16-Day Grand East Africa: Serengeti Migration & Kilimanjaro Safari
The northern circuit and the Mara in one journey — Tarangire's baobabs and elephants, the Ngorongoro Crater floor, the Serengeti and its river crossings, then a cross-border flight to the Maasai Mara and Amboseli beneath Kilimanjaro.
About this safari
Sixteen days is what it takes to see the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem as one place rather than two countries. The herds do not recognise the border, and this itinerary follows them: north through Tanzania's classic circuit to Kogatende on the Mara River, then a short bush flight across into Kenya to pick the story up on the other side.
The first half is driven, which suits the northern circuit — Tarangire's baobabs and elephant herds, Lake Manyara's tree-climbing lions and flamingos, and a full day on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, where a caldera of two hundred and sixty square kilometres holds black rhino, heavy-maned lions and hyena clans in a single view. Then the Serengeti: the Seronera valley for big cats, and the north for the crossings. The second half is flown — the Maasai Mara for the Kenyan side of the migration, and Amboseli for the big tuskers with Kilimanjaro behind them. It ends where most Kenyan safaris do, over dinner in Nairobi.
What makes this one special
- The Great Migration on both sides of the border, with a cross-border bush flight between them
- A full day on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater
- Mara River crossings from the northern Serengeti, in season
- Tree-climbing lions and flamingos at Lake Manyara
- Elephant herds and ancient baobabs in Tarangire
- Big tuskers beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli
The journey, morning by morning
Arrival in Arusha
Karibu Tanzania. Met at Kilimanjaro International or Arusha Airport by your guide and transferred to your hotel. A welcome dinner and an early night before the circuit begins.
South to Tarangire, land of baobabs and elephants
After breakfast the drive south to Tarangire, where ancient baobabs stand over one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. An afternoon game drive along the Tarangire River, which draws eland, wildebeest and zebra through the dry months, with martial eagles overhead.
A full day in Tarangire
A full day among the riverine swamps and acacia woodland, where the herbivore herds gather at the waterholes and the predators wait for them. Lion and leopard are both regular here, and the birding is exceptional.
Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley escarpment
Across the Great Rift Valley escarpment to Lake Manyara — groundwater forest, a soda lake edged with flamingos, and the acacia woodland where the park's tree-climbing lions lie up through the heat of the day. Baboon troops and hippo pools along the way.
A full day in the Ngorongoro Crater
Descend six hundred metres to the floor of the world's largest intact volcanic caldera for a full day's game drive. Black rhino, heavy-maned lions, elephant bulls, hyena clans and flamingos on the soda lake, in a single enclosed landscape. A picnic lunch beside the hippo pool.
Into the central Serengeti
Northwest into the Serengeti, one of the oldest and most productive wildlife systems on earth. Into camp, then an afternoon drive across the plains, ending with a sundowner as the light goes.
Big cats in the Seronera valley
The Seronera valley holds the densest concentration of resident predators in the Serengeti — lion prides on the kopjes, leopard along the river courses, and cheetah hunting the open grass. A full day with your guide reading the ground.
A second day in the central Serengeti
Another full day, used according to what the guides are seeing — following a pride, waiting out a cheetah with cubs, or working the river for leopard. Time is the thing that makes the difference here.
North to Kogatende and the Mara River
North to the Kogatende area, where between roughly July and October the migration masses on the Mara River. Wildebeest and zebra gather on the banks, sometimes for hours, before committing to a crossing.
The northern Serengeti and the crossings
A full day on the river. Crossings cannot be scheduled — the herds move on rain and instinct — so the day is spent in position and waiting, which is its own kind of pleasure. A sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the plains can be arranged, payable locally.
Cross-border flight to the Maasai Mara
From Kogatende airstrip, a scenic flight across the border into Kenya and the Maasai Mara — the same ecosystem, the other side of the river. An afternoon game drive among the lion prides for which the reserve is known.
A full day in the Maasai Mara
The rolling acacia plains at their best, with a bush picnic along the Mara River watching the hippo pods and the crocodiles. Cheetah on the open ground, leopard in the riverine bush, and the resident prides working the plains.
The Mara at your own pace
A third day in the reserve, shaped around what you most want — a dawn start for the cats, a slower morning with the balloon crews, or a longer run out towards the Mara Triangle if the herds have moved.
Fly east to Amboseli, the land of giants
A domestic flight east to Amboseli, on the Tanzanian border, where free-roaming elephant herds move across the dry lake bed with Kilimanjaro behind them. An afternoon drive through the wetlands until the light goes.
