14 Day Classic Kenya and Tanzania Safari (Camping)

Day 1: Nairobi, Kenya

Day 1 of this tour has been included into the tour as an arrival day and there is nothing planned for this day besides for you arriving sometime today in Nairobi to start your tour tomorrow.

If you are interested in meeting your guide and group members, ask reception upon your arrival if they can point them out and feel free to go and get acquainted and should you arrive early on this day and have the energy to partake in some optional tours within Nairobi, feel free to chat to you guide about this and or reception and they will help you arrange this.

Accommodation: The Heron Portico or similar (or similar)
Meals: No meals, you are welcome to dine at your own pleasure
Optional Activities: Karen Blixem Museum, Bomas of Kenya Tour, National Museum, The Carnivore Restaurant

Day 2: Nairobi – Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

As we leave Nairobi this morning, we drive through the Kikuyu farmlands, passing Africa’s second highest mountain (5199m/17,060ft) Mt Kenya.

Outside of the Samburu National Park we explore a local Samburu village. Similar in appearance to the Masai but less known, the Samburu people who live in savanna regions are known to be a great warrior tribe and here you will learn more about their tribal life and customs by watching traditional Samburu dancing and by partaking in a walk arranged by the tribesmen for the benefit of the community.

Continuing on, you will find Samburu National Reserve, a refuge for a diverse range of wildlife where we enjoy a wildlife safari drive in this wild part of Kenya to locate large populations of elephants and big cats.

Accommodation: Samburu Campsite(or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Samburu Village Excursion and afternoon game drive in Samburu
Distance: 365 km (7 – 8 hours travelling time and 1 – 2 hours game drive)

Day 3: Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

This morning we wake up early to enjoy the full day game drive we have planned for today within Samburu National Reserve. Here we will have the opportunity of seeing more rare wildlife only seen north of the equator, such as the Somali ostrich, beisa oryx, Grevy’s zebra, the majestic reticulated giraffe along with the long-necked gerenuk a graceful antelope known to stand tall on its back legs to browse on the fauna in the region.

Accommodation: Samburu Campsite(or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Full Day game drive in Samburu
Distance: 150km

Day 4: Samburu – Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Today we head in the direction of the bustling town of Nakuru, meaning “dusty place” in the Maasai language, is a lively town with a range of colorful local markets. We camp outside the town, on the edge of Lake Nakuru National Park, and if time and weather permits, we may be able to visit a local tea farm and see how the tea is grown, picked, and produced.

Accommodation: Nderit Campsite (East Africa) or similar (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance: 350 km (7 – 8 hours travelling time)

Day 5: Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Today is assigned to enjoying a full day game drive within Lake Nakuru National Park. Here we will be in search of the wildlife that this small but wonderful national park boasts.
Wildlife that one can expect to see in this reserve are buffalo, rhinos, and even lions and leopards along with enjoying the birdlife that the lakeside hosts, such as see pelicans, cormorants and possibly flamingos depending on what time of the year you travel.

Accommodation: Nderit Campsite (East Africa) or similar (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Full Day Lake Nakuru Wildlife Safari Drive
Distance: ±100km

Day 6: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara National Park, Kenya

A long day is ahead of us today, so an early start to the morning will be expected for the day as we make our way to the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve.Kenya would not be complete without a visit to this reserve, with its vast open plains and flat-topped acacia trees.

We will arrive in the afternoon and settle into our permanent tented camp, the base for exploring the Mara and head off in the later afternoon for a wildlife safari drive will keep you entertained before heading back to camp for sunset.

Accommodation: Kenia Campsite (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlights: Afternoon Game drive

Day 7: Masai Mara National Park, Kenya

Another early morning today as our intention is to get out of camp as the sun is rising as this will allow us to spot wildlife that would typically be active at night, such as predators and some more rare animals, such as porcupines, caracals and serval. A full day game drive allows us to explore a large section of the Masai Mara in search of animals and should time permit, we will get down to the river to see what activity there may be there.

If you have booked a balloon safari for the Masai Mara, your flight will depart early this morning and you will consequently miss out on the morning safari drive, but you will have incredible views from above.

Accommodation: Kenia Campsite (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlights: Full day game drive
Optional Activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari
Distance: 150 km

Day 8: Masai Mara to Nairobi, Kenya

We say goodbye to the Masai Mara this morning as we pack up early morning and set off through the Mara one last time on a morning game drive.
Here, enjoy the morning smells and feel the fresh morning air on your face as you watch the African sun rise over the “Mara”. Keep an eye and ear open for movement and memories. Watch elephants and giraffes graze, photograph zebras and wildebeests, and if you’re lucky, you may see a predator still eating off their night’s kill.
For lunch this afternoon we stop in the rural settlement of Maai Mahiu to visit a special community project known as Ubuntu Café. This project empowers the community by providing over 400 local jobs for mothers of children with disabilities, as well as supporting pediatric health and education programs in the region. Here we have a delicious organic farm-to-table lunch at the project before heading back to Nairobi and arriving late afternoon / early evening.

