild Giraffe from extinction, this centre plays an important role in educating Kenyan school children on the country's wildlife and environment. It also allows visitors to come into close contact with the world's tallest species, including the opportunity to feed a gorgeous giraffe.

We then visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (open only from 11 to 12 noon). It took Daphne Sheldrick 28 years of trial and error to perfect the milk formula and complex husbandry required to rear orphaned African elephants, during the period that her husband was warden of Kenya's largest elephant sanctuary in Tsavo East National Park. Since then this sanctuary has gone on to save the lives of many orphaned elephant calves.

Afterwards enjoy a game drive in Nairobi National Park. This was the first national park created in Kenya and, despite its relatively small size and close proximity to the skyscrapers of the city, it boasts a large and varied wildlife population. Animals migrate to this park during the dry season, as it offers them a permanent source of water. You can hope to see lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino - but not elephant as the park is not large enough to sustain them. You can also see giraffe, zebra, eland, impala, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, warthog and ostrich in the woodlands and open plains, and hippo in the Mbagathi Athi River which is lined with fever and acacia trees. The park also has a very successful rhino sanctuary. A picnic lunch is included today.

Note: Visits to Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage can only be booked 90 days in advance and are subject to availability (maximum 100 visitors per day).

Day 3

We leave Nairobi early this morning and drive 5-hours across the scenic Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara, travelling in a safari jeep (with pop-up roof for game viewing and guaranteed window seat).

We pass through Kenya's fertile highlands and head down the rift escarpment on a road built by Italian prisoners during World War II. Look for the charming chapel they built at the foot of the escarpment. We pass the impressive Longonot earth satellite station and head across the valley to Narok, before reaching the Masai Mara in time for lunch.

Masai Mara National Reserve is named after the Maasai people and the Mara River that divides the park. It is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of zebra and wildebeest from the adjoining Serengeti National Park. This phenomenon occurs every year from July to October (although exact timings cannot be guaranteed), when game migrates along a circular route from the plains of the Serengeti to the Masai Mara and back again in search of fresh pastures, followed by hungry predators - most notably lions and hyena.

Check into your lodge in this magnificent wildlife sanctuary and enjoy an afternoon game drive.

Note: Due to limited space in the vehicle, rigid suitcases are not suitable. Luggage needs to be packed in soft side bags (sports bags are ideal) not exceeding 15 kg and 65 x 46 cm. On escorted group tours please note that for operational reasons it is sometimes necessary to substitute one hotel with another of similar quality.

Day 4

Today is dedicated to game viewing on the open plains of the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve.

Start the day with an early ‘Bush Breakfast’ by the Mara River Hippo Pools. Enjoy a charming ‘Jambo’ from the chefs and Masai warriors as you are welcomed to your set breakfast buffet. The hippos will keep you company whilst you eat. After breakfast set off on your morning game drive when game viewing conditions are at their best, to view the abundant wildlife of this region. Return to the lodge to rest in the heat of the day, before setting off again in the late afternoon for another game drive. We also visit a local Masai Village to see their way of life.

Nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley, the Masai Mara is famous for its many prides of lions, packs of hyena and other predators - as well as huge herds of wildebeest, which number over one million, zebra and giraffe. All the Big Five can be seen here, as well as numerous other species including the Thomson's gazelle, topi, kongoni, impala, roan antelope and hippo. The nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely found elsewhere in Kenya, also inhabits this park as well as the endangered cheetah and black rhino.

Bird watching is also excellent with over 450 different species. These include the Marabou stork, Secretary bird, Crowned crane, Ostrich, Brown snake eagle, Black-chested snake eagle, Bateleur, Martial eagle, African paradise flycatcher, Red-fronted & White-headed barbet, Black-faced go-away bird, Woodland kingfisher, Violet-backed starling, Black cuckoo-shrike and various species of larks, cisticolas, vultures, hornbills and so much more.

Note: There is the option of a Hot Air Balloon ride today - contact us for current prices. Guests taking the hot air balloon ride will not have breakfast at the hippo pools but instead enjoy a bush breakfast.

