7-Day Kenya & Tanzania Safari: Mara + Serengeti
Two countries, one ecosystem: Mara, Serengeti and crater.
From $3,250
Kenya & Tanzania | 14 days | combo
14-day Kenya & Tanzania grand
Everything: Samburu to Ndutu, crater to coast options.
Duration14 days
Stylecombo
StartsNairobi
EndsNairobi
Green season from$6,500 pp
Peak season from$7,900 pp
Two-country East Africa: Mara plus Serengeti with Isebania/Namanga border handling, crater included from seven days, Amboseli and Zanzibar on longer formats. The ultimate unhurried format: everything, slowly, with contingency days built in. Route: Samburu - Masai Mara - Tarangire - Ngorongoro Crater - Central Serengeti over 14 days. Season logic:
Highlights
- Private throughout - own vehicle and guide, departing on your dates, with no group to join.
- Parks covered - Samburu, Masai Mara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Central Serengeti.
- Season-smart routing - camp zone set by your month, not by a fixed template.
- Honest pricing - park and concession fees line-itemed on every quote.
- Samburu - Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Somali ostrich - species no other Kenyan park holds.
- 8 nights in Central Serengeti - overnight inside the park means the first and last hour of light are yours, and those are when the cats move.
- Two countries, one route - the border is crossed once, in the direction the wildlife is already moving.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Nairobi
Morning: Land at Nairobi; meet your private guide for a full safari briefing.
Midday: Lunch and gear check; rest after the flight.
Afternoon: Introductory game drive in Samburu where routing allows, else lodge pool and early rest.
Evening: Dinner and overnight near Nairobi. (Add a pre-night after long-haul arrivals.)
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Nairobi.
Day 2 - Samburu
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Samburu: The Special Five: Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: River-side lodge on the Ewaso Nyiro.
Day 3 - Masai Mara
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Masai Mara: Marsh Pride lions, river crossings in season and big-cat density at its peak. Transfer from Samburu (a scenic road transfer).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge in the Masai Mara.
Day 4 - Tarangire
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Tarangire: Elephant herds along the Tarangire River, ancient baobabs and 500-plus bird species. Transfer from Masai Mara (a scenic road transfer).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp on the Tarangire boundary.
Day 5 - Ngorongoro Crater
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Ngorongoro Crater: Gate-open descent for lions, black rhino, hyena clans and flamingo lakes on the crater floor. Transfer from Tarangire (3-hr drive via Karatu).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Crater-rim lodge or permanent camp in the Ngorongoro highlands.
Day 6 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Central Serengeti: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range. Transfer from Ngorongoro Crater (4-5 hr game drive via Olduvai).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 7 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 8 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 9 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 10 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 11 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 12 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 13 - Central Serengeti
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Resident big cats around Seronera - lions, leopards and cheetahs at close range.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Permanent tented camp in the Central Serengeti.
Day 14 - Depart
Morning: Final sunrise activity around Central Serengeti with bush breakfast.
Midday: Brunch, then transfer to Nairobi for onward connections.
Afternoon: Day rooms available on late flights; souvenir stop if time allows.
Evening: End of safari services at Nairobi airport.
Meals: Breakfast and brunch.
Accommodation: Departure day - no overnight stay.
Why this 14-day Kenya and Tanzania safari itinerary
14 days on the Kenya and Tanzania circuit: Samburu, Masai Mara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Central Serengeti. Every day below is a real day on the ground, not a transfer with a game drive attached.
Why Samburu comes first
It lies north of Nairobi, so it opens a northern-loop trip before the route turns south - and that is where the route opens.
Central Serengeti gets 8 nights
Central Serengeti holds 8 of the 14 days, and that is deliberate: overnight inside the park means the first and last hour of light are yours, and those are when the cats move.
What 14 days buys
14 days is the unhurried format. With this many nights the itinerary can absorb a closed road, a slow morning or a sighting that runs long, and still finish with everything covered.
Getting around Kenya and Tanzania
A cross-border circuit moves in one direction: the Kenyan parks south, then over the border into the northern Tanzania circuit, so the driving is spent once rather than twice. The Mara and the Serengeti are the same ecosystem split by a line, and the route is built to follow the wildlife across it.
Accommodation
Hand-picked lodges and tented camps matched to your tier - mid-range comfort or luxury suites, always positioned for short game-drive starts. Family rooms, honeymoon suites and triple options on request.
Safari vehicle and guide
Extended 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fridge, charging ports and window seats for all. Your English-speaking driver-guide averages a decade in these parks and is assigned by specialty - Migration positioning, photography, birding or family pacing.
Who this safari is best for
Two-country travelers - one ecosystem, zero repeated parks.
