Tanzania and Kenya Small Group Camping Safari (12 Days)

Day 1: Arusha – Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

The tour will begin with a short briefing in the morning and then we proceed southwest towards the Tarangire National Park, named after the Tarangire River which runs through the park. Among the most scenic and diverse natural areas on the northern circuit, this park is one of the most attractive. Within the park, you will find a large number of baobab trees that are the park’s most notable feature. In addition to large elephant herds, the river is usually the best location to spot various other species of wildlife, including giraffes, antelopes, gazelles, zebras and buffaloes. Additionally, there are over 550 bird species in the park, and bird enthusiasts will be able to capture them on film with ease. In the late afternoon, you will have time to explore the park before you arrive at a campsite inside the park for the night.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlights: Tarangire National Park

Day 2: Tarangire National Park – Lake Manyara National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

Following breakfast, you will depart Tarangire and travel to Lake Manyara National Park. Located along the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment, Lake Manyara is a shallow, alkaline lake that attracts many birds, including large flocks of flamingos. The park is also home to a variety of other animals, including buffaloes, elephants, hippos and Masai giraffes, as well as baboons and monkeys living in the park. Tree climbing lions once inhabited this park, and if you are lucky enough to see them, you will be entertained by the sight of these animals lounging on branches in the acacia trees. Following a game drive within the park, you will ascend to the Ngorongoro Highlands, where you will overnight at a campsite located on the edge of the crater, affording magnificent views of the caldera.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,  Dinner
Included Highlights: Lake Manyara National Park game drive

Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Breakfast will be served at dawn along with a view of the sunrise over the crater. After breakfast, you will travel down a steep trail into the crater. There is a wide variety of wildlife to be found within the world’s largest caldera, including zebras, gnus, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, lions, leopards, elephants, and mountain reedbucks in the park. A visit to the crater is one of the best opportunities to view the magnificent, but endangered black rhinoceros. Lunch will be taken at a picnic location before you leave the crater in the early afternoon and proceed to the open plains of the Serengeti. Tanzania is famous for its Serengeti National Park, which is the site of the world’s most important animal migration. There are herds of wildebeests and zebras that cross the border between Tanzania and Kenya in search of fresh grass and water. The zebras and wildebeests are under constant threat from predators in the shadows. We will spend the night at a campsite in the Serengeti’s central region.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Included Highlights: Ngorongoro Crater,  Serengeti National Park

Day 4: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

You will enjoy a game drive in the early morning while enjoying the warm rays of the sun. Visitors who want to experience the Serengeti from the air can participate in a hot-air balloon ride followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush. These activities are not included in the tour price and must be booked prior to the tour. We will start our day with a hearty breakfast at your camp before exploring the Serengeti National Park in search of animals we might have missed the previous day. You may be able to tick all the members of this group off today, as the Serengeti is also home to the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, and leopard. For those interested, a visit to the visitor center is also possible. In the late afternoon, you will return to your campsite for dinner and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Included Highlights: Serengeti National Park
Optional Activity: Hot air balloon, Breakfast in the bush

Day 5: Serengeti National Park – Lake Victoria

Following breakfast, you will depart for Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and the world’s second largest freshwater lake. Around Lake Victoria there are several million people living, making it one of the densestly populated regions in Africa. Despite its somewhat remote location, the area provides a different perspective on Tanzania due to its distance from the tourist hot spots. You will be able to experience the lives of the local people. We end our day at our campsite.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Included Highlights: Lake Victoria

Day 6: Lake Victoria – Masai Mara Area, Nairobi

Fish has become a staple in the diet of the local population on Lake Victoria, one of the largest fishing industries in Africa. A canoe trip will be organised on Lake Victoria during which you will have the opportunity to see fisherman in action. Before embarking on one of the longest sections of your safari, the journey to the Masai Mara, you will see how the locals catch fish in the traditional manner and admire the previous night’s catch. Upon arrival in Kenya, your Tanzania safari team will bid you farewell and you will be reunited with a new vehicle and a new team. The Masai Mara Game Reserve is situated outside the Masai Mara Game Reserve, where you will spend the night in tents.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 7: Masai Mara Game Reserve, Nairobi

You will be rewarded today for your long journey yesterday. You experience extensive game drives in your 4×4 safari vehicle in the Mara Triangle in the northwestern part of the Masai Mara. You can expect to have the opportunity to encounter a variety of wildlife, especially during the Great Migration. During your tour, you will visit the Mara River, the greatest hurdle for wildebeests and zebras on their annual migration. Toward the end of October and the beginning of November, the river swells to almost bursting levels, creating an extraordinary spectacle. The river is traversed by tens of thousands of animals each year, knowing that crocodiles lurk below the surface, waiting for their death. This can be a frightening sight. Other animals can also be seen at the river during other times of the year, including hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of birds. Upon returning to your camp at sunset, you enjoy a tasty meal, relax around the campfire, and enjoy one more night in East Africa.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Included Highlights: Masai Mara Game Reserve, Mara River

Day 8 – 9:  Masai Mara Game Reserve, Nairobi

Two consecutive days will be devoted to game drives in the Masai Mara Game Reserve. With the assistance of an experienced guide, you will be able to search for the Big Five: elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion, and leopard. As you are not in a hurry, you have plenty of time to experience all the wonderful moments that can make your safari an unforgettable experience. As well as Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, elands, and Coke’s hartebeests, the Mara is home to many other interesting animals. Masai giraffes, roan antelopes and bat-eared foxes are not commonly seen outside of Kenya. Additionally, the reserve is home to over 470 species of birds, including nearly 60 species of raptors. You will spend the next two nights camping just outside the Masai Mara Game Reserve, in the eastern section of the game reserve.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 10: Masai Mara Area, Nairobi

Once you have finished your breakfast, you will leave the bush and travel to Nairobi, Kenya’s bustling and often chaotic capital. The remainder of the day will be at your disposal. The amazing wildlife sightings you witnessed over the past few days can be absorbed as you sit back and relax. You will share a meal with your fellow travellers at the famous Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi (own expense), before spending the night at your campground in Nairobi.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch

Day 11: Amboseli National Park, Nairobi

Today’s journey takes you south-east towards Amboseli National Park near the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. Many iconic photographs of elephants on the plains with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background were taken at Amboseli. In addition to elephants, this park is home to lions, buffaloes, hippos, and water birds drawn to the seasonal swamps. From the Observation Hill viewpoint you will have a magnificent view of the swamps and the rest of the park. The night will be spent in a tent near the park’s entrance gate.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 12: Amboseli Area, Nairobi

Once you have finished breakfast and have packed up your camp, you return to Nairobi. The end of your unforgettable safari is near. Depending on your travel plans, your guide will take you to a hotel in the city or to the airport. In this point, you will have to say good-bye to your guide. Hopefully, we will see you back in East Africa again very soon!

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch

Onward Travel Plans

Due to circumstances beyond our control while on tour (such as border crossings, traffic, breakdowns and delays, etc), the end time on the last day cannot be guaranteed. Therefore we strongly recommend you stay the night and fly out the next day. Please consult with your booking consultant.