Nairobi, beyond the arrival hall
Ease into the journey with garden calm, the Karen Blixen story and an intimate look at Kenya's elephant conservation work.
Private ready-to-book journey
12-Day Tanzania & Kenya Safari
Nairobi · Amboseli · Arusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti
A twelve-day passage from Nairobi's conservation story to Amboseli beneath Kilimanjaro, then on through Tanzania's great wild heart.
12 days
11 nights
Overview
Two countries, one extraordinary East African story.
East Africa reveals itself in layers on this beautifully considered expedition. Begin in Nairobi, where elegant gardens, conservation work and a warm city welcome ease you into the continent. Then head south to Amboseli, where elephant families move through open country beneath the unmistakable silhouette of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Across the Namanga border, Tanzania opens through Tarangire's ancient baobabs, the blue-green bowl of Ngorongoro and the vast, animal-filled horizons of the Serengeti. Every chapter carries its own atmosphere, while the pacing makes the entire passage feel seamless, unhurried and entirely yours.
12
Days across Kenya and Tanzania
06
Wild chapters, thoughtfully linked
12
Guests at most for an intimate rhythm
Highlights
The East African chapters worth crossing borders for.
A journey of changing scales: Nairobi's conservation story, elephant country beneath Kilimanjaro, then Tanzania's celebrated northern circuit. Each is made richer by the time to experience it properly.
Amboseli beneath Kilimanjaro
Spend two full days with free-ranging elephants, red earth and the mountain's unmistakable silhouette in the distance.
A border crossed, a new rhythm
Cross through Namanga into Tanzania, then follow the route from Tarangire's baobabs to the Crater's extraordinary natural theatre.
The Serengeti finale
Two unhurried days let the plains set the pace, with time for big cats, migrating herds and moments no itinerary can predict.
Day by day
A route with room
to become a story.
Follow the journey below. The map will keep pace with each chapter, while the small details stay deliberately open to the rhythm of the wild.
Day 01
Nairobi
Nairobi, a graceful first chapter
At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, your guide is waiting with a personal welcome and an easy transfer to Nairobi Serena Hotel. Settle into the garden calm of Kenya's capital, where Nairobi National Park, conservation work and the city's vibrant energy all sit remarkably close. If time allows, take a gentle first look around with a local guide; otherwise, let a beautiful room and dinner make the first evening feel exactly as it should: effortless.
Day 02
Nairobi
Nairobi, at your own pace
Keep this day deliberately light. Breakfast can stretch into a slow morning by the pool or in the lounge, with Nairobi's rhythm waiting until you are ready for it. If you wish, a local guide can open the city through the National Museum, familiar landmarks, craft markets and cultural shops, while a long lunch offers an easy introduction to Kenyan flavour and daily life. The luxury here is not having to choose in advance; it is having the space to follow your own pace.
Day 03
Nairobi · Karen and Langata
A conservation story close to the city
After breakfast, travel toward the Ngong Hills to visit the Karen Blixen Museum, the historic home of the author behind Out of Africa. Then continue to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where orphaned elephants are cared for until they can return to the wild. It is a moving, quietly powerful day that reveals why conservation is never separate from the safari experience itself, and why Kenya's wildlife story reaches far beyond the parks.
Day 04
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli, beneath Kilimanjaro
After an early breakfast, set out for Amboseli at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Open country, red earth and the mountain's great profile make a setting unlike anywhere else in East Africa. The park is renowned for its elephant herds, but lions, buffalo and giraffes are never far from the story. A picnic lunch keeps you close to the wild before the afternoon drive carries you deeper into this memorable landscape.
Day 05
Amboseli National Park
Elephant country, given a second day
A second day gives Amboseli the time it deserves. Follow the first movement of the morning, pause when an elephant family gathers at a water source and watch the changing light reveal Kilimanjaro in fragments. Your guide brings the park's history to life too, from Echo to Tim, its famously majestic tuskers. Return to the lodge with enough time to let the day settle into evening.
