7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari
Two Countries, One Extraordinary East African Safari
7 Days
from 1,602$ PP
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 27 Reviews
7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Tour Highlights
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Maasai Mara — Explore Kenya's iconic wildlife-rich savannahs.
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Serengeti National Park — Experience Tanzania's vast plains and exceptional wildlife.
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Ngorongoro Crater — Discover Africa's most concentrated wildlife areas.
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Two-Country Safari — Combine Kenya and Tanzania in one privately organized journey.
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Private 4x4 Safari — Travel with your professional safari guide in a private vehicle.
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Flexible Start & Finish — Begin in Nairobi and finish in Arusha or connect with your onward travel.
7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari Experience
Experience a 7-day Kenya and Tanzania safari connecting the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater in one carefully planned private wildlife journey. Starting from Nairobi, this itinerary takes you from Kenya's famous Maasai Mara into Tanzania's Serengeti ecosystem before continuing to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and ending in Arusha. The additional day compared with a shorter Kenya and Tanzania safari allows for a more relaxed distribution of game drives and travel, giving you more opportunity to explore the wildlife-rich landscapes rather than rushing between destinations. Along the route, you can experience open savannahs, abundant wildlife, changing landscapes, and two distinct national safari environments while crossing from Kenya into Tanzania. The itinerary can also be adapted according to your travel dates, accommodation preference, wildlife interests, and onward travel plans.
7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari Itinerary
Day 1 : Nairobi to Maasai Mara – Scenic Drive and First Game Drive
Morning
Your 7-day Kenya and Tanzania safari begins with a morning pickup from your Nairobi hotel or Nairobi airport. You will leave Nairobi and travel southwest toward the Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of Kenya's most celebrated wildlife destinations.
The drive takes approximately 5 to 6.5 hours, depending on road and traffic conditions. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, where you can enjoy panoramic views across the dramatic escarpment and surrounding landscapes. The journey also offers glimpses of rural Kenya, local communities, farmland, and changing scenery as you approach the Mara.
Midday
Continue toward the Maasai Mara and arrive around midday or shortly afterward. After checking in at your accommodation, enjoy a freshly prepared lunch and take some time to settle in before your first afternoon safari.
The Maasai Mara's open grasslands provide an excellent environment for wildlife viewing, and even the journey into the reserve can reveal the first signs of wildlife.
Afternoon & Evening
After lunch, head out for your first Maasai Mara game drive. Your guide will explore the reserve in search of wildlife such as elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffalo, wildebeest, antelopes, and the Mara's famous big cats.
As the afternoon progresses and temperatures become cooler, wildlife activity can increase across the plains. Your guide will select areas based on current conditions and recent sightings, giving you your first opportunity to experience the character of the Maasai Mara.
Return to your accommodation in the evening for dinner and relaxation.
Mid-Range: Zebra Plains Mara Camp
Luxury: Keekorok Lodge
Day 2 : Full-Day Maasai Mara Safari – Wildlife and Big Cats
Morning
Wake early for an optional 6:00 AM morning game drive. The early hours offer cooler conditions and can be particularly rewarding for wildlife viewing, with predators and other animals often active across the grasslands.
Your guide will search for lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest, while also explaining the behavior and ecology of the animals you encounter.
After the morning game drive, return to your accommodation for breakfast and some time to relax.
Alternatively, you can have breakfast first and begin your full-day game drive around 9:00 AM with a packed lunch.
Midday
With a packed lunch, you can remain inside the reserve and explore different parts of the Maasai Mara rather than returning to camp during the middle of the day.
Your guide will select suitable areas for wildlife viewing and a scenic location where you can enjoy your lunch. The Maasai Mara's extensive grasslands provide opportunities to search for large herbivore herds as well as predators following their movements.
Afternoon & Evening
Continue the game drive through the afternoon, exploring different areas of the reserve and looking for additional wildlife encounters.
The flexible schedule allows your guide to adapt the route according to sightings and your interests. After the game drive, return to your accommodation in the evening for dinner and your final night in the Maasai Mara.
