Kenya Wildlife Safari with Tanzania & the Serengeti

Over the next week, we'll venture into Kenya's most captivating wildlife sanctuaries, set amid the beauty of the surrounding wilderness. This morning we'll travel northward to the Central Highlands where we'll cross the Equator as we approach majestic Mt. Kenya, a dormant volcano with a glittering cap of snow and ice. After a stop for lunch, we'll continue our drive to Samburu National Reserve - Buffalo Springs in Kenya's semi-desert, rugged northern frontier. En route to our lodge, we'll enjoy your first game-viewing drive. We'll arrive at our comfortable lodge late this afternoon.

Set in an extraordinary region along the Ewaso Ngiro River, Samburu–Buffalo Springs is home to some of Africa's rarest game species. The river's permanent waters abound with crocodiles and hippos, and attract plenty of wildlife including the Grevy's zebra, the long-necked gerenuk antelope, the shy oryx beisa, and the Somali ostrich. Leopards, cheetahs, and lions are also found in the reserve. Our full day of game viewing starts with an early morning safari when the animals are most active. We'll need to keep our cameras ready, our game spotter will lead us in search of the animals and we'll have plenty of opportunities to photograph our sightings. We'll return to the lodge for breakfast and relax by the pool. This afternoon, we'll venture out on additional game viewing.

Today we'll travel southwest towards the central highlands. Along the way, we'll visit Nanyuki Weavers & Spinners, a women's self-help project. This project was started to train poor, widowed and single women living near the Nanyuki the craft of spinning, knitting, and weaving in order to be self-reliant. We'll stop for lunch before continuing to Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya's finest rhino sanctuaries. Here, we'll admire the flamingos and other abundant birds dancing along the lake's shoreline. We'll experience a short game drive en route to our lodge this afternoon.

Today, we'll enjoy two game drives to explore Lake Nakuru National Park's extraordinary beauty and uniqueness. We may manage to spot some cape buffalo, rhino, Rothschild giraffe, waterbuck, lions, and zebra along the way!

Today we'll drive to the fabled Masai Mara National Reserve, rich with wildlife, birds, natural flora, and stunning scenic beauty. The Masai Mara is the northern extension of Tanzania's famous Serengeti Plains and is Kenya's premier location for wildlife viewing as it's home to a thriving population of lion, cheetah, hippo, crocodile, zebra, giraffe, elephant, wildebeest, and impala. This afternoon we'll enjoy a thrilling game-viewing drive in this photographer's paradise.

Early this morning, we may join an exhilarating optional hot-air balloon safari above the Masai Mara's plains. Included in today's program are additional morning and late afternoon safaris led by our game spotter who will take us in search of the Big Five: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, and the much rarer rhino. In between game drives, we can relax at our comfortable lodge, take a dip in the pool, and enjoy the delicious food served.

Today is our last full day to bask in our beautiful surroundings with two game drives plus a visit to a Masai village. One of the most iconic tribal groups in all of Africa, the Maasai are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. This nomadic warrior tribe once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya and still retains many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern-day civilizations in areas surrounding Masai Mara. This evening, we'll enjoy a farewell dinner together.

After breakfast, we'll drive back to Nairobi arriving in the mid-afternoon. The balance of the day is at leisure.

We'll fly this morning to Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha, Tanzania. Upon arrival, we'll meet our Tanzania guide and drive through Tanzania's countryside to Lake Manyara. After checking into our lodge, the evening is at leisure.

This morning, head to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive. The park offers a rich diversity of scenery and wildlife including the famous tree-climbing lions. After lunch at the lodge, leaving Lake Manyara behind, the journey continues North West across the stunning hilly countryside of the highlands which is filled with wheat and coffee plantations, and then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From here lie the vast plains of the UNESCO-listed Serengeti National Park where you begin spotting wildlife as you approach the entrance gate. Complete the formalities and enter the park with game viewing en route to the lodge arriving for dinner.

Today is filled with morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania's largest and most famous park. Serengeti is home to the Great Migration, the highest concentration of wildlife, and the opportunity to see the Big 5! The endless plains are a feast for your eyes as you will track big cats like lions, cheetahs, leopards, and other wildlife.

After an early breakfast, we'll depart for Ngorongoro with a picnic lunch. On arrival, we'll descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for an afternoon of game viewing. Ngorongoro Crater is a remnant of an ancient volcano peak and the world's largest unbroken caldera. On today’s excursion, our expert game driver/spotter will lead us on thrilling game-viewing drives by land rover to explore this unique phenomenon. It is sure to be one of the highlights of our trip to East Africa.

Our tour comes to an end later today. Following breakfast, we'll travel by road to Arusha for lunch followed by a transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. Here, we'll board our evening flight back to Nairobi.