12 Days Kenya & Tanzania Joint Safari
Safari Overview
The 12 Days Kenya & Tanzania Combined Safari is a classic East African wildlife journey linking Kenya’s world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve with Tanzania’s iconic Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire National Park. This cross-border safari offers exceptional Big Five sightings, dramatic landscapes, and diverse ecosystems, making it ideal for travelers seeking a comprehensive East African safari experience.
Brief Travel Plan
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Day 1: Nairobi – Masai Mara
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Day 2–3: Masai Mara game drives
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Day 4: Masai Mara – Serengeti
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Day 5–6: Serengeti National Park
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Day 7: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
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Day 8: Ngorongoro Crater
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Day 9: Lake Manyara National Park
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Day 10: Tarangire National Park
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Day 11: Tarangire – Arusha
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Day 12: Departure
Detailed Travel Plan
Day 1: Nairobi – Masai Mara National Reserve
You will be picked up from your hotel in Nairobi in the morning and begin your scenic drive to the Masai Mara via the Great Rift Valley. En route, enjoy panoramic viewpoints before arriving at your lodge or camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon, head out for your first game drive across the vast savannahs, searching for elephants, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, and plains game. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 2–3: Full Days in Masai Mara
Spend two full days exploring the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s richest wildlife reserves. Morning and afternoon game drives offer excellent chances to spot the Big Five, cheetahs, hyenas, zebras, wildebeests, and abundant birdlife. During the migration season, witness dramatic river crossings along the Mara River. Optional cultural visits to a Maasai village can be arranged. All meals and overnight at your lodge or camp.
Day 4: Masai Mara – Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, depart the Masai Mara and drive toward the Kenya–Tanzania border. After completing border formalities, continue into Tanzania and enter Serengeti National Park. Enjoy an en-route game drive as you make your way to your lodge or camp, arriving in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 5–6: Serengeti National Park
Enjoy two full days of game drives in the legendary Serengeti. The endless plains are home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, and massive herds of wildebeests and zebras. Depending on the season, you may witness the Great Wildebeest Migration. Game drives are conducted in the morning and afternoon, with time to relax at the lodge in between.
Day 7: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After a morning game drive and breakfast, depart Serengeti for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Drive through changing landscapes from open plains to lush highlands. Arrive at your lodge on the crater rim in the afternoon, enjoying spectacular views of the Ngorongoro Crater below.
Day 8: Ngorongoro Crater Exploration
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a half- or full-day game drive. This UNESCO World Heritage Site hosts an incredible concentration of wildlife, including black rhinos, lions, elephants, hippos, and flamingos around the soda lake. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the crater floor before ascending back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Ngorongoro – Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Enjoy a game drive through groundwater forests, open grasslands, and the lake shoreline. Look out for tree-climbing lions, elephants, baboons, hippos, and a wide variety of bird species. Overnight near Lake Manyara.
Day 10: Lake Manyara – Tarangire National Park
Depart for Tarangire National Park, famous for its giant baobab trees and large elephant herds. Enjoy an afternoon game drive, spotting lions, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, and seasonal migratory wildlife along the Tarangire River. Dinner and overnight at your lodge or camp.
Day 11: Tarangire – Arusha
Enjoy a morning game drive in Tarangire, followed by breakfast and a drive to Arusha. Upon arrival, check into your hotel or lodge and relax for the remainder of the day.
Day 12: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight, marking the end of your Kenya–Tanzania combined safari.
Trip Includes
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Cross-border safari logistics
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Park entry fees and conservation fees
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Full-board accommodation during safari
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Professional English-speaking driver-guide
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All game drives as per itinerary
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Bottled drinking water on safari