Mid-Range: Zebra Plains Mara Camp
Luxury: Keekorok Lodge
Day 3 : Maasai Mara to Isebania Border – Enter Tanzania and Continue to Serengeti
Morning
After breakfast, check out and begin the journey from the Maasai Mara to the Isebania–Sirari border, which connects Kenya with Tanzania.
The drive to the border takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours. A packed lunch can be prepared for the journey so that you can continue toward Tanzania efficiently.
At the border, you will complete the required Kenyan exit and Tanzanian entry formalities. Once you have completed the procedures, your Tanzanian safari guide will meet you on the Tanzania side and continue the journey toward the Serengeti.
Midday
From Isebania, continue toward Serengeti National Park. The drive takes approximately 4.5 hours, passing through villages, farmland, and rural landscapes before reaching the Serengeti ecosystem.
You will continue toward Ikoma Gate, where park-entry arrangements will be completed. Depending on the day's timing, you can have lunch during this part of the journey before entering the park.
Afternoon & Evening
Once inside the Serengeti, the journey becomes your first en-route game drive. Rather than simply driving directly to camp, you can begin searching for wildlife as you travel toward Central Serengeti.
The landscape gradually opens into the vast plains for which the Serengeti is famous. Depending on the season and location of wildlife, you may encounter zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, buffalo, antelopes, or predators.
Arrive at your Central Serengeti accommodation in the evening, followed by dinner and overnight rest.
Mid-Range: Serengeti Safari Haven Camp
Luxury: Serengeti Sametu Camp
Day 4 : Full-Day Central Serengeti Safari – Seronera Wildlife Experience
Morning
After breakfast, begin a full-day Central Serengeti game drive at approximately 8:00 AM.
Your exploration will focus on the Seronera area, one of the most well-known wildlife regions in the Central Serengeti. The area is associated with the Seronera River and surrounding habitats that attract a wide range of wildlife throughout the year.
For travelers particularly interested in big cats, this is an important safari day. Your guide will search for opportunities to see lions, leopards, cheetahs, as well as elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and other species.
Midday
Because you will carry a packed lunch, you can spend much of the day exploring the Serengeti rather than returning to camp.
You will stop at a suitable scenic location for lunch before continuing the game drive. The vastness of the Serengeti means that different areas can provide completely different wildlife encounters, so your guide can adapt the route according to recent sightings and conditions.
Afternoon & Evening
Continue your Central Serengeti game drive through the afternoon, exploring the plains and wildlife-rich areas around Seronera.
For travelers who prefer an earlier start, an alternative schedule can begin around 6:00 AM, followed by a return to the accommodation for breakfast and a short rest before continuing with an afternoon game drive.
Return to your accommodation in the evening for dinner and your final night in the Central Serengeti.
Mid-Range: Serengeti Safari Haven Camp
Luxury: Serengeti Sametu Camp
Day 5 : Full-Day Serengeti Safari – Extended Wildlife Exploration
Morning
Today gives you another full day to experience Serengeti National Park without needing to leave the park for another destination.
Start with an early morning game drive around 6:00 AM when conditions are cooler and wildlife activity can be particularly interesting. Your guide will search for predators, large herbivore herds, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and other species while exploring different areas of the Central Serengeti.
An early start also gives you more time to cover the extensive Serengeti landscape and explore areas that may not have been visited during the previous day's game drive.
Midday
Return to camp for a late breakfast and some time to relax, or continue with a packed lunch if you prefer to spend the entire day in the park.
For travelers who want maximum wildlife time, remaining out with a packed lunch allows your guide to explore more distant areas and respond to wildlife sightings as they develop.
Afternoon & Evening
Continue your afternoon Serengeti game drive, exploring different habitats and searching for further wildlife encounters.
The second full day gives you more flexibility to explore beyond the immediate Seronera area and spend additional time observing wildlife rather than rushing toward the next destination.
Return to your accommodation in the evening for dinner and your final overnight stay in the Central Serengeti.
