Compare 10 Day Tanzania & Kenya Express Safari (Lodge) by Getaway Africa vs Tanzania Family Safari by Intrepid Travel

Day 1: Arusha – Tarangire National Park

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Maramboi Tented Camp

After a safari briefing, you will travel southwest towards the Tarangire National Park. With its interesting landscapes – from swamps to baobab trees, it is considered as one of the most beautiful parks in northern Tanzania. Elephants can be seen in herds of up to 600, along with wildebeests, Masai giraffes, buffaloes and zebras. With a bit of luck, you might even be able to spot rarer animals such as kudus, blesbucks and the fringed-eared oryx, as they travel from the dry Masai plains to the Tarangire River in search of water. You will spend the afternoon on game drives before you head to the Maramboi Tented Camp.

Day 2: Tarangire Region – Mto wa Mbu – Karatu

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Endoro Lodge

After breakfast and a short drive, you arrive at the multi-cultural town of Mto wa Mbu. Here, a local guide will take you to experience the daily life in the town. You will walk through banana plantations, see traditional wood carvers at work, visit the local brewery and see local art in the making – giving you a real insight into the daily village life. For lunch you will enjoy traditional African food. In the afternoon the journey continues to Karatu in the Nogorongoro Crater highlands. You will notice how the landscape changes from the dry lowlands to the fertile and moist highlands. There will be time for photo stops and to admire the stunning views over the plains below. After your arrival at Endoro Lodge there might be time for an optional walk in the coffee plantations to learn about coffee production.

Day 3: Karatu – Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp

Rise and shine! After breakfast you will see the sunrise over the crater rim as you take on the steep trail into the crater with a 4x4 safari vehicle. Here, within a few square kilometres, you will find all the animals that can be found in the East African savannah. Furthermore this is one of the best places to see the magnificent but almost extinct black rhino. You will spend the morning on a game drive in the crater followed by a picnic lunch. During the early afternoon, you will leave the crater and travel to the Serengeti. The Serengeti National Park is the most famous park in Tanzania and it is here where the biggest animal migration in the world takes place. The herds cross the border between Tanzania and Kenya in search of fresh grass and water and the predators are never far behind... Tonight you will stay at the Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp in the central Serengeti.

Day 4: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp

As the sun rises you will leave the camp for an early morning game drive and return in the late morning to a hearty breakfast. Adventurous guests wanting to experience the Serengeti from the sky may choose to book a hot air balloon ride, followed by a champagne breakfast. This activity is optional and needs to be booked in advance. A visit to the Serengeti Visitor Centre can be arranged. There will be another game drive in the afternoon and in the evening you will once again be able to enjoy the campfire at Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park – Lake Victoria

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Speke Bay Lodge

After an early start, you will continue through the Serengeti National Park on your way out. There will be more time to see animals you may not have seen already. After leaving the park, the journey will take you to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. The area around Lake Victoria is the most fertile and densely inhabited region of Tanzania. Here at the ocean-like lake, you will see another side of Tanzania – away from the masses you will see how the local people live. You can watch the fishermen at work and visit a local school – an experience unavailable on the usual tourist routes. You will overnight at the Speke Bay Lodge.

Day 6: Lake Victoria – Masai Mara Region

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mara West Camp

After breakfast you will join the local fishermen and a guide on a canoe trip on Lake Victoria. You will witness how the locals catch fish the traditional way and admire the previous night’s catch. Back on dry land you will depart on the longest journey of your safari – the trip to the Masai Mara. The road towards the Kenyan border is a long an adventurous one, but it should be worth it as the “Mara” is reputed to have the highest lion population of all reserves in Africa. Other large cats also live here and can be spotted all year round, as their sightings are not dependent upon the seasons or the great migration. You will overnight at the Mara West Camp.

Day 7 - 8: Masai Mara Game Reserve

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mara Ashnil Tented Camp

Today, you might be rewarded for yesterday's extensive drive and see the king of the animals. The next two days you will go on game drives in a 4x4 safari vehicle you’re your experienced guide. You will take a trip to the Mara River, the greatest hurdle for the wildebeests and zebras on their yearly trek. At the end of October and the beginning of November, an incredible scene is set when the river has swollen to almost bursting levels. Tens of thousands of animals must cross it, knowing that certain death awaits them – crocodiles lurking below the surface of the swirling water. It can be a gruesome sight…At other times of the year, hippos, hungry crocodiles and other animals can also be seen at the river. You will spend two nights at the Mara Ashnil Tented Camp.

