11 Days Best of Kenya and Tanzania safari

Safari Overview

This 11 Days Best of Kenya and Tanzania Safari; couples both Kenya and Tanzania. This safari is a refinement of the Masai Mara safari package consisting a visit to Maasai Mara National Park to view wildlife and most especially the big five, it also consists of balloon rides and later drive to Lake Nakuru National Park to view more wildlife.

This safari then continues to Tanzania to various National parks. We bring you the 11 days best of Kenya and Tanzania in one safari itinerary.

KENYA – Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru and Amboseli.  TANZANIA – Serengeti & Ngorongoro and Tarangire.

Brief Itinerary: 11 days best of Kenya Tanzania safari

  • Day  1: Transfer to Masai Mara-Afternoon Game Drive
  • Day  2: Morning Game Drive or balloon ride
  • Day  3: Transfer to Lake Nakuru via the Rift Valley region
  • Day  4: Transfer to Amboseli National Park-Afternoon Game Drive
  • Day  5: Full Day Game Drive
  • Day  6: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park- Afternoon Game Drive
  • Day  7: Lake Manyara to Serengeti National
  • Day  8: Serengeti
  • Day  9: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
  • Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive to Tarangire
  • Day 11:  Tarangire to Arusha 

Detailed Itinerary: 11 days best of Kenya and Tanzania Safari

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be met by your Jewel Safaris driver guide, given a short briefing about the itinerary, and taken to your hotel to check-in.

Maasai Market
Maasai Market

Depending on the time of arrival and level of fatigue, you may choose to take a city tour of Nairobi; depending on the time of the day; your guide can take you to a local Kenyan restaurant for lunch so that you can experience some of the traditional foods offered.  The city tour will include cultural and historical sites in the greater Nairobi area, as well as a visit to the Maasai Market to explore the great variety of handicrafts produced in Kenya. ( optional and not included in the price)

Before nightfall, you will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight as you prepare for an early morning transfer to the Masai Mara. If you choose to go out for a night in town, consult with the Jewel Safari guide, who will be a wealth of information on what is available; Nairobi is a vibrant city with many clubs, bars, restaurants, and music venues.

Day 1: Nairobi> Masai Mara.

The Jewel Safari driver guide will pick you from hotel in Nairobi and transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve.  Depending of the arrival time lunch will be taken at the lodge/ camp or en- route.  Shortly after lunch, your guide will take you on an afternoon game drive, which lasts about 3-4 hours.  Maasai Mara is famous for its cats; lions, cheetahs, leopards are all present in the Park and there are many of them to see.  In addition, Maasai Mara does have dozens of mammals to view, such as the zebra, elephant, buffalo, various antelopes as well as warthogs, wildebeests, eland, and hundreds of bird species.

After the game drive, before nightfall, you will be driven to your lodge/ camp for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 2: Masai Mara.

After breakfast you have the option to go for either a morning game drive or a balloon ride.  The balloon ride is a totally different perspective; seeing the wildlife roaming the plains of Maasai Mara, with a bird’s eye view can be quite extraordinary. Silently floating above the herds of animals gives you a unique photographic opportunity.

balloon ride in masai mara
Balloon ride in Masai mara

You will return to the lodge/ camp for lunch and a little relaxation before going out again to search for more wildlife.

After lunch, we continue with another gamedrive, the magnitude of wildlife in the park will enable you to certainly experience a “kill”, the ultimate viewing and photographic experience. Return to the lodge/ camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Masai Mara Rift Valley & Lake Nakuru.

After breakfast you will check-out and depart Masai Mara, driving East through the Rift Valley region of Central Kenya to Lake Nakuru.  En route, you will have opportunities to stop and shop at the Masai handicraft stores and street vendors that offer locally made crafts.

You will be taken for lunch to a local Kenyan restaurant to experience traditional food; this will be either in Narok or in one of the other towns along the way.  You will also see many vendors selling locally grown vegetables and fruits on the side of the road; the Rift Valley is the fruit and vegetable garden for this sector of East Africa.

After lunch, proceed to Lake Nakuru National Park to view the millions of flamingos as they gather at the shores of Lake Nakuru to feed. This will be followed by a game drive to seek and view the largest concentration of rhinos in East Africa.

Day 4: Lake Nakuru > Amboseli National Park.

After breakfast  the safari continue with the  drive to Amboseli National Park, via Nairobi.

Elephants, Amboseli National Park
Elephants, Amboseli National Park

The 2-3 hour’s drive is very scenic, especially along the rim of the Rift Valley wall. Spectacular vistas of the Rift Valley can be enjoyed as you move in an easterly direction through the lush green agricultural lands. On arrival in Nairobi, you will have lunch at The Carnivore Restaurant; famous for its barbequed game meats. As you enter the restaurant, you will see a large chalkboard displaying the day’s catch – dozens of game animals, everything from warthog to crocodile, as well as domesticated animals, are prepared for your tasting.