Mid-Range: Serengeti Safari Haven Camp
Luxury: Serengeti Sametu Camp
Day 6 : Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro – From the Plains to the Highlands
Morning
After an early breakfast, begin your final morning wildlife experience in the Serengeti. Enjoy a short game drive as you begin leaving Central Serengeti, providing one more opportunity to see wildlife before continuing toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Around midday, depart toward Ngorongoro with a picnic lunch.
Midday
The journey from Central Serengeti toward Ngorongoro takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on road conditions and stops along the way.
You can stop around Naabi Hill Gate for a picnic lunch and, if timing and conditions allow, enjoy the surrounding scenery from the viewpoint.
As you continue toward Ngorongoro, the landscape changes from the broad Serengeti plains toward the cooler and greener highlands.
Afternoon & Evening
Continue into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the altitude and vegetation create a noticeable contrast with the Serengeti.
Arrive at your accommodation in the Ngorongoro or Karatu area in the evening. Enjoy dinner and relax before your final major wildlife experience: the Ngorongoro Crater game drive.
Mid-Range: Mvuli Hotel Ngorongoro
Luxury: The Retreat at Ngorongoro
Day 7 : Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive – Transfer to Arusha
Morning
Your final safari day begins early with breakfast before descending into the Ngorongoro Crater at approximately 6:00 AM. You can reach the crater floor around 7:00 AM, when the morning is still cool and wildlife activity is underway.
The crater is a remarkable volcanic landscape with a high concentration of wildlife. During your game drive, your guide will search for lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest, and the endangered black rhinoceros, depending on the day's sightings and conditions.
Midday
Spend approximately five hours exploring the crater floor, moving through its grasslands, wetlands, and other habitats.
You will stop for a picnic lunch around the scenic Hippo Pool, providing an opportunity to enjoy your final safari meal surrounded by the dramatic landscape of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Afternoon & Evening
After completing your crater game drive, begin the ascent from Ngorongoro and continue toward Arusha.
The journey to Arusha takes approximately 4 hours, passing through the Ngorongoro highlands, agricultural areas, local communities, and changing landscapes.
Arrive in Arusha in the evening, marking the end of your 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari. From Arusha, you can continue to your hotel, connect to Kilimanjaro International Airport, or extend your journey with additional Tanzania experiences or a Zanzibar beach holiday.
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Frequently Questions About the 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari
What destinations are included in the 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari?
This 7-day Kenya and Tanzania safari combines three of East Africa's most important wildlife destinations: Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, and the Ngorongoro Crater within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The journey begins in Nairobi and first takes you to the Maasai Mara, where you have an afternoon game drive on arrival followed by a dedicated full day of wildlife exploration. From the Maasai Mara, the safari continues south through the Isebania Sirari border crossing into Tanzania. After completing the necessary immigration procedures, you continue into the Serengeti, arriving in Central Serengeti for several nights.
A major advantage of this 7-day itinerary is that it does not treat the Serengeti simply as a transit destination. You have two full days for Serengeti game drives, in addition to wildlife viewing while entering and leaving the park. The safari then continues toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you spend the final night before descending into the Ngorongoro Crater for an extended game drive on your last morning.
This creates a logical Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Isebania → Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Arusha route, allowing you to experience both countries without adding unnecessary destinations that would reduce your time on safari.
Can I start the 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari from Nairobi?
Yes. Nairobi is the starting point for this itinerary, making it particularly suitable for travelers arriving in Kenya or already staying in Nairobi before their safari.
You can normally begin with a pickup from your Nairobi hotel or Nairobi airport before traveling toward the Maasai Mara. The journey to the Mara takes approximately 5–6.5 hours, depending on road and traffic conditions, with the possibility of stopping at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint along the way.
Starting in Nairobi also creates a natural north-to-south safari route. Instead of flying back and forth between destinations, you progressively travel from Kenya's capital to the Maasai Mara, cross into Tanzania at Isebania, continue through the Serengeti, and finish around Arusha.
For travelers arriving internationally, this route can also be incorporated into a broader East African holiday. After the safari ends in Arusha, you can continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Mount Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, or another Tanzania destination, depending on your travel plans.
