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10-Day Great Migration & Big Five Safari Across Kenya and Tanzania
Tanzania Safari

10-Day Great Migration & Big Five Safari Across Kenya and Tanzania

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From $7,270
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Safari Escort journey

Trip Overview

The 10-Day Great Migration & Big Five Safari Across Kenya and Tanzania begins in Nairobi and finishes in Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport. Its route includes Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Arusha, following the destination order and transfers set out in the day-by-day itinerary.

The journey is shaped around cultural encounters and Great Migration wildlife viewing, with each overnight stop positioned for the next stage of the route.

Every safari day brings a different perspective on Tanzania’s landscapes and wildlife. Explore the route below to see how activities, journeys between destinations and overnight stays fit together. Our local team can help you consider seasonal wildlife movements, the time available and accommodation preferences before you make a decision.

Where every day follows the rhythm of the journey
Cheetah in the grasslands of the Maasai Mara ecosystemMaasai Mara
Wildebeest moving across the plains of Serengeti National ParkSerengeti
Zebra and wildlife habitat inside Ngorongoro CraterNgorongoro Crater
Elephant beside a safari vehicle in East African savannahMara Wildlife
Moments along the route
Safari Highlights

Your Journey Highlights

  • Nairobi – Drive to Maasai Mara & Afternoon Game DriveSpend time with the history, people and traditions connected to this stage of the journey through a guided local experience.
  • Full-Day Safari in Maasai Mara National ReserveSpend time with the history, people and traditions connected to this stage of the journey through a guided local experience.
  • Maasai Mara Wilderness ExplorationSpend time with the history, people and traditions connected to this stage of the journey through a guided local experience.
  • Maasai Mara – Drive to Northern SerengetiTravel across the Serengeti with time for game viewing, adapting the day’s route to current wildlife activity and seasonal conditions.
  • Full-Day Safari in Northern SerengetiTravel across the Serengeti with time for game viewing, adapting the day’s route to current wildlife activity and seasonal conditions.
  • Another Day in Northern SerengetiTravel across the Serengeti with time for game viewing, adapting the day’s route to current wildlife activity and seasonal conditions.

Your Itinerary

Day 01

Nairobi – Drive to Maasai Mara & Afternoon Game Drive

  • Activity: Cultural Experience & Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Arrive in time for lunch, then head out for your first afternoon game drive, where you may spot elephants, giraffes, lions, and perhaps the elusive leopard. The experience is led at a comfortable pace, with time to listen, ask questions and understand the setting beyond a quick visit. Your guide will explain the day’s route, local customs and any practical considerations before the activity begins. Stops are chosen to add context without intruding on community life or the surrounding environment. The emphasis is on respectful engagement, accurate interpretation and a meaningful sense of place.

Accommodation

Zebra Plains Mara Camp

Zebra Plains Mara Camp is a tented safari property in Kenya’s Maasai Mara ecosystem. Canvas suites and shared lounge and dining areas look across open grassland used by resident wildlife and seasonal migration herds. The camp provides a practical base for early and late game drives without returning to Nairobi or a distant town. It fits cross-border itineraries that combine the Maasai Mara with northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro while keeping each ecosystem distinct.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 02

Full-Day Safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve

  • Activity: Cultural Experience & Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is dedicated to exploring the Mara in depth. Set out with a packed lunch for a full-day game drive, following the tracks of wildebeest, zebras, and predators across the rolling plains. The reserve’s rich ecosystem offers a chance to witness dramatic wildlife encounters in their natural setting. The experience is led at a comfortable pace, with time to listen, ask questions and understand the setting beyond a quick visit. Your guide will explain the day’s route, local customs and any practical considerations before the activity begins. Stops are chosen to add context without intruding on community life or the surrounding environment. The emphasis is on respectful engagement, accurate interpretation and a meaningful sense of place.