Day 9: Masai Mara Game Reserve – Lake Nakuru National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Flamingo Hill Camp

After breakfast you will leave the Mara to reach Lake Nakuru in the early afternoon. The alkaline lake attracts gigantic flocks of flamingos – a bird lover's dream – giving the lake a shimmering pink hue from afar. Not only can you see over 450 bird species and 50 mammals, but you might spot both the endangered white and black rhino. Tonight you will stay at the Flamingo Hill Camp.

Day 10: Lake Nakuru National Park – Nairobi

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast you will leave Lake Nakuru to travel to Nairobi, Kenya's bustling and often chaotic capital. You will arrive in the early afternoon. Depending on the rest of your travel plans, you will be taken to a hotel or directly to the airport.

Day 1 Nairobi

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm. You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. If you and your family arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village. Or, to get a glimpse of some animals, head to the David Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Centre. These conservation projects allow you to see the animals up close while learning more about them and their plight in the modern world.

Day 2 Arusha

Hit the road after breakfast as you drive across the border to Tanzania and your overnight stop, Arusha. Located at the base of volcanic Mt Meru, Arusha is the gateway to safari destinations and to Africa's highest peak – the 5895 m Mt Kilimanjaro, lying some 100 kilometres northeast. After setting up the campsite on arrival, you and your family can relax and have a swim in the pool. Driving time: 5 hours

Day 3 Karatu

Take a short drive to the small town of Kisongo where you and your family get to enjoy a fun day with some local ‘Mamas’ (the name for female artisans in Tanzania) First, the women will teach you how to prepare a local Swahili dish for lunch. After enjoying your creations, you’ll get the chance to take a closer look into their lives. With help from a translator, the women will lead smaller groups around their village. Visit their homes and see how a traditional boma (small hut made of mud and cow dung) is set up. You’ll also get to meet their families and learn about Maasai culture. After this illuminating day, drive to the small town of Karatu, the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater. Have a good night’s sleep before we head on safari tomorrow!

Day 4 Serengeti National Park

Travel from Karatu to the gate of Serengeti National Park and have a picnic lunch at the entrance. Enter the Serengeti and enjoy a game drive on the way to your campsite. The vast plains of the Serengeti – green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season – are home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators. Flat and rolling, with long grass and acacia trees, these plains get their name from the Maasai word siringet – 'The place where the land moves on forever'. Your campsite is right in the action, within the park itself, so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep. Driving time today is 4 hours plus game drives.

Day 5 Serengeti National Park

Start the day with a game drive at dawn. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. After spending the warmer part of the day relaxing, as the animals do, depart again at dusk for another adventure through the wild before returning in time for dinner. There's also the option of a balloon ride over the park today, which makes for an excellent family activity. If you have pre-booked this activity (please see the ‘Notes' section) you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, you will glide through the sunrise, sometimes at tree height, which provides amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you will ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, you'll be treated to a five-star bush breakfast, before being returned to your camp.

Day 6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area - Karatu

Enjoy a game drive on your way out of the park today. After lunch you and your family will enter the Ngorongoro Conservation area. A gigantic, perfectly intact volcanic crater, Ngorongoro is home to some 30,000 animals. Among these are endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor offers excellent game viewing all year round, and the photo opportunities here are unrivalled. We jump in some 4WDs and head into the crater itself for three to four hours where the kids (and adults!) can enjoy spotting the animals. Leaving the park we head to Karatu - our overnight stop were the kids can take a swim in the campsite pool.

Day 7 Mto Wa Mbu

After breakfast take a short 30-minute drive to Mto Wa Mbu where you will camp for the night. Upon arrival, join the local community for a guided afternoon stroll around the farming areas, milling machine and local homes before enjoying a traditional meal. This afternoon you can relax around the campsite or have a swim in the pool. Driving time: 30minutes

Day 8 Nairobi

Set off early this morning (around 7.30 am), heading for the border with Kenya and then on to Nairobi. Upon arrival in Nairobi, you'll be dropped at the finishing point hotel. No accommodation is provided for tonight, but this can be arranged when you book this trip. Driving time today is 7–8 hours.