Skip to main content

Kenya and Tanzania: the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro

11 days from Nairobi to Arusha: three nights in the Masai Mara, a border crossing at Isebania and a planned short flight to three nights in the Serengeti, then Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.

11 days · Nairobi to Arusha · up to 12 guests

The facts

At a glance

Length
11 days, 10 nights
Start and end
Nairobi to Arusha
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Easy

Little walking: a village walk of about two hours in Mto wa Mbu and short walks at camp. The effort is early starts around 6 am, long hours in a 4x4 on rough, dusty tracks, two small-plane flights, and cold dawns at about 2,300 m on the Ngorongoro rim. Any game drive can be sat out at camp.

Meals included
10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 1,650 (estimated price)
Season
January to March and June to October

Highlights

Why this trip

  • Three nights in the Masai Mara, with a full day out and a picnic in the reserve
  • A border crossing at Isebania with your guide, then a planned short flight into the Serengeti, confirmed at booking, instead of 10 hours on the road
  • Three nights in the Serengeti, with dawn and late-afternoon drives and a full day where the herds are
  • Ngorongoro Crater at gate opening, among the first vehicles on the crater floor
  • A Maasai village visit, Olduvai Gorge, Lake Manyara and a Mto wa Mbu walk and lunch, all included
  • At most six guests in each 4x4, every seat a window, seats rotated daily

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 1,650 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

KENYATANZANIALake Victoria123456NairobiDays 1 to 2Masai MaraDays 2 to 5Isebania borderDay 5SerengetiDays 5 to 8Olduvai GorgeDay 8Ngorongoro CraterDays 8 to 9Lake ManyaraDays 9 to 10ArushaDays 10 to 11

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Nairobi

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to your hotel in Nairobi

  • Welcome dinner
  • Stay in Nairobi
  • Drive about 45 min
The Nairobi skyline with tall glass towers rising beyond the trees and lawns of Uhuru Park in the evening light
Photo: AEira-WMF, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uhuru_Park_in_Nairobi,_Kenya,_during_sunset.jpg)

Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), about 18 km south-east of the city centre. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you to your hotel; allow 45 minutes or more, because Nairobi traffic is heavy at rush hour. Have your Kenyan eTA approved before you fly, as there is no visa on arrival.

Afternoon

If you land early, the afternoon is yours: the Nairobi National Museum and the Karen Blixen Museum are both an easy taxi ride, and your guide can tell you how to fit one in.

Evening

In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead: why we start early, how the window seats rotate in the 4x4s, the 15 kg soft-bag limit on tomorrow's flight, and what to have ready for the border on day 5. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner. Repack tonight, because tomorrow we fly to the Mara.

Included

  • Pick-up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Welcome dinner

Free time: Free until the evening briefing

Activity: Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the briefing. If your flight lands late, your guide catches you up at breakfast.

  1. Nairobi1 night
  2. Masai Mara3 nights
  3. Serengeti3 nights
  4. Ngorongoro1 night
  5. Lake Manyara1 night
  6. Arusha1 night
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: From about July to October the wildebeest and zebra herds are usually in the Masai Mara and the northern Serengeti, and Mara River crossings are possible. From January to March the herds calve on the southern Serengeti plains, with green grass and predators close by, while the Mara keeps its resident game. April and May bring the long rains and November the short rains, so we do not run then. Dawns are cool everywhere and cold on the Ngorongoro rim.

Want this plan in your inbox?

Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • Travellers who want both the Masai Mara and the Serengeti on one trip, with time in each
  • First-time safari travellers who want the border, flights and park fees handled
  • Photographers who want a window seat and a pop-up roof every day
  • Solo travellers who want a small, steady group from start to finish

Not for you if you want

  • Travellers who dislike small planes or early starts
  • Anyone wanting a beach stay at the end (add Zanzibar separately)
  • Those who want to walk a lot: this is a vehicle-based safari
  • Travellers who need step-free access at every camp; some tents are reached on uneven paths

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

10 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Nairobi1 night
  • Masai Mara3 nights
  • Serengeti3 nights
  • Ngorongoro1 night
  • Lake Manyara1 night
  • Arusha1 night

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 10 nights: 1 in Nairobi, 3 at a tented camp in or near the Mara Triangle, 3 at a camp near Seronera in the central Serengeti, 1 on or near the Ngorongoro Crater rim, 1 near Lake Manyara, 1 in Arusha
  • Proper beds and private bathrooms throughout, no camping; hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard in Nairobi and Arusha, named when we confirm your dates
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement

Transport

  • Pick-up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) on day 1
  • Drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport on day 11
  • Light-aircraft flight from Wilson Airport, Nairobi, to the Masai Mara
  • A planned short charter flight into the central Serengeti after the Isebania crossing, subject to confirmation at booking (if it cannot run, we tell you the alternative before you pay)
  • 4x4 Land Cruisers with a pop-up roof and a driver-guide, at most 6 guests per vehicle, in Kenya and in Tanzania
  • Bottled or filtered water in the vehicles

