7-Day Mara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
A week that follows the migration country across the border: Lake Nakuru, two nights in the Maasai Mara, two in the Serengeti, then the Ngorongoro Crater, finishing in Arusha.
7 days · 6 nights · Best Jul – Oct (migration)
About this experience
The Mara and the Serengeti are one ecosystem split by a border, and this trip drives straight through it. You start at Lake Nakuru, spend a full day in the Mara with a picnic at the hippo pool, cross into Tanzania at Isebania and give the Serengeti a full day of its own. The last stop is the Ngorongoro Crater floor before the drive to Arusha. It runs privately in a pop-up-roof 4x4, staying in lodges and camps with meals on safari.
Best for
- Migration (Jul–Oct)
- Mara and Serengeti in a week
- Big-cat lovers
Trip features
- Private vehicleYour own 4x4 and driver-guide
- Starts any dayPick your own date, 7+ days ahead
- Can be tailoredChange lodges, add days or parks
- Children welcomeAges 3–12 at half price
- Pickup in NairobiAirport or your hotel
- EnglishGuide language
Signature experiences
Optional extras we can add to this trip. Prices are per person and confirmed when you book.
Lift off at dawn over the plains, drift silently above the herds, and land to a champagne bush breakfast. The definitive Mara morning.
Spend an hour in a working manyatta — the jumping dance, fire-making, and a look at daily Maasai life, hosted by the community itself.
A lantern-lit table set out under the stars, your own chef and a crackling fire — the safari dinner people remember for years.
After dark on a private conservancy, a spotlight picks out leopard, aardvark, bushbaby and the animals you never see by day.
Day by day
What each day looks like, from pickup in Nairobi to drop-off.
After breakfast you drive through the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru, arriving for lunch at your lodge. The park's lake and wooded grassland hold flamingos and other water birds, white rhino and buffalo.
Lake Nakuru Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
On to the Maasai Mara in time for lunch, then your first afternoon game drive. The Mara is the northern end of the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem, and from July to October the wildebeest, zebra and gazelle herds move into it.
Mara Sun Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
A full day out on the grasslands and hills of the reserve, where the network of tracks lets your guide get you close to the animals. Lunch is a picnic at the hippo pool, with hippos and crocodiles below.
Mara Sun Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
An early breakfast and a morning game drive, then over the western escarpment to Isebania for immigration and vehicle checks. You continue into the Serengeti with game drives across the plains on the way to camp.
Serengeti Wild Camp (or similar) · Full-board
A whole day of game drives in the Serengeti, where the big cats follow the grazing herds. Your guide checks the trees along the Seronera River for leopard and the open plains for cheetah, hyena and jackal.
Serengeti Wild Camp (or similar) · Full-board
A last morning drive in the Serengeti, then a picnic lunch and the drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You arrive in time for dinner.
Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge · Full-board
After breakfast you go down into the Ngorongoro Crater, a volcanic caldera about 610 metres deep, with a picnic lunch on the floor. You then drive on to Arusha, where the trip ends.
Where you'll stay
Lodges we book on this trip. If one is full on your dates, we'll offer a comparable property before you pay anything.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation in lodges and camps as listed (or similar), full board
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof and driver-guide
- Experienced safari guides in Kenya and Tanzania
- All national park, reserve and Ngorongoro Crater entry fees
- All game drives as per itinerary
- 24/7 WhatsApp support from the Bookara team
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Hotel in Arusha on the final night (we can book it)
- Kenya eTA (government fee — we help you apply)
- Tanzania visa (government fee — we help you apply)
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for guides, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional excursions and extra activities
- Drinks and personal expenses
Route & pickup
Where the trip goes, and where we meet you.
- 01 NairobiDay 1 · City
- 02 Lake NakuruDay 1 · Lake
- 03 Maasai MaraDay 2 · National park & reserve
- 04 SerengetiDay 4 · National park & reserve
- 05 Ngorongoro CraterDay 6 · National park & reserve
- 06 ArushaDay 7 · City
Good to know
A 30% deposit holds your dates, and the balance is due 45 days before you travel (book closer than that and you pay in full). Cancel 90+ days before departure for a full refund, 60–89 days before for 50% back. Full terms.
Common questions
Where does the trip finish?+
In Arusha, Tanzania, after the Ngorongoro Crater on day 7. The hotel that night isn't included, but we can book one for you, and message us if you'd like us to quote your onward travel.
How does the border crossing work?+
On day 4 you cross from the Mara into Tanzania at Isebania. Immigration and vehicle checks are part of the drive. You need a Tanzania visa as well as the Kenya eTA, and we help you apply.
Is it just us in the vehicle?+
Yes. It's a private trip — your own vehicle and guide, nobody else joins. Routes and lodges can be adjusted, so message us and we'll quote any changes.
Book on WhatsApp
Your chat opens with the trip pre-filled — no payment needed now. Our team replies between 7am–10pm EAT.
Request saved
WhatsApp is opening with your details pre-filled — just hit send.
- 1 Send the pre-filled messageYour trip details are already written for you.
- 2 Confirm in chat — or pay the deposit onlineSame reference either way. Our team replies 7am–10pm EAT.
- 3 Instant confirmationWhatsApp message + email receipt the moment your deposit lands.
Your request ref becomes your booking reference once the deposit is paid.
Book direct with the operator
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Licensed & certified
Kenya-registered operator in Nairobi with experienced driver-guides.
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Run from Nairobi
We plan and run your trip ourselves, with driver-guides we know, and stay reachable on WhatsApp throughout.
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Secure payment
Card or Apple Pay through Paystack (USD). Taxes and park fees are in the price you see.
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Flexible cancellation
Full refund up to 90 days before departure; a 30% deposit holds your dates.
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