Signature: Tanzania & Kenya — Serengeti to the Maasai Mara

The adventure begins tomorrow. Feel free to explore on your own before your welcome meeting on the morning of day two. Check for the meeting time in the welcome note at the hotel.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

Your opportunity to meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group on the morning of day two.

Enjoy a National Geographic Expert-led talk given by Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld where she will discuss African People & Wildlife (APW), co-founded in 2005 by herself and Charles Trout. Their mission? A world where Africa's people and wildlife not just coexist, but thrive together in healthy landscapes. Learn about innovative efforts on the ground and how community engagement plays a role in successful, lasting outcomes.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle. You will be able to search for wildlife after passing into Tarangire National Park along the way to your lodge stay.

Enjoy the wildlife viewing opportunities inside Tarangire National Park. Admire the ancient baobab trees and the presence of far fewer crowds, in this lesser-known, but mighty national park.

Enjoy free time to relax and take advantage of the property amenities. There will be sunset drinks and another expert discussion before dinner at the lodge.

Enjoy the scenery on the drive from Tarangire to Ngorongoro. The entire Ngorongoro Conservation Area is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its natural and cultural significance. Once through the gate, the group will drive 45 minutes to the lodge with a stop at the crater view point on the rim of the world's largest intact volcanic caldera in northern Tanzania.

Meet with representatives from KopeLion, which was founded with the aim of finding a working model for coexistence together with the pastoralist communities, and alongside the conservation authorities in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The group will be taken into the field to meet staff and see firsthand how the organization helps people live alongside lions on a daily basis. Many of the activities that are part of the visit will be demonstrated in a Maasai boma setting, adding a real-life glimpse into the harmony between humans and wildlife.

Set an alarm and rise early and descend to the Ngorongoro crater floor for a morning wildlife safari drive and a bush brunch. Here you’ll see Maasai herdsmen in the morning mist and all the best spots to view wildlife. Spot zebra, gazelles, buffaloes, and warthogs. The swamp and forest are home to hippos, rhinos, elephants, baboons, and monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled and camera ready to capture a pride of lions or a lone leopard walking along the crater floor. Enjoy brunch in the bush amid the sounds of the wild.

Enjoy an afternoon to relax, enjoy the amenities of the lodge, opt for a guided walk on the rim of the crater, and later watch the sun set over the crater from the lodge.

During a discussion this afternoon, learn more about conservation through tourism from one of your National Geographic Experts on tour.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

The Olduvai Gorge is a steep ravine in the Great Rift Valley of Tanzania. It is one of the world’s most important paleoanthropological sites. Beginning in 1931, excavations by Louis Leakey revealed evidence of early man dating back nearly 2 million years. Enjoy a private visit to the Olduvai museum and see bone fossils along with fragments of ancient stone tools, and depart with an intriguing glimpse into the origin and evolution of man in the Serengeti Plains of Africa. The group will also see the Mary Leakey Living Museum.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between Olduvai Gorge and your lodge in Serengeti National Park. Please note there will be an hour-long picnic lunch stop at the Naabi Hill Gate. The remainder of the drive will be a safari through the park to the lodge in the Central Serengeti.

Begin the day with a morning safari drive in the Central Serengeti for a classic African wildlife experience. The park is known for its consistent and exceptional wildlife viewing year-round.

Listen to an expert talk before lunch and then enjoy a few hours of free time around the middle, hottest part of the day. Sample the lodge's amenities or lounge with a good book. The group will reconvene for high tea together before the afternoon safari drive.

Enjoy an afternoon safari drive in the heart of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. With luck, you may encounter the impressive herds of the famed wildebeest migration.

Begin the day with a morning safari drive in the Central Serengeti for a classic African wildlife experience. The park is known for its consistent and exceptional wildlife viewing year-round.

Enjoy free time at the lodge to try out the various amenities available to guests. During the hottest part of the day, it's best to relax and recharge before more time in the bush. The group will reconvene for high tea before the afternoon safari drive.