Pricing
| Season | Per person (2 travelers) |
|---|---|
| Green season | from $6,500 |
| Peak season | from $7,900 |
| Tier | What you get |
|---|---|
| Budget | Camping and simple camps, with departures in the green season to hold the rate down. The private vehicle, your guide and the park fees stay exactly the same - the cut is beds and season, never guiding or positioning. |
| Mid-range | Comfortable lodges and tented camps with full board, positioned for short game-drive starts. This is the standard the from-price on this page assumes. |
| Luxury | Top-end suites and private villas in the best position in camp, private guiding throughout and flexible meal times. The highest season surcharge applies. |
Best time to book
Kenya and Tanzania runs on two seasons. The one you pick changes what you see, what the camps cost and how far ahead you need to commit.
Dry season
June to October is the shared dry window across both countries: comfortable days, thinning vegetation and wildlife concentrated on the remaining water. July to August is the busiest stretch, when the migration is in the Mara and northern Serengeti.
Green season
The short rains arrive in November and the long rains in March to May. The parks green up, rates fall and the crowds thin, and the January to March calving season in the southern Serengeti is the outstanding wildlife event of the green months.
What actually drives the timing
The migration does not recognise the border: it is in the Mara from July to October and in the southern Serengeti for calving from January. The itinerary positions camp on whichever side the herds are on for your dates.
How far ahead to book
June to August and the migration months want six to twelve months of notice across both countries, because you are booking two countries' camps at once. Green-season departures usually work on two to four months.
What is included and excluded
Every price on this page is a full-cost quote. Park and concession fees are line-itemed, so the total you compare against another operator is the total you pay.
Included
- Transport and guiding - private extended 4x4 safari vehicle with a dedicated driver-guide for your group only.
- Park and conservation fees - entry to Samburu, Masai Mara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Central Serengeti, paid on your behalf and shown as line items on the quote.
- Accommodation - 13 nights in lodges, tented camps or seasonal camps matched to your tier.
- Meals - most meals as listed day by day: breakfast at camp, a picnic or lodge lunch, and dinner, with bottled water in the vehicle throughout.
- Transfers - every road transfer in the day-by-day, including airport pick-up and drop-off.
- Game drives - morning and afternoon drives in your own vehicle, on no schedule but yours.
- Taxes - government taxes and VAT on everything quoted.
Not included
- International flights - into Jomo Kenyatta International, Nairobi (NBO); we route the connections but do not issue tickets.
- Visas - One decision per country, and they differ: Kenya issues only the eTA since 2024 at US$32.50 online at least three days ahead, Tanzania sells visas on arrival at US$50 and US$100 for United States citizens. We confirm every rule for your nationality before you commit to flights.
- Travel insurance - required, and it must include medical evacuation.
- Premium drinks - premium wines, spirits and cocktails at lodges and camps.
- Tips - driver-guide and camp staff gratuities.
- Optional extras - balloon or scenic flights, extra nights, luxury camp tier, beach or trekking extensions.
Parks and guides
Samburu | Masai Mara | Tarangire | Ngorongoro Crater | Central Serengeti
Back to hub | Style hub | Customize any itinerary
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FAQs
What is the best month for this trip?
Dry-season months give the easiest wildlife viewing; green-season months cut cost 20 to 35 percent. Tell us your window and we confirm the wildlife logic.
What vaccinations and malaria prevention do we need?
Yellow fever certificates are required when arriving from endemic countries; malaria prophylaxis is recommended for most safari regions - discuss options with your doctor 6 to 8 weeks out. We brief every trip on water, sun and insect precautions.
CDC guidance for the region is precise. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for all safari travelers and becomes a certificate requirement when you arrive via an endemic country such as Rwanda or Uganda. Routine boosters, hepatitis A, typhoid and hepatitis B round out the travel clinic list. Malaria transmission covers every game park below roughly 2,500 meters, the parasite is chloroquine resistant, and the preventatives that work are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine, started before arrival and finished after. Book the clinic six to eight weeks out, and pack repellent with 20 percent DEET plus long sleeves for dusk.
What photography gear should we bring?
A 100 to 400mm zoom covers 90 percent of sightings; add a wide second body for landscapes. Beanbags beat tripods in vehicles. We provide charging setups and dust management briefings - tell us your kit and targets.
How do internal flights and luggage limits work?
Bush flights allow 15 to 20kg in soft duffels; lodges store hard cases free. We route connections with realistic margins and meet you at every airstrip - missed-connection cover is built into fly-in trips.
Is this trip private?
Yes - every itinerary here runs with your own vehicle and guide. No Mixed-group compromises unless you ask for a join-in price.
How fit do we need to be?
Game-drive safaris need no fitness. Trekking trips state their grade honestly - ask for the training notes.
What is NOT included that surprises first-timers?
International flights, visas, travel insurance (required), premium drinks, the balloon flight where offered, and tips. Our quotes line-item park fees and permits so the total you compare is the total you pay.
What happens if it rains?
Game drives run rain or shine - vehicles have roofs and ponchos, animals remain active, and green-season light is superb for photography. Only true downpours pause activity, and camps flex schedules around them.
What insurance do we need?
Comprehensive travel insurance is required, including medical evacuation (AMREF/Flying Doctors cover, about 30 dollars, is recommended for remote circuits). Bring policy details - camps and operators ask for them.
Request this safari
Your dates, your camp tier - reply within 24 hours.