13 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Venture to East Africa’s greatest safari destinations on this 13 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Safari. This amazing combined Kenya and Tanzania Safari takes you on an adventure of a wildlife to Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation.
Highlights of 13 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Safari
- Day 1: Arrival, visit the Giraffe Center
- Day 2: Fly to Masai Mara National Reserve
- Day 3: Follow the Great Migration
- Day 4 & 5: Game Drive in Masai Mara
- Day 6: Hot Air Balloon Ride, Game Drive in Masai Mara
- Day 7&8: Full Day in Serengeti National Park
- Day 9: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Game drive around the crater.
- Day 10&11: Full Day Ngorongoro Crater Drive, Masai Bomas
- Day 12: Back to Arusha with En-route Tarangire Park Game Drive
- Day 13: Drop off at the airport and fly back to Nairobi
Detailed itinerary of 13 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Day 1: Arrival, visit the Giraffe Center
Depending on your arrival time, you will be picked up from the Airport by our guide and head to the Giraffe Center for a chance to feed the Giraffes and later embark on a guided walk around the sanctuary.
After lunch, you will head to your hotel in Nairobi for an evening of rest, have dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Fly to Masai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up by our guide and transfer you to Wilson Airstrip for your flight to Masai Mara. On arrival you will be picked up by your driver-guide and embark on a morning game drive till time for lunch at your lunch.
Later return to the reserve for an afternoon game drive following the Great Migration.
Day 3: Follow the Great Migration
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the endless plains of Masai Mara for a full day game drive following the Great Migration with your packed lunch boxes.
Watching hundreds of wildebeests in large columns in search green pastures and water, the Great Migration is the largest herd movement of animals on the planet, with up to 1,000 animals per km², the great columns of wildebeests can be seen from space. The numbers are astonishing, over 1.2 million wildebeests and 300,000 zebra along with topi and other gazelle move in a constant cycle through the Serengeti – Mara ecosystem in search of nutritious grass and water.
Day 4 & 5: Game Drive in Masai Mara
Wake up to a morning game drive in the Masai Mara after breakfast at the lodge and get to see various wild game in the park, including big 5 animals. Look out for various birds in Masai Mara, as well as the beautiful landscape of the park. Enjoy your lunch in the wilderness, and then head on to visit the Maasai tribe for an opportunity to learn about the way of life of the Maasai people. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay as above.
Day 6: Hot Air Balloon Ride, Game Drive in Masai Mara
Wake up early for a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Plains. Look out for the various wildlife including the big 5 animals. Enjoy magical sunrises over the Masai Mara, with amazing views of the savanna plains dotted with acacia trees. Climax your hot air balloon ride with a champagne breakfast in the wilderness.
After your hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara, enjoy game drives in the Mara plains in search for the various wildlife in the park. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay as above.
Day 7: Fly to Serengeti National Park
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge and then proceed to the airstrip to catch your domestic flight to Serengeti, upon arrival you will be welcomed by our guide and go for a game drive as you head to your lodge for check in and lunch.
Later return to the Serengeti Plains for another game viewing experience till sunset. Return the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7&8: Full Day in Serengeti National Park
After your early breakfast at the lodge, drive out for a full day game drive with our lunch boxes along the Seronera area. Enjoy the big game around Seronera River, some of the wildlife to look out for in this section include the Lions, Thomson gazelles, topi, ostriches and cheetahs. Serengeti National Park is the most famous and sought after Tanzania national park.
After your game drive, you will proceed to the Visitor Centre where we have our lunch break open our lunch boxes. The Tourist Information Centre offers some interesting wildlife displays as well as a gift shop selling information leaflets and maps of the area. The shop also has a refreshment area, and we shall have our lunch from here.
In the evening go for a game drive to the Kopjes the weathered granite outcrops, scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rock after the rains. The Kopjes are good hunting grounds for lions especially in dry seasons when most wildlife come to have a dip and drink up. Look for other animals which we might have missed during the morning game drive. Return for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 9: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Game drive around the crater.
Enjoy your breakfast at the lodge, and then proceed for a transfer out of the Serengeti enjoying yet another game drive. Have your lunch en-route, and when you arrive in Ngorongoro, you will have a game drive around the crater then head to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10&11: Full Day Ngorongoro Crater Drive, Masai Bomas
Enjoy an early breakfast at the lodge, and proceed to descend over 600 meters into the crater to view wildlife for a half day’s safari tour. Supported by year-round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro National Park supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot.
You will also visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner, which is one of the main features of the crater. A large number of flamingos, hippos and other water birds can usually have been seen here. Thereafter, you shall drive to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay as above.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Back to Arusha with En-route Tarangire Park Game Drive
After breakfast at the lodge, with your packed lunch proceed to transfer to Arusha making an en-route stopover in Tarangire National park for an amazing half day game drive. Tarangire National Park is famous for the large herds of free ranging elephants, and baobab trees among other attractions. Enjoy your lunch over a picnic.
Look out for more wild game as you drive out of the park, transferring to Arusha. You shall be dropped off at hotel of stay in Arusha for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Drop off at the airport and fly back to Nairobi
Depending on your flight time, you will have some leisure time at the lodge and later, your guide will take you to the airport for your departure flight back home.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
End of 13 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Optional Activities
Hot air balloon – USD 500 per person in Masai Mara and USD 600 in Serengeti
The safari and tour prices below include
- Flight from Nairobi to Masai Mara and Arusha to Nairobi
- all-day game drives as per sample itinerary
- Hotel/lodge accommodation for the duration of the safari
- Private 4-wheel drive vehicle with a roof hatch
- Professional safari and tour guide/driver
- All national park fees and activities mentioned.
- All meals on the safari
- All game viewing activities specified
- Kenya and Tanzania VAT on tourism activities and park fees
- Flights included in the itinerary
- Concession and Crater fees
- Drinking water in the safari vehicle
The safari and tour prices below exclude:
- Flights and visas
- Travel insurance
- Extra and optional activities not on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like laundry, beverages, internet, etc.
- Tips and gratuities