Day 5

A full day on the road today as we travel 5-hours from the Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru in the heart of the Great Rift Valley.

We drive across the 'bread basket' of Kenya, where acres of wheat and barley cover the landscape towards Narok, the district headquarters of this part of Maasailand. As we traverse the vast plains on the floor of the Rift Valley, keep an eye out for herds of giraffe and gazelle, before we head up towards Maai Mahiu and on to Lake Nakuru. We arrive at the lodge for lunch and a siesta before heading out for an afternoon game drive.

A soda lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, at certain times of the year Lake Nakuru National Park is home to huge throngs of pelicans and over 400 different bird species, including the Greater (white) and Lesser (pink) flamingo. The lake is also a haven for certain endangered species including the Rothschild giraffe and black and white rhino.

Day 6

A full day on the road today as we drive 7.5-hours to Amboseli.

After an early breakfast we visit Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake in the heart of the spectacular Great Rift Valley. Enjoy a boat ride on the lake, with the opportunity to see hippo and over 400 different bird species.We then leave the Rift Valley behind and drive to Nairobi, where we stop for an early lunch (or picnic lunch, depending on road conditions).

Afterwards we continue 4-hours to Amboseli National Park, arriving in the late afternoon. Situated in southern Kenya, if the weather is clear this national park offers magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro in neighbouring Tanzania. Amboseli is best known for its great herds of elephant - you'll often find many of them standing knee deep in the water, spraying themselves to keep cool - but there is a lot of other game here including cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, many types of gazelle and other plains game.

Day 7

After breakfast, depart for a full day game drive in Amboseli National Park, renowned for its large herds of elephants and where the local people are mainly Maasai (with picnic lunch included).

In the early morning it is wonderful to see Mount Kilimanjaro hovering above the clouds. If the clouds clear, wildlife photography against this dramatic backdrop is particularly rewarding. With its dramatic contrast between dry savanna, fresh water swamps, salty plains and acacia forests, this sanctuary offers a fantastic array of birds and wildlife. You should see buffalo, black and white rhino, zebra, wildebeest and much more - as this low rainfall area is one of the best game viewing regions in the whole of Kenya.

Amboseli is also a haven for birding due to its many different habitats. Depending on the amount of rain that has fallen, you will find various water loving birds or other species on the salty plains. You can also hope to see a Martial eagle or Lappet-faced vulture.

Whilst in Amboseli you will be able to plant a tree for Africa and invest in the Earth’s future.

Return to the lodge in the late afternoon, with time to relax before dinner.

Day 8

This morning we leave Amboseli and travel 2-hours to the Tanzanian border to complete immigration formalities, before continuing 2-hours to the coffee-producing town of Arusha in the northern highlands, where we stop for an included lunch. Situated in the foothills of the twin peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, this was formerly an important administrative centre in German East Africa.

Afterwards we drive 4-hours to Tarangire National Park. One of the least visited of Tanzania's northern game parks, this wonderful wildlife reserve is renowned for its huge herds of elephants and giant baobab trees. Enjoy game viewing in this park and the amazing spectacle of an East African sunset, before checking in to our lodge.

Day 9

This morning enjoy more game viewing in Tarangire National Park, before returning to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon we drive 2-hours to beautiful Lake Manyara and check into our lodge perched on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, with views over the distant lake.

Lake Manyara National Park is heavily forested and surrounds a shallow alkaline lake. Bird watching is the main activity as the vegetation is very dense, making spotting general wildlife difficult - but giraffe, elephant, impala, dik dik and the rare tree-climbing lion are found around the lake. Greater (white) and Lesser (pink) flamingos and pods of hippo congregate where rivers run into the lake and there are large populations of olive baboons, vervet and blue monkeys.

Day 10

This morning enjoy a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park followed by lunch at our lodge.

Afterwards we drive 5-hours to our safari lodge in the great Serengeti region (meaning 'Endless Plains'), with more amazing game viewing along the way.

