This East African Safari in Kenya & Tanzania offers an affordable way to experience the incredible Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara.
The Budget African Safari offers a once-in-a-lifetime wilderness and wildlife journey through untamed East Africa!
This East African Safari starts in the city of Nairobi, the gateway to Kenya and many of Africa's finest wildlife parks.
You will be collected from the international airport and transferred to your first overnight hotel in the capital of Kenya. The remainder of day one is free for you to relax and get ready for our unforgettable wildlife safari in Kenya and Tanzania.
On day two of our Budget African Safari, we have time to explore Nairobi after breakfast. This is a great city for experiencing urban Africa and its mix of modern and traditional elements.
We visit the Karen Blixen Museum to see where this famous author lived from 1917 to 1931. The museum is housed in the historic homestead of Danish authoress Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke who wrote the classic, Out of Africa, back in 1937.
Then we visit the must-see David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that runs a wildlife orphanage founded by Dame Daphne Sheldrick. The wildlife center cares for orphaned baby elephants and rhinos, rehabilitating them for release into the wild at Tsavo East National Park. We get up close to these marvelous young animals, watching them being bottle-fed and taking their supervised mud baths at the orphanage.
We also visit the Giraffe Centre, getting up close to endangered Rothschild Giraffes. The giraffe sanctuary, an African Fund for Endangered Wildlife project, breeds these strange-looking herbivores and runs a youth conservation education program. After interacting with these African mammals, we have a hot lunch from the hotel and hit the road.
The first leg of our Kenya & Tanzania Safari takes us south to Amboseli National Park, located on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Arriving at Kenya's second most popular game park (after Masai Mara) we settle in at our safari lodge and take in the scenery.
In the morning we venture into the scenic Amboseli National Park for a full day of game viewing with a picnic lunch. Here we will see an array of wild African animals and birds, as well as encountering the semi-nomadic Maasai tribe for the first time.
Amboseli Park is famous for close-up elephant encounters with its large, free-roaming elephants. The swamps and rolling plains of Amboseli flanked by towering Mount Kilimanjaro, make for the perfect safari photo, especially of the impressive elephant bulls with their big tusks.
This 390 km² wilderness area hosts the Big Five of Africa - lions, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes, and renowned elephant herds. Other wildlife includes cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, and African wild dogs, as well as various antelopes, such as kudu and dik-dik. Amboseli Park is also home to rich birdlife, with some 600 species being recorded here, including African skimmers, bishops, Egyptian geese, goshawks, pelicans, weavers, and vultures.
Today we take our time with breakfast, before heading to the Kenya-Tanzania border. Crossing into Tanzania we travel towards the Kilimanjaro National Park. Our drive takes us via the Marangu waterfalls, which we stop to visit on foot. The walk to the falls is moderately strenuous, so put on your sturdy walking shoes and get ready for a bit of exertion.
After our waterfall walk, we continue our drive, passing through the town of Moshi (the springboard for trips into Kilimanjaro Park) en route to our overnight hotel in Arusha. Arusha town is located at the foot of Mount Meru, the 5th highest mountain in Africa.
Please note that we change over to a new vehicle and guide at the border crossing from Kenya to Tanzania.
Today we make our way to Tarangire National Park admiring the spectacular views over the Masai Steppe and distant mountains. Tarangire Park is an incredibly diverse area, boasting a unique mix of habitats on the Northern Safari Circuit.
We explore the scenic African wildlife park on game drives today enjoying a picnic lunch en route.
Tarangire is renowned for its huge elephant population, hosting the highest density of elephants in Tanzania. The game reserve is also well known for its abundance of baobab trees, as well as tree-climbing lions. This 2850 km² game park is the central wilderness area on the annual migratory route through northern Tanzania. This wildlife migration sees up to 3000 elephants, 25000 wildebeest, and 30000 zebras stampeding across the plains in search of greener grass.
After breakfast, you will be collected from the hotel and set off toward Lake Manyara National Park.
This scenic national park protects the north-western part of Lake Manyara, running along the base of the Great Rift Valley's western escarpment. The shallow soda lake attracts over 380 bird species and is known for its large flamingo flocks. The compact and diverse Lake Manyara National Park is also home to the evasive tree-climbing lion.
We embark on a game drive in the beautiful national park, soaking up the wild scenery before settling in at our safari lodge for the night.
Head to the bustling village of Mto-wa-Mbu, after breakfast this morning. Today we explore the diverse cultures of Tanzania in Mto-wa-Mbu, located in the East African Rift Valley.
Here we visit a lively local market to browse traditional Tanzanian crafts and art. Then we drive through fertile farmlands to visit a Chagga family that brews banana beer. Your guide tells you a bit about the local farming methods used to grow fresh produce around the village, pointing out the different fruits and vegetables as you travel.
Stopping in at a local home we tuck into a scrumptious lunch cooked by one of the mamas. After our hearty lunch, we visit a center for children with disabilities and a local school. Later in the afternoon, we visit a Maasai boma ( a group of traditional huts) for a unique cultural experience. The Maasai are a proud tribe of the Great Rift Valley, known for their striking appearance and bright red robes. The exciting day of cultural encounters finishes back at the safari lodge where dinner is served.
Day eight of this Budget African Safari starts with an early breakfast, before driving to the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.
We ascend the outer crater wall on our scenic drive to the entrance of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Next, we dip down and explore the floor of the game-rich crater, stopping for a picnic lunch in this wildlife haven. The Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the Big Five of Africa (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo).
Known as the Eden of Africa and considered the 8th Natural Wonder of the World, Ngorongoro hosts around 25000 large animals, one of the highest concentrations of big game in Africa. Wildlife found in the crater includes hyena, wildebeest, zebra, serval cat, cheetah, Thompson, and Grant gazelles, as well as about 400 bird species.
