✦ Kenya & Tanzania · Safari
7-Day Luxury Great Migration Safari: Serengeti & Maasai Mara
This Luxury Great Migration Safari Serengeti Maasai Mara itinerary delivers 7 days of private guides, fly-in camps, and front-row seats to nature's greatest spectacle.
✦ Overview
The journey
This Luxury Great Migration Safari Serengeti Maasai Mara itinerary is built for travelers who want East Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle without compromise. Over 7 days, fly between exclusive private conservancies in the Mara, the endless plains of the Serengeti, and the crater floor of Ngorongoro — chasing wildebeest river crossings, Big Five encounters, and dawn balloon rides. Private guides, gourmet bush dining, and hand-picked ultra-luxury to luxury accommodation accompany you at every stop, with all logistics — chartered flights, transfers, border crossings — seamlessly handled. Whether it's peak migration season (July–October) or the quieter calving months (January–March), this Luxury Great Migration Safari Serengeti Maasai Mara route delivers East Africa's definitive wildlife experience.
Highlights
- • Private fly-in access to exclusive Maasai Mara conservancies
- • Front-row seats to wildebeest river crossings: one of nature's most dramatic spectacles.
- • Hot-air balloon safari at dawn over the Serengeti plains.
- • Full-day descent into Ngorongoro Crater — the world's largest intact caldera.
- • Night game drives in the Mara private conservancies (unavailable in national parks).
- • Gourmet bush breakfasts, sundowner cocktails, and candlelit dinners under the stars.
- • Expert FGASA-certified private field guides throughout.
- • Seamless Tranfers: chartered bush flights, porterage, and 24/7 concierge support.
Day by day
Day 1
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi and Transfer to Maasai Mara
Fly Time: 45-minute charter flight from Wilson Airport, Nairobi Your luxury safari begins the moment you touch down in Nairobi. A private airport representative will meet you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), escort you through formalities, and transfer you to Wilson Airport, Nairobi's hub for bush charters. Upon landing on your private conservancy airstrip in the Mara, your personal guide and safari vehicle will be waiting. After a light welcome lunch at camp, your afternoon game drive introduces you to one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife theatres. Overnight in Maasai Mara. Highlights: • Private charter flight over the Great Rift Valley. • Welcome sundowner on the open plains with your guide. • Afternoon game drive: lions, elephants, and possibly your first sighting of migration herds. • Private conservancy access: fewer vehicles, off-road driving, walking safaris.
• Angama Mara (Ultra-Luxury | $1,600 – $2,400 pp/sharing) • Mara Plains Camp (andBeyond) (Luxury | $1,400 – $2,000 pp/sharing)
Day 2
Day 2: Full Day in the Maasai Mara
A full, unhurried day in the Mara is the highlight of many guests' entire safari journey. Begin before dawn with tea and rusks, then head out for a spectacular sunrise game drive. Your private guide will have been tracking animals overnight: expect to open the morning with lion, cheetah, or leopard sightings. Depending on the time of year, explore the thrilling Mara River crossings, where wildebeest and zebra herds brave crocodile-infested waters in one of nature's most dramatic spectacles. Return to camp for a leisurely bush breakfast, then rest during the midday heat before heading back out for a long sunset drive with cocktails and snacks served in the field. Overnight in the Mara. Highlights: Mara River wildebeest crossings (July – October) Big Five opportunities in a single day — the Mara's predator density is unmatched Optional guided bush walk with an armed ranger
Same as Day 1
Day 3
Day 3: Maasai Mara – Northern Serengeti
Transfer: Private 4x4 road transfer via Isebania border crossing Drive Time: Allow 4 – 5 hours After a final sunrise drive and camp breakfast, your private guide and dedicated 4x4 head south toward Tanzania. The Mara and Serengeti are one continuous ecosystem, and the drive reflects that beautifully, with wildlife visible the entire way. Your operator's ground representative handles all Kenyan exit and Tanzanian entry formalities at the Isebania crossing; allow 1–2 hours at the border. By early afternoon, you are rolling into the northern Serengeti, game drive already underway. Overnight in Serengeti National Park. Highlights: • Continuous wildlife viewing from the Mara all the way into the Serengeti • Ground crossing at Isebania: watch one iconic ecosystem become another. • Spot some migration herds during the border approach in peak season. • Arrive in the northern Serengeti with a full afternoon game drive ahead. • Sundowners at a private kopje over the endless northern plains.
• Lamai Serengeti (andBeyond) (Ultra-Luxury | $1,800 – $2,800 pp/sharing) • Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp (Luxury | $1,200 – $1,800 pp/sharing)
Day 4
Day 4: Full Day - Northern & Central Serengeti
Enjoy a full, unhurried day on the Serengeti plains. Rise before dawn for an optional hot-air balloon safari, drifting silently above the golden grasslands as the sun breaks the horizon, with migrating herds moving below, before landing for a champagne breakfast in the bush. It is widely regarded as one of the great natural experiences on Earth and is strongly recommended. Budget $550 – $650 per person and book well in advance. Back at camp for brunch, then out again for a long afternoon drive through the Seronera river valley, a year-round leopard territory, with lion prides on the kopjes and enormous elephant herds on the open plains. Your guide positions the vehicle for sundowners in the field as the Serengeti sky turns gold. Highlights: • Dawn hot-air balloon safari with champagne bush breakfast on landing (optional). • Seronera Valley: one of Africa's highest leopard densities, year-round. • Lion prides draped across granite kopjes in the afternoon light. • Migration herds stretching to the horizon in peak season. • Sundowners served in the field — gin and tonic, open sky, no other vehicles.
