Safari · East Africa
13 Night Kenya & Tanzania Safari
The Mara and the Serengeti are the same ecosystem with a border drawn across it. Doing both is the difference between seeing the migration and seeing where it has been.
The Mara and the Serengeti are the same ecosystem with a border drawn across it. Doing both is the difference between seeing the migration and seeing where it has been.
Which side to be on depends entirely on the month.
The herds move in a rough clockwise loop. From July to October they are in the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara, and the Mara River crossings happen in that window — the single most dramatic thing in African wildlife. From January to March they are calving on the southern Serengeti plains, which is quieter, greener and arguably better for predators. Doing both countries in one trip means you are inside the ecosystem rather than hoping it comes to you. Anyone promising a river crossing on a specific date is guessing; we tell you the odds for your dates and where to position you.
Thirteen nights, north to south, with light aircraft between the main camps.
1Arrival night. Most flights land in the evening and the onward hop leaves next morning.
Where you stay: Airport-side or in Karen, depending on your onward flight time.
Getting there: Overnight from the UK, about 8h 30m direct to Nairobi (NBO).
2Kenya's side of the ecosystem. Four nights, not two — this is the single change that most improves a safari.
Where you stay: Conservancy camps limit vehicle numbers and allow off-road driving; reserve camps are cheaper and busier.
Getting there: Light aircraft from Nairobi, about 45 minutes. Strict luggage limit — soft bags, 15kg.
3The Tanzanian side, and far larger. Where you stay within it depends on the month.
Where you stay: Mobile camps follow the herds and are the right answer in migration months.
Getting there: Light aircraft across the border via Kogatende or Seronera.
4A collapsed caldera holding one of the densest concentrations of game in Africa, including black rhino.
Where you stay: Rim lodges have the view; Karatu below is cheaper and 45 minutes further from the descent road.
Getting there: Light aircraft to Lake Manyara, then about 90 minutes by road.
5Departure night, or the point where you continue to Zanzibar.
Where you stay: Country lodges outside town are pleasanter than Arusha itself.
Getting there: Fly home from Kilimanjaro (JRO), or 80 minutes on to Zanzibar.
Everything below is quoted up front. Nothing appears after you've paid a deposit.
Guide prices per person, two sharing, outside school holidays. The hotel standard is the biggest single variable.
| Standard | What that means | Guide price pp |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | Comfortable tented camps, shared game drives, reserve-side Mara | from £4,299 |
| Superior | Conservancy camps, off-road driving, fewer vehicles at sightings | from £5,899 |
| Premium | Private vehicle and guide throughout, top-tier camps, mobile Serengeti camp | from £8,499 |
The tier that matters most is whether you're in a conservancy or the main reserve. Conservancies cap vehicle numbers and permit off-road driving, so you get to a leopard sighting rather than watching it from a queue of twelve minibuses. It costs more and it is the upgrade we'd recommend before any lodge improvement. UK specialists commonly price East Africa at £5,000–£8,500 per person for comparable trips, and luxury operators well beyond that.
July to October for the crossings; January to March for calving.
The migration is a year-round loop, not an event. July to October puts the herds in the northern Serengeti and Mara, and this is when the river crossings happen — it is also the busiest and priciest window, and lodges book nine to twelve months ahead. January to March is calving season on the southern plains: enormous concentrations of wildebeest, very active predators, fewer vehicles and noticeably lower prices. April, May and November are green season with short rains, discounted 20–30% and still good game viewing. There is no bad month, only different ones.
We'll tell you where the herds are likely to be for your window, which side of the border to weight the nights, and what a conservancy upgrade actually costs.
No, and anyone who says otherwise is guessing. The herds cross when they cross. Being in the northern Serengeti or Mara from July to October, for four nights or more, gives you a strong chance.
Two nights gives you three game drives, and weather or a quiet day can cost you most of them. Four is where most people stop feeling rushed.
It's around US$450–600 per person and it is genuinely extraordinary. Not included in any tier — we book it separately so you can decide.
Around US$20–40 per guest per day in cash, split between your guide and camp staff. Not a formality in East Africa — it's a real part of staff income.
Similar shapes, and the ones people most often weigh up alongside it.
Same approach, different shape. All reshapeable around your dates.
10 nights · Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb · from £2,899pp
12 nights · May–Oct · from £6,499pp
11 nights · Jun–Aug, Dec–Feb · from £4,899pp
14 nights · May–Oct · from £3,299pp
11 nights · Apr, Oct · from £2,699pp
12 nights · Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb · from £3,399pp
