Day 1: Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park
Your Safari Trip in Kenya begins with an early departure from Nairobi at 7:30 a.m. Journey through the Great Rift Valley with a scenic stop at the famous viewpoint and a visit to the Little Italian Church. Arrive at Lake Nakuru in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive.
Lake Nakuru is world-renowned as a bird sanctuary, home to flamingos that blanket the lake’s surface in pink hues. The park also shelters both black and white rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalo, and giraffes. It’s the only park in Kenya where rhino sightings are virtually guaranteed, making it a highlight of many safari trips. Return to Eagle Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Eagle Palace Hotel
Day 2: Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha & Hell’s Gate
After breakfast, drive to Lake Naivasha, another gem in Safari Trips in Kenya. On arrival, visit Hell’s Gate National Park, a unique reserve that allows walking and cycling among wildlife. Explore dramatic cliffs, volcanic gorges, and geothermal springs while spotting zebras, antelopes, and giraffes.
Optional activities include rock climbing or enjoying a soothing dip at the Olkaria Geothermal Spa. In the afternoon, a boat ride across Lake Naivasha (optional) offers sightings of hippos and rich birdlife. Continue to Crescent Island, where you can enjoy a walking safari among giraffes, zebras, and gazelles. Dinner and overnight at Leisure Apex Resort.
Accommodation: Leisure Apex Resort
Day 3: Lake Naivasha to Maasai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, journey through the scenic highlands via Narok to the legendary Maasai Mara, centerpiece of most Safari Trips in Kenya. Arrive in time for lunch before setting out on an afternoon game drive across the rolling plains.
The Maasai Mara is famed for its dense concentration of wildlife, including lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, and buffalo. Bird lovers will enjoy spotting over 450 bird species. As the sun sets, return to Enchoro Wildlife Camp for dinner and overnight, surrounded by the sounds of the savannah.
Accommodation: Enchoro Wildlife Camp
Day 4: Full-Day Game Drive in Maasai Mara
Spend the entire day immersed in the Maasai Mara, a highlight of all Safari Trips in Kenya. After breakfast, embark on a full-day game drive with picnic lunch along the Mara River. Between July and October, this river is the site of the dramatic wildebeest migration, where herds cross crocodile-filled waters in search of greener pastures.
Outside of migration, the reserve still offers year-round encounters with lions, giraffes, antelopes, gazelles, and hyenas. The scenic plains and acacia-dotted landscapes make the Maasai Mara both a photographer’s paradise and a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Enchoro Wildlife Camp
Day 5: Maasai Mara to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, drive south through the Mara to the Isebania border for immigration into Tanzania. Continue into the vast Serengeti National Park with an en-route game drive before arriving at your camp.
The Serengeti is the ultimate safari destination, often paired with the Maasai Mara in cross-border Safari Trips in Kenya and Tanzania. Its endless plains are home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, wildebeests, and zebras. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Seronera Campsite.
Accommodation: Serengeti Seronera Campsite
Day 6: Full-Day Safari in Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, spend the entire day exploring the Serengeti, one of the most iconic safari destinations in the world. Game drives take you through its central plains, where predators like lions, hyenas, and cheetahs hunt across the grasslands.
During migration season, millions of wildebeests and zebras move across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, creating one of the world’s most dramatic wildlife spectacles. Birdwatchers can also spot eagles, vultures, flamingos, and storks. Return to Serengeti Seronera Camp for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Serengeti Seronera Camp
Day 7: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
In the morning, enjoy one more game drive in Serengeti before heading to Ngorongoro Crater, another crown jewel of East African safaris. Descend 670m to the crater floor for an afternoon game drive.
Ngorongoro is often called “Africa’s Eden,” offering one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the world. Expect sightings of black-maned lions, elephants, rhinos, hippos, and massive herds of wildebeest and buffalo. A picnic lunch at Ngoitoktok Springs adds to the unique experience. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Campsite.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Campsite
Day 8: Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park for lunch followed by an afternoon game drive. This park is small but diverse, with lush groundwater forests, alkaline lakes, and acacia woodlands.
Lake Manyara is famous for its tree-climbing lions, large flocks of flamingos, and herds of elephants. It’s also a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 400 recorded species. After an adventurous day, return to Lake Manyara Jambo Camp for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Lake Manyara Jambo Camp
Day 9: Lake Manyara to Arusha
On your final day, enjoy breakfast before departing Lake Manyara for Arusha. Depending on your travel schedule, you may have time for shopping or a city tour before drop-off at your hotel or Kilimanjaro International Airport.
This marks the conclusion of your 9-Day Safari Trip in Kenya and Tanzania, a journey that covered the best of East Africa’s landscapes and wildlife — from Kenya’s flamingo lakes and the Big Five to Tanzania’s Serengeti plains and the dramatic Ngorongoro Crater.