Serengeti National Park is a World Heritage site that hosts the largest overland wildlife migration in the world. Between January and March over 500,000 young wildebeest are born on the southern Ndutu Plains over a period of a few short weeks - a truly spectacular sight. Depending upon the rains, around April the great migration starts as over two million wildebeest, accompanied by huge herds of zebra and gazelle, travel over 500 miles northwards across the hills of the western Serengeti and across the treacherous crocodile-filled Grumeti and Mara Rivers to the open plains and rich grasslands of the Masai Mara in Kenya. In October these vast herds start moving southwards again, returning once more to the Ndutu Plains to give birth.

Day 11

Today is devoted to game viewing in the famous Serengeti National Park - one of the greatest wildlife conservation areas in the world.

At over 12,000 square miles (30,000 sq. km), this vast game park is the size of Belgium and 20 times larger than the neighbouring Masai Mara reserve in Kenya, which it adjoins to form an enormous wilderness area through which animals can freely migrate, unrestricted by any fences. Lying between Lake Victoria to the west, Lake Eyasi to the south, the Great Rift Valley to the east and the Masai Mara to the north, the landscape of the Serengeti varies enormously - from the endless open grassy plains of the south, to savanna with scattered acacia trees in the centre, hilly wooded grasslands to the north and dense woodlands and clay pans to the west. All of this is interspersed with many small rivers, lakes and wetlands.

With more than 70 large mammals and over 500 other animal species, including great herds of wildebeest and zebra and the largest number of lions in Africa, outstanding game viewing is guaranteed on a scale only seen in East Africa. All the Big Five can be found here - elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard - as well as cheetah, hyena, giraffe, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, waterbuck, porcupine, jackal, serval, ostrich, eland, impala, dik-dik, Bohor reedbuck, hartebeest, hyrax, wild dog, hippo, crocodiles, dwarf mongoose and so much more. As predators are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, this is when game viewing is usually the most rewarding.

Bird watching is also outstanding, with over 600 different recorded species. You can hope to see the Kori bustard which is the largest flying bird in Africa, the majestic Secretary bird, Marabou stork, Southern ground hornbill, White-headed vulture, African hoopoe, Fischer's lovebird, Grey-breasted spurfowl, Rufous-tailed weaver, as well as many different bee-eaters, owls, swallows, chats, cuckoos, eagles, kestrels, falcons and other raptors.

Note: An optional Hot Air Balloon ride is available today. Contact us for current prices.

Day 12

This morning enjoy more game viewing as we drive 3-hours to our lodge set high on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, stopping en route for a picnic lunch.

Stretching across 8,300 sq km, the high altitude Ngorongoro Conservation Area boasts a dramatic variety of volcanic landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology. Its grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance of animals and also to the Maasai people, and has been declared a World Heritage site.

Day 13

This morning enjoy a half day tour into the basin of the Ngorongoro Crater, with game viewing and a picnic lunch on the crater floor.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact caldera, forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 square kilometres with sides up to 2,000 feet (600m) deep. Although some animals do move in and out of this contained environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests and spring lakes on the crater floor attract grazers and predators all year round, with up to 30,000 animals living in the crater - the highest density of big game found anywhere in Africa.

Prides of lions, endangered black rhino, hyena, buffalo, golden jackal, bat-eared jackal, black-backed jackal, wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, zebra and many other animals can be found on the open savanna whilst elephants, monkeys, leopards and olive baboons live in the forests around the edge of the crater. You may see hippos and flamingos on Lake Masek and the abundant birdlife including the Kori bustard, Grey-crowned crane, Hamerkop, Marabou stork, Ostrich, Splendid starling, Egyptian goose and various lapwings. Cheetah also live on these open plains, but are difficult to spot due to their excellent camouflage. There are no giraffe in the crater, because there are no trees for grazing (only grasslands).

Day 14

This morning we drive 4-hours back to Arusha, where lunch is provided.

Afterwards transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight home.

Note: Your onward flight from Kilimanjaro airport should not be booked before 16.30

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