Kenya/Tanzania
The Best of Kenya & Tanzania: A Safari & Cultural Experience
Program No. 18783RJ
Discover great national parks and rarely explored reserves as you search for big cats while learning about and photographing elephants, rhinos, zebras and more.
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16 days
15 nights
37 meals
13B 13L 11D
2
Arrival in Kenya
Nairobi
4
Amboseli National Park in the Shadow of Mount. Kilimanjaro
Amboseli National Park
5
Amboseli Big Game, The East African Elephant
Amboseli National Park
7
Crossing the Great Rift Valley to Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
8
The Wildlife of the Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
9
Early History at Olduvai Gorge, The Plains of the Serengeti
Serengeti National Park
10
Into the Heart of the Serengeti
Serengeti National Park
11
On the Shores of Lake Victoria
Speke Bay
13
From the Shores of Lake Victoria Into the Maasai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve
14
Tracking the Big Five in the Maasai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve
15
Return to Nairobi
Nairobi
16
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
Follow the endless cycle of life as you track the big five on the Serengeti plains. Trace the migratory path north through the remote Serengeti, an area rarely visited by outsiders, and cross into Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserve to search for the elusive leopard. Learn about elephants in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro and rhinos in the Great Rift Valley.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking and standing on uneven ground; some stairs. Full days with early morning starts. Riding for extended periods in safari vehicles over unpaved and very rough and dusty surfaces; getting in/out of vehicles requires flexibility. Elevations up to 7,500 feet. This program offers two internal light aircraft flights between Safari Parks.
Micro Group
These adventures feature our smallest group size, with 12 participants or fewer.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Replicate the annual migration as you journey from the Serengeti plains, through its riverine forest and rocky promontories, into the Maasai Mara.
- Search for East Africa's “Big Five”: lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhinos.
- Discover the unique ecosystem of the Ngorongoro Crater.
General Notes
This is a Micro Group program, with 12 or fewer participants. Each participant will have a window seat in one of the two safari vans; there will be one Group Leader who will share time between the two vehicles. Our program follows the yearly migration route, capturing different stages of the migration throughout the year. January-February is calving season for hooved animals. June-July see perfect weather. Animals prepare for the hardest part of the migration. September, peak tourist season, coincides with the migration through the Mara. October sees the migration move into the Serengeti. November-December are a birder's dream, with many species visiting from Eurasia. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Philip Rono
Philip Rono has a diploma in tour guiding and administration from Kenya Utalii College and a degree in tourism management from the University of South Africa. With over 25 years' experience as a safari director in East Africa, he has worked for various companies and organizations, most notably Smithsonian Journeys, Alumni Holidays International (AHI), National Geographic, and Micato Safaris. He is a member of the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) with Gold Level Guide accreditation. He currently lives in Nairobi with his family.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Philip Rono
View biography
Philip Rono has a diploma in tour guiding and administration from Kenya Utalii College and a degree in tourism management from the University of South Africa. With over 25 years' experience as a safari director in East Africa, he has worked for various companies and organizations, most notably Smithsonian Journeys, Alumni Holidays International (AHI), National Geographic, and Micato Safaris. He is a member of the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) with Gold Level Guide accreditation. He currently lives in Nairobi with his family.

Alfred Mutai
View biography
Alfred Mutai is a safari expert with 20 years of experience, helping him to lead journeys through Kenya and Tanzania national parks. A keen conservationist, he has received extensive training from Utalii College and earned certificates from the Kenya Wildlife Training Institute as well as the Ministry of Tourism in Kenya.

Mulonzi Kinyanzui
View biography
Thomas Mulonzi Kinyanzui is a Kenyan professional, devoted husband, and father of three. With over 15 years of experience, he serves as a study leader at Road Scholar. Holding an associate diploma in tour guiding, wildlife management, and conservation studies, Thomas brings a wealth of expertise to his role. Renowned for his collaborative spirit, Thomas excels as an educator, guiding travelers through the region.
Suggested Reading List
(14 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Best of Kenya & Tanzania: A Safari & Cultural Experience
Program Number: 18783
African Heroes, Samburu-maasai
Guzzini captures the rituals and travels of the mysterious Masaai communities of Tanzania and Kenya in beautiful, untouched photographs that honor the people and their land.
The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior
Bridging several worlds with tremendous grace, Saitoti looks back on his life among the Maasai, both as spokesperson for his tribe and as one of the first Maasai safari guides.
Kenya & Northern Tanzania (Serengeti) Map
A detailed map (1:1,100,000) with inset maps of Lamu, Nairobi and Mombasa.
Big Five of Africa
Hinde's stunning photographs celebrate Africa's lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalo.
Birds of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Featuring a habitat-based approach to more than 270 bird species, this handy guide to fowl in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Speke Gulf includes 480 color photos and accessible text.
Serengeti Spy
A hoof-level view of the Masai Mara and Serengeti. Photographer Anup Shah lets the wildlife reveal themselves, placing small remote cameras at watering holes, outcrops and other strategic spots. The ground-level view is as surprising as it is clever, putting you face-to-face with lion and cheetah and wildebeest and all the creatures in action across the plains.
West with the Night
Beryl Markham evokes the landscapes, people and wildlife of East Africa in engrossing detail in this classic memoir of amazing adventures as a bush pilot in 1930s Kenya, a favorite.
Michael Nichols, Earth to Sky: Among Africa's Elephants, a Species in Crisis
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, J. Michael Fay, Peter Matthiessen, Cynthia Moss and David Quammen contribute to National Geographic photographer Michael "Nick" Nichols' stunning tribute to the elephant. Taken from two decades of work in Africa, the book includes a chapter on Daphne Sheldrick's work with orphaned elephants.
Cathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home
Varty depicts his life on safari in a beautiful and adventurous story of relationships and balance with others, the land, and the wildlife.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
An attractive, colorful and informative sketch map of the area with notes on wildlife and conservation at a scale of 2:210,000.
A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, A Novel
Drayson draws on his time in Nairobi for this sweet novel about East Africa society -- revolving, naturally, around birding and the Hunt Ball at the Asadi Club. Reality intervenes in the shape of renegade Somalis.
The Safari Companion
An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each animal group and in-depth information. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind.
The Tree Where Man Was Born
A classic portrait of East Africa, enthralling in its detail on nature and daily life. Includes Masai, Ngorongoro, the Kenyan highlands and Mathiessen's field trips, safaris and adventures in the Serengeti.
Wildlife of East Africa
This take-along guide to 475 common species of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, trees and flowers of East Africa features full-color photographs with detailed descriptions on facing pages.