Accommodation

Zebra Plains Mara Camp

Zebra Plains Mara Camp is a tented safari property in Kenya’s Maasai Mara ecosystem. Canvas suites and shared lounge and dining areas look across open grassland used by resident wildlife and seasonal migration herds. The camp provides a practical base for early and late game drives without returning to Nairobi or a distant town. It fits cross-border itineraries that combine the Maasai Mara with northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro while keeping each ecosystem distinct.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 03

Maasai Mara Wilderness Exploration

  • Activity: Cultural Experience & Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Another full day in Maasai Mara brings more opportunities to witness Africa’s most iconic wildlife. Your guide will help you explore different parts of the reserve, increasing your chances of spotting rare species and enjoying unforgettable photography moments. The experience is led at a comfortable pace, with time to listen, ask questions and understand the setting beyond a quick visit. Your guide will explain the day’s route, local customs and any practical considerations before the activity begins. Stops are chosen to add context without intruding on community life or the surrounding environment. The emphasis is on respectful engagement, accurate interpretation and a meaningful sense of place.

Accommodation

Zebra Plains Mara Camp

Zebra Plains Mara Camp is a tented safari property in Kenya’s Maasai Mara ecosystem. Canvas suites and shared lounge and dining areas look across open grassland used by resident wildlife and seasonal migration herds. The camp provides a practical base for early and late game drives without returning to Nairobi or a distant town. It fits cross-border itineraries that combine the Maasai Mara with northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro while keeping each ecosystem distinct.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 04

Maasai Mara – Drive to Northern Serengeti

  • Activity: Cultural Experience & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, embark on a scenic cross-border journey into Tanzania. Travel through remote landscapes until you reach the northern Serengeti, an area renowned for the dramatic wildebeest river crossings (seasonal). The experience is led at a comfortable pace, with time to listen, ask questions and understand the setting beyond a quick visit. Your guide will explain the day’s route, local customs and any practical considerations before the activity begins. Stops are chosen to add context without intruding on community life or the surrounding environment. The emphasis is on respectful engagement, accurate interpretation and a meaningful sense of place.

Accommodation

Gnu Mara Migration Camp

Gnu Mara Migration Camp is a seasonal tented camp in Kogatende, northern Serengeti, close to the Mara River. The camp operates during the northern migration season, when wildlife movements and possible river crossings shape each day’s game-drive plan. En-suite tents face the savannah, while the bar and restaurant provide a central place for meals and evening relaxation. Its location is most relevant to itineraries travelling between June and mid-November and focusing on the northern Serengeti.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 05

Full-Day Safari in Northern Serengeti

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the day tracking the herds and their predators along the Mara River. Crocodiles lurk at crossing points while lions, cheetahs, and hyenas patrol the plains. Even outside migration season, this region offers outstanding year-round game viewing. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Gnu Mara Migration Camp

Gnu Mara Migration Camp is a seasonal tented camp in Kogatende, northern Serengeti, close to the Mara River. The camp operates during the northern migration season, when wildlife movements and possible river crossings shape each day’s game-drive plan. En-suite tents face the savannah, while the bar and restaurant provide a central place for meals and evening relaxation. Its location is most relevant to itineraries travelling between June and mid-November and focusing on the northern Serengeti.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 06

Another Day in Northern Serengeti

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy another day in one of Africa’s most untouched safari areas. With fewer vehicles than the central Serengeti, the north offers a sense of wilderness that’s hard to match. Your guide will tailor the day’s route to maximize sightings and experiences. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Gnu Mara Migration Camp

Gnu Mara Migration Camp is a seasonal tented camp in Kogatende, northern Serengeti, close to the Mara River. The camp operates during the northern migration season, when wildlife movements and possible river crossings shape each day’s game-drive plan. En-suite tents face the savannah, while the bar and restaurant provide a central place for meals and evening relaxation. Its location is most relevant to itineraries travelling between June and mid-November and focusing on the northern Serengeti.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 07

Northern Serengeti – Drive to Central Serengeti

  • Activity: Game Drive & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leave the remote northern Serengeti and travel south with your guide toward the central plains. The route doubles as a game drive, passing from migration country through changing grassland and acacia habitats while your guide watches for wildlife along the way. Central Serengeti supports resident wildlife throughout the year and is particularly well known for its predator activity.

