8 Day Kenya & Tanzania Safari
8 days · Kenya & Tanzania · Nairobi to Arusha
Tour overview
This eight-day safari takes you through the best of Kenya and Tanzania: Lake Nakuru, the Masai Mara, the Central Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. Thrilling game drives, abundant wildlife and landscapes running from predator-rich plains to the crater floor and Tarangire's baobab-studded bush.
Compared with the seven-day version, the extra day is spent in Tarangire, which is a different kind of park to everything else on the route: drier, more wooded, and with some of the largest elephant herds in the country.
- Both sides of the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem
- The Ngorongoro Crater
- Tarangire's elephants and baobabs
- Nairobi in, Arusha out
Day by day
You will be picked up from your Nairobi hotel or the airport and depart for Lake Nakuru National Park, a drive of two to three hours. En route, keep an eye out for giraffes, zebras and antelopes as you pass through the Kenyan countryside. Arrive at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon you can relax at the lodge or take a short game drive in the park before dinner and your overnight stay.
Overnight: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
- 1nLake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
- 2nZebra Plains Mara Camp
- 2nMawe Tented Camp
- 1nKaratu Tented Lodge
- 1nBaobab Tented Camp
Where the route goes
Pins mark each park in driving order. Distances are rough; your driver-guide sets the pace on the day.
Parks on this route
Lake Nakuru National Park
Famous for its flamingo population and rich birdlife, the park is also a sanctuary for black and white rhinos, as well as Rothschild's giraffes, buffalo and lions, with the Great Rift Valley escarpments as a backdrop.
Destination guide
Masai Mara National Reserve
Renowned worldwide, the Mara is home to the Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest, zebras and other plains game move across the savannah in search of fresh grazing. Big cats, elephants and giraffes are seen year round.
Destination guide
Central Serengeti
The heart of Tanzania's Serengeti ecosystem, known for vast open plains and year-round sightings of big cats, wildebeest and zebra herds. One of the best areas anywhere for classic African game viewing.
Destination guide
Ngorongoro Crater
A vast volcanic caldera in northern Tanzania and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its high concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five, set against the crater walls.
Destination guide
Tarangire National Park
Known for its large elephant herds, giant baobab trees and diverse wildlife, with excellent game viewing year round and sightings of lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras and a rich variety of birds.
Destination guideWhat's included
What's included
- Complimentary airport transfers to and from the airport
- Accommodation as per the itinerary, or similar
- Meals on a full-board basis (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- National park and game reserve entrance fees
- Unlimited drinking water on safari
- Unlimited game drives
- Transport in a safari vehicle as per the itinerary
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal items and travel insurance
- Optional activities such as balloon safaris and Maasai village visits
Good to know
Can the Kenya & Tanzania be customised?
Yes. Add nights, swap a park, upgrade a lodge or combine it with another route. Tell us what you want and we quote for that.
What lodges are used?
The itinerary names the properties we normally use: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, Zebra Plains Mara Camp, Mawe Tented Camp, Karatu Tented Lodge, Baobab Tented Camp. Where a lodge is full we book a similar one and tell you before you confirm.
How does the border crossing work?
You cross by road at Isebania. Your guide handles the vehicle paperwork; you need a Tanzanian visa, available on arrival for most nationalities or online in advance, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate, which Tanzania requires of every visitor. Allow an hour.
When is the best time for a Kenya safari?
July to September is migration season in the Masai Mara, and the herds sometimes arrive as early as June. Together with the dry weather that runs to October, it is the most popular window. January and February are also dry, clear and good for game viewing with fewer vehicles. The long rains in April and May are the quietest and cheapest months, and the parks are green.
Do I need a visa for Kenya?
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online before you fly, though citizens of a number of countries are visa-free. If you are arriving from or transiting through a yellow fever endemic zone (South Africa, Tanzania, West Africa and South America among them) you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Kenya. For the cross-border routes into Tanzania you will also need a Tanzanian visa, available on arrival at the Isebania border or online in advance, and a yellow fever certificate is mandatory for everyone entering Tanzania. We send a checklist with your booking confirmation.
Can you change the itinerary?
Yes. Every route on this site is a starting point. Swap a park, add nights, change lodges or combine two routes: tell us what you want and we quote for that.
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Ready for the Kenya & Tanzania?
Send your dates and a rough idea of what you want to see. We come back with a day-by-day route and a quote, usually within one working day.