After lunch, you will proceed to Amboseli National Park, home of the proud Maasai tribe and almost 2,000 elephants. After checking-in at your hotel and a short rest, you will go on an afternoon game drive. Crossing over the dry lake bed of Lake Amboseli is most interesting as you follow along with large groups of Ostriches, crossing from one side to the other. Before nightfall, you will return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.

Day 5: Your Jewel Safaris guide will take you on an all-day game drive within the park.  Lunch will be a picnic served on a site facing Mount Kilimanjaro, which is just south of the park on the Tanzanian side of the border.  The snow-capped mountain sits in contrast to the overwhelming heat of the sun on the park’s plains area.

You will encounter many hippos and buffaloes in and around the swampy areas of the park; here you will also see many water birds that co-exist with the large mammals that enjoy the cool wetlands. Dinner and overnight in the lodge or camp. 

Day 6: Amboseli > Lake Manyara.

After breakfast, you will check-out and transfer to the Tanzanian border-crossing of Namanga; after clearing with both the Kenyan and Tanzania immigration and customs, you will proceed to Lake Manyara National Park.

Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara

The scenery changes radically as you leave the lush oasis of Amboseli National park, and so does the wildlife.  Along the way, you will have an opportunity to stop and purchase locally made crafts; many Maasai craftsmen and women sell their products in small shops and on the roadside. You will be served lunch at your lodging after check-in.  There will be some time for a rest before continuing with your day’s activities. Shortly after lunch, you will be taken on an afternoon game drive to seek out some of the wildlife that roam for food and water.  Large herds of animals can be seen, especially later in the afternoon as they seek a safe place to spend the night.

Day 7: Serengeti National Park & Olduvai Gorge.

Today after breakfast,  you will depart Lake Manyara for Serengeti National Park.  En route, you will pass via Olduvai Gorge, where you will enjoy both the unusual topography and the wildlife that exists within the gorge. Lunch at your lodging in the Serengeti, after checking in.

After lunch, you will go on an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti. The Serengeti is Africa’s most diverse ecosystem with an unbelievable number of animals, birds, reptiles, and insects.  The vastness of the Serengeti makes game drives unusually quiet; even though it is the most visited National Park in East Africa, one can go for hours without encountering other visitors; photographers enjoy this aspect, as in other venues there can be vehicles full of tourists in the background of so many wildlife pictures.

Day 8: Serengeti.

After an early breakfast, you will be taken on a morning game drive.  There are many animals that can only be viewed at this time of the day, as after the sun comes up, it gets extremely hot in the open plains and many species seek shelter under trees and in bushy areas.  It is also a good time to see a “kill”, as the predators are out and about hunting for food.

After a few hours, you will return for lunch at your lodging. There will be some time to rest a bit as well, after the long game drive and early morning start.

Shortly after lunch, you will be taken on an afternoon game drive to continue your search for different species. The wetlands and river banks are excellent places for the afternoon, as many animals seek the water to cool themselves off from the scorching sun.  Crocodiles sit waiting for their next meal by the river banks and it can get exciting watching them feed. Before nightfall, you will return to your lodging for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Serengeti > Ngorongoro Crater.

Today we depart the Serengeti for Ngorongoro with gamedrive and lunch en-route. Arrival at Ngorongoro for dinner and overnight at the campsite or lodge.

Day 10: Ngorongoro.

There is a very good chance of spotting the big 5 in one day: lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard. The Ngorongoro Crater is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which consists of several volcanic mountains and craters – covering an area of ​​8288km ^ 2. Until 1959, this area was part of Serengeti National Park. Out of respect for the local Maasai, its status has changed so that it now protects both the rights of the animals and the Maasai: They are allowed to go down the crater with their livestock to fetch water, but they cannot stay in the crates permanently The cattle must be out of the crater the same day. From Arusha it is approximately 180 km (4-5 hours) to the Ngorongoro Crater. Follow the road to Serengeti past Lake Manyara through the trading town of Karatu. The first view of the crater is at Heroes Point (2286m). Lunch will take place at the picnic place at the bottom of the crater. In the afternoon we drive to Karatu junction budget hotel or lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 11:Ngorongoro > Tarangire National Park:

Located just 120 km from Arusha and located in the south-east of Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park is known for its density of wildlife, which is most spectacular between June and December. During this time of the year, thousands of animals migrate from dry Maasai steppe to Tarangire River for water. Covering an area of ​​2,600 sqkm, Tarangire is known for its large herds of elephants and buffalo. Other popular species to see here are lions, giraffes, impalas, wildebeest, zebras and gazelles. It is also the only known reserve where the fringe-eared Oryx is seen. Olduvai Gorge: Located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Olduvai Gorge is 180 km from Arusha. It was here that Dr. Louis Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habilis aka “Handy man” which was considered the first step up mankind’s ladder of human evolution. Many fossils of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep and huge ostriches have also been discovered here.
We do a game drive in the park. Return to Arusha in the afternoon.

Ngorongoro Crater Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Book This Safari Now!