Accommodation

Mawe Tented Camp

Mawe Tented Camp is located in the central-eastern Serengeti near the Ngarenanyuki River and the Namiri Plains region. The position provides access to open grassland and big-cat habitat while remaining within reach of wider central Serengeti game-drive circuits. En-suite canvas tents and a central mess area keep the stay intimate and closely connected to the park. It suits year-round Serengeti itineraries that need a stable base rather than a camp that relocates with the migration.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 08

Full-Day Safari in Central Serengeti

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Set off at sunrise for a full day exploring the central Serengeti, where lions, leopards, and cheetahs roam in abundance. Break for a picnic lunch under an acacia tree before continuing your search for elephants, buffalo, and birdlife. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Mawe Tented Camp

Mawe Tented Camp is located in the central-eastern Serengeti near the Ngarenanyuki River and the Namiri Plains region. The position provides access to open grassland and big-cat habitat while remaining within reach of wider central Serengeti game-drive circuits. En-suite canvas tents and a central mess area keep the stay intimate and closely connected to the park. It suits year-round Serengeti itineraries that need a stable base rather than a camp that relocates with the migration.

LocationSerengetiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 09

Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater – Karatu

  • Activity: Game Drive & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early morning departure for a direct drive to the Ngorongoro Crater. Descend 600 meters into the lush crater floor for a full-day game drive among rhinos, hippos, and large herds of antelope. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Karatu Tented Lodge

Karatu Tented Lodge is set near Rhotia in the cultivated highlands between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro. Tented rooms and garden spaces provide a softer transition between the open safari plains and the cooler agricultural landscape around Karatu. A central restaurant and shared areas support meals, packed lunches and relaxed evenings before an early departure. The location makes it useful for itineraries linking Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti by road.

LocationNgorongoro highlandsStay styleTented safari camp
Day 10

Karatu – Transfer to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport

  • Activity: Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely drive back to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport, where your safari adventure ends. Take with you unforgettable memories of East Africa’s wild beauty. The mountain team will set a measured pace that suits the terrain and supports steady acclimatization throughout the day. Regular pauses allow time for water, snacks and changing weather layers while the guide monitors trail conditions and group wellbeing. As the landscape changes, your guide will explain the route ahead and the natural features around you. Reaching the day’s destination is approached calmly, with safety and consistency taking priority over speed.

Plan your safari
Your Safari Package

Included & Excluded

Included

Included in the published itinerary

  • All park and conservation fees
  • Private 4x4 safari vehicle with expert driver-guide
  • Game drives as per itinerary
  • 9 nights in hand-picked safari accommodations
  • All meals as stated
  • Drinking water during game drives
  • Airport/hotel transfers in Nairobi and Arusha
Not included

Additional costs

  • International and domestic flights
  • Visa fees and travel insurance
  • Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Tips and gratuities for guide and lodge staff
  • Alcoholic beverages unless specified
  • Personal expenses (e.g., laundry, souvenirs)
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Before you go

Safari Questions,
Simply Answered

Ask our safari team

10 days / 9 nights. The day-by-day itinerary shows where each overnight falls. Check arrival and departure flight times before arranging onward travel, and ask us if you would prefer a slower pace or an extra night.

From $7,270 per person. Ask for a quote for your dates and group size. The final quote depends on travel dates, group size, room choice and any flights or extras. Request a written breakdown of park fees, accommodation, meals, transfers and exclusions before you book.

Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya), Northern Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), Central Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania), Karatu Highlands (Tanzania). Use the day-by-day route above to see the order of visits. Ask for estimated road or flight times between stops for your chosen dates; that is often more useful than counting destinations alone.

Zebra Plains Mara Camp, Gnu Mara Migration Camp, Mawe Tented Camp, Karatu Tented Lodge. Exact properties and room types depend on availability. Ask us to confirm each stay, its location, meal plan and any proposed alternative in writing before paying a deposit.