• Singita Grumeti (Sasakwa Lodge) (Ultra-Luxury | $3,000 – $5,000 pp/sharing) • Lamai Serengeti (andBeyond) (Luxury | $1,800 – $2,800 pp/sharing)
Day 5
Day 5: Serengeti – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Transfer: Charter flight Serengeti to Lake Manyara airstrip Flight Time (1.5 – 2 hours + a 40-minute road transfer to the crater rim) After a final morning drive, transfer to the airstrip for your charter southeast to Lake Manyara, allowing 1.5 to 2 hours in the air, with a possible intermediate stop at Seronera. From Lake Manyara, a 40-minute road transfer through Maasai country and highland forest brings you to the crater rim. No flights land on the rim itself; altitude and weather make it impractical, so this transfer is standard for every guest, regardless of lodge. As the vehicle climbs, the landscape shifts from open savanna to cool highland forest. Temperatures drop, clouds gather below, and on clear days Kilimanjaro appears on the eastern horizon. By the time you reach your lodge, the crater is already far beneath you. Overnight in Ngorongoro. Pro Tip: Lake Manyara flights are limited to one or two departures daily, and your operator will plan around them. Highlights: • Final Serengeti game drive at first light. • Scenic charter over the Ngorongoro highlands and Great Rift Valley. • First aerial glimpse of the caldera (260 sq km of wildlife, framed by ancient volcanic walls). • Cool, misty rim arrival: a dramatic contrast to the open plains left behind. • Sundowners watching the cloud roll into the crater far below.
• andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (Ultra-Luxury | $1,500 – $2,500 pp/sharing) • One Nature Ngorongoro Lodge (Luxury | $1,200 – $1,800 pp/sharing)
Day 6
Day 6: Full Day in Ngorongoro Crater
Today is the crown jewel of your safari. Descend early into the Ngorongoro Crater — Earth's largest intact volcanic caldera and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. Within its 260 sq km walls live approximately 25,000 large animals, including some of Africa's rarest wildlife. The density of predators is extraordinary: multiple lion prides, spotted hyena clans, golden jackals, serval cats, and the greatest concentration of black rhino on the continent. Spend the full day on the crater floor, with a gourmet picnic lunch served privately near the hippo pools of Lake Magadi. Your guide will position the vehicle thoughtfully throughout the day for intimate encounters without disturbance. By mid-afternoon, ascend back to your rim-top lodge for high tea and time to reflect before your final sunset evening. Overnight in Ngorongoro. Highlights: • Black Rhino sightings — Ngorongoro is Africa's single best location for this critically endangered species. • Complete Big Five in a single day: lion, leopard (rare but present), elephant, buffalo, and black rhino. • Flamingos at Lake Magadi (seasonal) — a sweeping pink spectacle on the crater floor. • Gourmet picnic lunch at the hippo pools • Spotted hyena clans, cheetah, serval, and golden jackal on open grasslands. • Wildebeest and zebra herds — resident populations that never leave the caldera.
• andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (Ultra-Luxury | $1,500 – $2,500 pp/sharing) • One Nature Ngorongoro Lodge (Luxury | $1,200 – $1,800 pp/sharing)
Day 7
Day 7: Tarnsfer to Arusha - Departure
Drive: 2 – 3 hours) to Arusha, or a 45-minute drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) Your final morning in the Ngorongoro highlands begins quietly: a hot cup of coffee in bed, the highland mist still curled around the crater rim. After a leisurely lodge breakfast, your private guide transfers you to Arusha, Tanzania's northern safari capital, or to the local airstrip for a connecting charter to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight. If you have time, Arusha offers a brief but rewarding pause: the cultural Maasai market, the Natural History Museum, or a lingering farewell lunch at one of the town's excellent restaurants before your departure flight. Your private guide will handle any hotel check-in if an overnight is required and ensure seamless airport transfers throughout.
• Legendary Lodge (andBeyond) (Ultra-Luxury | $500 – $900 pp/sharing) • Arusha Coffee Lodge (Elewana) (Luxury | $400 – $700 pp/sharing)
What's included
- • All accommodation as per the itinerary (6 nights, across Maasai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro).
- • All meals on full board with bush breakfasts, picnic lunches, and gourmet dinners.
- • Charter bush flights between camps
- • Private road transfers in an exclusive 4x4 safari vehicle and a private expert field guide
- • All Tanzania and Kenya national park and conservation fees.
- • Ngorongoro Crater descent fee and vehicle permit.
- • Airport transfers at Nairobi/Kilimanjaro and between all camps.
- • 24/7 in-country concierge and emergency support
Not included
- • International flights to/from Nairobi or Kilimanjaro
- • Visa fees (Kenya e-TA: $30 USD; Tanzania e-visa: $50 USD)
- • Hot-air balloon safari ($550 – $650 per person: book in advance)
- • Expenses on spa treatments, specialist activities, and personal shopping
- • Tips for guides, camp staff, and drivers (recommended: $15 – $25 pp/day for guides).
- • Comprehensive travel and medical evacuation insurance (mandatory).
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