Kenya · Private safari
Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru
Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru
Proposed level: Midrange to luxury
Kenya · Tanzania
Kenya & Tanzania
Maasai Mara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Big wildlife country on both sides of the border. A combination for travellers who want time to appreciate East Africa’s varied landscapes.
The Mara and the Serengeti are one ecosystem divided by a border, yet the experience differs: Kenya’s conservancies allow walking and night drives, while Tanzania’s Serengeti and Ngorongoro add scale and the crater. Crossing overland at Isebania or flying between Nairobi and Kilimanjaro gives you both without repeating the same days twice.
The route
- Stop 1
Maasai Mara
- Stop 2
Serengeti
- Stop 3
Ngorongoro
Route order as travelled. This is a schematic of the sequence, not a scale map — driving times are given in the itinerary.
The route on a map
3 stops · drag and zoom to explore
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- 01Maasai Mara
- 02Serengeti
- 03Ngorongoro
Pins mark the regions in travelling order, not exact camps or lodges. Driving times are given in the day-by-day plan above.
Day by day
10 days · 9 nights across 2 countries
Day01Arrive and settle into Maasai Mara / conservancyMaasai Mara · overnight Maasai Mara / conservancy
You are met on arrival and driven to your first camp. Depending on your flight time, there is a first evening drive or simply time to settle in. Full-day game drives across the Mara’s open grassland, following the wildlife wherever the morning takes you.
- Transfers
- Met at Nairobi (NBO), then a transfer of approximately 5–6 hours by road from Nairobi, or a short scheduled flight to a Mara airstrip.
- Meals
- Dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara / conservancy
- Pace
- Light — settle in, with one short drive if your flight allows
From the safari desk: Send us your flight number before you travel. If you land after 15:00 we move any first drive to the following morning rather than rush you into the park tired.
Day02Maasai Mara — full dayMaasai Mara · overnight Maasai Mara / conservancy
Morning and late-afternoon drives with time back at camp through the heat of the day; plains game, big cats and raptors are all part of the search.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara / conservancy
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day03Maasai Mara — full dayMaasai Mara · overnight Maasai Mara / conservancy
A day in a private conservancy with guided walks and off-road viewing where the conservancy permits it.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara / conservancy
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day04On to SerengetiSerengeti · overnight Serengeti
After breakfast you travel on to Serengeti. The afternoon is kept light: Full days of game drives on the Serengeti plains, tracking whatever the season has brought to the area.
- Transfers
- a scenic drive from the Ngorongoro highlands, or a scheduled flight to a Serengeti airstrip. The border crossing is arranged with a guide who handles the formalities on both sides; alternatively a short flight from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro removes the road day entirely.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Serengeti
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day05Serengeti — full daySerengeti · overnight Serengeti
Morning and afternoon drives from camp, with the middle of the day free to rest.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Serengeti
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day06Serengeti — full daySerengeti · overnight Serengeti
A day exploring a different sector, following the herds and the predators that shadow them.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Serengeti
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day07Serengeti — full daySerengeti · overnight Serengeti
Optional balloon safari at sunrise, weather and availability permitting.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Serengeti
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day08On to Ngorongoro highlandsNgorongoro · overnight Ngorongoro highlands
After breakfast you travel on to Ngorongoro. The afternoon is kept light: A descent into the Ngorongoro Crater with a picnic lunch, exploring the crater floor.
- Transfers
- approximately 2 hours by road from Karatu or the Serengeti.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Ngorongoro highlands
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day09Ngorongoro — full dayNgorongoro · overnight Ngorongoro highlands
A morning crater visit or, on a longer stay, time in the surrounding highlands and forest.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Ngorongoro highlands
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day10DepartureNgorongoro highlands · onward travel
Your guide sees you to the airport in good time for check-in. If your international flight leaves late in the day, a day room or an extra night can be arranged.
- Transfers
- A final morning at camp, then a transfer of approximately 2 hours by road from Karatu or the Serengeti to Kilimanjaro (JRO) or Arusha for your onward flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Overnight
- Onward travel
- Pace
- Morning only, then onward travel
From the safari desk: We confirm your transfer time the evening before against the live flight schedule, and build in a buffer for road conditions. Late departures can keep a day room.
Crossing between countries
Road across the border at Isebania, with a light-aircraft flight within the Serengeti if you would like to shorten the driving. Flights home depart from Kilimanjaro or Arusha.
Proposed level
Luxury accommodation, proposed rather than committed. Specific properties and rates are shared privately in your proposal.
Safaris we sell
Journeys on this route
Each can run on its own, or be joined into the full combination above.
Tanzania · Private safari
Tanzania’s Classic Safari
Tarangire → Serengeti → Ngorongoro
Proposed level: Midrange to luxury
Tanzania · Private safari
Northern Circuit Discovery
Tarangire → Lake Manyara → Serengeti → Ngorongoro
Proposed level: Midrange
Before you decide
- Both countries require entry formalities; carry printed documents for the land border.
- East African tourist visas or e-visas depend on your nationality — check current rules for each country separately.
- The crater descent is a long day; it can be moved or swapped for an extra Serengeti night.
Questions about this combination
Is the road border crossing difficult?
It is straightforward with a guide but takes time. Many travellers prefer to fly; we will quote both.
Can we see the migration?
The herds move between the two countries through the year, so your month decides where we base the journey. Crossings are never guaranteed.
How many nights in each country?
This proposal is three in Kenya and six in Tanzania. We adjust the balance to your interests and flight routes.
