12 Day Best of East Africa Safari

Our Two Country - 11 night / 12-day Safari, covers the best of East Africa’s parks & reserves across Kenya & Tanzania. The safari runs as a ‘small group tour’ with guaranteed departures based on a minimum of 2 passengers. We experience quality time at many of the iconic safari destinations including Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lake Victoria, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Arusha.

The safari involves just one crossing which takes place at Isibania when you enter Tanzania after your safari in the Masai Mara.

Quick Facts & Itinerary at a Glance
* The safari begins in Nairobi, Kenya and ends in Arusha, Tanzania
* It operates with a maximum of 7 passengers guaranteeing window seats
* It operates on set departure dates (see below under costing)

1 Night Sarova Pan Afric Hotel or EKA Hotel, (Nairobi, Kenya)
1 Night Amboseli Serena Lodge or Kilima Tented Camp (Amboseli, Kenya)
1 Night at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge or Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge (Lake Naivasha, Kenya)
1 Night Lake Nakuru Sope Lodge or Lake Nakuru Lodge (Lake Nakuru, Kenya)
2 Nights Mara Serena Lodge or Ashnil Lodge (Masai Mara, Kenya)
1 Night Serenity On the Lake or Speke Bay Lodge (Lake Victoria, Tanzania)
2 Nights Signature Camps or Serengeti Kati Kati (Serengeti, Tanzania)
1 Night Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge (Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania)
1 Night Kahawa House (Arusha, Tanzania)

 

Detailed Safari Itinerary

B – Breakfast
L – Lunch
D - Dinner

Day 01 - Nairobi (B)

Upon arrival in Nairobi, you will be met by your guide who will transfer you to the Sarova Pan Afric Hotel or Eka Hotel where you overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 02 - Nairobi to Amboseli National Park (B L D)

This morning, you will enjoy breakfast followed by a tour briefing by your safari guide. After your briefing, we travel to the Amboseli National Park a little over 200km to the southeast of Nairobi. Here we arrive in time for lunch at either the Amboseli Serena Lodge or Kilima Tented Camp. After lunch we enjoy our first safari in this iconic park known for its classic backdrops of the towering Mount Kilimanjaro. Late this afternoon we head back to camp for your first night on safari.

Day 03 - Amboseli National Park to Lake Naivasha (B L D)

After breakfast you will begin your journey to Lake Naivasha via Nairobi, around midday we will stop for refreshments and lunch. Lake Naivasha is a great freshwater lake that forms part of the Great Rift Valley.  You will have a choice to embark on a boat safari (an optional extra) on Lake Naivasha after which we check in for (1) night at either Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge or Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge. (Recommended optional sightseeing: Boat Safari From USD$50.00 per person)

Day 04 - Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru National Park (B L D)

After breakfast, we head out to the Lake Nakuru National Park for a full-day safari to this beautiful park, home to white rhinos, vast flocks of flamingos and other wildlife including the Rothschild giraffe and the eastern black rhino.

The landscape is defined by the lake and its abundant birdlife, but the bush and forests that line its edges make for excellent photo opportunities. We shall arrive at our next lodge in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive.  Accommodation will be at either Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge or Lake Nakuru Lodge.

Day 05 - Lake Nakuru - Masai Mara Game Reserve (B L D)

This morning we depart on the 4-hour drive to the Masai Mara which is approximately 230km to the southwest. We arrive in time for lunch before embarking on an afternoon safari in Kenya’s best-known safari destination. In the late afternoon, we check into either the Mara Serena Lodge Lodge or Ashnil Lodge for (2) nights.

Day 06 - Full Day Safari - Masai Mara Game Reserve (B L D)

Today we spend the day enjoying the spectacle of the Masai Mara’s wildlife viewing. Known for its annual wildebeest migration that passes through these parts around August – Sep each year, the park is much more than that - it covers over 1500 sq km of grassland and open savanna and is home to a full spectrum of African wildlife, and parts of it a critical grazing for the pastoral Maasai people.