Day 06
Namanga · Arusha
Across Namanga, into Tanzania
After breakfast, the road turns south to the Namanga Border. Once immigration formalities are complete, your Tanzanian guide welcomes you into the next chapter and continues to Arusha beneath Mount Meru. This is a day of transition, but never a rushed one: a change of country, guide and landscape handled with calm continuity. The afternoon is free to relax before Tanzania's northern circuit opens toward Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Day 07
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire, baobabs and elephant families
Tarangire announces itself through ancient baobabs, wide grasslands and the quiet authority of its elephant herds. Travel after breakfast into Tanzania's third-largest national park, where the river draws life toward it through every season. Lions, leopards and cheetahs are part of the possibility, but the defining image is often a whole elephant family moving beneath trees that seem older than memory. Your tented lodge keeps the night close to that sense of place.
Day 08
Tarangire and Maasai country
Tarangire, then a Maasai welcome
Spend another day reading Tarangire at a slower pace: its riverbanks, its baobabs and the extraordinary concentration of wildlife that gathers around water. Later, meet Maasai hosts near the park for a respectful cultural encounter shaped around conversation, local knowledge and the living traditions of this landscape. It adds a human dimension to the safari, reminding you that these wild places are also home, heritage and daily life.
Day 09
Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro, a world within walls
Descend through the Crater rim into an ancient caldera where grassland, forest, lakes and wildlife coexist on an astonishing scale. Ngorongoro is often called Africa's Garden of Eden, and it earns the name through its sense of abundance: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and, with luck, the rare black rhinoceros. A picnic on the Crater floor lets the experience breathe before you rise again to the rim for an evening above one of the continent's great natural theatres.
Day 10
Central Serengeti
The Serengeti opens before you
After breakfast, travel onward into the Serengeti and spend the day moving through its legendary expanses with a picnic lunch close at hand. Follow the freshest signs with your guide: a lion pride in the grass, a leopard folded into an acacia, cheetahs on the lookout or elephant families travelling with quiet purpose. The southern and central plains around Seronera hold the classic savannah scene, while the Western Corridor and Northern Serengeti offer entirely different versions of the same great wilderness.
Day 11
Central Serengeti
A day for the Serengeti to surprise you
Set out again with a picnic lunch and let the plains lead. The Great Wildebeest Migration may be part of the day, depending on the season, but the deeper luxury is time with the moments that matter: lion prides, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras and the small, surprising details in between. In the north, the Mara River becomes the setting for the dramatic crossings, where wildebeest brave crocodile-filled waters in search of new grass.
Day 12
Serengeti · Arusha · Kilimanjaro International Airport
Serengeti to Arusha, then home
After breakfast, enjoy one last morning game drive before transferring to Seronera Airstrip for your flight to Arusha. Your guide is waiting to meet you for a relaxed farewell lunch at a local restaurant, then continues with you to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure. The journey ends with every detail cared for, while what travels home is something less practical and far more lasting: Kilimanjaro above Amboseli, the Crater below the rim and the Serengeti horizon with nowhere to end.
Where you'll stay
Hand selected for an
unmatched experience.
From an elegant garden welcome in Nairobi and elephants beneath Kilimanjaro to Tanzania's tented lodges, Crater rim and endless plains, every stay is selected to make the crossing between countries feel seamless.
01 / 06
City hotel
Nairobi Serena Hotel
An elegant garden retreat beside Central Park, chosen for a polished arrival and a deeply restful first night.
Safari lodge
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
An elegant lodge beneath Kilimanjaro, beautifully placed for elephant encounters and long, cinematic views across the park.
Arusha retreat
Arusha Serena Hotel
A restful gateway on the woodland slopes of Mount Meru, ideal for pausing between the two sides of East Africa.
Tented lodge
Maramboi Tented Lodge
A spacious tented lodge near Tarangire, chosen for open views, unforced comfort and a strong feeling of the bush beyond the canvas.
Crater-rim lodge
Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
A classic crater-rim lodge looking over one of Africa's most dramatic landscapes, where the evening arrives with a view.
Serengeti lodge
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
An acacia-lined Serengeti lodge with far-reaching plains views, a pool and a quiet sense of place at the end of the day.
What's included
The ease is built in.
