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Wildlife safari · Kenya & Tanzania

8-Day Circuit Safari - Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara · Isebania · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara

A cross-border loop from Nairobi that follows the ecosystem rather than the map: Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara, across at Isebania into the Serengeti, then the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara before returning via Arusha.

  • 8 days
  • Kenya & Tanzania
  • Wildlife safari
  • From USD 1,720
Get a free quoteAsk on WhatsApp
4.9/5 from 31 traveller reviews on SafariBookings (opens in a new tab)

The journey

A closer look at your trip.

A cross-border loop from Nairobi that follows the ecosystem rather than the map: Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara, across at Isebania into the Serengeti, then the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara before returning via Arusha.

Maasai MaraLake NakuruSerengetiNgorongoroLake ManyaraIsebaniaNairobiArusha
Duration
8 days
Countries
Kenya & Tanzania
Trip style
Wildlife safari
Transport
4x4 Land Cruiser
Start
Nairobi
End
Nairobi
Price
USD 2,080 pp (2 pax) / USD 1,800 pp (4 pax) / USD 1,720 pp (6 pax)

Choose your safari style

The same route, at the level you want to travel.

This journey follows the same wildlife route whichever style you choose. What changes is where you sleep, the level of service and how the trip is quoted.

Choose your safari style

Budget: where you stay

Suggested accommodation

Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.

What this style means

  • Practical camps and lodges, and public campsites inside the Tanzanian parks. The wildlife itinerary, the guiding and the 4x4 Land Cruiser are the same as on the upgraded styles of this route.
Price
USD 2,080 pp (2 pax) / USD 1,800 pp (4 pax) / USD 1,720 pp (6 pax)
Catalogue reference
Product 49
Enquire about the budget option

Midrange: where you stay

Suggested accommodation

Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.

What this style means

  • Upgraded rooms, dining and a higher service level throughout, with a 4x4 Land Cruiser for game drives.
Price
On Request
Catalogue reference
Product 86
Enquire about the midrange option

Luxury: where you stay

Suggested accommodation

Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.

What this style means

  • Premium camps and lodges with elevated service, delivered in a private-style format with a 4x4 Land Cruiser.
Price
On Request
Catalogue reference
Product 107
Enquire about the luxury option

Trip highlights

The places that shape this journey.

  • 01

    Maasai Mara

  • 02

    Lake Nakuru

  • 03

    Serengeti

  • 04

    Ngorongoro

  • 05

    Lake Manyara

  • 06

    Isebania

Your route

Across Kenya & Tanzania.

Nairobi → Lake Nakuru → Maasai Mara → Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Lake Manyara → Arusha → Nairobi

We will confirm the day-by-day sequence and overnight stops in your detailed proposal.

KENYATANZANIANairobiLake NakuruMaasai MaraSerengetiNgorongoroLake ManyaraArusha

Schematic route · See the day-by-day programme for travel details.

Day by day

8 days in East Africa.

  1. Day 1

    Nairobi to Lake Nakuru

    Travel from Nairobi into the Rift Valley towards Lake Nakuru, the first wildlife destination on this cross-border circuit. The changing scenery leads from the escarpment and settled countryside to the park’s woodland, clearings and lakeshore. The published programme includes game viewing here, with rhino, buffalo and birds among the wildlife to look for. Flamingo numbers vary with lake conditions. Finish the day in the Nakuru area, where your confirmed accommodation provides the first overnight stop.

    Overnight
    Buraha Zenoni, Lake NakuruLake Nakuru Sopa LodgeThe Cliff Nakuru

  2. Day 2

    Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara

    Leave the Nakuru area and continue towards the Maasai Mara, travelling through the Rift Valley and into southern Kenya’s wider grazing country. This is a change of base as well as a change of landscape, so part of the day is devoted to the road journey. On reaching the Mara, follow the arrival and game-viewing arrangements in your programme before settling at camp. The next day remains in the reserve, giving time to explore beyond the first sightings.

    Overnight
    Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara CampGovernors' Camp, Maasai Mara

  3. Day 3

    A full day in the Maasai Mara

    Explore the Maasai Mara with a full day set aside for game viewing. Open grassland makes grazing animals visible across a broad area, while riverine trees and low ridges create places to watch for predators and birds. A picnic-lunch arrangement in the published programme allows time to stay out in the reserve. Migration herds may be present in season, but sightings and crossings cannot be scheduled. Return to your Mara camp for another overnight stay.

    Overnight
    Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara CampGovernors' Camp, Maasai Mara

  4. Day 4

    Maasai Mara to the Serengeti via Isebania

    Cross from Kenya into Tanzania on the Isebania route, connecting the Maasai Mara stage with the Serengeti. Border formalities and the road transfer make this a substantial travel day, and the practical arrangements should be checked with your safari team before departure. As the route reaches the Serengeti, the landscape broadens into Tanzania’s wildlife plains. Game viewing along the way depends on the section travelled and available time, with the night spent in the Serengeti.

    Overnight
    Seronera Camp, SerengetiSerengeti Serena Safari LodgeFour Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
    A male lion and lioness resting in grass at sunset.
    The Maasai Mara — the heart of this journey.

  5. Day 5

    Game viewing in the Serengeti

    Stay in the Serengeti for a day focused on wildlife rather than changing destinations. Grassland, kopjes and river corridors offer different settings to explore, with resident animals providing interest beyond the seasonal movement of the great herds. Follow the behaviour unfolding around you: grazing, resting, hunting or moving towards water. The programme returns to the central Serengeti for the night, allowing the next transfer to begin from within this wider wildlife landscape.