Day 07 - Masai Mara - Lake Victoria (B L D)

After an early breakfast, we depart on our 286 km drive to Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake which spans three African countries. We cross the border into Tanzania at the Isebania Border Post. It is here you bid farewell to your Kenyan guide and meet up with your Tanzanian guide who will take you onto the Speke Bay area of Lake Victoria. After the 7-hour journey, we check into either the Serenity On the Lake or Speke Bay Lodge for dinner and overnight. (Recommended optional sightseeing: Boat Safari & Cultural Fisherman Village Tour from $50.00 per person)

Day 08 - Lake Victoria – Serengeti National Park (B L D)

After yesterday’s long drive, you have the opportunity for a leisurely morning to enjoy the surroundings of your lodge on Lake Victoria. After an early lunch, we depart on a 200km drive, game viewing a lot of the time, to the central part of the Serengeti National Park.

Entering at the Ndabaka Gate we pass through the western corridor area en route to either the Serengeti Serena Lodge or Mbalageti Tented Lodge, where we base ourselves for (2) nights.

Day 09 - Full Day Safari Serengeti National Park (B L D)

Today we enjoy a full-day safari in the Serengeti. The high concentration of plains game on these grasslands attracts an array of predators including lions, cheetahs, leopards and others. Given the open nature of the terrain game viewing in the Serengeti is almost always excellent and in this particular area, the months of March – April is when the annual wildebeest migration passes through. Dinner and overnight at either the Serengeti Serena Lodge or Mbalageti Tented Lodge. (Recommended optional sightseeing: Hot Air Balloon Safari Overlooking Plains of Serengeti from USD$600.00 per person).

Day 10 - Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area (NCA)

After an early breakfast leave the lodge with a picnic lunch and descend 2200 feet into the Ngorongoro Crater, the only perfectly preserved caldera in the world for a safari on the crater floor. This unique safari area allows visitors sightings of Africa’s big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and the rare black rhino). This afternoon we check into either the Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge or Ngorongoro Farm House for dinner and overnight.

Day 11 – Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Manyara to Arusha (B L)

After an early breakfast, we depart the lodge for a 2-hour cultural tour of the village Mto wa Mbu as well as the surrounding areas of Lake Manyara. During this walking tour, you will learn about the traditions of the locals, and how tourism benefits their communities as well as have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs from your trip to Tanzania.  Lunch will be a home-cooked meal of traditional African foods.  After lunch, we make our way to the city of Arusha where our safari comes to an end, you will be transferred to Kahawa House where you can relax and unwind before your flight back home tomorrow.

Day 11 – Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport

This morning after breakfast, you will be collected and transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport.  You will depart Kenya and Tanzania with wonderful memories as you travel back to your home country.

Safari Rates & Departure Dates 2025 (Quoted in USD)

Above Costs Include
Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary (11 Breakfast, 5 Lunches, 6 Picnic Lunches, 9 Dinners)
All transfers
Park Fees
Game viewing as per itinerary with the English-speaking guide
Transportation on 4X4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
1 Single entry park fees for Masai Mara are included per day, in case of on demand for Second Park fees at Trans Mara clients will have to pay direct from US$100 up to US$200 per person per day
Luggage allowance on safari 15kg per person in a soft bag
All Entry visa to Kenya and Tanzania must applied in advance online.

Above Costs Exclude
Laundry
Item of personal Nature
Travel Insurance
Internal or International Flights
Entry visa to Kenya US$50 and Entry Visa to Tanzania US$50
Drinking Water
Gratuity & Tipping
Phone, Fax, and any other item which is not mentioned in the itinerary
Add on excursions 1 Boat Safari in Lake Naivasha US$50.00 per person
Arusha Upgrade to The Arusha Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton, from USD$75.00 per person
Cross-country Safari Kenya and Tanzania Yellow Fever vaccination is mandatory, clients must produce a certificate