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, including the border crossing and the flights
  • Licensed Kenyan and Tanzanian driver-guides in every 4x4
  • A local guide in Mto wa Mbu and a Maasai host at the village visit

Activities

  • Masai Mara: an afternoon game drive on arrival, a full day with a picnic lunch, and a dawn drive
  • Masai Mara: a Maasai village visit, with the fee paid to the community
  • Serengeti: dawn and late-afternoon game drives, and a full day planned by season
  • Olduvai Gorge museum
  • Ngorongoro Crater game drive from gate opening
  • Lake Manyara National Park game drive
  • Mto wa Mbu village, market and farm walk with lunch
  • All park, reserve and conservation fees, including the Masai Mara reserve fee and the Ngorongoro crater fee
  • A tipping pool for driver-guides, camp and lodge staff and local guides

Meals

  • Breakfast daily (10)
  • 9 lunches, days 2 to 10, with picnics on full game-drive days
  • 10 dinners: a welcome dinner in Nairobi, all dinners in the parks and a farewell dinner in Arusha

Not included

  • International flights to Nairobi and from Kilimanjaro
  • Kenya eTA and Tanzanian e-visa fees
  • Yellow fever vaccination and malaria tablets
  • Travel insurance
  • Lunch on day 1 and day 11, and dinner on day 11
  • Drinks, except water in the vehicles
  • Tips for your See Sight Tours guide
  • Optional balloon flights
  • Laundry and personal expenses
  • Excess baggage on the light-aircraft flights

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 1,650 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 8% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 8,430 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 8,800. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 9,165.

What does the price include?

Ten nights in camps, lodges and hotels, 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 10 dinners, the Wilson to Mara flight and the planned flight after the border, airport transfers, 4x4 game drives with at most six guests per vehicle, your See Sight Tours guide, all park and crater fees, the Maasai village, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, the Mto wa Mbu walk and a tipping pool for local crews.

How big is the group, and will I get a window seat?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in two 4x4s, at most six guests in each, so every guest has a window and room to stand under the pop-up roof. Seats rotate daily, so everyone gets turns at the front.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all eleven days, across the border and on the flights. Licensed Kenyan driver-guides drive the 4x4s in the Mara and Tanzanian driver-guides in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, with local hosts in the Maasai village and Mto wa Mbu.

How do you get from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti?

By road to the border, then a short charter flight we confirm at booking. The crossing between the parks is closed to visitors, and the road via Isebania and Tarime is about 10 hours. If the flight cannot run on your date, we tell you before you pay: either the road with a night near Lake Victoria, or flights back via Nairobi and Kilimanjaro.

How fit do I need to be?

Not very. Walking is light: a village walk of about two hours and short paths at camp. The effort is early starts, long hours in a 4x4 on rough tracks, climbing in and out of small planes, and cold dawns at about 2,300 m on the Ngorongoro rim. You can sit out any game drive at camp.

How many times do we change hotels?

Five times in ten nights. The Masai Mara and the Serengeti get three nights each, so you unpack in both parks. The last three nights are single nights on the Ngorongoro rim, at Lake Manyara and in Arusha; each of those moves is under two hours by road, and two of them come after a morning game drive.

I am travelling solo. What is the single supplement?

A room or tent of your own is from CAD 1,650 more than the twin-share price, shown up front. Solo travellers get the same rotating window seat, a place at every group meal and the same guide as everyone else; tell us when you book if you would rather share and we will see whether a roommate is available.

When is the best time to go?

We run January to March and June to October. From about July to October the herds are usually in the Mara and the northern Serengeti. From January to March they calve on the southern Serengeti plains. April and May bring the long rains and November the short rains, so we do not run then.

Will we see a wildebeest river crossing?

Possibly, but no one can promise it. Mara River crossings happen from about July to October, at times and places the herds choose. On those departures our driver-guides share sightings by radio and the group decides how long to wait at a crossing point. Outside those months the resident lions, elephants and buffalo are there all year.

Do I need visas and vaccinations?

Most visitors, including Canadians, need Kenya's electronic travel authorisation and a Tanzanian e-visa, both applied for online before travel. Tanzania asks travellers arriving from Kenya for a yellow fever certificate, so bring the card. Both countries carry malaria risk; ask a travel clinic about tablets well before you go.

How does booking work?

Choose a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The cancellation and refund terms are shown to you before any payment. The small group starts from CAD 9,165 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 16,495.

Can we travel privately or on our own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide, 4x4s and driver-guides, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same camps, flights and driver-guides for you.

Travel Tips & Timing Alerts

We send occasional updates when timing, events, or seasonal changes affect our tours.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.