The Best of Kenya and Tanzania - Great Migration and Big Game Safari

Day 1 - Nairobi

Join your tour group at the hotel.

Hotel Eka, Nairobi (4-star)

Day 2 - Nairobi - Amboseli National Park

Today, we get ahead of the game with an early start to Amboseli National Park. Located on the border of Tanzania beneath the snow-capped gaze of Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is one of the best places in Africa to get close to herds of free roaming elephants and see traditional Maasai communities. Our home for the next two nights has incredible views of Kilimanjaro and there’s no compromise on safari or style. After lunch at the camp, we head out on our first game drive.

Kilima Safari Camp, Amboseli National Park (4-star)

Day 3 - Amboseli National Park

A bunch of early birds and late-night party animals, the wildlife in the park is most active at dusk and dawn. As the sun starts to rise, we’re up for an early game drive in search of four of the Big Five residents - lion, elephant, leopard and buffalo. After breakfast at the camp and time soak up the mountain views from the pool, we listen to a talk on the tribes of Kenya and Tanzania - focusing on the Maasai. As the heat of the day starts to fade and the savannah comes back to life, we head out on another game drive in search of cheetah, giraffe, hyena and some of the 400 species of bird that have been recorded here.

Kilima Safari Camp, Amboseli National Park (4-star)

Day 4 - Amboseli National Park - Ngorongoro Highlands

Today we start our own migration south. Playing eye-spy spotting zebra, antelope and buffalo as we take a final game drive through the western part of Amboseli, we cross the border into Tanzania. Passing beneath the twin peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru (the tallest and fifth tallest peak in Africa), we stop for lunch in Arusha - the chaotic but charming safari capital of Tanzania. Continuing across the Rift Valley past local villages and roadside stalls, we wind our way into the cooler climbs and coffee plantations of the Northern Highlands. Arriving by late afternoon, we stay for two nights in a thatch-roof hotel set in 500 acres of fragrant gardens and coffee plantations.

Ngorongoro Farm House (4-star)

Day 5 - Ngorongoro Highlands

The high point of any Africa safari, today we drop down into the Ngorongoro Crater. The fertile slopes and rich grazing ground of this vast 260 sq km caldera is home to one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife on earth. Known as ‘Africa’s Eden’, expect seas of fuchsia flamingo, monochrome herds of zebra, and the stars of the show - the Big Five. After a wilderness picnic lunch on the reserve, we continue driving around the crater - looking out for cheetah, warthog, hyena, endangered black rhino and rare black-maned lion.

Ngorongoro Farm House (4-star)

Day 6 - Ngorongoro Highlands - Serengeti National Park

On the way to one of the most important wildlife reserves in the world, we stop at one of the most important sites in human history - Olduvai Gorge. Known as the ‘Cradle of Mankind’, this UNESCO-listed site holds some of the earliest evidence of humankind - including fossilised bones dating back 1.8 million years. After lunch, we drive into the wildlife-rich plains of the Serengeti on our first game drive. Our base for the next two nights is located in an elevated position with privileged access to the seasonal flow of the migration. Tented suites with four-poster beds open out onto verandas with views across the southern plains.

Naona Moru Camp, Serengeti National Park (4-star)

Day 7 - Serengeti National Park

When it comes to wildlife watching, the Serengeti always brings its A-game. Endless grasslands set the stage for a supporting cast of lion, rhino, elephant, cheetah, leopard, buffalo, giraffe and impala. The Serengeti is also the starting blocks for the Great Migration. Each May, millions of wildebeest start the perilous 800km journey to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara, braving crocodile-filled rivers and big cat predators along the way. We go on two game drives today, with expert guides getting us closer to the action.

Naona Moru Camp, Serengeti National Park (4-star)

Day 8 - Serengeti National Park - Lake Victoria

Today we charge our cameras for our final game drive in the Serengeti, before travelling through the riverine forests and mountains of the park’s Western Corridor and onto the shores of Lake Victoria - the second largest freshwater lake in the world. The afternoon is free to relax at our lakeside eco-resort - stretching out by the pool, booking a treatment at the spa, or birdwatching in the grounds. The skies above Lake Victoria are home to over 250 species of bird, including the African fish eagle, sunbird and coucal.

Serenity on the Lake Resort, Speke Bay, Lake Victoria (3-star)

Day 9 - Lake Victoria - Maasai Mara National Reserve

Continuing to map the path of the migration, today we drive back across the Kenya border and into the Maasai Mara National Reserve - stopping for a picnic lunch and to spot wildlife on the way. We arrive late afternoon at our safari lodge, located on the peaceful banks of the Talek River.

Fig Tree Camp, Maasai Mara National Reserve (4-star)

Day 10 - Maasai Mara National Reserve

When you picture African safaris, you’re probably picturing the Maasai Mara. Along with the highest density of lions anywhere in the world, 'The Mara’ also got the lion’s share of big cat predators. Cheetah, leopard and lion prowl the grasslands, along with herds of elephant, giraffe, rhino, aardvark, hyena, and critically endangered black rhino. We'll explore its wonders on two game drives.

Fig Tree Camp, Maasai Mara National Reserve (4-star)

Day 11 - Maasai Mara National Reserve - Nairobi

Today, we make our way back to Nairobi. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the Giraffe Centre - an educational non-profit aimed at reintroducing endangered Rothschild giraffe into the wild. After meeting the residents, we return to the hotel where we started our incredible journey.

Hotel Eka, Nairobi (4-star)

Day 12 - Nairobi

Today we drive into Nairobi National Park to visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage. A sanctuary that rescues elephants and rhinos orphaned as a result of habitat loss, poaching and human conflict - the orphanage opens for one hour a day for visitors. After our final lunch at a local restaurant, say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Nairobi