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13 days · Kenya & Tanzania · Mid-range

13 Days Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar Midrange Safari

Thirteen days from Kenya's classic parks to Tanzania's northern circuit and on to the beaches of Zanzibar: the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli, then Tarangire, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater before three nights by the sea.

  • 13 days
  • Kenya & Tanzania
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Nairobi
  • Ends Zanzibar
Elephant kilimanjaro amboseli

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
13 days
Country
Kenya & Tanzania
Destinations
Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Amboseli · Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater · Zanzibar
Safari style
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Nairobi
Ends
Zanzibar

Best for

  • Safari and beach combinations
  • Honeymoons
  • Couples

The route

From Nairobi to Zanzibar

  1. Stop 1Nairobi
  2. Stop 2Maasai Mara
  3. Stop 3Lake Nakuru
  4. Stop 4Amboseli
  5. Stop 5Arusha
  6. Stop 6Tarangire
  7. Stop 7Serengeti
  8. Stop 8Ngorongoro Crater
  9. Stop 9Zanzibar

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli
  • Tarangire, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater
  • Flight from Arusha to Zanzibar
  • Three nights on Zanzibar

Day by day

13 days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Lone tree on the rolling grasslands of the Maasai Mara

Day 1

Nairobi → Maasai Mara

West through the Rift Valley

Leave Nairobi for the Maasai Mara, stopping above the Great Rift Valley to take in the view and in Narok before reaching the reserve. The road descends to the valley floor and crosses Maasai country as the landscape opens into grassland. Arrive at your lodge for lunch, then head out on an afternoon game drive across the golden grassland, looking for the Mara's resident wildlife.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Maasai Mara National Reserve

A full day in big-cat country

Spend a full day in the Mara, with a picnic lunch. Lion prides, cheetah, elephant, buffalo and giraffe live here year-round, and between July and October migrating herds may be in the reserve, depending on the rains. Your guide will plan the route around the day's conditions, perhaps heading for the Mara River, where hippos and crocodiles are always present.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 3

Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru

East to the Rift Valley lakes

After a morning drive in the Mara, travel east across the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru, leaving the grassland for farmland and volcanic hills. Arrive in time for an afternoon game drive in the national park, where black and white rhino are protected and flamingos may line the lake. Buffalo, waterbuck and Rothschild's giraffe are often seen in the woodland near the shore.

Overnight
Lake Nakuru · lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive · Afternoon game drive

Day 4

Lake Nakuru → Amboseli

South to Kilimanjaro's foot

Leave Lake Nakuru after breakfast for the long drive south past Nairobi to Amboseli, arriving in the late afternoon. The route climbs out of the Rift Valley and crosses the dry Maasai rangeland of the south. As you approach, the land flattens into the basin below Kilimanjaro, where elephant herds are a familiar sight and the mountain may appear above the clouds.

Overnight
Amboseli · lodge
Main activities
Long transfer
Elephant herd crossing the dry grasslands of Amboseli

Day 5

Amboseli National Park

Elephants and swamps

Spend a full day exploring Amboseli. The spring-fed swamps draw elephant, buffalo and hippo, and the plains support zebra, wildebeest and gazelle, with lion, cheetah and hyena. Watching elephant families move between the swamps is one of the park's great pleasures. When the clouds lift, Kilimanjaro's summit makes a dramatic backdrop to the day's game viewing.

Overnight
Amboseli · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 6

Amboseli → Arusha

Into Tanzania

After a morning game drive, a last look at Amboseli's elephants, travel to the Namanga border and complete the formalities for Tanzania. Continue across the Maasai plains, passing the slopes of Mount Meru, to Arusha for the night. It is mainly a travel day, linking Kenya's parks with northern Tanzania, and a chance to rest ready for the Tanzanian part of the journey.

Overnight
Arusha · hotel
Main activities
Morning game drive · Border crossing

Day 7

Arusha → Tarangire

Baobab country

Drive from Arusha across the Maasai steppe to Tarangire National Park for an afternoon game drive among giant baobabs and along the Tarangire River, where elephant herds often gather with buffalo, giraffe and zebra. Birdlife is rich, and lions are sometimes found resting near the water. Tarangire's landscape is quite unlike the Kenyan parks of the first week.

