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Save up to 50% on solo supplement + Save $3,000 on select departures*
For a classic East African safari experience offering up-close encounters with wild game roaming vast, sun-drenched panoramas, as well as restful stays in spacious lodges with ideal locations in the region’s greatest parks and reserves, this journey can’t be beat.
Journey Highlights
Observe Africa’s astoundingly diverse wildlife up close, including the iconic Big Five, from custom-made vehicles with an unobstructed view from every seat
Handpicked safari guides lead you on every game drive, their in-depth tracking expertise setting the stage for unforgettable wildlife encounters
Meet the talented dogs who sniff out illicit animal products when you visit the Canines for Conservation training center on a special behind-the-scenes experience
When you’re exploring wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater in the morning hours, ahead of the crowds and while the animals are most active, you’ll be glad for the privileged location of your lodge on the nearby crater rim
Privately visit Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey family discovered fossils linking man to his distant ancestors
The customs and traditions of the nomadic Maasai come to vivid life as you visit their village
*Advertised price is based on per solo traveller on 25 July 2025 departure, correct as of 19 March 2025.
Inclusions
Included with every Luxury Small Group Journey
English-Speaking Resident Tour Director® and Local Guides
Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
Travelling Bell Boy® Luggage Handling
Traveller’s Valet® Laundry Service
Internet Access
Entrance Fees, Taxes and All Gratuities Except Resident Tour Director or Safari Driver-guides
24/7 A&K On-Call Support
Internal Air Included
*Included air is based on Economy Class, up to the value of $2,295pp.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Arrive Nairobi, Kenya
Arrive in Nairobi, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. A microcosm of the African continent, this capital city is your gateway to a dramatic procession of natural spectacles in Kenya and Tanzania, among the most thrilling destinations in the world.
Stay: Nairobi Serena Hotel
Day 2 | Amboseli National Park - Game and Mountain Vistas
Drive to Amboseli National Park, known for its thriving big-game population, especially elephants, more than 1,000 of which live in the park. From a distance, take in views of the highest mountain in Africa, the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro, with its impressive Uhuru Peak soaring to 19,341 feet. Arrive at your lodge set beneath acacia trees in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. After lunch, explore the acacia woodland, freshwater swamps, scrub brush and open plains in search of wildlife. Part of the park is composed of a driedup lake bed, where mirages rise from the shimmering heat. This evening, share in a special welcome dinner with your fellow guests.
Stay: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 | Amboseli National Park - Mountainside Sightings
Set out on early morning and afternoon game drives, crisscrossing the landscape in search of the park's large herds of elephants, as well as zebra and wildebeest, along the salt pan trails. Prepare for predator sightings as opportunistic animals begin roaming the plains in search of prey. Return to your lodge for dinner, followed by a relaxing evening under African skies.
Stay: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 | Arusha, Tanzania - Canines for Conservation
Cross the border into Tanzania and continue to your hotel on the picturesque slopes of Mount Meru. This afternoon, stop at the kennels of the Canines for Conservation training center for a special behind-the-scenes visit with the K-9 cadets trained to detect illicit wildlife products in cargo and luggage. Return to your hotel, enjoying a refreshing Scenic Sundowner on the edge of Lake Duluti before gathering for dinner.
Stay: Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 | Ngorongoro Crater - Spot the Tree-Climbing Lion
Drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive, searching for nonchalant baboons, dik-diks that forage for food beneath acacia trees, and large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, which gather on the grassy, sun-drenched plains. Along a narrow belt of acacia woodland, you may even spot the region's storied tree-climbing lions, ascending branches for a cool breeze. After lunch, travel to Ngorongoro Crater, ascending its outer wall through dense vegetation. Ngorongoro is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world and a likely place to view lions, elephants, hyenas and gazelle. This afternoon, participate in a Chef's Table demonstration in the hotel kitchen, preparing and sampling local dishes.
Stay: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 | Ngorongoro Crater - Explore a Natural Wildlife Haven
This morning, descend into the crater, arriving ahead of most visitors — thanks to the ideal location of your accommodations on the crater's rim — to view the resident wildlife at its most active time of day. The prairies of this "Lost World” are great spots for watching buffalo and elephants as well as the countless other species that roam the crater's 100-square-mile floor. You may even sight flamingos (when in season) or rare black rhinos. Following lunch, visit a Maasai village to gain a better understanding of the nomadic cattle herders' daily life and culture.
Stay: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 | Serengeti National Park - In Ancient Footsteps
Drive to vast, wildlife-rich Serengeti National Park and through its spectacular mix of savanna grassland and volcanic hills, stopping enroute for a privately guided tour of Olduvai Gorge, one of the key sources of prehuman hominid fossils. Renowned paleontologists Mary and Louis Leakey made many notable finds here, including "Nutcracker Man,” who lived approximately 1.75 million years ago. Visit the on-site museum, take in views from the lookout point and examine the excavations, which revealed 3.7-million-yearold footprints and the 1.8-million-year-old skull of a human. Continue to your lodge, which is framed by commanding views of this land of lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, giraffes and topi. The park also serves as a setting for the Great Migration when it passes through each year. Enjoy your room's blend of elegant and contemporary design with influences from the traditional Maasai culture.
Stay: Melia Serengeti Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 | Serengeti National Park - Iconic Safari Quarry
Today, revel in true safari country, searching for iconic species, such as lions, leopards, Cape buffalo and elephants, as well as giraffes, gazelle and zebra. Along the rivers and rocky outcrops, you may also spot some of the Serengeti's more diminutive denizens, such as leopard tortoises and rhinoceros beetles.
Stay: Melia Serengeti Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 | Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya - Into the Wild
Fly to the vast Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya's finest wildlife spectacle, offering excellent game viewing year-round. The unending landscape hosts some 450 bird species, 95 animal species and all of the great predators, including the country's largest lion population. After familiarizing yourself with your classic tented accommodations, ideally situated at the confluence of the Mara's four game-viewing regions, drive through the famed reserve.
Stay: Mara Intrepids
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 | Maasai Mara Game Reserve - Endless Discovery
Explore a region bestowed with over 500 square miles of savannas, woodlands and tree-fringed rivers on morning and afternoon game drives. You may observe crocodiles basking in the sun, see ever-alert hippos wallowing in muddy water or catch the antics of mischievous monkeys overhead. Watch, too, as African elephants rumble along the forest edge and giraffes snatch leaves from branches high above.
Stay: Mara Intrepids
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 | Maasai Mara Game Reserve - A Final Look
Venture forth on a morning game drive or enjoy an optional hot air balloon ride (at an additional cost), viewing the Maasai Mara and its wild inhabitants from a new perspective. After lunch back at camp and time to relax, head out on a late afternoon game drive for a final look at the Mara's treasures. Later, enjoy a Scenic Sundowner, sipping traditional cocktails while marveling at the incredible open plains just before dusk — a relaxing prelude to a memorable farewell dinner with your fellow guests.
Stay: Mara Intrepids
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 | Depart Nairobi
Return to Nairobi. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in a reserved dayroom before your international departure flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
Booking terms and conditions apply.
*
Term and conditions apply: All pricing subject to change and availability. Advertised prices are per person twin share unless stated otherwise. Offers may be withdrawn at any time. Itineraries are subject to change. Booking Conditions and Phil Hoffmann Travel Schedule of Professionalism* applies. Please speak to your Phil Hoffmann Travel Consultant for more information.