If you are already in Tanzania, the route can also be redesigned in the opposite direction, although the logistics, border arrangements, and number of nights in each destination would need to be adjusted.
How do you cross from Kenya to Tanzania during the safari?
The Kenya-to-Tanzania crossing on this itinerary takes place through the Isebania–Sirari border, connecting southwestern Kenya with northern Tanzania.
On Day 3, you leave the Maasai Mara after breakfast and travel approximately 3.5–4 hours to Isebania. At the border, you complete the required Kenyan exit and Tanzanian entry formalities before continuing into Tanzania.
Once you have entered Tanzania, your Tanzanian safari guide takes over the Tanzania portion of the journey and drives toward the Serengeti. The journey from Isebania to Central Serengeti takes approximately 4.5 hours, although actual travel time can vary depending on road conditions, border procedures, stops, and the exact location of your accommodation.
The border crossing is therefore an important part of the itinerary rather than something that happens invisibly between two safari parks. Travelers should allow sufficient time for immigration and border procedures and ensure that their travel documents meet the entry requirements for both countries.
The advantage of planning the crossing as part of a professionally coordinated itinerary is that the Kenya and Tanzania portions can be organized around the border transfer rather than leaving travelers to arrange separate transport independently.
Is 7 days enough to visit both Maasai Mara and Serengeti?
Seven days is enough for a focused Maasai Mara–Serengeti safari, provided the itinerary prioritizes the major wildlife areas rather than attempting to include too many parks.
This itinerary allocates two nights in the Maasai Mara, including a dedicated full-day game drive, followed by approximately three nights in Central Serengeti. The Serengeti receives two full days of game-drive time, while the arrival and departure days also provide opportunities for en-route wildlife viewing.
The final stage is dedicated to the Ngorongoro Crater before finishing in Arusha.
The important distinction is between covering destinations and experiencing them. A seven-day Kenya and Tanzania safari cannot provide the same amount of time as a 10-, 12-, or 14-day itinerary, but it can provide meaningful wildlife time in the three principal destinations.
If you want to add Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Tarangire, additional Serengeti regions, or more nights in the Maasai Mara, extending the safari would provide more time and reduce the amount of driving compressed into the itinerary.
Can I see the Great Migration during this Kenya and Tanzania safari?
Yes, the Maasai Mara and Serengeti are both part of the wider Mara–Serengeti ecosystem associated with the annual wildebeest migration, but the exact wildlife experience depends heavily on your travel dates.
The migration is a natural movement rather than a fixed event that occurs in exactly the same place every year. Wildebeest and other grazing animals move according to rainfall, water availability, grazing conditions, and seasonal patterns.
This means that booking a Kenya and Tanzania safari during a traditional migration period does not guarantee that the herds will be directly in front of your vehicle on a particular day.
The benefit of combining the Maasai Mara and Serengeti is that your itinerary covers two interconnected parts of this larger ecosystem. Depending on the season, you may encounter large concentrations of wildebeest, zebras, predators following the herds, or other resident wildlife.
Travelers particularly interested in river crossings, calving, or specific migration stages should plan the itinerary around the expected seasonal location of the herds rather than simply selecting a month based on the general term "Great Migration."
What wildlife can I expect to see on a 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari?
The combination of the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro provides opportunities to see a broad range of East African wildlife across different habitats.
In the Maasai Mara, game drives commonly focus on lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other plains animals. The open grasslands can make it easier to observe large herbivore groups and predators, although wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
In Central Serengeti, the Seronera area and surrounding habitats are particularly important for game viewing. The Serengeti section of the itinerary provides two full days for searching for lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other species. Your guide can adjust the daily route according to recent sightings, weather, road conditions, and your interests.
The Ngorongoro Crater provides a different wildlife environment. Its enclosed crater landscape can support high concentrations of animals, and the final game drive may provide opportunities to see lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest, and, depending on conditions and sightings, the endangered black rhinoceros.
Rather than promising a fixed wildlife checklist, the safari is designed around searching for wildlife in its natural environment, with your guide using local knowledge to determine where to spend time during each game drive.