Accommodation: The Heron Portico or similar (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Highlights: Guided tour of Café Ubuntu and Ubuntu Made, Organic farm-to-table lunch
Distance: 245 km (5 – 6 hours travelling time)

Day 9: Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania

This morning we say goodbye to your guide and crew that have looked after you for the Kenyan portion of your tour after breakfast as this morning we take a private shuttle to Arusha where our Tanzanian section of the tour starts. We cross the Namanga Border into Tanzania and arrive in the safari capital of Tanzania, Arusha in the afternoon. Here you can spend some time exploring the town or its bustling markets, and have another night in the comfort of a hotel.

Note that you may welcome new members onto your Tanzania section of your tour for the next 6 days of your journey.

Accommodation: Outpost Lodge (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Distance: 290 km (7 – 8 hours travelling time) – You travel in a more efficient shuttle today

Day 10: Arusha to Mto wa Mbu, Tanzania

A relaxed morning is to be expected this morning as we only have a short drive today to the small but culturally orientated town of Mto wa Mbu.

Today we can expect to enjoy a guided cultural walk and mouth watering traditional lunch with a local family within the town of Mto Wa Mbu before taking an afternoon drive into the lush cool forests of Lake Manyara National Park.

Travel to Mto wa Mbu village and take part in a cultural walk to learn about village life in the area. Meet the women who run the village tours and enjoy a delicious home-made traditional lunch.

Lake Manyara National Park is known for its overgrown ficus trees, ash-based lake, flamingos and tree climbing lions. However, if you are a bird enthusiast, this national park is a must as you will not be disappointed.

It is a truly remarkable area, mainly because of the western wall of the escarpment that forms the backdrop that allows for some fantastic photo opportunities.

Upon returning to your camp, you will have a choice of what to do for dinner as this is an own expense dinner evening and the campgrounds you stay at offer a good and hearty dinner or wander the bustling little town in search of a good restaurant.

Accommodation: Twiga Campsite (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Highlights: Cultural walk and afternoon game drive within Lake Manyara National Park
Distance: 130 km

Day 11 : Mto wa Mbu to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

This morning we wake early to a warm cup of coffee or tea, pack our bags as we disembark onto a smaller 7 seater 4×4 game viewing safari vehicle with pop up roof tops that will allow you the best wildlife viewing opportunity within the Serengeti for the next few days.

The road today is long and hard road into the Serengeti but its rewarded with spectacular views of the open grasslands of the Serengeti, where the wildlife roam free and days are for creating memories that will last a lifetime.

This afternoon we get to our campsite in the heart of the Serengeti, known as Seronera, where we set up camp, enjoy a wonderful camp fire and the sounds of animals coming to life as the sun sets.

Accommodation: Seronera Campsite (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlights: Transit Game Drive in Serengeti National Park to camp
Distance: 190 km (8 – 9 hours travel time)

Day 12: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

As you can imagine, today is an early morning. You’ll most certainly wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the African bush, with hints of fresh dewy, sandy sweet morning smells that’s so unmistakable and will be one of the reasons you want to return to Africa in the future.

Today is a day dedicated to traversing through the Serengeti National Park in search of wildlife like never seen anywhere else. Here we can expect hyenas with full bellies lying in muddy puddles, lions on the small rocky outcrops in the park or hanging from a tree and if you’re lucky the great migration on the move through this wonderful park.

We head back for lunch and a small siesta as the day becomes too hot for you and the animals to enjoy and will happily return on an afternoon game drive once the day cools and you have rested.

Once again, we enjoy a campfire and the calls of the night, such as hyenas laughing in the background, lions roaring, the odd bark of an antelope or the hoot of an owl!

Accommodation: Seronera Campsite (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlights: Full day game drive
Optional Activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari
Distance: 150 km

Day 13: Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Another early morning today as we make our way out of the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservancy.

We enjoy a morning game drive through the Serengeti en-route to the Ngorongoro Crater Rim where our camp will be set up for the night.

It’s here where we make our way down into the Crater for an afternoon spectacle of wildlife. This trip into the Crater is unimaginable as the biomes within this “small” area are able to host a magnitude of animals that never leave the crater per say.

Upon arriving back at camp by the early evening to enjoy the sunset, know that this night will probably be the coldest on your tour, so remember to have a jacket handy and enjoy the crackle of a large camp fire for the evening and a tasty warm meal.

Accommodation: Simba Campsite (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlights: Full day game drive
Distance: 160 km (4 hours travel time)

Day 14: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha, Tanzania

This morning we wake up to enjoy our last coffee together as a group before heading down the mountain through the thick mountain forests in the direction of the Monduli District, which is a short drive from Arusha.

It is here where we will enjoy an authentic Maasai village experience along with meeting the women supported by the Clean Cookstove Project. This project has uplifted and trained to become stove engineers, which assists the local communities of not needing to cook on open fires but rather stoves, which saves them from indoor smoke from open-fire stoves, which causes cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, blindness and burns.

After having a good morning in the Monduli District, we head back to Arusha where we arrive in the afternoon. It is recommended that you do not book any flights for this day, but if you need to, flights after 18:00pm can be booked.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Highlights: Maasai village in the Monduli District and visit to the Clean Cookstove Project
Distance: 200 km (4 to 5 hours travelling time)

Onward Travel Plans

Due to circumstances beyond our control while on tour (such as border crossings, traffic, breakdowns and delays, etc), the end time on the last day cannot be guaranteed. Therefore we strongly recommend you stay the night and fly out the next day. Please consult with your booking consultant.