After our rewarding wildlife experience in the world's largest unflooded caldera, we travel from the Ngorongoro Crater to the even more famous Serengeti National Park, enjoying some game viewing en route. Entering the vast Serengeti Park we drive through the scenic Southern Plains region that the Serengeti is best known for, with their rolling open savannahs and rocky hills.
Today we embark on a full day of game viewing in the Seronera section of Serengeti Park.
Seronera is one of the three main areas of the Serengeti and it is here that the headquarters of the national park is located. This central region is the most accessible part of the game park. The Seronera is the iconic area of Serengeti typically seen in African wildlife documentaries and films - its sweeping grassland plains, teeming with wild animals.
The Seronera River is the major source of water in the Serengeti, attracting large numbers of animals year-round thus ensuring superb game viewing. This is also a particularly good area for sighting lions and cheetahs, along with the most evasive of Africa's big cats, leopards.
Driving through the untamed Serengeti Park today, we fully absorb the vastness and beauty of one of the world's best game parks.
The Wildebeest Migration, also known as the Great Migration, takes place in the vast Serengeti ecosystem, with masses of herbivores moving between Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) and Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya) in an endless cycle with the seasons. This massive migration is one of the ultimate wildlife experiences on the planet - nothing compares to the wonder of witnessing nearly two million wild animals thundering across the plains and plunging through the rivers as they move to greener lands.
Our game-viewing drive takes us across the endless plains teeming with wildlife, a truly unforgettable experience in the African bush. We stop for a picnic lunch along the way and at the end of our inspiring day, we return to camp for dinner and a night under the stars.
We leave the spectacular Serengeti Park behind this morning and travel to Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake.
On our way, we travel through rural villages, where the Sukuma tribe of the north live in much the same way as their ancestors did ages ago. The Sukuma believe in a supernatural realm, in which spirits can possess people. They tend livestock and cultivate sorghum, nuts, and cassava. Visiting the Sukuma gives us insight into the way rural Tanzanian people live, in a mix of modern and traditional African society.
This afternoon we enjoy the scenery at this vast African Great Lake or take a bird-watching walk.
This morning you can embark on a boat trip to a fishing village along the shores of Lake Victoria or simply unwind at camp. From Lake Victoria, we travel north and cross back into neighboring Kenya, Africa's most famous safari destination.
Entering Kenya, we drive to the Masai Mara National Park in the southwest. Like the Serengeti in Tanzania, Masai Mara is best known for its spectacular annual Great Migration. The bulk of the mass migration consists of wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras, whilst land predators follow and crocodiles lie in wait. One of the greatest game reserves in the world, Masai Mara is also known for its abundance of big cats, particularly lions, leopards, and cheetahs.
Masai Mara is also the heartland of Maasai country, where these semi-nomadic people have long lived according to traditional customs.
Please note that we change over to a new safari vehicle and guide at the border crossing from Tanzania to Kenya.
Day 13 of our Budget African Safari in Kenya & Tanzania is spent game viewing in the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve.
The Mara is home to a wide variety of wild animals, including the Big Five of Africa (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and black rhino); as well as cheetah, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, jackal, topi, gazelle, and impala antelopes.
Masai Mara incorporates riverine forests, savanna plains, and acacia woodlands, and features two major rivers - Mara and Talek. The rivers of Masai Mara are inhabited by numerous hippos and crocodiles and the game park hosts an abundance of birds.
Today in Masai Mara we are sure to see some of the Maasai people, living in and around the Masai Mara game reserve alongside the wildlife. These herders manage outlying areas of the reserve with the local government and graze their cattle in some parts of the park.
Today we drive back to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. This afternoon is free for you to explore this dynamic African city and its bustling markets. Time allowing, we stop in at the Kazuri Bead Centre where local Kenyan women make pretty ceramic beads by hand. We walk through the workshop and browse their handiwork.
In the afternoon there is free time to explore this interesting and vibrant East African city. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city with a compact and lively central business district worth visiting.
Then, we return to our hotel to unwind and have a farewell dinner together.
This unforgettable East African Safari in Kenya and Tanzania ends in Nairobi, after breakfast this morning.
We transfer you to the airport for your onward flight, leaving you with the memories of a lifetime.
This East African Safari includes quality accommodation at carefully selected mid-range safari lodges and hotels.
The safari lodge accommodation is either located in the national parks and game reserves of Kenya and Tanzania, on riverbanks, or in other places of interest. Accommodation is in en-suite rooms, chalets, or tented suites at a combination of safari lodges and tented camps. Some of the lodges, hotels, and camps feature a swimming pool, restaurant, and/or bar area.
This Budget African Safari is also available as a lodge safari starting and ending in Arusha, Tanzania, instead of Nairobi. Please contact African Budget Safaris for dates and more details.
Please note that the Wildebeest Great Migration is seasonal. As a natural wildlife phenomenon, it is fluid and unpredictable. For this reason, seeing the Great Migration cannot be guaranteed.
The wildebeest and other wild herbivores migrate between Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. These herds move in a massive circular route covering some 1200 miles (1931km). It is a continuous movement of wildlife that can be seen in different areas at different times of the year. During certain phases of this annual trek the animals disperse or slow down, whilst at other times the migration picks up speed, with the herds becoming larger and denser. Not only does the Wildebeest Great Migration vary from place to place and season to season but the movement of these large wildlife herds varies from year to year.
Please talk to a travel expert from African Budget Safaris about seeing the Wildebeest Great Migration on your safari to find out more. Also, check out our detailed article about the Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara.
This tour does take children.
Please contact African Budget Safaris for further information, should you be travelling with children.
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