What is the difference between visiting Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro on this itinerary?
Although all three destinations offer major wildlife experiences, they are not interchangeable.
The Maasai Mara is known for its open Kenyan savannah landscape, abundant plains wildlife, big-cat sightings, and its connection to the wider Mara–Serengeti ecosystem. It provides the first major wildlife experience of the trip after leaving Nairobi.
The Serengeti is much larger in scale and forms the main Tanzanian wildlife component of this itinerary. Central Serengeti, particularly around the Seronera area, offers varied habitats and opportunities to spend multiple days following wildlife rather than simply passing through the park.
The Ngorongoro Crater provides a different experience again. Instead of expansive plains extending toward the horizon, you descend into a large volcanic caldera where grasslands, wetlands, and other habitats support a high concentration of wildlife.
Combining the three destinations therefore gives the safari geographical and ecological variety. You experience Kenya's Maasai Mara, Tanzania's vast Serengeti plains, and the enclosed crater environment of Ngorongoro within one continuous journey.
What accommodation is included in the 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari?
The itinerary offers Mid-Range and Luxury accommodation options, allowing travelers to select an accommodation level that matches their preferred style of safari.
For the Maasai Mara, the Mid-Range option is Zebra Plains Mara Camp, while the Luxury option is Keekorok Lodge.
In Central Serengeti, the itinerary uses Serengeti Safari Haven Camp for the Mid-Range option and Serengeti Sametu Camp for the Luxury option. Because the itinerary includes several nights in Central Serengeti, staying in the same area helps reduce unnecessary accommodation changes and keeps the focus on wildlife viewing.
Near Ngorongoro, the Mid-Range option is Mvuli Hotel Ngorongoro, while the Luxury option is The Retreat at Ngorongoro.
Accommodation selection can influence the overall safari experience, including location, room style, facilities, dining arrangements, and proximity to the day's route. If you have specific accommodation preferences, the itinerary can be discussed around availability for your travel dates.
How much driving is involved in a 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari?
Because this is a two-country overland safari, some driving is unavoidable, particularly during the Kenya-to-Tanzania transfer.
The first significant journey is Nairobi to Maasai Mara, which takes approximately 5–6.5 hours. The following day is primarily dedicated to game viewing in the Mara.
Day 3 includes approximately 3.5–4 hours from Maasai Mara to Isebania, followed by immigration procedures and approximately 4.5 hours from Isebania toward Central Serengeti. This is the longest transfer day because it combines an international border crossing with the journey into Tanzania.
Once in the Serengeti, the itinerary slows down considerably. Days 4 and 5 are dedicated to full-day game drives, minimizing accommodation changes and allowing you to spend more time exploring the park.
On Day 6, the journey from Central Serengeti toward the Ngorongoro area takes approximately 3.5–4 hours, followed by the final transfer from Ngorongoro to Arusha on Day 7, which takes approximately 4 hours after the crater experience.
Actual driving times can change because of road conditions, wildlife sightings, border procedures, weather, and the exact location of camps and lodges.
Can I extend the 7-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari with Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro or additional safari days?
Yes. The 7-day itinerary can serve as the wildlife portion of a longer Tanzania holiday rather than necessarily being the end of your trip.
After arriving in Arusha, you can continue with additional northern Tanzania experiences, arrange a Mount Kilimanjaro trekking itinerary, or travel onward to Zanzibar for a beach holiday.
You can also extend the safari itself before or after the core Kenya–Tanzania route. Additional days could allow you to spend longer in the Maasai Mara or Serengeti, add destinations such as Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Tarangire, or Lake Manyara, or create more relaxed transfer days.
For travelers arriving through Kenya and departing from Tanzania, the seven-day route can also be incorporated into a broader East African itinerary. The appropriate extension depends on your international flight schedule, preferred wildlife destinations, travel season, accommodation level, and whether you want to combine safari with a beach or mountain experience.
The key advantage of extending the itinerary is that additional days can be used to increase wildlife-viewing time rather than simply adding more destinations.