The journey is designed so the practical details quietly support the experience. Before travel, we will confirm every element against your exact dates and preferred level of accommodation.
- Accommodation and meals as outlined, including full-board safari stays and the specified Nairobi and Arusha arrangements
- All game drives in a custom-built 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up viewing roof
- All national park entrance fees, current government taxes and levies
- The scheduled domestic flight from Seronera to Arusha
- A professional English-speaking safari guide, bottled drinking water and 24-hour office support throughout the safari
Not included
- International flights, Tanzania and Kenya visas, travel and medical insurance
- Balloon safaris, optional excursions and all-terrain vehicle or bike adventures
- Spa treatments, massage, laundry, bar services and hotel activities outside the meal plan
- Tips for guides and hotel staff, plus meals, drinks and experiences not specifically described in the itinerary
Testimonials
In their own words
“Your #1 safari company”My 10-day safari with Excellent Guides was by far the most exciting experience. We saw all of the Big Five, from Arusha to the Serengeti. Our guide Hassan was the best: patient and full of knowledge. I highly recommend this company.
“Priceless experience!”Organising the trip, the lodge and the trek up Kilimanjaro with Excellent Guides was a unique experience. On summit night, my guide's positive motivation and good mood carried me to the top. A mega experience. Thank you!
“Excellent indeed!”Our honeymoon safari and relaxing days in Zanzibar were so much more than we expected. Rajabu is such an experienced, warm-hearted guide. We saw all the Big Five. A memory forever engraved in our minds.
“It seems like a dream”Our guide Jerry was the main reason our safari was so successful. So knowledgeable, with such a love for nature and the animals. How close we came to the wildlife was unbelievable. Everything I dreamed it would be, and more.
“We literally saw everything”The guides were like walking encyclopedias, and they knew where to find the animals, including a cheetah stalking its prey and taking off on an epic run. I truly can't say enough about this company.
“The dream safari”Two wonderful weeks through northern Tanzania. Their professionalism and experience, the smiles always on their faces and their attention to every detail made our honeymoon unique and unforgettable.
“Professionals, great service”Everything was wonderful: the organisation, the hotels and the safari itself. Professionals all the way, excellent service. We recommend them with all our heart.
“Once in a lifetime”Our guide Cosmas was amazing. Knowledgeable about the animals, the geography and the history of the region. The customer service was out of this world. They really spoil you.
“Wow! Unforgettable”We planned the trip for six months with Dearson, who answered every question promptly and personalised the itinerary to our wishes. The hospitality at every camp was outstanding.
“What an experience”Apollo and Ross were fantastic: fun, energetic, knowledgeable and informative. They found the Big Five and took such wonderful care of us throughout our first safari.
“A trip to Eden”We loved travelling through the reserves, watching the wildlife and visiting the tribes. John was kind, deeply knowledgeable and could notice even the most hidden animals.
“Photo Safari”Our guide took us to wonderful places and made the photographic safari exceptional. He was skilled, fun and friendly, and I returned home with beautiful memories and images.
“Smoothly run and professional”Communication was excellent, the ownership was involved and our hotels and lodges were fantastic. From airport pickup to drop-off, everything ran smoothly.
“Amazing week”Our guide was attentive, punctual and remarkable at spotting animals from miles away. He became our eyes, our source of knowledge and our friend throughout the journey.
“Miraculous!”My mum and I had the most incredible time. Travelling through Tarangire and Ngorongoro felt like travelling with a friend who cared deeply about making our experience perfect.
“Four action-packed days”Excellent Guides listened carefully, made every day count and placed us in safe, knowledgeable hands. Their network and respect for the wilderness made the safari extraordinary.
“Excellent!”Communication, preparation, lodges and guiding were all excellent. We especially valued travelling with a Tanzanian-owned company whose guide went the extra mile.
“The perfect honeymoon”We could sit back and enjoy every moment. The lodges were excellent, the vehicle was well maintained and our guide's knowledge and thoughtful approach made the journey faultless.
Make it your own
Ready to cross East Africa together?
Tell us the dates you are considering and the way you like to travel. We will refine the pace, stays, border logistics and private guiding into one seamless Kenya and Tanzania story.