Overnight
Tarangire · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 8

Tarangire → Serengeti

Onto the plains

Cross the Ngorongoro highlands, with views over the forested crater rim, and descend to the Serengeti, where the grassland seems to stretch without end. Game viewing begins as you enter the park. Your guide will head towards the areas best suited to the season, whether that means the migration herds or the kopjes and river valleys where big cats are often found.

Overnight
Serengeti · lodge
Main activities
Game drive en route
Wildlife on the grasslands of Ngorongoro Crater

Day 9

Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater

From the plains into the crater

Leave the Serengeti and travel east into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, climbing into the highlands where the air cools and forest replaces grassland. Descend to the Ngorongoro Crater floor for a game drive among black rhino, lion and buffalo, set within the caldera's steep walls; time on the crater floor is limited by park regulations. Return to the rim for the night.

Overnight
Ngorongoro · lodge
Main activities
Crater game drive

Day 10

Ngorongoro → Zanzibar

Transfer and flight to the coast

A travel day. After breakfast, leave the Ngorongoro highlands and transfer for your flight to Zanzibar, crossing from the northern safari circuit to the Indian Ocean coast. On arrival, transfer to your beach accommodation; after the early starts of safari, the rest of the day is yours to settle in. Your planner confirms the departure point, flight and timings with your booking; none is fixed in advance.

Overnight
Zanzibar · lodge
Main activities
Transfer · Flight to Zanzibar

Day 11

Zanzibar

Beach time

A day at leisure on Zanzibar. Swim in the warm Indian Ocean, relax on the sand, or ask about snorkelling and dhow trips along the coast. After the early starts of safari, there is no schedule to keep today. The turquoise water and white beaches are a complete change from the plains and crater of the past days, and a fine place to slow down.

Overnight
Zanzibar · lodge

Day 12

Zanzibar

Stone Town and spices

Spend the day as you like — a guided walk through historic Stone Town, with its narrow lanes, carved doors and busy markets; a spice farm tour through the island's plantations; or a boat trip to a sandbank. Your planner can arrange excursions in advance, so the day can be as active or as restful as you wish.

Overnight
Zanzibar · lodge
Palm tree beside the turquoise water and white sand of Pongwe Beach in Zanzibar

Day 13

Zanzibar → departure

Farewell

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Zanzibar airport for your onward flight, taking home memories of Kenya, Tanzania and the island. Your planner will confirm the transfer time to suit your departure. The journey ends here, after thirteen days that ran from the Maasai Mara and Amboseli through Tanzania's northern parks to the Indian Ocean coast.

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Maasai Mara · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Lake Nakuru · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Amboseli · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the hotel

Arusha · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Tarangire · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Serengeti · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Ngorongoro · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Zanzibar · 3 nights

What’s included

Inclusions are itemised in your quotation.

Park fees, meals, transport and accommodation depend on the final plan, so your planner lists exactly what is and is not included before you book.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price subject upon request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

Optional experiences

Add a different perspective.

Availability, location, age limits and extra costs are confirmed for your final itinerary.

Hot-air balloon safari over the Maasai Mara

Optional · extra cost · pre-arrangement required

Maasai village visit

Optional · extra cost

Olduvai Gorge museum visit

Optional · extra cost

Verified guest voices

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External review source

SafariBookings

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Read our reviews on SafariBookings

External review source

Tripadvisor

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on Tripadvisor, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 13 Days Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar Midrange Safari cost?

The 13 Days Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar Midrange Safari is quoted individually (price subject upon request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts in Nairobi and finishes in Zanzibar. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

Nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Is the day-by-day plan fixed?

Not yet. The plan shown is a suggested outline for this route; the final day-by-day itinerary, activities and timings are confirmed with your quotation.

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Start planning with a local expert

Your safari starts with a conversation.

Tell us your dates, travel style and what matters most. A Nairobi-based planner can shape the details with you.

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PricingPrice subject upon request
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