8 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Amboseli Safari
This eight-day safari links East Africa’s greatest wildlife areas in a single journey: the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, and Amboseli beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. You cross into Tanzania at Isebania and back into Kenya at Namanga, where Explorer Kenya’s Tanzanian and Kenyan vehicles and driver-guides meet you, so the route flows without any backtracking. It’s ideal for travellers who want the migration country of the Mara and Serengeti, the wildlife-packed Ngorongoro Crater and Amboseli’s elephants on one trip.
Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi – Masai Mara National Reserve (LD)
Pick up from the airport and drive to the Great Rift Valley viewpoint for a short stop, then continue across Maasai country to the Masai Mara, arriving for check-in and lunch. At 3 PM, head out on an afternoon game drive until sunset. The Mara’s rolling grasslands are home to the Big Five, large herds of buffalo, giraffes and antelopes, leopards in the riverine trees, lions and cheetahs on the plains, and over 450 bird species. Between July and October, the great migration of wildebeest and zebra crosses the Mara River from the Serengeti. Dinner and overnight at Mara Simba Lodge.
Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Masai Mara Full Day (FB)
After breakfast, set out with a packed lunch for a full day of game drives across the reserve, stopping for a picnic near the Mara River. The reserve covers about 1,510 square kilometres of open plains cut by the Mara River and its tributaries, and holds one of the highest densities of wildlife in Africa. Return to the lodge in the early evening. All meals and overnight at Mara Simba Lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Masai Mara – Serengeti National Park (FB)
After an early breakfast, and with a packed lunch, drive to the Isebania border for customs and immigration formalities. Here you meet your Tanzanian driver-guide and continue to the Serengeti, arriving for an afternoon game drive until sunset. The Serengeti’s endless plains support huge numbers of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and eland, along with lions, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants and more than 500 bird species. Dinner and overnight at Kon Tiki Serengeti Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Serengeti National Park Full Day (FB)
Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti with a packed lunch, searching for the Big Five and the park’s many other residents: giraffes, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelles, as well as the agama lizards and rock hyraxes that live on the granite kopjes. The Serengeti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, and the stage for much of the great migration. All meals and overnight at Kon Tiki Serengeti Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area (FB)
After breakfast, and with a packed lunch, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the crater for a game drive. The crater is the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera, formed when a huge volcano collapsed in on itself, and its floor is home to lions, elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, zebras and endangered black rhinos. In the late afternoon, climb out of the crater and continue to your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Endoro Lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Ngorongoro – Amboseli National Park (FB)
After an early breakfast, and with a packed lunch, drive north to the Namanga border for immigration formalities. Here your Kenyan driver-guide meets you for the drive to Amboseli National Park, arriving for an afternoon game drive until sunset. Amboseli lies at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and its swamps, fed by underground water from the mountain, attract large herds of elephants, zebras, wildebeest and giraffes. Dinner and overnight at Kibo Safari Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Amboseli National Park (FB)
Rise early for the best views of Kilimanjaro before the clouds build, then head out on a morning game drive and return for breakfast. Relax at the camp until lunch, then enjoy an afternoon game drive until sunset. Alternatively, take a packed lunch for a full day in the park with a picnic at Observation Hill. An optional visit to a Maasai village can be arranged. All meals and overnight at Kibo Safari Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Amboseli – Nairobi (BL)
Early morning game drive. After breakfast, and with a packed lunch, drive back to Nairobi for drop-off at the airport in time for your flight home.
Breakfast, Lunch
Package Includes
- All park entrance fees
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
- 1.5 litres of bottled water per person per day in the vehicle for use during the safari
- Services of English-speaking, experienced driver-guides in Kenya and Tanzania
- Transport in a 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof for game viewing and photography
- Exclusive use of the safari vehicle throughout the trip
- All government taxes and levies
- Safari accessories (first aid kit, cooler box and fire extinguisher) and a 24-hour emergency number
- RF radio in all safari vehicles to help your driver locate wildlife
Package Excludes
- Expenses of a personal nature, such as visas and driver tips
- Balloon safari
- Maasai village visit
- Personal travel insurance
- Flying Doctors (AMREF) air ambulance evacuation cover in case of a life-threatening accident or injury – US$ 10 per person
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
- Domestic and international flights and related taxes
- Any increase in park entry fees if revised by the park management or government