Package includes:

  • Safari vehicle
  • English speaking guide
  • All meals included till dinner
  • Entrance fees
  • Bottled drinking water in the car

Package excludes:

  • Visas
  • Air ticket
  • Personal expenses.
  • Cost for anything that is not mentioned in the itinerary.

We use 4×4 safari cars for our safaris and therefore every traveler is guaranteed a window seat, bellow are photos of the cars.

EXCELLENT
69 reviews on
Tony M
Tony M
2024-01-08
Jewel Safaris has a jewel in a female driver, Rachel My trip to Lake Mburo National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park on 5th Jan 2024, could not have gone better. My great experience was all down to Jewel Safaris' professionalism and industry experience. The car arrived at my house on time (5 am) to pick me up for the trip. The tour guide driver, a lady named Rachel Aheebwa, was such a delight. Female tour guides drivers are so rare, so this was unexpected. But looking back at how much of a success my tour went, Rachel was the best part of the trip. Two hours into the drive, she suggested a breakfast place that turned out to serve the best coffee I'd ever taken. The small eatery happened to be ran by a lady with tourism experience of 17 years. We set off for Lake Mburo about an hour later and arrived at the park gate three hours later. Because we planned to sleep in Queen Elizabeth National Park and we still had hundreds of kilometers to cover, she made sure we wasted no time Mburo. She was always friendly and firm in her advice when it came to time keeping. We made it to our final destination before dark and had time to rest. Before going to bed, she told me, firmly that we must leave at 7 if we are to see all the animals we wanted to see. I would have loved to sleep in but she made it clear that this was not an option. I was later thankful for this. There were several tourist vehicles at the UWA offices when we arrived. After payments, all the cars left through a Northwards track but Rachel went Eastwards and in less than thirty minutes of Game driving, we hit a jack pot. We found lions on the road and I was able to take close up pictures for several minutes as she made calls to all her friends letting them know that she had found lions. By the time all the vehicles crowded around the lions, I had spend over half an an hour with them. One of the best moments of my life. Jewel safaris couldn't have chosen a better tour guide driver for me. Every thing was well planned to help me see all there was to be seen.
TimmyHensel
TimmyHensel
2023-08-10
Murchison Falls Adventure This was my first safari adventure and it was a trip of a lifetime. The owner, Dona was very professional and helpful and made sure he understood what we wanted. The vehicle was wonderful and roomy and well kept. Our guide, Patrick made the trip exceptional. He knew the park, he knew the animals and he was a former ranger who spent years protecting the animals of that park. It was clear that the other guides respected him and Patrick was kind, funny and made sure we had a wonderful adventure. The first night, the owner called me to ask how everything was going and he messaged me after the trip to make sure we had a great time. That was above and beyond what I expected. Great company, great customer service and fantastic guide with years of experience. This is the company I would choose over and over.
pablo
pablo
2023-08-09
Great safari!!!! Fantastic. The owner went out of the way to make sure we had what we wanted. I highly recommend Patrick as guide and driver. He loves what he does and you can tell.
Simon T
Simon T
2023-08-07
Two-day trip to Lake Mburo Our two-day trip to Lake Mburo with our driver and guide Patrick was great. He delivered what we asked for, and more! Other than being a very kind person and good driver, Patrick was able to share a lot of information about the different animals and places we encountered. A big thanks to Jewel Safaris and Patrick! 100% Recommend!
Sander T
Sander T
2023-08-07
2 days Safari to Lake Mburo We had a blast of a weekend with Patrick from Jewel Safari's. He knew so much about the animals, was so friendly and flexible to arrange it the way we wanted. I would advice to go on a Safari with him!
George H
George H
2023-05-31
Uganda 2023 We had the great pleasure of having Patrick from jewel safaris for a week in Uganda. Hugely informative and fun, Patrick is a perfect ambassador for a fun, beautiful and dramatic country which is Uganda. A fabulous tour by a class guide. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting most of Africa and Uganda is top. Will go back
astrid H
astrid H
2023-05-31
Incredible experience Amazing service and amazing country and people. It was an incredible trip, I can’t fault anything. We all enjoyed it so much and our guide was so attentive and catered to what we wanted to do
goran52
goran52
2022-11-30
Utmärkt service, bra bil och kunnig guide. Jewel Safaris arrangerade vår resa till Uganda, med bland annat gorillorna i Bwindi. Vi var även i nationalparken där schimpanserna finns. Jewel Safaris har lång erfarenhet av att anordna safaris i Uganda. Goran
K F
K F
2022-11-29
good service We had a great trip with Jewel Safari and would definitely recommend to book trips with Jewel Safari.
Ola Karlsson
Ola Karlsson
2022-11-10
Great agency We ordered the trip in 2019 to go to Uganda in April 2020. Then Covid came and the trip was postponed for 2,5 yrs and in the meantime we kept contact and When we finally could go it all went super-smooth. Well organized and very friendly personnel and a fantastic guide. Nothing went wrong during the 10 days we visited and the arrangements were spotless.

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