Enjoy an afternoon safari drive in the heart of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. With luck, you may encounter the impressive herds of the famed wildebeest migration.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Sit back and enjoy the views from above on a short flight between Serengeti National Park and Arusha.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between the airport and the hotel in Arusha. Here, have lunch, refresh, and wait for your departing flight.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Bid farewell to Tanzania as you take to the skies en route to Kenya.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel in Nairobi.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Depart on your flight from Wilson Airport, crossing the Equator to Northern Kenya's remote Samburu Kalama Airstrip.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Explore Samburu’s dramatic red-earth wilderness in the late afternoon, tracking iconic wildlife through the sun-baked terrain.

On your journey to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, transition from a relaxed wildlife drive into a scenic and culturally rich off-road expedition that passes through traditional Samburu Maasai villages.

Meet a researcher at the Reteti Visitor Centre before viewing a private feeding session. Highlighting the meaningful work of Reteti’s passionate team of Samburu keepers, researchers, and rangers, the centre is also a testimony to generations of coexistence between the area’s Indigenous people and the wildlife with whom they share this land.

Take in the savanna scenery as you make your way back to the lodge.

Set out at dawn across acacia-dotted plains to track iconic wildlife. Keep your binoculars ready to spot grazing elephants, migrating wildebeest, and stealthy predators at their most active. Experience East Africa’s raw, untamed beauty firsthand.

Venture into the rugged expanses of Samburu as the midday heat gives way to a gentle, golden light. Scan the Ewaso Ng’iro River banks and thornbush scrub for Northern Kenya’s rare "Samburu Special Five"—including reticulated giraffes and Grevy’s zebras. Watch predators emerge from the shade as you immerse yourself in an untamed, dramatic landscape rarely touched by crowds.

Gather beneath a canopy of stars as your resident naturalist guides you through the celestial wonders adorning the Samburu sky. Decode the ancient "living calendar" of the wilderness, learning how Northern Kenya’s indigenous communities have long used these constellations to navigate the rugged landscapes.

Take in the rolling grasslands from a private vehicle as you transfer from your Samburu lodge to the Kalama Airstrip.

Depart Samburu on your AirKenya flight for the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Venture into the Maasai Mara’s sweeping grasslands just as the afternoon heat begins to soften and the savanna springs back to life. Scan the golden plains for grazing elephants, prides of lions, and elusive leopards descending from acacia branches.

Set out at first light across the golden, acacia-dotted savannas of the Maasai Mara to track legendary wildlife. Raise your binoculars to scan sweeping grasslands for roaming elephant herds, wildebeest, and prowling lions at their most active. Connect directly with the raw, untamed spirit of the Mara.

Savor an exclusive open-air breakfast served in the heart of the Maasai Mara, where the golden savanna is your dining room. Toast the sunrise with freshly brewed Kenyan coffee as wildlife grazes in the distance, elevating a classic safari tradition into an unforgettable, immersive encounter with nature.

Venture into the Maasai Mara’s sweeping grasslands just as the afternoon heat begins to soften and the savanna springs back to life. Scan the golden plains for grazing elephants, prides of lions, and elusive leopards descending from acacia branches.

Venture into the Maasai Mara’s sweeping grasslands just as the afternoon heat begins to soften and the savanna springs back to life. Scan the golden plains for grazing elephants, prides of lions, and elusive leopards descending from acacia branches.

Set out at first light across the golden, acacia-dotted savannas of the Maasai Mara to track legendary wildlife. Raise your binoculars to scan sweeping grasslands for roaming elephant herds, wildebeest, and prowling lions at their most active. Connect directly with the raw, untamed spirit of the Mara.

Board your flight out of the Maasai Mara, bidding farewell to the savanna as you return to Nairobi.

Step inside Amani ya Juu, a sanctuary where women from across post-colonial East Africa find safety, empowerment, and economic independence through fair-trade entrepreneurship. Tour the vibrant workshop to watch artisans transform local fabrics into culturally symbolic handicrafts. Conclude your visit by sharing an authentic, locally sourced lunch prepared by community youth, engaging in meaningful conversation that connects you to the resilient spirit of Nairobi.