    Overnight
    Seronera Camp, SerengetiSerengeti Serena Safari LodgeFour Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

  6. Day 6

    Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands

    The route leaves the Serengeti for Ngorongoro, linking the plains with the volcanic highlands. The source programme allows game viewing before the transfer, so there is time for another look at the wildlife area before moving on. Scenery changes as the journey approaches the conservation area and higher ground. Arrive at the confirmed Ngorongoro overnight stop, where the following day’s crater visit and onward route can be reviewed with your guide.

    Overnight
    Simba Campsite, NgorongoroNgorongoro Serena Safari LodgeNeptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge
    An acacia tree above grassland at sunset.
    Serengeti plains, where the next stage of the route takes you.

  7. Day 7

    Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Manyara

    Visit the Ngorongoro Crater floor for game viewing before continuing towards Lake Manyara. A 4x4 Land Cruiser takes you into a landscape of grassland, wetland and woodland enclosed by the caldera walls. Look across the different habitats rather than expecting a fixed list of sightings. After the crater visit and ascent, the route moves towards the Manyara area for the overnight stop, placing you near the final park stage of the circuit.

    Overnight
    Fanaka Campsite, Lake ManyaraLake Manyara Serena Safari LodgeEscarpment Luxury Lodge Manyara

  8. Day 8

    Lake Manyara, Arusha and onward travel

    Explore Lake Manyara’s combination of groundwater forest, woodland and lakeshore habitat before the route continues to Arusha. The park offers a contrast to the Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro highlands, with birds and forest-associated wildlife adding variety to the final game-viewing stage. The source programme then connects with onward travel to Nairobi. Confirm the transfer method, timing and final drop-off in your written proposal, particularly if you intend to continue directly to an airport.

What is included

Your written quotation itemises every one of these for your dates, so you can compare it line by line with any other:

  • Park, reserve and conservancy entry fees
  • Accommodation for each night, named
  • Meals on each day
  • Game drives in the 4x4 Land Cruiser, with its seating
  • Driver-guide and fuel
  • Airport or hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Whether the vehicle is private or shared

What to allow for

Most travellers also budget separately for the items below. Your quotation confirms which apply to this trip.

  • International flights
  • Kenya eTA and any Tanzania visa
  • Travel and medical insurance (Tanzania now requires inbound cover)
  • Optional activities such as a balloon flight
  • Drinks and tips for guides and camp staff
How safari prices and park fees work →

When to travel

Seasonal considerations.

The Great Migration is a natural phenomenon, not a scheduled event. The herds move through the Serengeti and Maasai Mara with the rainfall, so their position shifts from month to month and year to year, and river crossings can never be guaranteed on a given date. Broadly, the calving months in the southern Serengeti fall around January to March, the western and central plains hold the herds from roughly April to June, and the northern Serengeti and the Mara are the usual focus from about July to October. We plan around the most current reports rather than a fixed calendar.

Read the full season guide →

Who it suits

Is this the right journey?

  • Travellers who want more than a sampler: enough days to settle into each area rather than moving on every morning.
  • Anyone who would rather see both countries on one trip than choose between them. Expect a border crossing and separate entry requirements for each.
  • Travellers at different budgets — this route is sold as Budget, Midrange, Luxury, with the same wildlife itinerary throughout.
  • Solo travellers and couples happy to share a vehicle on a scheduled departure, or any group wanting the journey privately on request.

Pricing

Plan with the details in view.

USD 2,080 pp (2 pax) / USD 1,800 pp (4 pax) / USD 1,720 pp (6 pax)

Group prices per person in US dollars
Group sizePer person
2 travellersUSD 2,080
4 travellersUSD 1,800
6 travellersUSD 1,720

Published catalogue reference rate. Confirm availability and the final quotation for your travel dates.

This itinerary can also be arranged privately in a 4x4 Land Cruiser on request. A private departure is quoted separately and confirmed with your dates and group size.

Request a quotation

Free quotation

Get a quote for this trip.

Tell us when and how many. We will reply with a written quotation for the 8-Day Circuit Safari - Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara · Isebania · Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara in the style you selected above, and adjust the pace, parks or accommodation if you would like something different.

4.9/5 from 31 traveller reviews on SafariBookings (opens in a new tab)
  1. 01

    Tell us your dates

    Send the quick form or a WhatsApp message. It is free and commits you to nothing.

  2. 02

    Get a written quotation

    Our Nairobi team checks availability and sends a quotation stating the route, accommodation and exactly what is and is not included.

  3. 03

    Adjust it until it fits

    Change the pace, the style of accommodation or the parks. Ask anything before you decide.

  4. 04

    Book when you are ready

    Nothing is reserved or charged until you accept the quotation in writing.

Rather talk it through? Ask on WhatsApp

Free and without obligation. Nothing is booked or charged until you accept a written quotation.

Your questions, answered.

How do I request a quotation?

Send your travel dates, party size and accommodation preferences. We will confirm availability and send a written quotation before you book.

Can I customise this trip?

Ask our team about adjustments to the itinerary, accommodation and pace. We will explain what is practical for your dates and confirm any price changes.

What is the published price for this 8-day trip?

USD 2,080 pp (2 pax) / USD 1,800 pp (4 pax) / USD 1,720 pp (6 pax). Ask us to confirm the quotation for your dates and group size.

What vehicle is used for game drives?

Safari game drives use a 4x4 Land Cruiser. Your quotation will confirm whether your trip is private or shared and specify any separate transfer arrangements.

Before you choose

Understand the places, stays and practical details.

Read the destination guides alongside this itinerary to compare access, wildlife habitat and accommodation position. The named comfort option and written quotation confirm the actual overnight stays, meals and activities.

Places on this route

Useful preparation

Keep exploring

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Quoted to your dates

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Get a free quote · From USD 1,720
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