12-Day Kenya & Tanzania Budget Safari

Today you will have a full day to explore the vast Masai Mara. You can either have a morning and afternoon game drive or enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading out on a full-day game drive with picnic lunches and returning in the evening. The reserve, renowned for its big cat population, often provides beautiful sightings of lion, leopard and cheetah that are supported by the large herds of antelope. If you are lucky, you may see an serval, one of the smaller cats in the reserve and a rare, but wonderful sight. At the end of the day you will make your way back to camp for a well deserved dinner.

Overnight at Masai Mara Manyatta Camp: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Enjoy another full day in the reserve as you search for the big five and the huge migrating herds. Today you also have a chance of going on an optional hot air balloon safari that allows you to experience the reserve from above, giving you the opportunity to witness the vastness of the park and comprehend the distances the great herds will walk as they make their way to Tanzania. After an exciting day, you will head back to camp to enjoy for your final sunset in the Mara.

Overnight at Masai Mara Manyatta Camp: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After breakfast you will make your way to Lake Nakuru National Park, arriving in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. The park offers excellent sightings of pelicans bathing in the fresh water streams that lead into the lake and sightings of thousands of flamingos that come to the park to breed. The park is a true bird watchers paradise. Various game animals inhabit the park, including the white rhino which are watched over in a sanctuary in the park. After your drive, you will head to your camp for the evening.

Overnight at Lanet Matfam Resort: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After Breakfast, drive to Lake Naivasha, arriving at your camp in time for lunch. You can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or enjoy various optional activities, including a bird walk or a boat ride. The lake attracts many animals to its banks, including giraffe and large herds of buffalo that love to wallow in the mud. You will also see many hippos in the shallows, as they wait out the hot hours of the day in the water. If you wish, you will also have the opportunity to visit Hell’s Gate National Park for some various activities which include hiking, biking and rock climbing.

Overnight at Camp Carnellys: breakfast, lunch & dinner

You will enjoy some breakfast at camp before leaving for Amboseli National Park, making your way via Nairobi and arriving in time for lunch and your afternoon game drive. Amboseli is a magnificent park at the foot hills of Mount Kilimanjaro, offering stunning views of the iconic African peak. Amboseli means ‘the place of water’ in the Maasai language and the park is aptly named due to the vast amounts of water that reach the park from the mountain. Experience amazing game sightings in the lush park, in the shadow of the mountain, allowing you to capture dramatic photos of your memorable encounters. You may also come across some of the nomadic Maasai warriors and experience some of their culture before heading back to camp for the evening.

Overnight at AA Lodge Tented Camp: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wake up early for your morning game drive and experience the waking bush as you find animals heading to Lake Amboseli, an area consisting of various permanent swamps. The park is known for its large elephant population with massive tusks which you will hopefully see. Spend the day exploring the park in search of any animals you are yet to find and enjoy the views of Kilimanjaro in the distance. Return to camp after a full day in the reserve and enjoy a delicious dinner.

Overnight at AA Lodge Tented Camp: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After an early breakfast, you will head out with your packed lunch and make your way to the Namanga border crossing where you will leave Kenya and step into Tanzania. You will then drive to Arusha and have some lunch before continuing on to Tarangire National Park. The park is known to have the largest elephant population in the world during the dry season. You can also expect to see hundreds of the giant baobab trees. The park is home to over 370 bird species, offering excellent bird watching for bird lovers. In the evening, you will make your way to your camp after a long and exciting day.

Overnight at Tarangire Simba Public Campsite: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After breakfast you will drive to the famous Serengeti National Park, passing through the rich farmlands and the lush montane forests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will make an en-route stopover at Olduvai Gorge, one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites where fossils dating back more then two million years where discovered. Enjoy an optional tour of Olduvai Museum before a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, continue your drive and enjoy some game viewing in the Serengeti, home to the highest density of wild animals in the world. You will make your way to your camp in the evening and enjoy a beautiful sunset before a delicious dinner.

Overnight at Seronera Public Campsite: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After some breakfast, you will head out for a full day with morning and afternoon game drives as you explore the vast park. Traverse the endless grassland plains that stretch as far as the eye as can see and search for the vast array of wild game that inhabit the park. The reserve is home to the great migration that sees millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles cross the Mara River every year in search of greener pastures. Search for the herds and find yourself surrounded by an astounding number of animals, revealing the sheer size of this natural spectacle. The herds support large predator populations including huge golden-maned lions that roam the park and blend into the yellow grass, also an amazing sight. After a full day of adventure, return to your camp for the evening.

Overnight at Seronera Public Campsite: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After breakfast you will enjoy a final drive through the Serengeti as you leave the park and make your way to the Ngorongoro Highlands. You will be heading to the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera. The crater, with its intact rim walls, encircles and encloses a beautifully lush wildlife haven that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its diversity. You will arrive in Karatu in the evening, where you will stay for the night and venture into the crater in the morning.

Overnight at Octagon Lodge Karatu: breakfast, lunch & dinner