A full day beneath Kilimanjaro
Morning and afternoon drives, or a full day with a packed lunch, across the dusty pans and the spring-fed swamps. The mountain clears most reliably at dawn and again in the late afternoon — the two windows for the photograph everyone comes for.
To Nairobi and departure
A last morning in Amboseli, then the flight to Nairobi. A farewell dinner in the city before your onward flight, or a day room to rest in if you have a late departure.
How this journey unfolds — 8 stops in 16 days
- 1Arusha
- 2Tarangire
- 3Lake Manyara
- 4Ngorongoro Crater
- 5Serengeti
- 6Maasai Mara
- 7Amboseli
- 8Nairobi
The year on this safari, month by month
July to October for the river crossings in the northern Serengeti and the Mara. The circuit rewards travel year-round: January to March brings the calving season on the southern plains, and the green months are quieter and better for photography.
Indicative pattern for Tanzania's northern circuit. The migration's position depends on the rains; exact timing varies year to year.
Conditions along the route
Live readings where this safari spends its days.
The world this journey moves through
Photography of the landscapes and wildlife along this route — tap any photo to view it full screen.
Included and not included
Included
- All airport and airstrip transfers
- Cross-border bush flight Kogatende to the Maasai Mara
- Domestic flights Maasai Mara – Amboseli – Nairobi
- Accommodation as listed
- Meals as listed in the day-by-day
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle with a professional driver-guide in Tanzania
- Game drives as listed, with a guide throughout
- Park, crater, reserve and conservation fees
- AMREF Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- Drinking water on game drives
Not included
- International flights
- Travel, medical and cancellation insurance
- Visas
- Optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Serengeti — US$546 per person
- Tips and items of a personal nature
- Increases in park fees or other charges beyond our control
What a journey like this costs
Indicative all-inclusive rates per person, per night. Your own quote is built from your dates, your camps and the size of your party, and holds once agreed.
- Mid-rangeUS$450 – US$950per person, per night
Comfortable park lodges and permanent tented camps, road transfers between parks, shared game drives, all park fees.
Comfort · Classic camps and lodges
- LuxuryUS$950 – US$1,500per person, per night
Fly-in bush transfers, boutique tented camps, shared or private 4×4 vehicles, all park fees, fine dining.
Luxury camps and lodges
- Ultra-luxuryUS$1,600 – US$3,200+per person, per night
Private charter flights, exclusive-use conservancy lodges, a dedicated private guide and vehicle throughout.
Ultimate luxury camps and lodges
See the camps and lodges behind these bands
*Correct as at September 2026. Third-party costs such as park fees, gorilla permits, balloon flights and lodge rates are set by others and can change — we will quote the current price at the time of confirmation.
Travellers with time, on a first comprehensive East African safari, or returning to see the migration from both sides.
Safari lodges, eco-camps and tented camps
Questions travellers ask
- When are the Mara River crossings, and will I see one?
- The herds are usually in the northern Serengeti and the Mara between July and October, and this itinerary places you on the river in both countries during that window. Nobody can promise a crossing on a given day — the wildebeest gather for hours and then turn back as often as they go — which is why days 9, 10 and 12 are built as full days on the river rather than as drive-throughs.
- Why does the itinerary drive in Tanzania and fly in Kenya?
- Because that is how each country reads best. The northern circuit is a connected landscape and the drives between Tarangire, Manyara, the crater and the Serengeti are part of the experience. Kenya's parks are far apart with long road transfers between them, so flying returns whole days to game viewing. The bush flights carry a soft-bag limit, usually around 15kg — we confirm it before you pack.
- How hard is the Ngorongoro Crater day?
- It is a long but easy day: a descent of about six hundred metres by vehicle, a full day on the floor, and the climb out in the late afternoon. The altitude on the rim is around 2,300 metres and some guests feel it overnight; the floor is lower and warmer. No walking is required.
- Is sixteen days too long for a first safari?
- It is longer than most first trips, and deliberately so — it covers two countries and both sides of the migration. If that is more than you want, the natural shorter versions are the Tanzanian circuit on its own, or the Serengeti and the Mara without Amboseli. Tell us the time you have and we will shape it.
- Can this run outside the migration months?
- Yes, and it is a good trip year-round. Outside July to October the northern river camps are usually replaced with camps positioned nearer wherever the herds are, and January to March puts you on the southern plains for the calving season, which brings its own concentration of predators.